S.A.M.'s Remodeling / Sam McNamee

Where to start. Sam reached out to us back in late December / early January when my wife used the Angi site to find a contractor to finish our basement. He was very aggressive about getting the job and remained in constant contact. After gathering a few other quotes, we decided to go with Sam due to his pricing and the fact that he was the only contractor that could start almost immediately; even within 6 months. This should probably have been something we thought more about at the time but we decided to move forward with Sam. We were provided an estimate of 5 weeks beginning 1/24/22. We weren't overly concerned about the timing because we had a separate access in and out of the basement. Work began on time. Sam had included electrical and HVAC/plumbing work with his quote. However, when we had some questions early on, he told us that we had to call the individuals on our own. This was not how the proposal was brought to us and we had been trying to avoid having to work with multiple people. Regardless, we plowed along. We had asked if items stored in the basement needed to be moved before and after work started. We were told by Sam that it was not an issue and he could work around it. What ended up happening was that he worked ON our items, which were damaged along with items moved being damaged as well. Also, anything outside of normal materials were our responsibility to purchase, which was discussed up front. However, what was NOT mentioned was that Sam expected us to only purchase items from local hardware stores that were in stock. This quickly became a point of contention as it severely limited our choices. We were quite disappointed. We moved onward. Sam included in his proposal hanging barn doors for us. He was honest up front about never having installed them before but was willing to take a shot. Once again, we had to quickly find something because Sam kept pushing us to find in stock items. We gave in and purchased something quickly. Throughout the entire project, Sam was good about working most week days. However, it became apparent along the way that he was having trouble finding people to consistently help him. His attitude also became more confrontational and it almost seemed as though he got into the project and then realized he was in over his head. The work started to drag on well into March and the quality of the work started to drop off as well. Unfortunately, we had to really start pushing Sam to get the job done, which shouldn't be the responsibility of the homeowner. The in stock items we had purchased weeks earlier, were still sitting around. This made us quite upset as we would have had time to order items we liked better and looked better. When the day finally came to complete the project, which was a Sunday (not ideal), Sam asked for his final payment. As we were leaving to go to a viewing for a family member, I asked Sam if he could come back the next day for a final walkthrough before I paid him. He did not want to do that and demanded payment prior to us leaving to go pay our respects. We were not comfortable doing this but gave in because we had to leave. What a mistake. I will provide a list of things done well first. And then everything else: - drop ceiling work was very good. We like it. - drywall work was average. Sam said he was very good at this but we can clearly see seams throughout the walls. Disappointing. - flooring cuts around the baseboards were obviously done quickly and were not very tidy. looks shoddy. - contractually said would put a coat of primer and a coat of paint on the walls. he used cheap paint, put on one coat (no primer), and then touched up in spots. after drying that sunday, you could see the different darkness of paint everywhere. WE had to put another coat of paint throughout the ENTIRE basement! - touch up drywall work at the bottom of steps from first floor was rushed and looks crappy. - HUNG ONE OF THE BARN DOORS UPSIDE DOWN!! - trim work and door hanging was average at best. both doors catch the trim when trying to close them. Disappointing end to a project we were very excited about at the beginning.