Rapid Reconstruction

My project involved a refresh of kitchen and bath cabinets and replacement of a bathtub with a shower. There were no major changes in footprint, flooring, plumbing or electrical, yet my project, which began in August 2017 is still incomplete. I was told I would see plans and options to choose from, but I was given only 1 option for cabinets, 1 option for shower tile, & 1 option for hardware. I was given 3 choices of granite countertop, none of which was the style we had discussed, and 2 of which did not coordinate with my existing flooring. When I asked for other options, I was told I would have to pay more. Really? Only 3 countertop options were in my price point? I asked for the countertop allowance, so that I might shop for other options, but got no response. I was never given specific information or itemization of costs. Questions often went unaddressed, which I have documented in emails and text messages. Many deliverables were not as discussed, including a shower pan that was significantly smaller than the shower space, a damaged melamine bookshelf that was installed where drywall linen shelving was to go, and even plumbing that was installed incorrectly. I was told the shower pan was a “custom order,” which is why it took 12 weeks to arrive, yet I found the very same item readily available on local home store websites for about $230 retail. Even the hardware on the kitchen cabinets was installed incorrectly. I was told I would see and sign off on everything BEFORE it was done, but that was not the case, resulting in many unexpected “surprises” that created delays and the need for work to be redone. Many things, such as glass cabinets in the kitchen and a refresh on a second bathroom that were originally promised, I just let go. This project was much more stressful than it needed to be. For more than 3 months, I had no running water in my kitchen. I thought RR would work full-time once they started my project, but often, they worked only 1 or 2 days a week. They were not good about cleaning up after their work, so I would come home to construction debris, grit and dust all through the house. When I spoke with them about this, the response was that if they took time to vacuum up after themselves, they would never get any work done. No floor coverings were laid, so much of this dust and debris was ground into the carpeting and rugs. As a person with disabilities, it was very hard for me to have to clean up the mess and grit all the time, and I don’t have professional equipment for this purpose. The house required a professional cleaning, at my expense. The work that was redone was ultimately ok, but I felt I had to fight to get it to that stage, and I had to settle on styles, colors, etc. that were not my preferences because I was given no other options. RR obviously tried to cut corners at my expense, and I had to give up part of the project AND pay $1,100 more than the original quote just to get a countertop color that coordinated with existing flooring. The experience was far from what I originally envisioned or hoped for. If you use them, I suggest you get EVERYTHING in writing, UP FRONT, ask for ITEMIZED COSTS before you sign, and don’t let them BULLY you into things you don’t want. Finally, GOOD LUCK, as you might very well need it.