Prime Construction & Remodeling

I hired Frank Jr. of Prime Construction & Remodeling to completely remove, dispose of & replace my front stone patio, steps, landing & walkway. The price was $23,000 ($20,000 if I paid in cash) including all new footings, the Bluestone of my choice and Cambridge wall blocks for the risers and small wall around the landing. Frank Jr. knew the replacement was necessary because the previous owners had built a layer over the original patio as a shortcut fix instead of completely removing it and rebuilding it the right way. Beginning last September several laborers performed the work with Frank’s father, Frank Sr. there on many days. After the old tiles were removed from the patio Frank said the original footing was in such good shape that I should not replace it and would save $3000. I was very concerned about leaving the footing as it was as I wanted it done completely and correctly. Frank Jr. then said he couldn’t make it as strong as it was now and I would have his 5-year warranty for protection so I reluctantly agreed. The underground work seemed to go well although one event caused me some concern. After the bags of premixed Quikrete mortar were delivered, my handyman noticed them and said it was always better to set steps, etc. by mixing your own mortar. I learned some masons reported Quikrete’s quality had gone down so I sent Frank a text about it and finished with, “I’m sure this isn’t what you want to hear but is there a good reason the mortar isn’t being mixed as the job is being done? Thanks!” He replied, “Because that’s not how I do it. This is what I use and quite honestly I’m not changing how we do things because of what your handyman or online says.” Once the foundation type work was finished, the installation of the treads and tiles began. I had to ask for several of the treads on the steps and patio perimeter to be replaced as they had large, noticeable chips on their front edges. Although Frank told me the chips were there because bluestone is a natural, imperfect stone, he did agree to replace most but not all of them. The tread from the top step was chipped and had also been cut too short to properly meet the tread thahad been set in cement next to it. The large gap between the two had been filled in with mortar and looked bad. And it was in the main location of my top step leading to the patio in front of the main door to my house that also connected the wall around the landing. Although Frank Jr. agreed to pull it up and replace it, it made me wonder why the main worker had installed a noticeably chipped and too short step tread; hoping it would be overlooked. Frank Sr. twice brought back chipped tread replacements from the stone yard so I went on the 3rd trip (and found one) and saw most became chipped because workers threw them from piles; not because they were made of natural stone. Frank Jr. told me he had to start other jobs before mine was finished because clients were complaining. I wasn’t upset with some delay; just concerned that new workers were on their own without Frank Sr. who was now rarely present or the main one who was now often away on other jobs or working on my job in more of a hurried way. When the patio section was finished, the majority of the grout and Bluestone was very discolored with square shaped stains around the tiles. The grout on the landing was also discolored but without stains on those tiles. I asked Frank about these issues and he assured me they were normal and he would do an acid power wash in the spring that would remove all of the discoloration and stains. It seemed strange as the work was brand new and these problems hadn’t occurred with the grout and Bluestone on the walkway but I felt I had no choice but to wait until he did the power wash and hope the problems were solved. And if they weren’t, the warranty would protect me. Shortly after the work was finished I noticed the grout around a previously replaced landing tile was breaking down; appearing sand-like and the joint (between the landing and steps leading to the walkway) was separating. I called Frank Jr. and he said he would fix them when he did the power wash. Frank Sr. had previously said I needed to have railings for the walkway and steps so he gave me a brochure of the brand they used to pick a style and measured the length of all of the areas. His estimate was about $4000 for the amount of 4”X 4” PVC he would use and possibly didn’t include labor so I said I’d wait as it was too much for me to spend when I was paying for the whole masonry job. A few months later, I hired a contractor (who brought in another railings contractor to provide and install aluminum railings (which Prime didn’t offer) at each set of steps. They were only 2” X 2” and I agreed when the contractor said they would look more streamlined than using PVC which was more suitable for a deck than on bluestone in the front of the house. Unfortunately, when the railing on the front steps was installed on March 16th, one wall block underneath a riser cracked. I sent Frank Jr. photos and called to ask how it could be fixed. He said he’d come over in a few days to see it along with the repairs and power washing he had said he would do in the spring. The next day I looked at the wall block to figure out why it cracked and saw the only place the railing could have been installed (due to location of a downspout pipe from the gutter above) was 2” back from the front edge of the tread on that step. And that’s where the hole had been drilled. Because the tread only came out 2” over the edge of the wall block (which is normal), the hole had to be drilled and the spindle placed near the front part of the wall block (as opposed to the middle where it wouldn’t have cracked). Now, both Frank Jr. and Sr. knew of this downspout pipe and had measured extensively around it to build the steps and to provide the estimate to order and install the railings. The aluminum railing I had installed was only 2” X 2” and that size was too large for the tread and wall block that was built; to not crack during installation. If I had ordered the 4” X 4” railing that Frank Sr. wanted to order it would have taken up the entire 4” area between the front edge of the step and the downspout and would have also cracked the front edge of the tread as well as more of the wall block as the hole would have been 2” larger than the one there now. The way to have avoided this was for the downspout to have been moved which I later learned was easily done. On March 24th, (when I still hadn’t heard from him) I sent Frank Jr. a text saying I wasn’t sure if he was busy or avoiding me for some reason but I would just like to know that he would come over as soon as possible to see what needs to be done and repair it, He replied he wasn’t avoiding me. That he came down with the flu and would touch base when he was back on his feet. On May 18th, I sent a text that said, “Hi Frank-can you please let me know what is going on? I need to get these things taken care of and you not calling me back is making things really difficult for me.” He replied, “Hi Lauren. I’m not ignoring you. I’m taking care of personal s**t. I will call you later today”. So apparently he had recovered from his flu within the 8 weeks but chose not to come over to finish the work or even contact me to say he had another reason to delay or even give me an idea if or when he would. I was just supposed to stay in limbo and have no idea if or when my stained, discolored and separating grout and tile was going to be addressed. I replied, “I am doing the exact same thing so I get it but I honestly can’t deal with anymore. I’ll be on acall from 4-5:00PM so please call before or after.” The next day he replied and came over. He walked around looking at the discolored grout and stains on the tiles. Although he didn’t mention anything I also saw him looking at the areas where the joints had separated since the last time he had been here. Then Frank Jr. looked at the cracked wall block and said I should just let it go as the few small pieces that had cra