WALTER EDWARDS CONSTRUCTION

Walter Edwards was referred to us by a neighbor/friend that had previous work done for them. Upon meeting Walter he presented as a kind, energetic and knowledgeable general contractor and was eager to obtain our business. One of the main reasons we chose Walter was the fact that he listened to us and made us believe that his skill and workmanship would be a perfect match for a difficult and detailed renovation. The renovation was costly. Upgrades in electric and plumbing included before the final signing of the contract added to the steep estimate. Walter had a knack for bending the truth and covering his tracks very carefully. We both worked full time and were not able to be on the job site to supervise him...mistake number one. Demolition was seamless but we noticed that through neighbors reports and unannounced drop ins, Walter would arrive well after 8:30a and leave before 2:30pm. In the begining Walter had two workers with him within 2 months of the job he was undertaking the project(a very large project) on his own. He admitted to firing his crew....later we found out that he was not paying them. We continued to pay 30,000 to 50,000 increments to keep the job moving as outlined in the contract ...with the promise that he would hire more people...they never came. The roof went up and looked horrific....uneven and missing pieces of plywood with notable leaks...Walter always blaming things on other workers...this particular worker that put the roof up he called "the drunk"..... . As the home started taking shape we noticed uneven walls, missing screws, nails penetrating new window sills, garbage lying around the home...then after professing several times that he would not nickle and dime us...he started charging us for items that were already included in the contract. Electrical Contractors that were no shows, Plumbers that refused to come because they were not paid...although we did not find this out till later...it was always the sub-contractors fault.."oh he was a no show....or..."oh he had another job and could not come today"....Later to find out that he would cancel the contractors that we already paid an upgrade to do the work himself and collect the money. We suspected that he started decompensating in mid March...work became extremely sloppy with many times the same item having to be done 2 to 3 times just to have it done right....my husband and I started taking vacation days off just to direct him on finishing one project after another...he was scattered , disorganized, and utterly filthly where ever he worked. He began cutting wood inside the house and leaving sawdust (layers upon layers all over the house). Walters most infamous words became" It's not a problem, no big deal"..WELL IT WAS A BIG DEAL. ....We paid a very large sum of money and when we finally realized that he was decompensating and working alone we were so deep into it that to hire another contractor would eat up anything we had set aside plus our retirement savings just to fix his mess. Walter walked off the job in July ....9 moths after he started with 3/4 of the work still left to be done.... One Monday morning he called and stated that he wanted his payment in full(the last amount due at completion of the job). After seeing the catastrophic disasters he kept creating and we had to hire others to fix(at a cost) we said that no money would be given until he completed the job(as the contract stated). He later texted me that day and told me he was filing bankrupcy and that he was taking another job to get money.... Since July we have put out over $35,000 on various contractors that needed to come in and redo his unacceptable work. The town inspector failed the deck that Walter put in and supposedly completed (Walter made us give him $31,000 at the completion of the deck) he left with the payment saying that the deck was done but later found out that supports that held the deck up were suppose to have 4 screws , only had 1..... railings failed code, steps had no risers..... we also found that after he left(still with plumbing and electrical work to do) the Electrician and the Plumber as well as the General Supplier(Excelsior) were never paid. Walter told them they could sue him.....he was claiming bankrupcy...... I have come to find out that he has opened a new business within the last month out of Cranberry Lake NJ.....BEWARE!!!!! All of the unexpecting people. This psuedo "GOD FEARING, CHOIR BOY" IS Dangeous!!!!....... He has fooled many with his "magical backho" as he helps towns people move their docks at Cranberry Lake, NJ.......... Walter is a disgrace to the profession and should be not only ashamed that he is a liar and a thief but that he has left a legacy for his children of being a deceitful con artist..... Once again beware!!!! The truth always comes out Walter!!! Please feel free to contact us for further ugly details....we will gladly show you his digraceful work!!!