PAUL WHITE GENERAL CONTR INC

Paul White General Contractor ("PWGC") presented itself as as a skilled contractor able to do top quality work on schedule. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. The project was supposed to take less than one-year from start to substantial completion. It ended up taking more than three and one-half years, and even after all of that time there remain defects that were intentionally concealed by PWGC. The supervisor assigned to the project, while pleasant enough, had very limited skills and never exhibited a command of the details of the job, despite the fact that the project architect was always ready, willing and able to assist. Simply put, he was out of his depth and unqualified for the job. PWGC regularly had to redo work multiple times to try to get it right, all at out expense while we lived in a rental apartment. The whole experience was a source of extreme stress and strain upon our family. The project turned into on the job training for a collection of mediocre subcontractors and PWGC personnel. The examples of the resulting problems are too many to count. There are three bathrooms that were included in the remodel project, each of which includes a tiled stall shower, tiled floors and tiled back-splash walls at the sinks. In addition there is an outdoor deck of approximately 150 square feet. The tile work took PWGC more than six months to complete. We selected and purchased custom tiles from Heath Ceramics. We included an overage amount of approximately 30% to allow for waste and cuts. PWGC, which used at least three different tile contractors in its typically ineffective effort to get the tile work done, blew through our tile order and was forced to reorder additional tile because of its incompetence. There were boxes of wasted tiles that had been installed and then ripped off the walls because of faulty installation. It was heartbreaking to see the beautiful tiles wasted and sent to the dump. Cabinetry was a similar experience, with PWGC trying and failing with multiple contractors. The fine hardwood cabinetry was pulled from PWGC's contract because of its exhibited ineptitude. What it was left to complete was paint-grade closet cabinetry, but even that was beyond its skill level. The multiple cabinet people that PWGC brought on the job took more than five months to complete a single closet, redoing work over and over. The roofing work was not done according to plans and industry standards. The problems were only discovered because I went up on a ladder to examine what was purported to be finished work and saw issues that concerned me. As was typical, PWGC proclaimed all was good. Unwilling to accept its word, we were forced to retain a certified roofing inspector who found numerous problems with the roof that required that the work be redone. We opted for plaster walls rather than drywall. The door frame design called for a return of the plaster wall into the door frame. There had to be sufficient room for the baseboard to also return into the door frame. Thus, the tolerances had to be carefully monitored. Once the plaster work began it became obvious that the required tolerances were not being observed. PWGC was immediately alerted, but rejected the warning claiming all was being constructed according to plan. All the door areas were plastered incorrectly by PWGC, which then required that each of them have the plaster removed and redone. That work took approximately 6 months. PWGC was quick to issue change orders. Any tiny change by the architect from the original working drawings resulted in a change order from PWGC, typically for a significant up-charge. PWGC's pricing regularly was unreasonably high and appeared to be part of an effort to gouge us. As to some of the change orders that involved discrete trades, like the fine hardwood cabinetry and counter stone fabrication, we pulled the work from PWGC and hired our own subs to do the work. The results were lower prices and better quality work that was finished on time. Toward the end, and fed up with the overcharges, delays and poor quality work, we entered into an agreement with PWGC pursuant to which we set a definitive date for "substantial completion," meaning the work was "fully" completed in the "reasonable opinion" of PWGC. When the date for required substantial completion arrived, PWGC issued its notice attesting to the work being done. It was a complete fraud. There were toilets that were not connected, no working showers, non-funtioning electrical, and painting going on throughout. It was a completely disingenuos farce. Even worse than its lies about the state of the work's "substantial completion" is PWGC's dishonest concealment from us and the project architect that PWGC did not build the HVAC in accordance with the mechanical engineer's carefully calculated specifications and plan. The HVAC design provides for multiple return air inlets spread throughout the second floor. We have discovered that while all of the specified return air inlets were installed in the walls, two of them are not connected to the HVAC system serve no function at all. PWGC knew this but never disclosed it. The foregoing is just a small portion of the material and costly problems that we suffered at the hands of PWGC. In our opinion, the best way to avoid experiencing a similar fate is to stay away from PWGC.

Paul White is thoroughly reliable and ethical. He employs first class craftsman and stands behind his work . His bids will come in somewhat high but you get value for your money.