Jaime Lopez

We hired Jaime Lopez (Bell Design Build) based on the recommendation of a realtor friend. However, it turned out the realtor had not actually used Jaime Lopez, but had him as a second choice for a similar job and went with the other person. Ok, that was our mistake for not fully vetting the recommendation. In the end, when it became clear that the the sub-wall, sub-floor and even fixture placement was all grossly inadequate, we fired Jaime, hired a new contractor, had to have all the work already completed torn out (down to the studs again) and re-started from scratch (and we had to purchase new tile again). We have photographs and video of all the work should any of this be challenged. Jaime talked a good show, was always polite, was always promising 'it will be perfect' and that any issues will be resolved. It turned out that all work was performed shabbily from start to finish. Even the demolition work was done poorly - with the old toilet, fixtures, tiles, trash etc piled on our front lawn when they left for the day. We had to have them come back in the evening to clear it away. It also appeared that no precautions were made to contain the dust (plastic sheeting etc) and the house was covered in dust. Each time there were apologies and promises that it would be perfect. In the end, after tile had been installed, sink and toilet in place, even walls painted, the work continued to be F grade. We had Jaime tear out tile and re-do it several times, but each time was as unprofessional as the last. Here's what we wrote Jaime at the time we fired him: "After longer than 5 weeks of working with you and trying to get the job done properly, the work that has been done has been consistently shoddy and not at all up to the standard we need to protect the value of our home. This is not only a cosmetic issue, but a structural one that will require the floor, walls and perhaps more to be taken out and re-done. We have consulted with appropriate people as to our position in all regards and are confident we stand on solid ground. We have paid you 3500 for work that now has to be fully redone. We have sought to work with you repeatedly, and despite repeated assurances the work that has been redone thus far was as unacceptable as the first time. In the end, this job will cost us more money and time. A summary of the issues is listed below. 1. Despite multiple re-dos the tiles are uneven and irregularly placed, corners are not square, miter cuts aren't flush, niches are irregular and of inconsistent depth, grouting is incomplete with gaps and holes visible through to the wall beneath, and long cracks are already visible in the corners of the tub area. The tiling not only looks bad but does notprovide a water seal to prevent leakage and mold growth over time. This is despite multiple re-dos and assurances that mistakes would be fixed. 2. The sink, toilet, and mirror are not placed correctly ? the mirror is notcentered over the sink, the sink is not centered between the toilet and the tub, and the toilet is too far from the wall. Even the GFCI outlet is on an irregular angle. And the new toilet seat lid is scratched up -- it looks like it was being used as a work surface. 3. Drywall and framing are poorly done ? the corner of the room is a wavy line from floor to ceiling, drywall tape shows in middle of the wall, the framing in the shower makes the niche depth 2 inches on one side and 3 inches on the other. The drywall in the wall behind the tub is notadequately supported, resulting in cracks in the corner through to the sub-wall as mentioned above. 4. The floor is uneven, tiles are crooked in the corners and along the baseboard, and the baseboard tiles are uneven and poorly placed. 5. The air vent on the floor is jerry rigged to force a fit and just plain looks bad. " We later found ou the tile grouting in the bathoom did not even create a water seal as a thin blade like a letter open could slip between tiles all the way back to the wall.