Highsmith Building Services

Main point: While we enjoy our new space, we do not think this contractor is a good communicator. The work is satisfactory, but nothing extraordinary. A number of items on our list were ignored or forgotten. We felt like we were a side project and the
builder had little interest in our renovation. A major error was made regarding a bedroom egress. We would have appreciated more communication and consultation throughout the process, especially when plans had to be changed or altered.

 Our Story: We wished to add on extra living space to our home (600 square feet) and also do some upgrades in the kitchen (new granite counters and additional cabinetry). We provided a detailed worksheet/checklist of what we wanted (4 pages), our budget (we held 10% in reserve which we didn't mention), dates by which completion was needed (4 months, which the contractor said was do-able), and a visual portfolio of what we expected. We picked out all paint chips, floor samples,
tile, and lighting fixtures. We also provided the contractor with original blueprints of the existing structure. The initial meeting was in February, the contract was dated April 2015 (foundation work had already begun), and it seemed very "basic" without much detail. However, we had visited two work sites of this contractor (one was a remodel, one was a ground-up
construction) and got local references. The project took about 5 months to complete. The original home (1700 sq. ft), incidentally, took about the same amount of time. (An attic conversion to a bonus room took a week by comparison). We had asked for the project to be complete by July 1 (and mentally added 2 weeks overage). We were away on vacation for 2 weeks (a planned delay), and then it took another 15 business days for project completion after that.  

 The contractor made a couple of initial visits in February -- he didn't make many measurements, but we thought he was working with the blueprints. We provided a rough sketch, clearly marked "Not to scale" for his use. We expected, as with the previous contractor (who no longer is in the area), to get a detailed checklist making sure we were all "on the same page" and a working, to-scale blueprint for approval. We did not get these items. Also, because we weren?t informed about when builders would be on site, we weren?t able to hang plastic sheeting and protect the original structure from dust. Two months later, I?m still finding spots to clean.

 One big concern was that the new construction would cover the window egress of an upstairs bedroom. The contractor proposed moving the window to solve this problem on his initial visit. In the end, however, this didn't get done. Instead, a door replaced the window to create an attic space out to a new window (upper) on the new construction. We're not even sure this is up to code. The door frame was left unpainted, and paint removed from around the door was also left unpainted. It does not look good, but we?re going to repaint ourselves. We never saw a building permit nor an inspector. After the fact, the contractor said he could "expand" the original bedroom for about $5000-$7000 more. No thanks....we are out of money!

 We did end up about 13% over budget largely due to the roof needing replacement. While in the long term, this is a good investment, it did mean we used our reserve budget and then some. 

 The addition, the flooring (which was a good substitute for our original choice), and the cabinetry all look  nice. The crown moldings adds detail and interest. However, they are made of MDF, and one piece of floor board has already crumbled when accidentally hit with a piece of furniture.

 The cabinets (while expensive and requiring some redoing--the carpenters put in one part upside down) are one of the high points. They add much needed space and value to the kitchen.

 However, we've noticed some water leakage (fixed once) where the new construction joins the old. Several chosen fixtures were not used because they were "out of stock" (Lowes--not like these were extra special?and there are 3 Lowes within 40
minutes? drive). A reasonable substitution was made, but it would have been nice to see a picture before they were bought and installed. There was a surprise delay on the countertops because the original subcontractor put aside our order after he made measurements (he was supposed to cut granite while we were on vacation and install when we returned). The builder used a different countertop sub and absorbed the cost difference, so that's one thing in his favor. But the original sub shouldn?t have messed this up.

 Several "small things" were either omitted or not done according to our checklist (and when I asked, the answer was usually, "Well, I guess that just slipped by us.") These included the closet shelves built incorrectly, part of the shower tile not being what we chose (we did a spec sheet at the tile center), no glass doors on the shower as specified, and the outside light being forgotten. Also, I asked for an itemized bill--I got a bill with 4 lines on it (original estimate, overage for roof, overage for cabinets,
and total). The "excuse" for the cabinet overage was "I wasn't here when the cabinetry people talked to you, so I couldn't tell you that the price would be much higher than budget." In fact, when I asked for budgets for all items (lighting, tile, etc.) during the process, he kept saying, "I don't know--I don't have that information with me." In this age of cell phones, texts, and emails, this seems like an odd excuse.

 Yes--we could have gotten more insistent that things be done as specified. In fact, the day the contractor picked up the final check, he said he could arrange to come back and fix things he'd missed (except the messed up bedroom window). We decided to use a shower curtain and just live with the incorrect tile (what a mess that would have been to change!), the non-working exterior light, and the odd closet shelves. After months of strangers in our house, plus the heavy dirt/dust, piles of boxes, and daily disruptions, we were just ready to be done. Again, the space is fine visually--no complaints there--but the journey was far worse than anticipated (even knowing how stressful this would be--after all, we built the house and also did an attic conversion to make a bonus room. This isn't our first building experience). The subcontractors all were
nice to work with, but we wish they had picked up their cigarette butts.

 If I could give advice to the contractor, I would suggest: a) A mutually agreed upon detailed checklist for all items, with space for homeowner and contractor to do line item initials, and a place to mark agreed-upon changes, b) A call or text if Saturday work is to be done (Surprise! We were still in PJs at 7:30 when builders showed up; we never knew from one day to the next if anyone was coming), c) Giving clients a budget for choosing fixtures, paint, etc., d) Updating clients on changes in the timeline, e) Focusing on us when you visit the property--the client at hand--instead of acting rushed and disinterested because you have
another, more lucrative project, f) Overall, being more "with it" and organized, especially with communication to subcontractors.
We are now saving up to make "fixes" to the bedroom and outside lighting--and we'll see