STEVE RUTLEDGE CONSTRUCTION

The project began quickly with a complete demolition of the half bath in 1 day. Then the plumbing was reconfigured to relocate the toilet and provide for the stall shower. As the work dragged on, the tile lined stall shower was installed over many days. Some delay was our fault in selecting and obtaining the tile; however, a considerable part of the delay was the result of the slow pace of the work. It was done along with other projects and apparently had a low priority. When the shower was installed, the exact measurements for the glass door and walls as well as the vanity and its top could be determined so that they could be ordered (and waited for). The work started in the fall, was completed the following spring. It looked beautiful, for a few weeks. Then I began to notice deformities in the tile wall behind the toilet. By 9 months after the completion, about 25% of the tiles had cracks. No further cracks have appeared in the subsequent 7 years. I contacted Steve Rutledge and he came out and looked at the tiles. He attributed it to ground movement or settlement and to moisture under the house. The original reason we started the project was signs of leakage from the toilet. He was willing to repair the damage and build some floor support at his usual labor rates, but he would not guarantee the work. We declined and thought about a law suit; however, it was a he said, she said type of problem and at the time I did not have the time and energy to deal with it. He brought out some of his colleagues (another contractor, a tile person, etc.) and they said it was ground movement, based on minor cracks in the 20+ year old tile in the hallway. Mr. Rutledge holds a General Contractor's lisence. At no time before or during the project was the structure examined to determine if the floor would support the tile walls and whether the foundation was stable. Several contractors I asked to examine the damage considered it the fault of the contractor.

We have worked with Steve Rutledge many times over the past 25 years, for small jobs and large: bathroom remodels, foundation work, roofing, exterior refurbishing, plumbing, or just crawling under the house to move wires around. We have come to trust Steve and his people completely. I recommend him highly.

The work went very smoothly. We were not in a hurry so Steve could fit us in between his other contracts. We met several times to discuss varies options. Once the decisions were made Steve got the permits and the work was started. Steve listened to us and accommodated our desires even if it meant more work for him and his crew. The end result was a workshop that functions well at a reasonable cost. I highly recommend Steve Rutledge Construction.

I've particularly enjoyed working with his employee, Luis, who has become my primary carpenter. He's very flexible and attentive. On areas where I'm still designing or problem -solving what I want specifically, he's willing to help me figure it out and takes care with all the details, never complaining when I get very picky or take the time to do something very custom/specific to my situation, such as trying to make a wheelchair-accessible threshold on the front door that also doesn't have a water problem (Steve and others also chipped in on the brainstorming on that one, and I am very pleased with the result). Or I can leave Luis alone for hours and know that he will keep working hard and conscientiously. He's willing to have me be architect, boss, artist, intern, client, and student. I suspect I am paying a little more than if I just hired a contractor at a flat rate, but I feel I'm getting a great education. The guys are wonderfully pleasant and professional and I know the work is very high quality.