Eschberger Construction

1.One of two jobs that the contractor was engaged for was to replace a portion of an existing fence along the front of the house and including two walk through gates. I told contractor that I wanted gate springs on both of the gates not just the one that currently had one. The contract specifies “New hardware included” for each section of fence being replaced. When contractor failed to install gate springs I called it to his attention and he agreed to provide them but denied they were included in the hardware specified by the contract. Springs were purchased but were incorrectly installed on the gate resulting in damage to the springs. When reinstalled correctly the springs proved incapable of reliably closing either gate. I’m not sure whether their failure was due to the damage sustained when installed incorrectly or whether they were simply undersized for the job. (They were about 3-4 inches shorter than the originals.) In any case contractor then refused to honor the contract, took his payment (after threatening to put a contractor’s lien on my property), removed the springs from the gates without my knowledge or permission and left. 2. While digging a hole in which to mount a fence post, contractor severed a major sprinkler line. I only discovered the break when a neighbor informed me that my roof was being “watered”. Contractor (and I use the term loosely because Eschberger Construction is not a registered contractor in College Station) neither fixed nor even informed me of the break

Work was sub-standard.  Didn't seem to understand basic construction methods.  Eric under bid the job, so, costs increased for materials and labor. again and again due to not doing a thourough inspection of the areas he was supposed to repair and bid on.
I asked for an estimate to replace all of the siding, patch the insulation and weatherproofing material under the trailer and  coat the roof.  Original bid amount was reasonable and he said he did not mind driving from Bryan to Madisonville.  I found his  ad in the Madisonville paper.
I told him there was likely some hiden damage behind the siding because of previousleaks and I understood that any stud replacement would be an additional charge.  I asked to be made aware of  and an opportunity to approve any additional costs.
He gave me an additional estimate for repairing some studs that had rotted and the area under the siding.  He gave me a seperate bid to repair the insulation layer under the trailer.
I approved the bids and then got another bid for another  place that they had missed when inspecting under the trailer.
I approved that and then got yet another call about  another place they had missed when inspecting the underside of the trailer the second time.  I  approved that.
When everything was "done"  I was told that there were additional materials, caulk, screws and more trim boards for the windows and doors.   Which I had not been told about or approved ,  for another $386. 
I asked why they needed more screws and was told "for the flashing."  When I asked why the same screws that held the roof down woudn't hold the flashing, I was told that the screws were to hold the bottom of the flashing against the siding. 
I told him that screwing the flashing down, would cause leaks and was not the way flashing was to be installed. Eric radmitted to me that he ( his words) "F***ed up."

Still, I paid for the extra flashing screws.  The flashing was installed with waves protruding from the siding , not flat afainst the siding, leaving the nice new siding looking very ugly.
The siding did not meet over the studs in some places, which caused gaps that will let water under the siding.
Gaps in panels and around doors and windows were not caulked,  They had to pull the roof back to install the siding, but, did not fill the holes in the roof where he removed staples that held the roof on.    He did not seal a back door light fixture and a dryer vent, both of which required him to remove, cut a hole for and reinstall.  the light was barely screwed to the wall and the dryer vent could be remved by hand, because it was not caulked nor fastened with screws.  (Not in his bid?)

Eris'c excuse was that it was not speciffically on the bid to fill in the holes he created by removing the roof to install the siding.  Bid materials list said :  Misc Material (sheetmetal screws, coil nails, tyvek fasteners, etc.)  What does etc. mean?
After the first rain water was leaking in all around the top of the two doors and from the roof near where he had worked on the siding.
He came out and looked at it the next day and said his men had not reinstalled aluminum awnings above the doors "because they looked like junk."  He reinstalled them and caulked them and the doors quit leaking from above.  He blamed the roof leak on a "hole" which he found and caulked.  That did not fix that leak, so, I asked him to seal the entire roof, including the holes from the staples he had removed to install the siding.  He agreed.
 
After I accepted his bid to seal the roof, he missed two dates to start the work then told me he had no insurance for roofs, so, he would rather not do it.  I agreed.  I had had enough excuses and poor performance.
When I finally got a chance to come up to see the finished job, I discovered several areas around the doors, windows and outside light fixtures that were not caulked, or were improperly caulked.
I called him to talk about these areas, but, he did not answer, so,  I left him a voice mail to let him know about the problems and how badly the caulk was applied.
Instead of calling me back to talk about the problems he wrote me a very long, very rude email, refusing to accept any responsibility, telling me he couldn't keep driving for two hours from Bryan "just to do me favors" blaming everything on me for expecting him to caulk the trim, doors, gaps etc. and even blaming the condition of the trailer (which is what he was being paid to correct!), and he insisted that he did not leave the light the way it appeared in the photo I had sent.  As little time as he spent on the job  and left his workers unsupervised, because he "had other jobs, i don't know how he could make that claim.
And he even had the nerve to  accuse me of being a "con man who was just trying to get his money back."   
I never asked for any money back, I just wanted the job finished, but, his child like rant made it clear that he was through with me and the job he was hired to do.   And I would not ever want someone with such an attitude doing anything more to my property. 
I will not recommend this company and I will never allow them on my property again.
I only wish there had been a review for me to read about this company, before I gave them any money.  Oh well.,
Customer service skills - F