Recently, I received two requests from homeowners who had remodeling work done on their homes and were unhappy with the quality of the workmanship. Unfortunately, this situation is not uncommon.
In one case, a homeowner in Irvine, California, found my website after becoming increasingly frustrated with the work performed by her remodeling contractor. She had reached the point where she realized she might be out of her depth in determining exactly what had gone wrong, what it would take to correct the problems, or even whether some of the work could be corrected.
If you’re a homeowner who isn’t familiar with construction standards, building practices, or even the terminology needed to describe what you’re seeing, dealing with a contractor who insists there’s nothing wrong can be a daunting experience.
Gary and Cathy found themselves in just such a situation. They contacted me to inspect their home and prepare a report that would help them understand the condition of their remodel and decide what to do next.
For them, the question boiled down to something quite simple:
“How bad is it?”
Their contractor had essentially put his foot down, telling them, “I’m done. There’s nothing wrong with the work. Pay me the remaining balance.”
Now what?
The homeowners believed the workmanship was unacceptable, but the contractor insisted otherwise. Who was right? And how could they resolve their differences without the situation becoming even more contentious?
The Value of an Independent Inspection
In my inspection reports, I strive to do something very simple: observe and report.
My job isn’t to take sides. It’s to examine the work, identify deficiencies, and explain why certain conditions may fall below generally accepted construction standards.
As a licensed California general contractor with years of experience in residential construction, I’ve learned that there’s an important difference between workmanship that is merely less than perfect and workmanship that is genuinely defective.
Not every imperfection constitutes a construction defect. On the other hand, some deficiencies that appear minor to a homeowner may indicate more serious underlying problems.
The purpose of my inspection is to help sort those things out.
Where Do You Go From Here?
When homeowners find themselves in a dispute with a remodeling contractor, emotions can understandably run high. They’ve invested considerable money in their home, their expectations haven’t been met, and now they’re being told that the work is finished and payment is due.
What they need at this point isn’t another argument. They need reliable information.
A professionally prepared inspection report can provide an objective assessment of the work, identify deficiencies, and give the homeowner a clearer understanding of what corrective work may be necessary.
Armed with that information, homeowners are in a much better position to discuss their concerns with the contractor, negotiate appropriate repairs, or determine whether additional professional assistance is warranted.
My goal is not to tell homeowners what decision to make. It’s to give them the information they need to make that decision for themselves.
If you’re unhappy with your home remodel and your contractor insists there’s nothing wrong, you don’t have to rely solely on your own judgment—or the contractor’s. An independent construction inspection can help you understand what you’re dealing with and decide what to do next.
For a full description of this type of inspection, including how Mike approaches the work, see Remodeling Defect Inspections.