KODIAK CONSTRUCTION CO INC

Complete Architectural plans were supplied to Kodiak. After meeting with Jim Macko we settled on a price. It seemed as though he had the capabilities of delivering the service we needed. He "seemed" to understand plans and specs (later actions proved to contradict this) and he said all the right things. "We will have a project manager on site every day" . " I will personally be on site daily" , etc.. Respect: one week into the project, one item that really alerted us was the respect (lack of) the Kodiak subs had for the owner Jim Macko. Not one day passed when I didn?t hear one his own subs complain about how cheap Jim Macko was.It was often implied that he sent inexpensive materials that did not meet the specifications nor the intent of the homeowners expectations. Understanding the rigors of working in this space I chalked it up to humanity. We should have been more concerned Capabilities: Although we had plans and specs, half way through the project, Kodiak changed a significant design on the exterior of the house with absolutely no consultation with us the homeowners. We were forced to have an uncomfortable conversation with Jim Macko and the project manager. I should note that I would give praise where it was appropriate, and the project manager was an individual whom we did have a level of respect for; he often made the best of an uncomfortable situation that Kodiak put him in. Kodiak wound up modifying the exterior to accommodate (as best they could) the original plans. It was not what we wanted, but the best of two options. The problem was they would have had to demolish a large portion of the roof line and start over?For us this was a major compromise and should have warranted a larger response. Integrity: Four months into the project I had only seen Jim Macko on the job ONE (1)other time, and that was to collect an installment. That day, Jim Macko came to me and said he had missed some electrical on the plans. (meaning he had not accounted for some of the electrical costs) He had approached me and asked for the entire cost as an ?add?. This ?add? was in the neighborhood of$8k. Understanding that sometimes these things occur, feeling some empathy, I agreed to split the cost with him (which I felt was a nod to good will) I did tell him ?Jim, I am doing you a favor, please remember this, as I may need a favor from you someday? Final project: I do not want to dive into too much detail, but suffice to say, I am a practical, I understand that things will never be perfect. So at punch-out I overlooked many minor cosmetic issues that would be corrected in time with normal upkeep. At the time, I remember thinking of a grade to give Kodiak. I thought solid ?C? work; not what we had expected or were promised, but something that would work for us. Frankly, I chalked it up to the availability of skilled workers in this area and the simple lack of professionalism and industry knowledge on Kodiaks part. We were promised ?full service??this was anything but. We felt an absolute constant need to validate what Kodiak was doing. We were in effect doing the owners (Jim Macko's) Job. Integrity/Follow-Up: After some time, we noticed some paint stress on all of the trim. (Although I thought the paint should last at least a few years) Not thinking too much of it, sometime later, I called a painter. They told me that all the trim on the house (the trim that Kodiak installed) was rotting, that is why it looked like it needed paint. Surprised, I called Jim. He promised to come out and survey the property. After several months, he came out and personally visited. He told me he would get with his supplier to see what kind of wood was used . After hearing this, I went back through the contract. It stipulates a very specific type of wood be used on the exterior. Both Kodiak and myself were concerned that the correct wood was not installed. After waiting two weeks I reached out to Jim once more. After leaving messages for over two months (with no response) I decided to send faxes..No response, I sent a certified letter. Two months later I received a letter from Jim with a letter from his supplier simply stating that they sold the correct type of wood to Kodak for our project. (no invoice, no proof) the letter went on to say the work Kodiak performed was out of warranty. After hiring two independent consultants, both mentioned that the entire exterior trim sections were NOT the specified wood. Regardless, this is a specification issue, it is clear that the type of wood installed by Kodiak was NOT the type specified. I don?t necessarily fault Kodiak for making a mistake, but I do hold them accountable for not taking responsibility, I hold them responsible for being beyond unprofessional, I hold them accountable for intentionally misleading and attempting to deceive. All for a few $K..Good luck if you ever have the misfortune of ever engaging Kodiak.