ComplaintsforIronwood Builders LLC

• Initial Complaint

  02/16/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Product Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We hired Ironwood Builders to build an expanded basement, deck/railing, front roof repair, and 2 bathroom upgrades. ******* originally quoted the basement/desk at $180K, then increased it to $257,082. We asked for an additional cost estimate for the front porch, he quoted $30,000 so our working estimate was $287,082. We signed a contract for with all labor, materials, permits, and insurance figured as cost in March 2022 to start May 2022. His contract said he would finish in July 2022, but then he moved to Aug 2022 due to porch. Then he just disappeared.Outside the allowances, we purchased our own bathroom tile/tile labor, basement flooring/labor, bathroom light fixtures, and bathroom plumbing/drain/fixtures separately which should have been backed out of the estimate. He didn't.Through 11 different invoices, he is charging us $288,184.28 to date from a $257,082.50 cost estimate (no 2nd bathroom). No change orders, painting, basement heat, heated basement floor, gutters, heated cable or shingles on the roof and incomplete projects, botched drywall, botched concrete, and missing electrical.We fired him on Dec 20 in writing for incompetence, over budget, past schedule, and price-gouging. My husband also talked to him the next day. We had to pay another GC to complete the 1st bathroom and basement baseboards taking us well over $35,000. ******* keeps paying himself 15% O&P when he has earned none of it. We have texts, emails, and voice messages to support all of the above.We even have a Ring recording where he tells his ********* to squeeze every dime out of us last summer.Our last invoice arrived Feb 13 for $22,000, not the $5000 we agreed to in writing. The invoice includes $12,300 in HVAC quoted at $6500 upon completion. We have no basement heat and it's 45% above the quote. I refused. Now he is demanding $10,000 for HVAC. Only then will he finish the job and demanded $2300 or more on the spot?He is in full breach of contract and extorting us. Pls help.

  Business response

  02/17/2023

  Your letter to BBB is not accurate and saying that I told my guys to ***** you is a total lie. 
  
  
  

  Customer response

  02/22/2023

   
  Complaint: 19417444
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  1. Ironwood didn't address the main issue which is lack of Change Orders and missing Cost Estimate on front porch. We have asked repeatedly for Change Orders to justify the price overages and poor budget management. This was stipulated in Ironwood signed construction agreement.

   

  2. Ironwood did not safely secure our home for the winter. We have the emails/texts asking for gutter installation or reinstallation of our old gutters, roof shingle finishing and desk railing installation at minimum. ****************** specified the deck railing materials on July 14 which we have in writing plus discussed in detail verbally on July 14, 2023 when ******* met us both at the house. *** went to ********* Building Supply 2 weeks later, and while he was there, he asked if Ironwood had ordered our cable railings yet. They had not.

   

  So Cam had to remind Ironwood, and sent another text on Aug 19 with a picture. Finaly, 6 weeks later, on Aug 29, Ironwood ordered our deck railing (invoice and date attached). It was too late. Now they were backordered 8 weeks! Which meant we missed the weather window. They arrived 6 weeks later in mid October. Ironwood had no plan to get them installed. We have 3 children and a small dog. It was dangerous especially during the snow which came in November.

   

  The deck railing should have been ordered when we specified the exact SKU/system July 14, not on August 29. It should have been installed immediately after the deck itself was done. 

   

  3. We have been charged the full price of the Construction Agreement - but the work is not close to completed. Therefore, we must keep paying every different subcontractor to finish HVAC, baseboards/door trim, electrical, roof shingle/gutter - even the soffit installation which again, we specified the material in July/August. No attempt was made to seal off the front porch or get the gutters installed.

   

  4. The project management is so poor, that we received a $1000 Plumbing bill for 2 wasted trips 1) to move a vanity (Ironwood should have done that) and 2) to NOT install undermounted vanity sinks (Ironwood should have done that themselves or another sub). We have to find our own solution to both and paid twice for it.

  5. Final termination occurred on Dec 20 in writing then on the phone. Ironwood would have continued to charge us overages on botched or unfinished work, i.e. concrete patio.

   

  All of these charges are above and beyond the approx. $257,000 quoted in the contract. Again, there is not even a cost estimate for the front porch/roof area. We know for a fact that we were double charged or overcharged on botched ceiling, drywall and HVAC (quoted at $6500-9500, invoiced at $12,500) because Ironwood CEO reversed those charges only after we pointed them out.

   

  Photos attached (there are more).

   

  We respectfully ask again for the Front Porch Cost Estimate, Change Orders for overages, and a significant Cash Refund.

   

  While you may call us liars, all of the above are examples of price gouging and overcharging outside the agreed upon budget. To be clear, we said YOU are price gouging - not that you "ordered" your subcontractors to do so. At a minimum as our GC taking 15% O&P, it is your core role to manage the budget, ensure product quality the subs and review their invoices prior to invoicing your customer to ensure accuracy of materials, labor time and amount. That is why people hire GCs.

   

  Instead, inflated invoices are just passed onto to us - the latest example being HVAC with a condition that we must trim the ceiling area before it can be installed and we get heat in our basement.

   

  To be clear - and because you insinuated this - we did not hire another GC as you have already blown our budget and left us with a long list of unfinished projects. (and no master bathroom. We are having to finish these projects ourselves or hire a specialized subcontractor as we did on the baseboards/door trim. We will never have a master bathroom remodel and just stuck with all the fixtures, lighting and a bathtub that we SPECIFICALLY told you not to order until we knew the ideal size after the shower was built. All of this is in writing.

  We want to go to Arbitration and expect a significant Cash Refund. Those monies will be used to complete the work promised to us, i.e. heat, light, functioning roof, concrete foundation/patio where we can open new doors properly.

   

  Sincerely,
  
  Cam and *****************************

  Business response

  03/02/2023

  ******* and *********** apologize for any inconvenience or disappointment caused to you during our recent construction project. We understand that you placed your trust in our team to deliver quality work on time and within budget, but we failed to meet your expectations.
  We deeply regret the delay in completing the project, which has caused you inconvenience and frustration. We acknowledged that there were certain aspects of the project that did not meet the standards we set for ourselves and that you rightfully expected from us. We also explained the labor issues we experienced that hampered our ability to perform at the level we are accustomed to.
  We gave you a budget at a time when costs where jumping around on material and labor. We were fully transparent with you with all costs and labor. There are many reasons for the expenses and delays which this is not the place to go into.

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