D & D Contracting

I wanted to add a shed dormer to the rear of my cape cod style house. Since i just purchased this house in an area where I didn't know many people, i decided to try Angies List to get some contractors who do work in the neighborhood. I had gotten 3 different estimates around the end of July 2013 and the one from Doug was considerably less. He talked rather fast, was somewhat boastful, but seemed like a nice guy. He acted like he's done jobs like this before and really wanted the work. He made me believe he was familiar with the neighborhood, permit process for the town, and that he had the proper insurance (and made sure he added that he required his subs to have certificates of insurance). He knew what I wanted to hear and assured me he was on the level... he even had a person he worked with who could do the design work. What could be easier than this???? So I signed a contract and gave him $2,000 to get started. I will leave out the mess I dealt with from the poor guy he had doing the drawings and getting the engineers stamp?. Towards the end of August, before the permit was approved, he said everything looked good and he would get started on the demo and could I give him a check for $2,000? This was at the end of August 2013. Although I thought this didn't sound right, I was assured it happened all the time. So I gave him another $2,000 for the demo. We also needed a survey which I could have gotten, but he said he would get it done right away?which it didn't. I gave him another $750 for that. Anyway, I found out about a week later that my permit was denied and I would need to go before the zoning board for a variance which wouldn't be on the agenda until the end of November. I was informed that noone at the building dept EVER talked to Doug and he NEVER got any go ahead to start demo. I waited until November, went to the zoning board (Doug didn't showed up for the meeting, which would have be nice) and I was given the variance by the beginning of December. I was so happy. I thought we were good at this point, as I was STILL trying to work with Doug and give him the benefit of the doubt?not to mention he still had my money. BUT, the building department now wanted him to show proof of workers comp insurance which he did not have. At the get go, he had told me that he would provide me with certificates of insurance for all his subs. But now he was saying he would not have any insurance for his "helpers" during the demo stage. The building dept now would not issue the permit until he secured Workers Comp. Insurance mainly because he needed to have an electrician sign off, which at first he was going to do. But evidently that didnt work out. The inspector told me they were really protecting the homeowner, which I completely understand. Up to this point, I had given him $4,750, for permits, plans, survey and demo, all of which was given to him by the first week of September 2013. In addition to this, he gave me a bill for $520 for his time to date, which he deducted from the total I paid so far, claiming this was for his legwork? He did NOTHING for me that would be chargeable as far I I can tell. The only thing he actually did was pick up the windows on 2 occasions and put them in the house...which I myself had picked out, ordered and purchased so he would have them to start in September. He took care of getting the survey and the plans, which on both accounts I could and would have taken care of myself, if not for him saying he would take care of. I think he just wanted my money up front to float. Again, I won't go into detail with the fiasco with the guy who was drawing the plans?.not worth it. Even if I have to pay him $520 for "legwork", the man still owes me almost $2,000. In December, he started sending me text messages about not having enough money and it was the Christmas holidays?like it was my fault I had to get a variance. He at least got money from me. In reality, if he really knew about the town's building department like he claimed to, he would have known and anticipated the problem we were going to have getting the permit. But he didn't, or did but didn't care, and now he was placing the blame on me. Finally, in January 2014, his text messages got downright nasty, accusatory and demanding. He text me that he needed more money to proceed with the job. Now Doug stated he needed Workers Comp Insurance and asked me to contribute $2,500 for the down payment for the insurance premium, and he was of course blaming me for him needing Workers Comp? Then he text me that he had to charge me $8,000 more for the job because he now had to pay for insurance (which incidentally, made his estimate higher than the original other 2 estimates I had gotten in August). "I" had cost him enough money already and he wanted to know where I stood?he wanted to know if I wanted him to do the job (which meant he needed more money, of course, to proceed) or he would return my balance. I text him back and told him we should part ways and he could return the money he owed me. I never heard from him after that?never got my money back?.big surprise.... This was a horrible, costly experience and I hope others do not have to go through what I did. But, I guess it could have been worse if he actually got the construction started. Please Beware.

Doug does my yard, gutters, all home repairs and general maintenance. I use him at least 1x per month for remodeling or repairs. I trust him and his work. And he'll back it and get it just as you'd like it - get it right - until it's done to your sartisfaction. Just make sure to book him and hold him to a specific time -a reminder doesn't hurt - he is in great demand.