Grade A Contracting

I needed to have my kitchen redone.  I got estimates from several companies and when I contacted Grade A Contracting, Andy was very professional.  I made an appointment to meet with him and to go over some of the ideas that I had had.  He arrived on time for the consultation.  He was very kind and understanding.  We went over all of the ideas.  He gave me an estimate the very next day, in which was the best price that was offered.  I then hired Grade A Contracting for my kitchen.  I was given an estimated time of completion was about three weeks and the job was completed early, before the date that was originally given.  When the job was completed, the crew cleaned everything up and did not leave anything behind.  I just love my new kitchen.  Thank you, Andy and Grade A Contracting for a job well done.  I will be letting all of my friends and family know about Grade A.

They did a great job from start to finish. The work areas were kept clean, and they put drop clothes and protection anywhere they had to walk that wasn't part of the construction zones.
   Andy was great! He is extremely Knowledgeable, and he showed us a couple of ways to save money in areas so we could use it to get some of the nicer things we thought we could not afford. He used some basic tile and installed it with different patterns so it looks like a more expensive designer tile. He brought us to his Tile and Kitchen shop and we saved on the tile cabinets and counters. I couldn't be happier with my new kitchen and bathroom! We will be using only Grade A for anything else we do.We have already started planning a backyard oasis, and Andy has already given us great advise he really takes the time to go over all the details with us, and we feel very comfortable trusting him and his crew in our home.

I did a lot of research, interviewed a lot of contractors, and got multiple bids. Mr. Andrews came across like the Mike Holmes of L.I. He was extremely personable and seemed very knowledgeable. At the time ? summer of 2014 ? there were numerous positive reviews on Angie?s List.


There were a few red flags early on: the contractor?s interpretation of drawings and specifications were not in line with homeowner?s, and this led to additional costs for homeowner. Contractor also maintained there were some things that could not be done from an engineering point-of-view, such as the front entry overhand, which turned out to be untrue. In addition, while homeowner was away a few days over the Christmas holidays, the contractor cleared things from the old LR and kitchen area. Although the homeowner had not requested this ?help,? it was appreciated. Later I discovered that some things were damaged, including a $500 Ballard Sonoma bookcase that had literally been ripped apart and all hardware not bagged.


It should be noted that it was always understood that homeowner and 3 dogs and 2 cats would remain in residence during the renovation. The contractor maintained this was not a problem, that he was experienced and he would organize how to shift things around to facilitate the process.. Homeowner had previously gotten a POD on-site, which was partially packed when the renovation began. Contractor agreed to move things into the POD as the homeowner packed. However, the kitchen cabinets were delivered when the contractor asked for them, but he was not ready and they were all stored in the POD, as were the kitchen appliances and other purchases. Contractor did not install kitchen in December as planned, and it became impossible for me to move anything else from the house to the POD. Contractor had also taken up all of the new LR space with his own tools. The house became increasingly backed up and unlivable.

Windows were another problem. They were also installed way behind schedule. Since it was January, the homeowner unhappily accepted some windows that were not to spec, including DHs in the kitchen instead of casements,, which are easier for older people to open over a kitchen counter. (Note: the homeowner is 70.) New BR egress windows are also suspect in terms of size and height from grade. It remains to be seen whether the Riverhead  inspector will insist that they be re-installed or entirely replaced. Any potential expense involved with this has NOT been included in the homeowner's calculation of financial damages.


Delays continued to mount up. Homeowner understood that things turn up during renovation of an older home and additional costs are often reasonable, Everything still continued relatively amicably until I questioned how he was calculating charges on change orders. I understood the diagnosis of the structural problems, but his numbers were clearly inflated. He was insistent and began to threaten to walk off the job and put a lien on my house. He maintained that he was paying the carpenter $300/day + $125/day for insurance + 38% for insurance and overhead. (Note: the carpenter was being paid $250/day and Mr. Andrews owed him $3000 in back pay.) Materials costs were also clearly inflated given the nature and amount of work required. In spite of the contractor's refusal to satisfactorily explain his numbers, the homeowner paid $ 8670 of the $11,170 CO charges. She did this on good faith and to keep the job moving ahead.


As things progressed, I discovered that he had violated some contract specifications and was not following the official drawings in a number of ways as well: i.e., he did not use Certainteed siding as specified; he was planning to put aluminum exterior trim on the house rather than the AZEK specified; he deleted roof overhangs specified in drawings, he was planning to prime the interior, but not paint, etc.  He also helped himself to some bags of concrete in the homeowner?s shed and said I had given permission. In addition, I learned that he had not paid the carpenter, who had done 90% of the work, in 3 weeks, and was lying to him about the homeowner?s consent to changes he was making. In spite of all this, Mr. Andrews claimed that all of the problems were someone else?s fault, including the homeowner?s. Other trades and town inspectors noted that he called for them repeatedly when he was not ready for them, obviously wasting their time.


At this point, I had paid for three phases of the contracted work ($35,000) as well as 2/3 of the electrical contracted work ($7333), which was a separate contract with Mr. Andrews. Mr. Andrews was demanding 90% of the final payment ? which the contract specified was not payable until the end of the job ? even though work already paid for had not been completed: there was no bathroom or kitchen, no flooring, and the rough electric was incomplete. And I repeat: all of this had been paid for.


I tried everything to resolve disagreements, including having my brother, a commercial construction professional, mediate a meeting.  We were concerned that he was demanding that I now pay for the flooring materials, although he said I could deduct that from the final contract payment. This suggested that he was out of money. Still, I agreed to pay more of the disputed change order charges even though the charges had still not been satisfactorily explained or supported ? just to get us closer to completion. My brother and I felt that we needed to find ways to force Mr. Andrews to complete the job per contract and specs.. I gave him another check; he was demanding $4950, which turned out to be an overpayment.  In addition, I had moved out of the house ? which was not in the original plan ? to give the contractor more space to complete work, especially the bathroom, more efficiently. This was supposed to be for two to three weeks. I later learned that Mr. Andrews hardly ever showed up at the job site after I moved out. 


The day after I gave the $4950 CO check to Mr. Andrews, I got a text from the carpenter on-site that Mr. Andrews was refusing to pay him and was physically threatening him. I called 911. Mr. Andrews packed up his tools and left the job site while the officer was present. (Yes, I did put a stop order on the check.) Please refer to Riverhead Police Department Case Report $115003024, Officer Purick #120. (It should be noted that Mr. Andrews continued to harass Mr. Robledo, the carpenter, and showed up on-site again, prompting another call to the Riverhead police. 


Subsequently, I had to figure out how to get sufficient work done and paid for in order to move back into my own house and save additional rent expense. Although I was finally able to finish enough to move back in toward the end of April, the financial damages caused by Mr. Andrews have put me in an extremely difficult position, and I have not yet been able to afford to install the exterior trim, which means that the house is still not weathertight. I have provided Angie's List with additional documents: cost calculations, homeowner loss calculations, contract and contract exhibit A, various change orders, and some emails.


In addition, I have filed a documented claim with the Suffolk County Department of Labor, Licensing & Consumer Affairs.


I do not want other consumers to be taken in by this contractor. He is very good at ?talking the talk,? but a total failure at ?walking the walk.? He cannot manage the construction process and lies to client and crew. His bid may be reasonable, but his plan is to get more money out of the client through change orders and contract violations that he thinks the client will not notice, and, in the end, cannot afford to litigate. He is a fraud.