Earth Energy Contracting

We were pleased at first with Earth Energy Contracting (John Alden Thayer and Brad Houghtaling), but our experience with them deteriorated the longer we used them.  We started by having them stain exterior siding and to do remedial work on a deck for a new weekend home that we were building.  We then hired them to do interior construction work and to serve as general contractor. The first serious red flag was when we learned that Mr. Houghtaling had spent the night twice, without our permission, at what was to be our new home (even though there was no certificate of occupancy and it was a raw construction site).  After he apologized for his lapse of judgment, we continued to use them (and are very sorry that we did).  Among the items they were hired to handle was to oversee the installation of foam insulation.  They identified an experienced subcontractor to do the insulation work, which we agreed to and which was documented in our contract with Earth Energy.  We later learned that the subcontractor was never utilized, and that Earth Energy decided, without our knowledge or permission, to install the foam insulation themselves (and to pocket the significant deposit that we paid to secure a spot on the subcontractor's schedule, or so we were led to believe).  Once that was done, Earth Energy arranged for another subcontractor to install drywall.  However, the local Code Enforcement Officer (COE) was never given the opportunity to inspect the insulation prior to the drywall going up.  When the COE learned from another vendor that insulation had been installed at our project, he insisted that holes be drilled into the drywall so that he could inspect the foam.  Upon such inspection, he determined that it was nowhere near adequate to meet code requirements.  That's when we learned that Earth Energy did the work themselves, despite their having no experience with such work and our contract requiring the use of the subcontractor.  The COE ordered that the drywall be removed, and for the insulation work to be done over.  Also, it was at this time that we learned that Earth Energy had let their liability policy lapse, after representing to us that they were insured.  We also discovered that none of the deposits that we had paid to them were placed in the required escrow account.  All in all, this has cost us an additional $28,000+ (and potentially climbing).  And to top it all off, the COE has said that the remedial deck-work that Earth Energy did was not done to code, and will have to be fixed.  All in all, we are highly disappointed with Earth Energy Contracting and Messrs. Thayer and Houghtaling, and greatly regret not severing our ties with them sooner.  Had we done so, we would have saved considerable amounts of money and grief.

UPDATE AS OF 9/14/15: I DON'T INTEND TO ENGAGE IN A TIT FOR TAT WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDER, SO WON'T ADDRESS EACH ASPECT OF THEIR VERSION OF EVENTS. RE THEM DOING THE FOAM THEMSELVES, THE MOST SERIOUS MISTAKE THAT THEY MADE IN MY JUDGMENT WAS IN NOT TELLING ME THAT THEY WERE PLANNING ON DOING SO. I WAS LED TO BELIEVE UNTIL MONTHS LATER THAT THE INTENDED FOAM INSTALLER DID INDEED DO THE WORK. AS FOR THE REMEDY THAT THEY PROPOSED ONCE THE COE GOT INVOLVED, THEY WANTED TO PUT A SERIES OF HOLES IN THE CEILING AND WALLS THROUGH WHICH FOAM COULD BE INSTALLED (RANDOMLY), WHICH THE COE DEEMED TO BE AN UNSATISFACTORY AND UNWORKABLE SOLUTION. AS FOR THE CLAIM THAT I NICKELED AND DIMED THEM, THEY WERE PAID THEIR QUOTED PRICE -- NONE OF THIS WAS PUT OUT FOR BID AND THERE WAS VERY MINIMAL NEGOTIATION OVER PRICE. I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS VERY UNFORTUNATE EXPERIENCE (WHICH, REGRETTABLY, CONTINUES), BUT THAT SERVES NO PURPOSE. BEYOND MY UPDATE AND THE SERVICE PROVIDER'S RESPONSE, I'LL LET THE INITIAL REVIEW SPEAK FOR ITSELF.

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