CORNER TO CORNER CONSTRUCTION

My partner and I chose CORNER TO CORNER (from herein called "C2C") because they were a family owned business that assured us that their capable staff would guide us through all phases of our home renovation.  As this was our first home renovation project, I reviewed the contract drawn up by C2C and insisted on fleshing it out substantially to protect our interests.  We soon came to find out that we had enlisted the services of a company that promised us quality and professionalism, but in our case would deliver notable errors in design, workmanship, and billing; poor organization and communication; and little to no accountability.
     We paid $5000 to work with their architects, who ended up making errors in the dimensions of our laundry room - something I discovered in reviewing their plans. We next met with their interior designer for guidance in remodeling our kitchen.  She threw together suggestions that did not at all mirror any of our requests and inappropriately took it upon herself to go to the kitchen cabinet company and provide them with incorrect budget guidelines.  Within weeks of these issues, she was fired.
    Construction began on 6/2/10 and we were informed that our project would be completed by the end of July.  (When we expressed surprise at how quickly the project would be finished, the younger owner of C2C assured us that his company had worked on many projects just like ours and was very familiar with what was involved.)  Markers were put in place for digging and then we didn't see or hear from anyone for 7 days.  This was my first hint that I would be working two jobs for an indeterminate amount of time - my own, as well as "assistant project manager/accountant" for our C2C home remodeling project.  One of the first truly frustrating incidents occurred when an open part of the new addition's roof was left uncovered by C2C workers before an obvious impending storm.  Heavy amounts of rain water came through the floors of the addition, into the crawl space, and from there ran into our basement.  The workmen had also left a work light plugged in and turned on in the addition.  My partner and 2 others had to scramble to cover the hole in the roof.
The Project Manager:  It was stipulated in the contract that any additions or changes to the work specified in the contract would be submitted as "change orders", and we would be billed and expected to pay for these before the work was done.  The project manager never billed us on time for the change orders, often double billed us, and frequently charged us incorrectly for pricing allowances already specified in our scope (pricing document).  I always had to go over each line item in any bill to protect our financial interests.
    We had chosen a large Koehler fiberglass shower for our master bath and from day one and on multiple occasions we questioned whether or not it would be able to be brought into the house due to its large size. The project manager told us that this was not our worry, and we assumed that the shower would be brought into the bathroom before the walls of the addition were put up.  Nevertheless, the walls of the new addition were constructed and vinyl siding was put in place before the shower was delivered.  On the day the shower was delivered, I was informed by my partner that a large section of siding had to be removed and a huge hole had to be cut into the walls of our new addition to get the shower into the bathroom.  The project manager called to tell me that they had placed the shower into the master bathroom, but  it would require us losing another foot from our adjoining laundry room..  I reminded him that we were already short on laundry room space due to the architect's errors and that we had warned him multiple times about the size of the shower.  His solution to these errors was to cut down an additional wall, but that this was going to cost us extra money.  Despite the considerable pressure, we refused to pay extra money for errors that were not ours, and C2C ended up footing the bill for the extra work.  Please understand that this project manager visited our home once before the project began and never again for the duration of the project.
    One of the specifics detailed in our contract was for wood shelving with steel brackets in our walk-in closet.  The extremely qualified subcontractor spent 5 hours installing what he was told to install - thin white metal shelving - and proudly showed us his work when we came home.  When I questioned a C2C employee on the phone, he told me that my partner had approved this type of shelving and tried to convince me that this was fine.  I told him that my partner was standing right next to me and would be happy to get on the phone and refute what was said to me.  I referred to the type of shelving specified in the contract....at my insistence the shelving was taken down, the walls were re-spackled and re-painted, and the correct shelving was installed.  So many of the mistakes made during this project were due to lack of communication between the project manager and the technicians in the field and not referencing our contract.
    We continued to receive inaccurate bills for work done, and I continued to go through each invoice correcting the errors.  One day the project manager called me on the phone and began to pressure me for payment on one of the inaccurate bills I had just received.  Very shortly after this phone call, the project manager was fired.  The assistant project manager shared with me that there had been problems with this project manager and other clients as well.
The Assistant Project Manager:  The woman assisting the project manager was responsible for ordering materials.  There were consistent delays in getting materials ordered/delivered and miscalculations regarding dollar amount allowances that had been specified in our scope (pricing document).  Of the many stories I could share, here is one that speaks to work ethic:.....we chose carpet for our entire house from the company that C2C uses and fortunately took home a sample of the specific carpet color.  On the day of the carpet delivery, my partner compared our sample to what had been delivered and discovered that it was the wrong color.  He called the carpet company and they confirmed that C2C had indeed ordered the wrong color.  He then called the assistant project manager and she told him that he was probably just unhappy with the color and that there would be a penalty for returning it.  When my partner persisted, she alleged that she had called the carpet company and confirmed  that she had ordered the correct color.  When my partner told her that he had just gotten off the phone with the carpet company, she said, "Sh*t!" and suggested that he not tell me it was the wrong color as the colors were close enough!!!  Nevertheless, we insisted on it being returned. 
Completion of the Work:  The project, which we were told would be finished by end of July, was completed in November 2010.  I withheld final payment until C2C provided me a Certificate of Occupancy, something which was stipulated in our contract,...they tried multiple times to ge me to provide final payment without the certificate in our hands, but I refused.  Once I received the Certificate and agreed to release the final payment, the younger owner of C2C admitted to me that he had underestimated the magnitude of our project and that we had lived through their company's growing pains.  I explained to him that this fact brought me no comfort as we were viewed as the disgruntled clients thro

This company should be renamed Disaster to Disaster Construction! C2C estimated a 20 week schedule for our project, but instead dragged us into an 80 week schedule! Close to 2 years of begging for work to be finished correctly. We and our 3 school-aged children, were forced to be fully moved out of our house and school district for 6 months, 3 months over what we agreed to originally. We then lived in our basement with an outdoor port-o-potty for an additional 2 months. We paid to store all our belongings in 4 large storage pods for over a period of 1 year. Project went outrageously over budget. Signed a contact for $470,000. Ended up spending almost $700,000 to ensure that decent materials appropriate to our house were used. C2C stopped work in January 2012 and abandoned our project, unfinished and problematic. Any money we withheld due to unfulfilled work, will not even come close to covering all the really major defects, repairs and total re-do's. We have been given estimates of between $75,000. and $100,000. for repairs, redo's and finishing incomplete work!  C2C hired incompetent and careless subcontractors to work on our home. Between 1-3 subs passed through our project from every trade ( masons, painters, roofers, plumbers, electricians, HVAC installers, carpenters, etc) over an 18 month period, until fired for poor work. An example: electrician #1 was determined to be incompetent and fired; electrician #2 walked off the unfinished job after claiming failure to be paid by C2C; electrician #3 hired as an "in-house electrician", proved to be capable, but unaware of the problematic work recently performed, now hidden behind drywall . We have electrical issues/ problems to this day. Our inspectors suspect illegal circuit splicing behind drywall and overloaded circuits. At least 20 sub-contractors were brought in by C2C to work on our home. 90% of them were miserably incompetent, some on drugs, most of them remarkably careless. No lien waivers were provided or proof of licensing for any. Found later on that several subs, like the roofer, remain unpaid by C2C for work performed. A supervisor from C2C was assigned to our project, and then soon after assigned to supervise multiple projects.  I recall that at least 5 "supervisors" were later assigned over a period of 18 months, but were really laborers and not qualified to supervise a very large job. 4 out of 5 "supers" were fired by C2C, while on my project.
Major construction defects include: Incorrect installation of entire HVAC, zone 2. It has been deemed useless, unusable and unsafe by experts. Due to improper installation and lack of return air, the new furnace motor caught fire while we slept and filled the upper floors of the house with smoke. Luckily we awoke and lived to tell the tale. Most recently the main fan overheated and broke. This entire HVAC zone is shut down since July 2012, until it can be completely redone properly at a cost of $23,000. to us. As of Fall 2012, our current HVAC company redoing/repairing C2C's work has a stellar reputation and been in business for 50 years. They claim that they have never seen in all their years, such a poor, careless and absolutely incompetent installation of heat and cooling. They confirmed that the system was downright dangerous and that all the gas lines throughout the house were incorrectly sized and could have caused an explosion. WOW! I now have experts actually asking to testify in court on our behalf!
All areas of custom laid oak hardwood, "cupped" severely and after an attempt to flatten out by heavy sanding, then "crowned". Damp sub-flooring due to storm water directed toward the foundation and no gutters installed for over 6 months is suspected as likely cause. Floors have been deemed unacceptable by flooring industry standards and unrepairable, by a hardwood experts written report. Terrible tile work by subcontractor. Careless and sloppy work done with our very carefully chosen marble tile. Areas of deep scratches, even cracked tiles. Careless grout work. Several attempts at repairs by same subs created even more damage! Some 30+ new Jeld-Wen windows were installed without Tyvek membrane wrapped around the rough window openings. They neglected to install steel support lintels over new windows which support heavy stone walls and a new 3rd story! Worse roofing job I have ever witnessed. Lack of flashing, no drip edges, no ice dams, mismatched shingles, popped nails, sub standard materials, and you guessed it, leaks! Informed that the roofing sub had "gone out of business". This is a lie as I called to find that they are in business and roofing sub owner claims non-payment on the part of C2C. At least 2 additional roofing subs were brought in for "repairs" and also did poor work! Expensive custom kitchen cabinets are battered and unsightly. They also do not function properly. This due to poor installation, inexperience and failed revisionary carpentry by C2C; floor stain splashed on cabinet doors, drawers, island, and bluestone hearths on double-sided fireplace, by careless flooring subs. Multiple, rough screws used to install custom cabinetry. Factory-finish cabinet paint, heavily damaged and actually painted over to hide unsightly areas. Incorrect kitchen measurements were submitted to cabinet fabricator, which caused us to accept limited storage and material concessions. Understand that up until the project was abandoned by C2C, we submitted payment in a timely and generous manner, even when we felt the payments should have waited. We did this in a desperate attempt to keep moral high and men working, even as we watched our ship sink. We kept our faith, our patience and our tempers and hoped that C2C would somehow keep their promises to us. Their best defense was to blame us, the homeowners, for anything that went wrong which was clearly absurd and outrageous! C2C will tell you that I am a "crazy lady". Just as they called past customers "crazy" when I asked to speak to them or see C2C's work.  Also, C2C neglected to pay for damages to existing materials or homeowner property that "walked off the site". This includes building materials bought outright by homeowners to be given "credit" at final payment. The "credits" add up to nearly $3000.
Contact the Lower Merion Building Department to confirm current status of permits: Plumbing inspection failed; Building inspection failed; HVAC inspection failed and we have no "Certificate of Occupancy" to this day.
I even sought advice from an experienced builder and now writer who writes columns on the subject, including for The Philadelphia Inquirer. He was kind enough to visit the sight and was aghast! He is currently writing a book about the failure of the current building industry in America. He has even asked us if we allow him to dedicate a chapter on our construction nightmare. What would you do? Bottom line, wow, are we sorry we hired Corner to Corner Construction! We planned and saved for over 10 years to make our home a comfortable one for our family. This project should have been a joyful one. The emotional, physical and financial hardship on my family has been devastating. Consider yourself well warned.

Update as of Fall 2012: Corner to Corner has taken legal action against us for withholding the final payment, all of which has to go toward repairs, redo's and finishing incomplete work. The withheld payment will only pay for about 40% of these problems. The rest we will have to pay from our own pocket. Unbelievably, C2C and their lawyers continue to harass us. This company is a plague.

Update Winter 2013:  While attempting to "serve" a filed lawsuit, we discovered Corner to Corner has shut-down and abandoned their office location, as I predicted they would.  The president of C2C, Shawn Bishop, has fled the state of PA and has moved to California and opened up a "Planet Fitness" loc

They did good work for awhile, but then stopped showing up.

I have been frustrated by contractors in the past. My experience with Corner to Corner was exceptional. It was refreshing to meet a builder who tells the truth and does what they say they will. They helped me avoid a number of mistakes that others did not catch. Their project management team was a HUGE help. They communicated status updates consistently which was great. Kept me feeling comfortable. So at the end of the day, I have a completely different outlook about hiring contractors thanks to C2C. I recommend them 100%. Feel free to contact me directly with questions.

Good at first, later it slowed down.

Shawn Bishop submitted a very detailed proposal after a walk-through. Corner to Corner uses subcontractors to do the work and at the beginning (demolition of kitchen cabinets and installation of drywall on third floor) things went smoothly. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. The crown molding was supposed to wrap around a corner to meet the molding in the dining room. This was not done and left just hanging. The reconnection of the kitchen sink was faulty and caused a leak into the family room below. The stove was left about 6 inches from the wall, the microwave was not secured and the dishwasher was not bolted into the counter and fell forward when opened. This was corrected after 2 trips. My phone calls and emails were not returned and the job took weeks longer than it should have. I ended up hiring another contractor to correct the crown molding and a plumber/electrician to properly seat the microwave and position the stove correctly.

RON SAT DOWN WITH US FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TO DISCUSS THE ROOFING AND A BUNCH OF OTHER WORK WE ARE HAVING HIM DO (NEXT UP: CONCRETE WORK, ADDITION OF A STONE FACADE TO THE BASEMENT LEVEL AT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, SIDEWALK REPAIR, AND A NEW PATIO WITH INTERLOCKING PAVERS). (MORE TO COME LATER BECAUSE WE ARE SO PLEASED). HE WENT THROUGH HIS IDEAS FOR DOING THE WORK VERY METHODICALLY, AND IN SEVERAL CASES SUGGESTED A DIFFERENT STRATEGY, ONE THAT INVOLVED MORE THOUGHT THAN MOST CONTRACTORS I HAVE TALKED TO. FOR INSTANCE, HE SUGGESTED THAT RATHER THAN PAINTING OVER PANELING IN OUR BEDROOM, HE TAKE IT OUT AND, IF ANY REPLASTERING NEEDS TO BE DONE, FINE. I LIKE THIS APPROACH BECAUSE IT DOESN'T GO DOWN THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE -- INSTALLING DROPPED CEILINGS, DOING THE EXPEDIENT RATHER THAN THE RIGHT THING FOR A CLIENT. I'M IN LOVE! WE'VE FOUND OUR ELDIN (REMEMBER MURPHY BROWN'S INTERIOR DECORATOR WHO JUST SORT OF NEVER LEFT???)