ComplaintsforHomes by Josh Doyle

• Initial Complaint

  03/27/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We built a house with HBJD and took possession of the house in December of 2021. With that we had a 1 year warranty on all issues as described in our warranty doc and 10 year warranty on any structural issues. Over the year we compiled our list and submitted claims. For the vast majority of the claims they addressed and completed. There was an issue with the front porch in that it is slopped towards the house so water will pool up on the house and could be potentially damaging to the house over the years to come. They have proposed a solution to add cuts to the slab for increased drainage or cutting us a check for 1K. I was suspicious that this would not alleviate the issue, so I got a second opinion who said the only way to address this issue permanently is to replace the slab. I told them that and they are unwilling to replace it, so they have said they will only add the cuts or pay us the 1K. I suggested they send their concrete contractor out to show us how the proposed solution would alleviate the issue. now they will not respond and since we have found a mold issue. We are past our 1 year so we had a professional out to evaluate the issue on our own dime who identified the issue as a structural issue that would be covered by the structural warranty but are claiming we are past the 1 year so not covered without ever sending someone to look at it. This has been incredibly frustrating and the lack of communication is terrible. The total to repair these the issues would be close to 10K should be have to do it on our own so Im not willing to take 1K for them to get us off their books.

  Business response

  04/09/2024

  In responding to the homeowners warranty claims, they were provided the limited warranty terms and conditions that are provided through the Greater Toledo HBA.  Homes by Josh Doyle abides by the HBA 1 year fit and finish warranty guidelines. These guidelines are stated in the contract the ******'s signed, at their home closing, and again when we sent out the one-year warranty paperwork. As acknowledged by the homeowners, all of their warranty claims were resolved in a timely manner, with the last item outstanding being concern for their concrete porch. In qualifying their claims, a representative from Homes by Josh Doyle assessed their front porch, and their claim that it slopes toward the house. A six foot level was placed on the porch, and the level was found to be within the level lines, although it was conceded there was approximately 1/4" slope toward the house as opposed to away from the house. It was explained to the homeowner that a complete removal of the entire porch would potentially be very compromising to other components of the house including their siding, porch columns, and roof (to name a few) that could cause additional issues down the road as well as it falls outside of the terms and conditions of the limited warranty.  The HBA guidelines says the builder is  responsible that "water shall drain away from the stoops and steps.  In order to accomplish this, the solution offered to the homeowner was to add additional saw cuts to the low spot of the porch in order to ensure proper drainage. Our concrete subcontractor had offered to add an additional saw cut to the opposite side, to make the porch look as symmetrical and intentional as possible. The homeowners were also given an alternative resolution in the form of a monetary credit in lieu of the suggested repair, in order for them to address their concern however they see fit. With the homeowner rejecting both options, it was again reiterated to them that a total replacement of their front porch was beyond the coverage of the limited warranty, and the options provided to them are our only options for resolution.
  
  As for the customer's claim of a suspected mold issue, this was not discovered until 2024, well beyond the expiration of their limited warranty. The structural warranty the homeowner is referring to explicitly refers to the structural and/or load bearing components of the home. Unfortunately, the suspicion of mold does not fall under a structural warranty, and is not covered under the limited warranty as the limited warranty had expired. HbJD remains in the position that we have acted in good faith in resolving all of the homeowners warranty claims, and provided solutions as to how to resolve their concern with the front porch. It should be noted that both options proposed for resolution by Homes by Josh Doyle still remain available to the homeowner should they decide on a direction to move forward.

  Customer response

  04/12/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I have asked for them to send their concrete contractor out to explain how the proposed solution would work as I dont feel it would solve the issue. As for the mold the inspector we had come out identified the underlying cause of the mold to be from improper or lack of insulation, something that would be considered a structural issue. The fact that they don't/won't send someone to at least investigate this is concerning as they appear to not be very concerned with the quality of their work. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

  Business response

  04/24/2024

  ***** ******'s response is not accurate.  HbJD sent several representatives to the home to inspect the situation and came to a reasonable resolution that solved the problem.   Our solution would minimize further disruption to other areas of their home and would be aesthetically pleasing. The solution we gave is a common one when it comes to re-directing water away from a home over concrete. When our employee offered to schedule the contractor to come out to talk through the solution the homeowner balked because it was not what they wanted.
  
  Homes by Josh Doyle has successfully built and warranted over 1,100 homes. We lean on this experience and expertise to logically solve issues without causing future headaches for homeowners in the present or future. Since this review we have reached back out to the homeowner offering (again) to schedule the subcontractor to talk through the resolution and, if given permission, we are ready to act. Every other item on their warranty list has been completed.
  
  Regarding the mold issue there are several things to address. First, this item was not on their one year warranty list and came up after the one year warranty process. Second, mold or insulation are not structural issues. Lastly, mold is an issue of humidity. Homes by Josh Doyle provides a document at closing on how to control moisture levels in the home. Moisture levels are part of basic home maintenance.
  
  While we are sorry we cannot offer the solution that the ******'s expect, we are confident in our solution and confident in the long standing history we have of producing quality homes and fulfilling our one year warranty commitments.
  

  Customer response

  04/24/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: the representation of activity here is not accurate. Yes HBJD sent reps out to investigate and proposed a solution on my own I got the opinion of a different concrete contractor based on their feedback I requested to have the HBJD concrete contractor come out and show/explain the process  I was given their contact info a few days ago and have not been able to reach out to them yet because I have a busy work/travel schedule  to say I balked at anything is just a flat out lie  I even put on a request to pause this complaint yesterday while on the road for work and let their rep know I was doing so  I’m trying to find an amicable solution here I just don’t want to rush into to accepting what we’re being told until I am comfortable with the solution  

   

  regarding the mold the remediation contractor we had come out who is an experienced home builder and contractor told us that lack/poor insulation is 100% a structural issue as indicated in the quote/report I provided  so this seems to be a difference of opinion one coming from an impartial 3rd party contractor the other from the builder who wants to avoid the problem all together  I’m not a builder so I can only go off what I am told from experts hence the reason we pursued it as a structural warranty issue  the fact that you won’t even look at it is indicative of how you treat customers  

  lets Remember that our 1 year was up in December of 22, it took nearly a year after that to have any of the issue resolved  we have been patient but can only be so patient until it gets frustrating  

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******

• Initial Complaint

  10/23/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My wife and I moved into our new home December of 2021, we still had a large number of items to be fixed on our punch out list, that our build manager agreed to fix. A few items on the list are siding issues, doors that don't close properly, plumbing issues, water leaking into our basement through the siding, cabinet door alignment, exterior paint is peeling away, electrical problems. My wife and I have both called and left hundreds of messages with multiple build managers, and with the home warranty department. It's now October of 2023 and at this point, I feel like Homes By Josh Doyle has ghosted us. I've had a contractor give me a quote to fix all of the issues, its going to cost me near $19,000 to fix everything.

  Business response

  11/13/2023

  This BBB complaint was filed October 22,2023 ten days after one of our employees posted a message to their attention to schedule a date to resolve their issues. Since this post we have visited their home and set a date to complete all items that are outstanding on their warranty.

• Initial Complaint

  05/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We built our house in 2019, we started having a leak in our master bedroom window. They have come out multiple times with very minor "fixes". Contractor has come out conveniently when homeowners are not home. The communication between the contractor to HBJD to homeowner is very poor. We will be living in this house for 4 years in November and are still having this issue! The lack of effort to fix an issue that could potentially cause health issues is disheartening. At the end of the day the company had shown their priority as collecting a paycheck rather than the quality of homes they build. (This is also not the only area we have had water come into the house) I would like HBJD to either repair the issue or I can send them a bill for the contractor of homeowners choice.

  Business response

  06/06/2023

  Homes by Josh Doyle has responded to each of the Homeowners previous warranty requests.
  The Homeowners have disconnected from our in-house CRM software, which we acknowledge has subsequently made the communication and notifications more difficult.
  The appearance of water spotting on the sash is the first incident we’re aware of in over a year since our last visit and repair. Our concern is that this may be an unusual defect in the window product itself. Andersen windows, along with Homes by Josh Doyle, is set to meet with the Homeowners on June 7 to identify any outstanding issue. Homes by Josh Doyle exclusively uses Andersen Windows due to their reputation for quality and history of standing behind their products. 
  We expect to work together with Andersen Windows to find a resolution and bring closure for the Homeowners on this issue.

  
  Thank you, 
  Homes by Josh Doyle

• Initial Complaint

  03/06/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  We took possession of our home in 2020 and have had water in our basement due to an improperly graded patio since before we even took possession. Homes by Josh Doyle has continuously either led us on like they are going to fix the issue or ignored it all together (depends on their mood that day). They came by to do our punch list (almost 3 years later) and applied some sealer to the walls and it only seemed to make the issue worse. We even made consessions on our punch list with the agreement that they would help us with the water issue/patio. They are completely ignoring and not wanting to acknowledge that the patio is graded toward the house. It constantly has a puddle of water in the area of concern. We made sure we used Josh's list of recommended contractors (including for the patio) to avoid issues but we would have been better off doing it ourselves. His company has nothing good to say about that contractor these days, yet they are the ones that pushed their customers to go through them. We have had to put off finishing the basement because of this. The entire build process was full of frustrations because this company doesn't seem to care about customer service once they get your money. You basically sign up for being constantly ignored. We are sick of being strung along with nothing to show for it. We simply ask for what we paid for....our brand new basement that doesn't leak/patio that isn't graded toward the house. We gave them until the end of February to resolve this, and like most of our messages, it was ignored. It was our last attempt to avoid conflict.

  Business response

  04/03/2023

  When completing the ***’s warranty in September 2022, our warranty director and the ***'s discussed the patio situation.  We acknowledged there is a problem with the patio settling and water being directed back towards the house and causing leaking. We were clear with the ***'s at that time that this was not an HbJD warranty issue, as it was part of the exterior sitework. Our contract with all clients explicitly states that all sitework is the home owner's responsibility. We are willing to help with sitework by referring contractors when asked with the customer making the final choice.   The ***'s selected and hired the concrete company on their own for the exterior flatwork, paid them directly and accepted their completed work.  In our conversation with the ***'s we came to a mutual understanding about this fact.  We were willing to act as an ambassador per their request to help them and we contacted the concrete contractor after the September warranty completion about this issue as a favor to the customer  however; the concrete company did not follow through with the repairs in a timely manner.  The concrete contractor has since called the ***'s, set up a time to meet and review the work and discuss a resolution. A meeting is scheduled for 4/4/2023 to which we will be present to assist in any way we can even though this is the contractor’s issue to resolve. We are expecting this matter will be resolved between our customer and their hired contractor.

  Customer response

  04/12/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: HBJD Stating that the customer supplies their own concrete supplier is misleading. We were urged to use the HBJD preferred concrete supplier. Which we did. We wanted a HBJD home, so why wouldn't we use his preferred people. I would have never known about this concrete supplier if it wasn't for HBJD. In HBJD defense, they have made sucessful efforts to contact *** ****** of concrete solutions and arrange a meeting. *** ****** agreed that his work was sub par and agreed to replace. However I am still waiting for it to be scheduled.  HBJD has followed up with me to see if it has been scheduled which I appreciate.  I hope to be able to rate this as "resolved" very soon. I will reach out to concrete solutions myself tomorrow.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** ***

• Initial Complaint

  01/24/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Our home build with josh Doyle started in November 2019. Our house was finished and we moved in to our home in October 2020. At the time we moved in we filled out a warranty list of items that we wanted repaired. Per our contract we then submitted a second warranty list within the allotted one year time frame after moving in. Per our request some of the major repairs have been made, but we still have numerous items remaining. The biggest problem is the massive cold air leak that is coming from our fireplace. When the wind is over 10pm from the West, Northwest, or Southwest you can stand in the room and feel the air moving around you. 2 different crews have been here to look at it. They just tell us everything is fine and there’s nothing they can do. Recently I have begun to research the problem myself to help expedite the process. I am certain I have located the source of the leak, and I have reached out to the warranty director 7 times in the past month. Each time he just makes excuses about how busy they are and that he can’t fathom how there would be a problem. I feel like I have been cordial and I have gone above and beyond what I should have to do. During certain wind events our room that houses the fireplace cannot maintain 68 degrees and several times it was dropped below 65. This is while other areas of the home will be over 80 degrees. We have a one year old and I travel for work. I am just fed up and tired of being treated like this.

  Business response

  02/02/2023

  [BBB Transcription via Phone]

  The matter has been resolved. 

  Customer response

  02/07/2023

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me. We are meeting on Friday February 10th to hopefully resolve the issue. The agreement was to pull the complaint in exchange for the meeting. I am looking for to productive day and hopefully they can find a solution.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** *******

• Initial Complaint

  10/28/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  My husband and I took possession of our home on August 29, 2022. During the final stages of our build, approximately 2 months prior to completion, our dumpster which was rented through Josh Doyle, which was being used to dispose of any trash and extra, unusable materials, was picked up prematurely. The build was not complete at this time and trash was still accumulating. My husband brought this to the attention of our project manager Travis multiple times and he kept reassuring us he would take care of it himself with his work van. As of today, we have a very large pile of extra materials and trash sitting in our front yard. We also have another large pile sitting in our garage. And finally, we still have the portable toilet on our property, which was used by the subcontractors during the building process. I have attempted to email the company, and my husband has made several attempts to contact our previous build manager directly, to no avail. We need this taken care of immediately as we are getting ready to lay topsoil and grass seed on our property this week.

  Business response

  11/18/2022

  [BBB Transcription via Phone]

  The matter has been resolved with the consumer. 

• Initial Complaint

  07/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Customer Service Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I signed a contract and paid HBJD $5000 on 12/18/20 to design and build my home. During the process there were multiple times that the company did things I did not want or failed to complete items to basic standards. When you call the company or your assigned build manager it will often take weeks to get a return call or answer and there are times when return messages never occur. In October of 2021 the home was finally near ready to move in and I sold my primary home. In November, there were still items not done, not done correctly etc., but with no real options of a place to live for myself, husband and 4 children we moved in with the expectation that items would be corrected. HBJD has a warranty and punchlist process. They have sent out workers once that actually made items worse and there are still items as of July 16, 2022 that are unfinished. When we question items being under warranty, the answer is often "this is how things are", but I am sure they are below standard construction practices. We have financed our construction loan into a home loan and financed or spent around $400,000. Messages and calls go without return or with no real answer. I have no idea if or when they will repair or replace items. We have paid them and the last call with the office I was told "I took possession of the home, so I can't really expect much". I have met other HBJD customers and know this seems to be a very common business practice and they are continuing to bring in new customers. I have requested to be assigned a new build manager to resolve this issues, but they have refused although I don't believe the current manager is effective. They claim on the website that you can build in 3D, but refused to help us with this item except for kitchen cabinets. The design they did is not even what they actually ordered us. When I go to the app to pull messages that show some information, it shows "item may have been deleted or your permissions have been changed"

  Business response

  08/01/2022

  We are disappointed that the *********** have not had an experience that we would have wanted.  Homes by Josh Doyle spent a significant amount of time with the *********** after their initial design meeting to ensure that they were getting the exact home they desired.   We signed a contract near the end of January 2021 and after working through additional final selections, we began construction in April 2021.  The *********** moved in by November 2021 after 7 months of construction.  A 7 month build time in the current building environment is significantly better than industry average for a custom home.  Despite Homes by Josh Doyle recommending having the final punch out items fully complete before move-in, there was significant pressure from the homeowner to allow move in.  While we don’t allow this under our current policy, we agreed to this with an understanding that it could take more time to mobilize trades back to the home and that some items could fall into the 1-year warranty process.  HBJD has worked in good faith to try to resolve the customers issues and sent a drywaller to do repairs and attempted to schedule a trim carpenter to the home as well.  Scheduling did not work due to the homeowner’s vacation.  While there can be subjective things in a home, Homes by Josh Doyle objectively uses higher quality materials for lumber, foundation specifications, energy efficiency than any builder within the price points of our homes.  We stand by the quality and design of our homes.

  
  It is not an accurate statement that the experience of the *********** indicates any standard business practice as it was a non-standard business practice that allowed for the *********** to take possession of their home earlier than we would have recommended.  It is not also accurate that the *********** no longer have access to BuilderTrend.  Homes by Josh Doyle has not done anything to remove access and the *********** continue to use the tool for communication.
  
  Homes by Josh Doyle stands by its contractual commitments.  We have communicated with the *********** on scheduling a trim carpenter to the home the week of August 1st and work to complete the remaining punch list items.

  Customer response

  08/03/2022

  
  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me at this time.

  There are some items listed in the response that I don't believe to be fully representative of the original concern and perhaps there was not enough detail provided.  To be clear, I did not state that we didn't have access to BuilderTrend, but that I could not see all the messages. HBJD explained to me that my husband is the primary on BuilderTrend and should be able to view all messages due to an app update. The CFO has contacted me personally August 1, 2022 to work through the remaining items and at this time I do believe they will work to schedule the items and complete them to the industry standard. Shortly after our conversation, the build manager did reach out to schedule flooring work to be complete 8/5/22 and I am working to clearly communicate to HBJD any remaining items from the punchlist, I appreciate the assistance and at this time I don't believe any further help is needed. 

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ********* *********

*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. ↩