Compass Solutions

Unfortunately, we had a horrible experience with Pete Perkins of Compass Solutions.  The project scope encompassed: installing hardwood & a runner on a staircase, kitchen & family room floors; new kitchen cabinets / granite counter tops; adding an island and new bathroom tile with vanity.  The estimated 4-6 week project lasted 14 weeks due to problems at each and
every step of the way.  Our tag line for our project has been ?there is never time to do it right but there is always time to do it over?.  There was absolutely nothing done right the first time!  We have learned that when working with Pete you can expect a complete lack of communication / issues with coordinating & scheduling sub-contractors, zero quality control and
the need to either text or call him because he does not pay attention to the multi-page emails you will be sending him to tell him the status of his work, what needs to be fixed, or scheduled to be done over.  Read on for a few highlights of our nightmare with Pete Perkins of Compass Solutions.
During the ?courting? stage Pete did a great job of selling us on his experience, industry expertise and ability to project manage.  He commented that he always enjoys sitting down with customers to have a drink once their project is complete.  He could not have been more courteous, polite or professional and he did help us with some new & creative ideas for the kitchen?s
design.  We met with Pete and Leah (kitchen designer) to spec out the job and proceeded to move forward. 
The demo process started and the sub-contractors removed the cabinets, floors and capped off the plumbing.  Unfortunately, put several dings in the walls & floors and cracked the tile in the foyer which Pete did replace at his cost.   All of the baseboard molding was removed during the demo prior to the floors being installed.  When re-installed, we brought to Pete?s attention that there was significant damage to it.  We suggested that it would be less time consuming to re-install new molding than to repair, prep and re-paint the original.  We ended up purchasing, prepping and painting new molding and Pete?s contractor installed it.     
During the first few days of the cabinet install we had to inform Pete that the kitchen sink was put in off-center under a window and the refrigerator panels & lazy susan were not what we had specified.  Unfortunately, even after providing the new appliance specifications and questioning the design (in writing), the incorrect refrigerator panels were still ordered, twice.  Seven weeks into the project new refrigerator panels were rush ordered.  The good news was that they made them quickly.  The oversight was that Pete?s staff neglected to rush the shipping.  There was also a mix-up on the lazy susan and due to miscommunication
between Pete and his contractors as the ?guts? were re-installed twice.
As the new hardwood stairs went in two of the boards were not cut precisely leaving gaps.  We brought this to Pete?s attention and he said the two boards would be replaced.  One was re-cut and replaced and the second was to be filled in with a piece of wood.  The second gap ended up being filled with caulking and being painted.
Because we relocated the refrigerator, part of the job included taking down two walls that enclosed it in its original location.  The holes in the walls and ceiling were attempted to be fixed by a painter.  The first repair attempt left visible shadows and curves / bumps in the wall & ceiling where the old walls were removed.  This was identified as unacceptable to Pete and his project manager who committed to having it fixed.  The second attempt to repair the wall by the same painter was made and was also unacceptable.  Our request was that before it was painted a third time, that Pete or his project manager inspect and approve the repair work.  This did not happen as requested?. Pete was notified that the job was still unacceptable and he eventually hired a plasterer to come in and tear down the entire wall to make it right.  After several visits the plasterer completed installing the wallboard, primed and painted.  The job was so horrible we called Pete?s project manager to take a look.  The plasterer came back several times to affect repair and we had to complete the final finish work & painting ourselves.     
After the granite was installed we notified Pete that the dish soap dispenser was cut on the wrong side of the faucet.  We also had is assistant come to the house to inspect the granite as it was very gritty to the touch, not shiny and there was spotting when water touched it.  As it turns out the installer never completely prepped or sealed the granite after it was installed.  The
granite for the kitchen island was also not cut to our specification.  Pete offered to have it removed and re-cut but we opted not to given the history of nothing being done right the first (or second, third, etc?) time. 
Even the runner on the stairs was problematic.  The first time the installers came they did not carpet the landing.  The installer came back a few days later and indicated that he did not have enough material to complete the job.  Then we found out that the store was not aware that the landing was on an L-style staircase.  Just another small, but important, detail not communicated by Pete who took the measurements. 
These are just a few highlights of our experience.  Before we closed the project we identified work that was either not provided or work that was not completed by Pete?s people (we did it!).  Pete did recognize this and accepted the suggested deductions.  In addition, we listed twelve items under a ?customer experience? category that we would have expected Pete to take into
consideration and make concessions for.  No dice!  Needless to say we never sat down to have a drink and celebrate the project with Pete - we did drink to ending this nightmare!   

Overall, I was and continue to be very displeased with Compass Home Solutions. Some issues were a result of their partnership with Big Bob's Flooring and the poor communication between these two parties, while other issues showed a general disregard for their customer's time and a complete lack of communication.
We started looking for cabinet providers in early May and decided on Big Bob's Flooring/Compass Home Solutions largely because of their quick turnaround dates. We were moving into the house on June 1 and were hoping to get new cabinets in by then if possible. Mike, from Big Bob's Flooring, told us this would be no problem, so we ordered the cabinets, paying everything up front. Over the coming weeks, I called a number of times and was given no meaningful updates regarding the installation of the cabinets until a week before we had been told the job would be finished. At that time we were told that the cabinets would not be there. We moved into a house with no kitchen and from there only made any progress by calling and yelling at people (something I hate to do). 
To this date (July 3), the moulding for the top of the cabinets has not been installed. Two people came and measured in early May and neither noticed or cared to mention that the walls were not totally square and would require moulding. After the cabinets were installed (their cabinet installer was very professional and great to work with), it was clear we needed the moulding. I requested a price. It took almost a week to get one, after which I paid for the material and installation on June 10. As of July 3, it is still sitting in our garage. I have sent multiple text messages and my phone calls were not answered. The last four days I have been told that someone will come and no one has come, with no phone call telling me otherwise after waiting for the contractor. I am waiting again today...
I am a business-owner myself, and if I ran my company like this, I would be out of business. It's remarkable to think that this is a profitable company.

It was fine. There are always interruptions. Whenever you work with any contractor, you know it's going to be a little pricey. People will be here theoretically a full day but in reality they honor other commitments so everybody is trying to chunk off it. It's normal. The project took about a month and a half or so. Mostly their responsiveness was pretty good.

It took a while to complete the project but that was largely due to weather which was beyond their control. Any problems that came up they immediately corrected, the overall price was excellent, and they were very pleasant to work with. They were also very patient and worked with me until I found a design that I liked. Most companies would only do one design but they did four. Overall I was very pleased.

This was my wife's and my first time working with a contractor. Typical frustrations were present--work being done well past the end job date in the contract, for example. Half of the delay was our fault as we searched for flooring; the other was theirs. It was very difficult getting in contact with the folks who were supposed to be our points on the project--calls, text, and emails often went unanswered. We did not feel like our job was even close to a priority.  We would go multiple days in a row with nothing done, despite being told that so-and-so was totally on their way. On a few occasions, I was told by subcontractors who'd been absent for scheduled work that they'd been held up at another job, overbooked by Compass with our kitchen being clearly something to fit into the end of the day--if possible. It's funny, as I don't recall getting a discount for being a side project!
Quality of work varied. The (room) painter and floor installer were excellent. The guys who installed the countertops deviated from the design wildly, though this ended up fine--a happy accident. The folks who painted the cabinets did a poor job that needed multiple corrections. The tile installer used torn pieces of corrugated cardboard rather than plastic spacers, resulting in an uneven backsplash that needed a partial do-over; I'd call it "good enough" now. The electrician and plumber were great. Whoever did the material removal was obviously in a rush--as the snow melted from this past winter, we?d find chunks of wood, pieces of crown molding, and blobs of adhesive. Additionally, someone left a piece of scrap on our deck that seems to have stained it after a rainstorm, though because we?re getting that resurfaced, whatever.
We found ourselves acting as quality control, as the guy who was supposed to oversee our project was generally too busy to check in on the subcontractor's progress. We often wondered what we were paying Compass for, as we were perfectly capable of hiring subcontractors and telling them what to do ourselves. We had hoped that it would have been a more hands-off process, but we found ourselves marking crooked tile and pointing out entire cabinet panels that hadn't been painted.
A note: the company president stopped by for sales and financial stuff--the initial quote, as well as the first and final checks for payment. Speaking of final payment-- the contract we?d signed with him mentioned that ? of the balance would only be due once *all* of the countertops were installed. Due to someone?s error, a section of granite was lost for several weeks, delaying final installation. At the time that Compass demanded final payment, that last bit of granite had not yet been installed, but when we mentioned this to the president, he became annoyed. We ended up handing over the check there, however wrong it felt, because the project had been dragging on and we just wanted our kitchen back. The counter was eventually completed (after one last no-show from the installer).
The final result is? fine. Little nagging things remain, but they?re small enough for me to take care of myself. We?re happy with our kitchen, but the process to get it is one we wouldn?t like to repeat.

It did not go well at all; we had to hire an attorney to deal with these guys. The case is still unsettled and is on-going. When the job started out the price was estimated to be about $19,000. From there it went up to about $35,000 just because he could not estimate the job properly. After they started the work they had to do more work. 

I was satisfied with their work. Their quality was good. They were punctual. They did not return my phone calls. There was a lack of communication. I would use them again.

Pete and company at Compass Solutions are great people to work with.  We had some minor issues with a few subcontractors (one quiting mid-project) but they weren't directly at fault for that.  Any issues that I pointed out were rectified quickly  Overall the price came in about mid-level compared to the other quotes but the quality of the materials surpasses what others were offering on the low end.  The kitchen/dining room came out stellar. I would work with them again for sure and I'd recommend them to friends.

We decided to go with Pete Perkins rather than other vendors because other commentaries on Angie's List said that he was good about walking you thru the process of replacing counter tops.  And yes, he was very professional: we got a timely quote, and he met us at a stone slab wholesaler and helped us pick out a nice piece of granite.  A few days later they measured for the new countertops.   (We had a carpenter remove the old plywood and Formica backsplash before the measurements were made, because we wanted to tile the backsplash and you need to know exactly how to far back you want the stone countertop to go)  And then about a week later they installed the countertops (which is a noisy, stinky job with lots of epoxy fumes; you may want to get out of the house)  My wife made the final payment as the installation crew left.  That night we noticed that one corner of the countertop would look a lot better if it had been rounded a little more.  There was a wall oven in the way, but that could have been removed.  Anyway, for the last week we have been calling and emailing Mr Perkins because we would like that countertop corner rounded, and he has dropped off the face of the earth.  No response at all.

So to summarize, I cannot recommend Compass Solutions for counter top installations.  They know what they are doing, but they do not stand behind their work.  If you do decide to use them, be sure to totally inspect the work with a fine tooth comb before you write that final check

Pete Perkins was great to work with.  He was responsive to phone calls and e-mails, and very patient with the millions of questions we asked before we decided to hire him.  He came shopping for tile and granite with us on a few separate occassions, and was happy to stop by our house any time to go over details of the project.  Pete is really a great guy, and overall we were happy with our experience.

The Compass Solutions quote for our renovation was by far the lowest quote we found.  This made us skeptical of the quality of the work, since Pete's price was tens-of-thousands of dollars less than any other quote received.  We were honest with Pete about this, and he set up appointments for us to visit the homes of several of his past clients.  In all cases, the work we saw had been done very well and all of the homeowners seemed happy with how things turned out..  We decided to hire Pete for our project.

You'll save a ton of money working with Compass Solutions because there is no General Contractor on site at your house to oversee the project.  Pete was able to stop by from time to time, but his workers were constantly being pulled off of our job to go do something somewhere else.  There were days when no work was done on our house at all.  Pete told us our job would take 5 weeks.  We were actually out of the house for nearly 9 weeks, living with relatives.  We had some major problems with a couple of the workers he subcontracted, which cost us a lot of time. 

In the end, our kitchen and bathroom look great.  We are very happy with how everything turned out, and we saved a lot of money by hiring Pete.  If you are doing something like installing granite countertops or replacing kitchen cabinets, I would go with Compass Solutions in a heartbeat.  If you are considering a larger renovation that will require more subcontractors, you will have to decide whether saving money (and you will save a lot of money) is worth a little bit more headache on your part.  You will get more than you pay for, since the finished product will be top-notch.  But if you have to be on schedule and you can afford it, you might want to consider hiring a GC.

Pete was very prompt and courteous. He advised us in selecting the countertop. The subs were not prompt and did not quite show the professionalism that Pete displayed. We asked them to come back and fix some mistakes. It took them nearly two months to come back and finalize the work. Overall the final effect is nice and the price was reasonable.

I had a kitchen remodel project done by Compass Solutions. Pete Perkins was very  professional and responsive at all stages of the project. I got several estimates but Compass was the most reasonable and competitive. Products were of good quality and Pete was very helpful in the selection process. I did have a couple of problems, including the fact that the cabinets did not arrive on time and the project was delayed. Also, the sub-contractor chosen to perform the installations, was not very professional in several aspects of his performance. I ran into a problem with my condo association when he hit a power line during cabinet installation. To conclude, I'm happy with my new kitchen and Compass Solutions work. However, I hope they select better sub-contractors for future projects.

I got their name from Angie's List. It was a lot of trouble in getting them to do everything on time. I don't think that they are very professional and I really regret going with them. I would tell people not to go with these guys ever. They don't function very well. The guy I dealt with went on leave and no one else knew what to do. Their office just kept chalking up all the problems to the fact that the guy went on leave but I don't that is an adequate excuse. One guy goes on leave and their whole functioning goes down. It was a big problem. The work was fine once they did do it, but getting them to do it on time was a problem. The workmanship is good. The price was reasonable.

I called Compass Solutions and they came out with a designer to look at my small kitchen.  They gave me an estimate which was far below the other estimates I received.  Pete Perkins was very responsive at all stages.  The custom cabinets took longer to arrive than I hoped for, but the install was fast and the guy cleaned up afterward.  Two of my neighbors commented on how nice it looked and are going to work with Compass. I'm very happy with the work done and recommend them.

Overall the experience was good. Having remodeling done is very disruptive to your life but it was worth it in the end. I love the kitchen. The design was perfect! I got granite countertops for the same price as other contractors were charging me for laminate. The only problem was the refinishing of the hardwood floors. The floor contractor did not refinish the hallway to match the rest of the floor as requested. I do love the outcome and if that is the only problem, I am satisfied.

I received prices from 3 cabinet makers and 3 granite companies that I had used on past condo conversion projects. I had met the owner of Compass Solutions and brought him in as a fourth quote. The price was 25%less than the lowest price I had received. I was initially concerned that with pricing being so low that the quality would be as well. My fears were neutralized by the owner?s professionalism and knowledge. I decided to give him a shot and was glad that I did

It is perfect and excellent. The products they installed were excellent. The price was also excellent. I am using them again to do a bathroom.

It has been good. It is a good value.

They are very competitive on pricing.

They were 5 times more expensive than the next company.

Compass Solutions show great professionalism. The quality of their workmanship is wonderful. They had such patience in showing different slabs of granite. The employees at Compass Solutions are friendly and accommodating. The cost was reasonable. I will use this company in the future if needed.