JAMES CONSTRUCTION

I called Jeff James for an inspection and advice after a home inspector had found several cracked beams in the roof of a home I was considering buying. One of the cracked beams was so noticeable that I could observe an indentation in the roof on the back of the home. Jeff came up with a suitable solution that also matched my strapped budget. He recommended installing ?sister beams? alongside the cracked beams and installing support posts where the cracked beams aligned with internal load-bearing walls. This advice was consistent with the recommendation I had received for this type of problem from a trusted friend who is a contractor out of state. Before hiring Jeff I checked his references and credentials. The two references were owners of homes that Jeff built, and both references mentioned that whenever there was a problem with the work he would return and correct the work until the owner was satisfied. I spoke with Jeff?s insurance agent over the phone to understand his insurance coverage. The insurance agent directly sent me (at Jeff?s request) documentation as proof of his insurance coverage. After I bought the property, Jeff completed the work. Jeff and I agreed that this was a good ?rainy day? job (my suggestion) since there was an attached garage where the workers could do the work and install the beams and support inside the attic. Then we did not have rain for a few weeks, so there was an understandable waiting period before the work was done. As soon as the weather turned a bit rainy, the work was completed in one day. I could see that the indentation in the roof was less noticeable from the outside after the work was done.

I had hired Jeff to do some structural work on a house I had just purchased. In the meantime I had a plumbing issue in my shower/bathtub that necessitated tearing out the wallboard in the shower. While I had dreamed of replacing the vinyl shower liner with ceramic tile, I had not imagined I would be doing it so soon! Having just bought the house, I did not have much money for immediate renovations. I asked Jeff to take a look at it and give me an estimate. He called back a few days later and explained that the labor cost alone for the tile setter would be over $1000. Before I could become dismayed, however, he volunteered that tile setting is not too difficult and that I could do it myself. He proposed to install the backer board (special water proof wallboard for showers). I checked out a tile setting book from the library, and Jeff gave me tips on how to do it. Shortly thereafter the backer board was installed, and Jeff drew some guide lines to help me lay the tile straight. The backer board appeared to be a quality product, clearly displaying a recent date from the factory and that it was made in the USA. I installed the tile myself, but I panicked when I found that the backer board and tile covered a bracket to which I needed to attach the faucet handle. I called Jeff, and he stopped by the same day. He advised me on a straightforward solution, which I implemented successfully. I don?t think that Jeff typically does jobs this small, but I think it demonstrates that he is budget-conscious and dedicated to finding creative ways to meet the needs and desires of his clients. Had it not been for his suggestion, I might have found myself unhappy settling for a brand new vinyl liner.