Corbin Construction

Beautiful job, very nice guys. I want him to build a house for me.

It went terribly. The tiled showers looked so bad and would have required $4000.00 custom doors so that we ripped them out--that is when we found he had nailed the rubber membranes down to the shower floor and had not connected the drain to the house plumbing, that way the water could drain into the crawl space under the house.  They also tiled over an electrical junction box. The grout job left huge gaps and was not completely washed off so it was staining the tile, which was one reason we decided to check underneath the work. Thankfully we did or we would not have known about the membranes or the drains.
The benches they had built in tilted backwards so water would collect on them and seep thru the terrible gout.
 The  shut off valves to the vanities were already 30 years old and were not touched during the installation of new vanities-which meant they became inaccessible and practically nonfunctional.Amazing they would not replace the plumbing!
The light fixtures were installed crookedly and asymmetrically into the original openings of the old--so they were not centered over the the sinks at all.
The kitchen tile was placed directly on top of the old linoleum so it was 1/2 inch above the wood floor-no attempt was made to 
wash off the grout so it remains with a cloudy film. And so now the stove is 1/2 inch above the granite countertop. 
Did I mention the electrical wire dangling in a pantry leading up to the new kitchen exhaust fan?
Or the total mess he left in the house with sawdust and trash everywhere?
And the bill I paid when he promised all the work would be done by the time his check arrived- Not!!
The deck was repaired using too small hangers and zinc roofing nails instead of galvanized bolts--this at an additional$8000 to do it "right". The pickets were asymmetrical and not regularly spaced even completely nailed.
I really feel foolish in trusting him -never thinking he was not getting permits or performing the work according to code. Or that he was doing the construction in such a dangerous way.. We could have had mold and or electrical fires as a result of their negligence. I am really appalled at the audacity of the really rotten construction-obviously they did not care about quality or have a concern about safety, or think that anyone would ever question the methods they used. Total disappointment! Please avoid him like the plague! How a seemingly nice guy could take your money and give horrible workmanship in return is beyond me, but live and learn--hopefully if we share enough about our experiences he will decide to look up his code book and start to do things correctly. 
Just don't pay him while he is learning!

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Now that Carroll Corbin believes the project is “finished,” it is fair to report out on the results. I think pictures are great and from now on, I will consider reviews that do not include them suspect. The short version is this…. I’m moving on and finding other contractors to help me “fix” what this guy did to my house; and I suggest you move on to considering a different contractor as well. But if you want details, here goes.

The original estimate was $14000 + materials and supplies to be paid by me and was originally estimated to take 4-5 weeks. Demolition began July 7, 2014. By July 19, 2014, Corbin had determined new plumbing and electrical would be needed throughout the house and he had not accounted for this in his original estimate. The project would take 2-3 weeks longer and plumbing and electrical would be about $5,000-6,000 more. By July 25, 2014, I had paid Corbin $16,290.24, plus an additional $7,000 in materials and supplies I had purchased directly to be delivered onsite. On August 8, 2014, I traveled 8 hrs and found plumbing roughed in and electrical wiring installed, for which the work passed inspection. Corbin convinced me that he needed to level the flooring and could do it in time for cabinets and flooring to be installed. He destroyed one cement footer, left the rubble behind, and never did anything to repair or replace the damage he caused to our foundation. According to others, the flooring remains “very unlevel.” In a moment of sheer exhaustion, I paid an additional $13,542.90 for “additional work needed” without checking the invoice. I asked for clarification of charges and never received a response. Fixtures needed “immediately” and were bought in July, were never installed and have disappeared. In their place, cheap chrome fixtures were installed last week. The dishwasher was the only appliance that was in new condition and I wanted to save and it was left on the front deck in the weather. I also had a new bedframe and mattress delivered shortly before work began. Despite leaving a role of plastic and request to wrap it in plastic, it was not and essentially really messed up during renovations. The new bedframe was left out with the dishwasher and became rusted in the weather.

On August 10, 2014, flooring was scheduled for August 19, 2014. August 15, 2014, electrical fixtures were installed. August 19, 2014, kitchen cabinets installed (not Corbin’s responsibility), delayed flooring by one week. On August 28, 2014, I arrived to see the flooring, paint the walls, and deliver two vanity tables that Corbin was not able to build. The pictures reflect what I saw. Flooring had been delayed because of the condition left by Corbin. I spent two days alone cleaning up and 4 truckloads to the dump. September 1, 2014, flooring was installed. September 23, 2014, we were informed by Corbin that his plumber of 20 years mysteriously had disappeared and he would get another plumber to finish the job. We were then told that Corbin was having a hard time locating a plumber and he would finish it himself September 30, 2014. As of October 3, 2014 based on a city inspection, Corbin had not worked on the site since August 15, 2014. There were mistakes with the electrical fixtures; the barn doors he insisted on building “to make sure everything worked” cost me an additional $2000 vs $400 he quoted and were never hung. The house passed “minimum inspection” on October 14, 2014. When I arrived, I could not get water running in the house and half the electrical outlets now do not work. The one that did not work during my August trip, was sealed off. We contacted Corbin the evening we arrived and expressed our extreme disappointment that the plumbing wasn't working. If he had been a professional, he would have showed up the next day to see what he could do to fix things. Instead we received a text message that is reflected in one of the pictures. Total cost for Corbin’s disaster $32,883.58.

While the house was in need of renovation, at least when I bought it in March 2014, I stayed overnight in it on several occasions. A little old lady lived in the house (with her cat!) up until 6 months before we bought it. For many years her and her late husband had lived in the house. So, his claim that it was totally neglected for years is simply not true. We continue to stay in hotels, until we find someone who is able to fix whatever he did to the plumbing.

Everything about this project, down to the specific fixtures to be purchased, was decided before he took the job. All of this information was given to him before he accepted the job. Nothing changed as far as scope or details of end results wanted. Any “changes” in the project had to do with his failure to grasp what would be needed to do the project. That is why we hired a “home builder/contractor” with “licensed electricians and plumbers” who worked closely with him on his jobs. ...you know, hire someone who does this for a living and has a clue! I never argued about money, paid him promptly, and supported all of his suggestions for what was needed, with the exception of putting central heat in the house. Where he saw this as a "daunting job," a true professional would have seen a long term contractor relationship, full of the need for potential on-going projects.

I actually had a man tell me last week “usually a gentleman takes a girl out to a nice steak dinner and wine, before he does to her what this guy did to you.” I have learned there is a "list" of those who are acceptable in the area.....Corbin is not on this list. I will rely more on the locals from now on to help me know who to hire. I have learned the hard way, just because there are "good reviews" on someone, doesn't mean the reviews are totally accurate.

They also installed a bathroom vanity for me. The work is flawless and has the "old house" character that I wanted to maintain. The stain is gorgeous. The structure is level and sound. The transition between old and new wood is not visible. And the baseboard looks great. What a bargain. I could not be happier.

Excellent, reliable builder; good craftsman who cares about details.
Not cheap but cares about getting it right (even cares about aesthetics of fitting cabin into its natural surroundings).
Was able to work creatively on addition, to solve a few design issues re tying the old and new construction together.
Has a good team of reliable, honest workers and good contacts with local subcontractors and suppliers.
Worked under varying weather conditions with no problems.
Responsive to owner questions; and helpful about securing materials and supplies.
Trustworthy, honest.
Cleans up site when finished.
We would give him a high recommendation (based on 2 construction projects)