ComplaintsforPrime Builders

• Initial Complaint

  06/12/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  On July 28, 2023, we met with Connell ‘Neal Foster/Prime Builders, and discussed having a garage built. On July 29, 2023, Neal sent an email, which he said serves as his contract, per his attorney, outlining work to be done and costs involved. We agreed to enter into the contract with him, and he told us he would have the garage built and completed by October, 2023. On July 29, 2023, we gave a down payment of $13,841.67 to Connell Neal Foster/Prime Builders to build a 20ft x 30ft metal garage. On July 31, 2023, Neal called and said he needed to order the metal siding and roofing immediately or there would be a six week backlog and he would not be able to complete the garage by October, as projected. My husband and I were hesitant about this, but after discussion with Neal, we agreed to pay him an additional $15,000 for the metal siding and roofing. Since that time, Neal has consistently put us off, with a myriad of excuses, between texts and phone calls up to June 5, 2024. June 5, 2024, I sent a text to Neal and told him we were tired of being put off and have hired another contractor to build garage. I also told him we would like him to deliver to our home, materials we paid for. He responded the next day with “what?” I called and left him a voice mail to say the metal roofing and siding that we paid $15,000 for on July 31, 2023. As of today, no response. To date, the only work he has done is he roughly cleared a square patch of dirt, and placed a rod on 4 corners, with small orange ribbons tied to them. My husband and I have done further research and found a couple of other complaints, and a posting in the Coeur d’Alene press in October, 2023, that Neal Foster/Prime Builders is being sued. Plaintiff is being represented by John Finney, Esq, of Finney, Finney, Finney and Finney,of Sandpoint, Idaho. I called the attorney twice in the last week to see if he would file suit on our behalf and have not received a call back.

• Initial Complaint

  05/09/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  We hired ********************* (*****************************) with Prime Builders to add an addition to a house. We put a contract in place and he said he would start working to obtain permits. We wired him money for a down payment for the project and also for materials shortly after. About a year later, we see all these complaints pop up about him and his 'business'. We had an in-person meeting with him on 4/26/24 to fire him and ask for our money back. He said he would have it to us by 4/49/24. He has not given any money back. We also found out that he did not ever submit or try to obtain permits. The local permitting zone building departments had no record of him submitting. Which he stated that he did. That means his intent was to defraud us. He has done this to countless other people. In some cases he will start a project and never finish it. We would like to see ******* served and for him to go to jail in hopes that he is never able to do this to someone again. We need our money back. We lost so much. My husband and I spent years savings and now it's just gone. My husband has tried to reach out via text and email but he will not address giving us our money back. Now he is just not responding. We need help and this man needs to be stopped.

• Initial Complaint

  11/09/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I contacted Neal/Prime Builders, back in March of this year (2023) from a Craiglist ad. My project was rough framing to add on a room and covered deck that would attach to an existing roofline. I agreed to complete the concrete part and then, Neal would proceed from there. He required 5K cash down payment, at that time, which I paid, then 1/2 at the beginning of the job construction and the remainder at the end. Everything seemed above board, he gave me a lumber list which I ordered and paid $13k for through “his” lumber company, in Idaho. I notified him my concrete was ready in July 2023, but he would never commit to a start time. He was communicating, but noncommittal. Then, out of the blue, on August 17, 2023, he called telling me his wife's wallet was stolen and $7,200 cash was taken and he had to pay his rent. He had lots of details which sounded believable and he asked for the first draw of $6,250 (So $11,250 paid and no work done yet) and he promised to start the next day. He said he would stay on my job until it was completed and would bring all of his guys. He said, "I'm not pulling any funny stuff." Neal did not show up the next day and there were daily excuses every day after the payment, for the next 2 weeks with an occasional text, but still no commitment. I got suspicious and started researching and was shocked to find the extensive history Prime Builders, Neal and Monica Foster have at defrauding vulnerable homeowners, like myself. I found a few online complaints and the ones on the Better Business Bureau and BuildZoom were all consistent with my story. The BBB provides an opportunity for a response, and Neal posted elaborate details in his response to the complaints and maintained his innocence. I dug deeper, only to find all bogus addresses, prior judgements for similar situations, and more complaints. I continued to research and have now located 11 others, 5 of which I am currently communicating with. After many texts and calls, Neal committed to show up on September 14, 2023. He advised he was bringing his wife, because his worker fell off of a ladder and couldn’t work. The worker, HAD fallen off a ladder, but WAS working….. somewhere else, because Neal owed him over $1000. Also Neal advertised he had 5 workers and when I asked about them, he said “You knew I didn’t have 5 workers.” Which was not true. At the time he denied the 5 workers, he had 35 varying construction ads on Craiglist which mentioned his crew of 5. So Neal did show up Sept 14th....and with his wife, who I had never met and knew nothing about, except I had previously discovered that the Idaho contractors permit was in her name. I had asked my brother to meet them at my house while I was on my way, and also I asked my brother to get them started as I knew Neal would not remember our last conversation. So my brother agreed to get Neal started and advise him of the building plan. My brother tried multiple times to talk to Neal, but continued to be interrupted by his wife. After multiple attempts to communicate with Neal, my brother explained to the wife that my agreement was with Neal and he would like to please speak to Neal uninterrupted. This didn’t go over well, as she started shouting demeaning/profane things to my brother including, “I’m gonna whip your ass!” Their total show on my job lasted about an hour only, because his wife continued shouting vile and demeaning comments. When I arrived, she was still screaming profanity and after attempting to de escalate things with her, asking repeatedly to “please stop”, I finally demanded she leave. They did finally leave, all the while, she was screaming, “Fuxx off and die!” I told Neal, he had no business bringing her here and she could not come back.” "I would NEVER have made a deal with you had I met her first.” He maintained that, “Well, she IS a contractor.” After multiple messages and no response, I send a demand text (the 2nd one) for the return of my $11,250. I offered equipment trade, or to build a shed, etc and the last message was on 9/18 at 0147, “I’m trying to figure something out. That was the last time I heard from Neal. Neal will refute facts and justify all of his actions and there will be a smidgen of truth to all of his stories and they will sound good! But you will find that he is skilled at leading his victims on, pretending to perform, and making stuff up with a twist of confabulation. His pretense to be ordering stuff, planning to be at your job, answering relevant questions, etc., lends credibility to everything. He does a little bit of work for most, comes up with reasons why he needs more money, and then when the money stops, he disappears. He does continue a dribble of good intention, that he "will finish the job, or he’ll be there on some date, so good hearted people, continue to go along with the fraud and lies. He will tell you my concrete was not lined up, but I have a beautiful deck from another builder. Through research, I have found 11 other victims with a very good estimate of $328,970 dollars of fraud since 2021 and I'm sure we are on the short list. His history goes back for decades of bad behavior. Please post your complaint so that we may help the next person. Also, tell the BBB they can give you my email. “When good people are silent, evil prevails!”

• Initial Complaint

  07/07/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Unresolved

  More info

  ********************* OF PRIME BUILDER SIGNED A CONTRACT FOR ******* TO REPLACE MY BURNED DOWN HOME. HE PROMISED T HAVE IT REBUILT BY DECEMBER OF 2021. hERE WE ARE IN 2023 HE HAS TAKEN ***** ( I HAVE CHECKS HE CASHED.) STILL NO FOUNDATION. i'VE BEEN LIVING HOMELESS SINCE THAT TIME. ii DO HAVE AN ARRTICLE BOUT BEING HOMELESS FOR THE *** PRESS AT TNE END GIVING **** ALL THE CREDIT.

  Business response

  07/20/2023

  I have went over all this with state and attorney General.  Not only was there not ********* but there are alot of things not mentioned from ******************  Such as there was a complete foundation and house buried in the ground that had to be removed.  The fact that there was a month of cleaning the entire lot of garbage and old cars and trucks.  The fact that she had been living like this since 2012.  The fact that she refuses to move her broken motor home off the property so people can work.  The fact that she has been tickets numerous times before me and during me for living on this property when she has been told not to.  After everyone finding out the actual truth and speaking with ******************  They have concluded the the state of her mental health is the issue here not me.  Thank you.

  Customer response

  08/08/2023

  My response to Prime Builders is that ********************* the owners  tirade is full of half-truths and downright lies.  ********************* is  deceitful and has defrauded me out of $97,000;and, only completed one scheduled/contracted construct.  
  I have copies of the dated checks $97,000 total; however, all that was eventually accomplished were the permits,and a hole prepared for the build that included removal of basement walls and a compost test whereas the $30,000 (paid up front) was used.  Contract was signed 8/29/2021 and  should have been finished 1/2022.  ********************* owner of Prime Builders has refused to give me an accounting of all the money I have fronted him.  The time line for payments and work are as follows:  $30,000 paid up front 8 /29 /2021 for permits and  plans;  $57,000 paid @ end of year 2021 ************** , dirt work , plumbing, electrical framing package, trusses , roof shingles .Framing, plumbing, electricity to house roofing completed or passed inspection.Not done as of 11/11 /2022
  FUTURE DUE: $50,000 for rough in electric; HVAC in; siding, insulation and pass inspection. $35,000 Sheet rock;pa in t inside and out trim; install *********************; plumbing trim and electrical trim; flooring and install doors and trim; deliver appliances. Then $35,000 upon completion.
  The demolition of the burned house had been started on December 17, 2020 and cleared within the week. As we were waiting for permits I and men I hired cleared the lot of all boats, cars and trucks.
  When Prime Builders finally gave me a date to start I did move the ** I was living in but they did not start on that date.  Prime builders did this to me 5 different times.  I never refused to move my ** or anything requested of me and I have neighboring witnesses to verify.  I expected my home to be done in 5 months (ending January 2022) per the bid and I have been homeless as a result of his disregard.  The resolution needed here is for Prime Builders to BUILD MY HOUSE per contracted bid.
  I am elderly but in full control of my abilities.  I was a building contractor myself so I know what to do and expect integrity not abuse. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Unanswered

  More info

  I answered a ********** ad for a contractor in August of 2022. He quoted me $16,000 for a 24x44 pole building. We met in August to deliver a $10,000 cash payment for a deposit. During that meeting we decided we wanted two foot overhangs which he quoted an additional $2,875 which I sent him via check. The work was to begin immediately and be completed by winter. One excuse after another from *********************, owner of prime builders, caused the building to not get started and then the snow flew which he said was impossible for him to work in. So in March I started reaching out to him and again excuse after excuse and a still no work started. Three weeks ago I asked for and he agreed to a full refund. Again he started with excuses and now he will not reply to any inquiries from me. I also saw in Buildingzoom that he has done this to two others that left poor ratings in the site with very similar stories. Please help me

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩