Home Reno Gone Awry

Our unfortunate tale with Kaiser Construction started with the promise of an exciting home transformation. Sadly, this quickly turned into a series of severe disappointments, exposing their shocking lack of honesty, professionalism, and profound lack of craftsmanship.

As first-time remodelers, we naively entrusted Kaiser Construction with our project. To our dismay, they presented us with an illegal "wiggle" type contract—infamously known in the industry for its vagueness and lack of specifics. Crafted with precision to evade responsibility, this contract type often serves unscrupulous contractors as their escape route during disputes and denials. We are providing two pages,  (page 1)  (page 2) of their illegal "contract" as an example for others embarking on their own remodeling journey, to illustrate what to watch out for when signing renovation contracts.

The home exterior painting, which was supposed to be a highlight of our renovation, turned out to be a significant disappointment. They employed unlicensed painters who conveniently skipped the primer application — a critical process for a stucco home being painted for the first time. We are led to believe that this oversight was no accident but a calculated move to cut corners and inflate their profits, all while camouflaged under the cover of their illegal "wiggle" contract -  (wiggle excuse)

Unfortunately, the issues with Kaiser Construction went far beyond simple oversights. They used a much lower quality paint than promised, resulting in a subpar finish where the previous color was still visible through the thin layer of cheap paint. This decision demonstrated a lack of commitment to quality and integrity, showing a willingness to compromise standards for their own benefit, which ultimately affected the project's overall quality and longevity. They even went as far as using high-quality paint as props to deceive us into believing that superior materials would be used.

We managed to obtain receipts showing that Megan's “foreman” purchased the highest quality paint for our project but applied the lowest quality paint without disclosure — classic bait and switch. After explaining to the Sherwin-Williams store manager how Megan showed us their high-quality paint, Emerald — Sherwin Williams best paint quality — while they applied color samples to  interior and  exterior walls, and claimed this would the paint used, the manager clearly understood what happened. It was evident that a bait-and-switch scam had unfolded. Megan's team ended up applying the lowest quality paints, Ultra Spec 500 (interior), Solo (kitchen cabinets), and  A100 (exterior), all cheap contractor-grade paints that are less than half the cost of Emerald. The store manager agreed to give us a copy of the receipts  (1)  (2), with the cost of the paint redacted, as Sherwin-Williams did not want to reveal what the contractor paid for the paint.

Adding insult to injury, Megan claimed at arbitration that they applied an astounding 115 gallons of this cheap paint on our 2800-square-foot home and provided flimsy excuses and bogus receipts to back their claim  (excuse 1)  (excuse 2). A closer look at these receipts unveiled curious financial maneuvers: the “foreman” first purchased 40 gallons of un-tinted paint, shelling out nearly $1,500 in cash—a method curiously suited for transactions that one might prefer to keep off the official records. Mere 16 hours later, another 40 gallons of tinted paint were charged to the company credit card. Such a swift shift in payment methods raises questions about the intent behind using cash first — possibly to ease the return of unused materials without leaving a digital footprint. This un-tinted paint was likely either returned for a refund or stashed away for a future scam, while Megan likely reimbursed the foreman, either due to ignorance or complicity. Un-tinted paint can be returned to the store, whereas tinted paint cannot—a fact any "honest" contractor worth their salt would know. Curiously, Megan left out the receipts we obtained from the cooperative Sherwin-Williams store manager, which showed purchases of their best Emerald & Latitude paint samples. One has to wonder why these were omitted. Ultimately, the Kaiser crew managed to apply no more than 60 gallons of this  cheap A100 paint to our home, leaving us with 15 gallons leftover in three buckets.

It's crucial to highlight that the first 40 gallons of paint were purchased SEVEN DAYS AFTER they had already started painting our home. Megan and her crew had promised us premium-grade paint and even presented us with top-tier color samples for both  interior and  exterior applications, which ultimately proved to be mere props in their elaborate ploy. Despite these assurances, it is evident they had a stockpile of cheap paint ready from the outset — how else could they have begun painting our home a FULL WEEK before purchasing the first 40 gallons? They charged us for high-quality materials but applied the lowest quality available — a stark contradiction to their initial promises. This was a blatant bait-and-switch, deliberately designed to maximize their profit at our expense. Adding to the deception, Megan later submitted a document during arbitration admitting they " never specified the type of paint that would be used, nor the number of coats," conveniently omitting their verbal commitments. This admission itself is a clear violation of California CSLB law, which requires that all materials used must be "described in detail" in the contract. This deliberate omission not only underscores their blatant disregard for honesty but also highlights their profound lack of transparency and integrity.

The situation took a revealing turn when we highlighted this discrepancy to the arbitrator during the hearing. Kaiser Construction's attorney was visibly shocked, frantically rifling through documents in a desperate attempt to concoct an excuse on the spot. Meanwhile, Megan Kaiser and the so-called "foreman" tried to mislead the proceedings by falsely claiming that the receipts were for interior paint, in a transparent effort to create confusion. However, their ruse was glaringly obvious and did not deceive the arbitrator. His keen understanding of the case and the clear evidence we presented left no room for Kaiser's misleading tactics to succeed.

To help others distinguish between tinted and untinted paint purchases, we are sharing five pages of redacted receipts with the relevant sections highlighted for clarity. These are the receipts Megan Kaiser submitted during arbitration as part of her defense. Ironically, these receipts ended up hurting her case.  (1)  (2)  (3)  (4)  (5)

Regrettably, as a direct consequence of Kaiser Construction's unprofessional and deceitful practices, we are now burdened with the unexpected and costly necessity of repainting our home just a year after their supposed completion of the job.

The saga of disappointment with Kaiser Construction unfortunately extended into our kitchen, where their approach to cabinet refinishing was grossly mishandled. Crucial preparatory steps like cleaning, degreasing, and sanding the cabinets were bafflingly overlooked, severely affecting the quality of the paint job that followed. To worsen matters, they opted for a low-grade paint, Solo, one not even recommended by the manufacturer for kitchen applications due to the demanding conditions typical of such environments. The outcome was a paint job with pitiful durability,  peeling away with the ease of a sticker from a banana peel. This blatant failure has now saddled us with a laborious and costly task: to completely redo the cabinet refinishing process. We must strip away the subpar paint, thoroughly prepare the cabinets, and apply a high-quality finish. Essentially, this means redoing the entire job they initially botched from scratch. The added expense and inconvenience this has brought upon us only intensify the growing frustrations and setbacks of our home renovation experience.

The depths of Kaiser Construction's negligence became painfully evident with each passing day as we unearthed a troubling array of unauthorized and poorly executed work. Our primary bathroom stood as a shocking showcase of their unprofessionalism and carelessness. They had poorly sealed a vent pipe which led to the accumulation of rainwater within our walls, culminating in the alarming discovery of black mold — a health hazard necessitating immediate intervention. Their ineptitude was further exposed in the construction of our shower enclosure, where they committed a significant error by incorrectly positioning the drain. This was not a minor error — it was a substantial mistake that a true competent professional would not have made. The fallout of this misstep was considerable; we are now faced with the unnecessary burden of demolishing and reconstructing the entire shower enclosure, greatly escalating our budget and lengthening the renovation timeline. As we peeled back the layers of Kaiser Construction's shoddy work, the grim reality of a second, entirely avoidable bathroom remodel within a year became increasingly apparent. This disastrous home renovation experience, punctuated by ceaseless disappointments and frustrations, stands as a scathing testament to Kaiser Construction's profound lack of professionalism and attention to detail.

When we offered Kaiser Construction a chance to rectify their egregious errors, they shockingly opted for an antagonistic stance, engaging in aggressive legal tactics and audaciously demanding extra compensation for their inferior workmanship. This conflict arose primarily due to their decision to inappropriately assign an unlicensed painter as the foreman, a role for which he was disastrously unqualified, exhibiting a profound lack of skill and professionalism. Our reasonable requests for a qualified replacement were flatly rejected, leaving us with no alternative but to part ways with Kaiser Construction. Instead of showing any semblance of regret or understanding, they retorted with threats of mechanic's liens -  (1)  (2). This left us with no choice but to seek intervention from the CSLB (Contractors State License Board) and file a claim against Kaiser Construction's Bond.

The bond company’s resolution process included commissioning an independent construction consultant to inspect the work performed by Kaiser Construction. The consultant's evaluation was scathing, categorically stating that the workmanship was abysmally below acceptable standards of workmanship, and that unpermitted work had been illegally performed in our primary bathroom. The defects were widespread and severe, ranging from the need to completely redo the low-grade and deceitfully executed exterior and interior painting, to specific defects like a haphazardly stained kitchen island, an improperly dimensioned vent hood, and modifications made to the kitchen cabinets that jeopardized the entire structure's integrity. Ultimately, we were forced to entirely reconstruct two sets of kitchen cabinets. This entire ordeal painfully encapsulates our disastrous and frustrating experience with Kaiser Construction. Despite numerous obstacles, we emerged victorious from our dispute with Kaiser Construction, securing rightful compensation to rectify their abhorrent and dishonest work -  (1)  (2).

Our ordeal with Kaiser Construction starkly emphasizes the critical importance of exhaustive and meticulous documentation in every facet of a home renovation project. We cannot stress enough the need for an obsessively detailed approach to record-keeping. This involves religiously taking daily photographs, capturing every angle and phase of the construction process. These images serve as irrefutable visual evidence, invaluable in the event of any disagreements or discrepancies with the contractor.

Moreover, it's of paramount importance that every agreement, no matter how minor, every intricate detail of the contract, and each modification in the plan (commonly known as change orders) is documented with the utmost precision in writing. This practice eliminates any possibility of misunderstandings that often arise from verbal agreements, which are prone to misinterpretation, forgetfulness, and dubious manipulation. By ensuring everything is meticulously recorded, you effectively close any loopholes and leave no "wiggle room" for a dubious contractor to exploit in case of a dispute. This rigorous approach to documentation is your best defense against unscrupulous practices.

These written records should be all-encompassing, detailing the types and quality of materials being used, the full scope of work (including minor and major tasks), explicit deadlines for each phase of the project, and detailed information about warranties and guarantees. Additionally, keeping a log of all communications, including emails and texts with the contractor and their team, can provide a chronological narrative of the project’s progress and any issues that arise.

In the event that something seems amiss or if there are early signs of deviation from the agreed-upon plan, it's crucial to consult with a legal advisor. A legal expert can offer guidance on your rights and the next steps to take. Proactivity in this aspect is invaluable; it can help in identifying potential issues at their initial stage and ensure that your rights and interests as a homeowner are robustly safeguarded. This vigilant approach to documentation and legal consultation can be a decisive factor in protecting your investment and achieving the desired outcome in your home renovation project.

In conclusion, our home renovation with Kaiser Construction turned from a hopeful journey into a distressing ordeal. Our key takeaway for those considering embarking on a similar journey is this: exercise due diligence. Secure multiple bids, ensure your contract is unambiguous and comprehensive, and demand clear warranty details. By sharing our experience, we hope to provide insights that will help others navigate their home improvement endeavors more smoothly and help them steer clear of contractors like Kaiser Construction, thus preventing a similarly unsettling situation. Knowledge is power, and staying informed is the best way to ensure a successful and satisfying home renovation project.