You Are Only As Good As Your People

Date: 12/12/2023


Introduction

In the world of home renovation, the competence and integrity of your contractors are paramount. Our experience with Kaiser Construction starkly reminds us of this. Their crew, consisting of an unlicensed foreman and his family, all unlicensed, demonstrated a concerning lack of professionalism and skill.

Bait and Switch Tactics in Painting

  • Issue: The exterior painting was a debacle. They presented samples of premium lifetime paint but used low-grade A-100 , applied in a "cross hatch" manner, resulting in an uneven, blotchy finish. They claimed to have underbid the paint by 40 gallons, bringing the total to 115 gallons. Of these, 40 were untinted and likely never used on our property. This was assessed as "poor performance" by the contractor's bond construction consultant. Note: When we sought bids to redo the entire deceitful paint job, every quote we received, even for the highest quality paint, came in under what the dubious contractor charged us. Kaiser Construction charged us nearly double the redo bids by licensed painters!

Premature Interior Painting

  • Problem: The interior painting was rushed, done before necessary room work was completed. Kaiser's explanation was, "We like to paint early on because drywall and sanding take a lot of time, and then we go back at the end for a full paint rollback." This was confusing, at best. We realized they could bill and get paid as painting was a major expense. Note: Kaiser charged us double the cost to redo the botched paint job by licensed painters.

Botched Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing

  • Issue: The cabinets were a disaster. They failed to properly clean the surfaces before applying Solo paint , which is unsuitable for high-traffic areas like kitchen cabinets. The paint started peeling within a week. Additionally, they painted the cabinets prematurely, before attaching the upper cabinets that extended to the ceiling. Note: The samples presented were Emerald , the recommended paint for cabinets.

Cabinetry Woes

  • Quality Concerns: The cabinetry work had numerous issues. The bathroom vanity was initially rejected due to poor craftsmanship, particularly the vanity legs. The kitchen island staining was uneven and didn't match our selected samples. Kaiser admitted the large gallons purchased were not the samples we selected. Attempts to fix this by sanding led to more problems. The dimensions of the vent hood and upper cabinet doors were incorrect, necessitating a complete rebuild.

Unpermitted Bathroom Renovation Nightmare

  • Major Issue: The most egregious issue was the unpermitted bathroom renovation. Presented as by Megan Kaiser, we later discovered black mold behind the walls and inappropriate materials used for shiplap. The shower enclosure was incorrectly constructed, preventing the installation of a desired shower door.

Conclusion

This ordeal with Kaiser Construction highlights the importance of careful contractor selection. Verify credentials, demand detailed contracts, and stay vigilant against dubious practices. Remember, the success of your renovation hinges on the competence and honesty of your contractors.