Ortega Painting & Remodeling Inc

Martin is a wonderful painter, but his remodeling work is inconsistent. I should say that this was his first job out on his own -- many of the problems (especially the mis-bidding) might have to do with inexperience. And I did get good value for the money I paid. But I do feel that he over-promises and under-delivers. While most things were done correctly, he will confidently undertake work that he doesn't quite know how to do -- with the predictable results. I caught him trying to brick up a window without installing tar paper underneath; I was told only after he left that I might need plywood decking under the granite. And it was only when I called the appliance guy (after he left) that the dishwasher was installed so that it wouldn't jam against the cabinets! Plus, he's not great with follow-through. This was a long job, and at the beginning everything was perfect. But as time went on things were sloppier; the very last job he did for me was installing a set of shelves, which he did wrong (not spaced per my instructions), slapped one coat of paint on, (not at all like his usual painting work) and said "I'm done." He left a granite bar inadequately unsupported -- "You can do it," he said -- and his finish carpentry was sloppy and haphazard. When the cabinet maker had mismeasured the (brand new) cabinets so that the hinges for the fridge didn't fit, he proposed cutting two holes into the cabinets and patching with a piece of trim! (There was no other trim on the cabinets, so this would have looked VERY sloppy.) He also left a big mess -- "I guess you'll be cleaning up for a while" were his last words to me, besides trying to persuade me that I should ask him back to install the tile backsplash. (Ha!) I am a DIY person, but I was left doing much more DIY than I'd planned. Also -- watch out for the add-ons. While I did feel that I got a fair amount of work from him for a fair price, the pricing tends to be unpredictable. I'd always asked for one wall to be cut "counter height"; when the cabinets came in an inch shorter, he charged me another $125 to take the wall down to the height it was supposed to be in the first place. After installing the floor, he dinged me for another $200 because it was "harder than he'd planned." As I said, I did pay him -- while we were waiting for the tile installer, he helped me with a lot of things that weren't in the bid -- so I did feel that I was charged a fair amount for work actually performed. But the "add-ons" did rankle me. (That's what you were supposed to do in the first place!) I would have felt better if he'd admitted that he mis-bid or did it wrong, or if he told me was charging me for the other services he performed. So if you want to know exactly how much you're paying and what you're paying for in advance, he's not your guy.