ComplaintsforCobalt Inspection Services Inc

• Initial Complaint

  09/09/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Job was completed on 7/14/22 without a permit from the city. The original signed contract from 11/16/2021 was quoted at $2,450. for installation. At that time while ****** was at the meeting with salesman *** at my house he looked at the work to be performed. At that time he was informed that the job needed to be done in July while we were in ** for vacation. The beginning of June, ****** was informed of our arrival date and the date we needed to leave **. When we arrived in ** ****** told ** the bill was now $3,910. For installation. We discussed the inflated price and due to our time restraints we agreed on a new inflated price of $3,425. because we couldn't hire a contractor fast enough. After the install was completed, ****** sent us another inflated bill increasing it another $400.00 which we refused to pay . We have paid $3,425 as agreed on. We found out after the job was done that he didn't have a permit issued yet so we couldn't get the City to come and inspect the work. Also because ****** only worked part time at my house, I could not do the priming and painting of the new stucco so I had to hire a contractor to finish the stucco and rehang the hurricane shutters. This cost to me was another $575.00. ****** claimed I owe him $400 and he has put a construction lien on my property. I want the lien removed and the $400 bal deleted. ****** works as Cobalt Construction and Cobalt Inspection Services **** I believe ****** is taking advantage of me because I had to leave ** and because of my age. I'm on a fixed-income and have to spend carefully.

  Business response

  09/09/2022

  Cobalt Construction is in dispute with ************************. Cobalt Inspection ************ has nothing to do with this issue.

  ************************ claims that he is on a fixed income, but owns multiple homes with a history of disputes from other contractors throughout the years as well as multiple complaints from the ******************.

  Unforeseen work and additional work costs are completely normal in construction, as is the case here. ************************ would rather NOT pay contractors when they complete the work instead for additional work performed on his home.

  With all of the material delays across the country, scheduling is hard to do at best. However, we were able to meet, exceed his unrealistic time frame and fully complete his project and is ready to be inspected. In fact, **************************** windows only arrived merely days before the project was started!

  As for the issue with the permit, Cobalt Construction does not apply for permits before materials have arrived on site in these unprecedented time due to material shortages and permits with ****************** are 4 Months behind in approvals. When ************************ heard of that delay, he insisted that the worked be performed without the permit being approved by the city and threatened non-payment to stay within his unrealistic time frame.

  What Cobalt Construction was able to do in the time frame that was given is simply unheard of in these times, and for our hard work, labor and professionalism, he has decided to not pay the added cost of $400.00 for additional stucco work performed on his home to ensure a watertight application because, which he did not mention, he had multiple areas of water intrusion from the old windows and wanted more stucco to be applied to ensure that no future leaks would occur.

  A Mechanics Lein has been applied to his property for non-payment. Please see attached Contract.
  

  Customer response

  09/10/2022

   
  Complaint: 17936426
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
      As seen in all the proof that I have submitted,  ****** increased his singed quote to me 2 times.  The 1st time was right before the install was to start and the windows were sitting in a warehouse and scheduled for delivery to my home.

  .   I do not have any complaints or problems from any city or town.. As far as not paying other contractors,  that is an out right lie and I want ***********; to show proof of these contractors that are not 100% satisfied working for me. I pay fully at the completion of every job.

      ***********; is trying to  take advantage  of my time frame for the project  to be completed. Well knowing that i could not get the windows installed by another contractor at the last minute.  Now he is trying to hold my inspection hostage for another $400 that he has added  after the completion.  I already paid $975 more than the original signed contract.  Now he wants

   another $400.  The amount of stucco  that was removed ( approximately  3" ) is required to replace the window. Any water leaks around the  window were repaired by myself.

  .    This is a bate and switch job.. ****** inspected the job before quoted the job. He was the inspector that said I needed a new window.  This seems like a conflict of interest.  He generated this job for himself.

      Im not sure if he ever got a permit.  I do know that he never would be allowed to start a job before a permit has been issued. Nor would I ever  allowed  it. This is a safty issue  that was skipped over by ************* 
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************************

  Business response

  09/12/2022

  ************************ was already in the process of getting new windows for the entire home. I did not sell him the windows, I only installed the windows he purchased from a separate company. I was there intentionally to review the install.  I was never there to inspect his window or to tell him that he need to replace his window to fix the leaks.
  

  Also, I spoke with him and his wife about installing the windows while the permit was being processed and that it would take up to 4 months to get the permit. He absolutely told me to install the windows without a approved permit to fit his timeline. To say otherwise is erroneous.
  

  What ************************ is failing to understand is that the burden to retain proper permitting on his home rests on him, not the contractor. So as he tries to paint this picture of wrong doing and that I am trying to take advantage of him, he is simply incorrect.

  At today's date, the permit for the window install has been approved and ready to be inspected. All work has been performed and completed.  I will not call in for inspection until his invoice is paid in full.
  

  Customer response

  09/13/2022

   
  Complaint: 17936426
  
  I am rejecting this response because: ****** is not telling  the truth.  ****** showed up at my home with his moisture meter and showed us where the moisture was entering the wall around d the window.  He then informed  me that it was entering from the window frame someplace and the window needed to be replaced. I believe he did this to generate  work for himself.

      I had no idea that he didn't start the application for a permit when we spoke the very 1st week of June when we informed  him of our date's to be in **. ****** didn't  even show ** the NEW contract price  until we arrived in **. That price was increased $1,460 and after we spoke about the increase from our original SIGNED contract,  he agreed to drop the price to$3,425. This was still $975. More than the signed contract. ****** and I both knew that I  couldn't get a another contractor to do the install in the 2 week time frame that I scheduled to be in **. ****** gave me no choice but to be taken  advantage of and pay the new contract price  of $3,425 which I paid in full.

      After the install was completed and without my consent  to pay an additional $400. I received a new final  price that included an additional $400. ***********; knew that I was already  3 days beyond my leaving  date and would not be able to stay to argue this new price. Now ***********; is once again holding  me hostage  by not calling in the final inspection until he gets his next inflated price. 

      There was no extra work done by *************  I myself,  removed the hurricane shutters snd supplied and cut the small strips of plywood that ****** was supposed  to supply and do. He refused to rehang the shutters that he said he would  do. I had to hire a company  to paint and rehang the shutters. This was another cost to me.

      This is most definitely a  bate and switch offense. 

       I have contacted the ******************  to find out how a contractor can generate work from his own inspection  and complete the install before the permit  was issued.  Maybe this was because ****** didn't want the  city to disagree with the need to replace my window  and call it a conflict of interest  case.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***********************************

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