Honest Exteriors - Southern Maryland

Very unprofessional. There was a delivery issue in the beginning which left my deck incomplete for almost a month or two. Upon semi-completion, after excuses and more excuses of the why they could not complete in a timely manner, the contractor ended up at my door asking for payment, as I had borrowed money from a finance company to pay for the deck. Since payment was not rendered to contractors/builders, they assumed that they could get payment from me. I called Honest Exteriors and they sent a person to my home to remove the builders of the deck from my house and telling them that I didn't owe them money, they owed them money. I have never experienced any business venture like these.....from start to semi-finish, it was a DISASTER! I use the word semi-finish, because as of today, April 18, 2016. they never returned to stain my deck. I will have to pay someone else to do this even though it was in the contract. They were also dishonest about the financing company and the payment options monthly. EXTREMELY TERRIBLE SERVICE! They need to change their name to "NOT SO HONEST EXTERIORS", and yes, I have consulted with an attorney.

On 6 April 2015, I signed a contract with Rick Stearns, owner of Honest Exteriors, to resurface my deck. The total cost to resurface an approximate 400 square foot deck was $3,927 and I provided a personal check for $1,310 as a third deposit on the same date. Rick Stearns agreed to allow me to pressure wash the deck and apply the elastomeric coating on all vertical pickets (74 2x2, 68 2x4, and 14 6x6) and support beams (7) to reduce the cost of the job. I was to notify Rick when I completed pressure washing the deck so he could order and deliver the elastomeric coating to my residence. Again, I was to notify Rick once I completed applying the elastomeric coating so we could negotiate a date for his crew to complete the job. This is where the problem began. On 27 April, I notified Rick that I had pressure washed the deck, and he had the elastomeric coating delivered on 29 April. I completed applying the elastomeric coating on 8 May and notified Rick on the same day. According to Rick, he wouldn?t know what day the crew would come out to my residence until late Sunday night (10 May) or early Monday (11 May) morning, but he would call me. I called Rick late Monday afternoon because I didn?t receive a call from him. During the phone conversation, Rick stated he would ?fit? me in tomorrow (Tuesday, 12 May). I never received a call from Rick or anyone from Honest Exteriors, and no one came out to my residence on 12 May. I called Rick during the early afternoon of 12 May and left a voice message on his cell phone stating that I would like to have a date for the start of the job. Additionally, I stressed that I wanted to get on his calendar for a firm date. Rick called later the same day stating once the elastomeric coating was applied ?no one could walk on it for five days? and he thought it would be best to do the job the following week. I agreed, and Rick said he would call right back with a date, but he never did. I called Rick on Wednesday morning (13 May) and stated it was best we go separate ways because I could not get a straight answer from him, and I felt I was getting a "run-around." He never returned my call or responded in an email to rectify the situation. I submitted a complaint to the Maryland Home Improvement Committee, case #1184-2015, and it ruled in my favor to have Honest Exteriors reimburse me $1,117.50 after payment of the 5-gallon deck coating. I was to receive payment by no later than 10 August 2015, but I wasn't reimbursed. Now I have submitted a follow-on complaint to the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund. If I get reimbursed by the Home Improvement Guaranty fund, Rick Stearns risks having his license suspended or revoke and possibly fined for not reimbursing the money he owes me. I would not recommend this business to anyone.

Can I rate negative? I would almost call these guys crooks. In fall 2014 William Watts brought printouts of good reviews and perhaps our research was inadequate. We signed a contract in December 2014 for a sunroom and paid a deposit of over $15,000. Work was to being in February and finished by April. Despite continuing inquiries from us and reassurances by Watts and Rick Stearns, the owner, work had not begun by the beginning of May. We never saw either of them or any workers or materials at all. After they did not respond to any contact for six more weeks we got Watts on the phone and canceled the contract, followed by written notice. As of late July they had cut off communication completely. We have filed a complaint with Maryland Attorney General Office of Consumer Protection and have attorneys ready for further legal action. "Honest Exteriors" is a joke name for these guys. Stay far away. Update to Provider's response 8/19: This is primarily a failure of communication on the part of Honest Exteriors, an unprofessional handling of delay, and a refusal to discuss reasonable solutions. After meeting with salesman William Watts and communicating with him and owner Rick Stearns, we signed a contract in December 2014 for a sun room and paid a deposit of over $15,000. The schedule was for work to start in February and project completion in April. Nothing ever happened. After numerous inquiries by email and phone, the last thing we heard from them was on May 10: a brief email saying that there was some permitting delay. Stearns and Watts then fell silent and gave us no updates or responses for almost two more months. On June 23, I called to say that we couldn?t wait any more and could no longer keep $20,000 more set aside to complete the sun room, with no idea if or when it would start. Therefore we wanted to cancel. I told them that I was sure that we could work out a reasonable solution about the deposit. I said the same thing on my several later attempts at contact. We wanted to start a discussion. No response. It seemed Stearns and Watts had no intention of talking with us at all. The contract mentions permitting expenses but nothing about unlimited delays. Any contractor has to account for unreasonable schedule changes, and very definitely holds responsibility for staying in touch and responding to inquiries. Suddenly, after I filed this complaint, Stearns and Watts came up with information that they had never shared before. They claim to have been ?a week away? from getting the permit. I?d like to see any proof of that. They claim to have the entire sun room in their warehouse. Again, news to us. They never said a thing until they faced a low rating on Angie?s List. More power to this site! Finally, I can?t imagine any excuse for their very odd claim not to know who I am. We had multiple meetings in person, phone calls, and emails, and they had my signature approving the original plan. If somehow they actually did believe that I had nothing to do with the contract, and only my wife was involved, the very first thing they should have done when I asked to cancel was contact her. Nope. Instead they promised me a call back, which we did not get, then or after all the other calls and emails. What?s the alternative? That they can never show up, and never let us know what?s going on, forever? That no matter how irresponsible the contractor, a homeowner can never ask for any refund? The project is six months later, never started, and suffered a complete lack of communication. That?s simply not acceptable performance.

We signed the contract Feb 28, 2015. They began work March 3rd, 2015. The date they last came to work was June 8, 2015. Contracted work should be completed on 4 weeks from the date the contract was signed (2/28/15). Contract states, they were to install 2 by 4 framing area, install, finish and paint, drywall with water resistant paint/drywall. To build a full bath, corner shower, sink, and commode. install Electrical outlets, exhaust fan in bath and recessed lighting in main area. build a storage area and closet (clothes bar and shelf). install egress windows and stairs, demolition area where 2 windows were already rebuild, install Berber carpeting and ceramic tile in bathroom.. Completely exceeded time frame. They did not complete install egress window, put a window in but left a hole where window well was suppose to go. construction of the wall was left and not reconstructed. Bathroom was totally unfinished....only thing they did was put the plumbing and electrical work in, nothing else. No doors to either room. Did not complete the closet. Carpet was not installed either. What they actually completed... They got the framing and drywall put up in the bedroom. Plumbing and electrical lines put in, in the bathroom.

Honest Exteriors sent a couple "good ol boys" in an unmarked truck to install my new Alside sliding vinyl patio door, that was replacing an existing door. The workers were completely unprepared - they did not even have a level, and had to borrow one from me!! They had a great deal of difficulty assembling the door and seemed to be very unfamiliar with how to install it. The workers also disappeared three times during my job - once to run back over to another job, and twice to go purchase materials they hadn't brought with them. These guys used SIX tubes of cheap DAP acrylic caulk to fill in huge gaps around the new door, rather than using expanding foam, which I thought was really odd. They did not shim the vinyl door at all, and when they tightened it into the frame it pulled way out of square. It took these guys from 10 am to nearly 8 pm to "complete" this basic job. And I say "complete" because they did -not- leave me with a good, finished, working result. They left me with?a way out-of-square door that was very difficult to slide and the vinyl frame was pulled so far out of flush from their lack of shims that it did not latch or lock. I also began to notice as weeks went by after the door was installed, that I was getting insects coming under the door. When I realized the insects were coming under the sill because the installers failed to use caulk under it (which is contrary to Alside's instructions that tell you to place 3 large beads of silicone caulk under the door sill, against the subfloor)) I decided to remove the door and shim and reinstall it myself, with the help of a friend. There was just so much wrong with their installation job that I wasn't going to have them try to fix it. When we removed this new Alside door, we found that the improperly used cheap acrylic caulk had already cracked and was providing no insulation or seal around the door (you don't apply caulk an inch thick like these guys did because it shrinks as it dries, and will crack, as it did.) My friend and I had no problem installing this door correctly by simply following Alside's instructions and using basic hand tools, and now the door is shimmed square, is insulated properly with expanding foam around it, is sealed to the sill properly, it slides and latches properly. I had tried to get Honest Exteriors out here to fix this door for me but the owner kept telling me that he'd have someone look at it, and I got tired of waiting. This was the most unprofessional experience I have ever had with a contractor.

Went very well. Found a chip in one of the vanities and replaced it with no hassle.

Met with general manager for our second of three estimates on this project. Chose this company based on product, timeliness and overall cost and convenience. Due to winter install, only one set of doors was installed at a time. The install crew (3) were quite friendly, synchronized, knowledgeable and understandable (English speaking). I asked for all old hardware from old doors (locks, chains, deadbolts) that were handed to me as each was removed to ensure that no mix-up in associated parts occurred. Very minimal time passed between old door and frame removal and new frame install and insulation and a door in place so, I didn't feel that all of the heat in the house was sucked out. Any and all of my questions were answered to satisfaction. The minimal furniture that I had help removing prior to installs were put back in place by the installers (gratis) when each install was completed. Some of our area's worse winter weather was experienced after these doors were installed. We have experienced no cold areas or breezes which lets me know that replacing these doors was a very good investment. A letter of commendation was given to the lead installer upon completion of the final install. I have waited a month to comment on Angie's List so that I could experience the doors first. We are completely satisfied and would definitely use the services of Honest Exteriors again as well as recommending this company to others. My only regret is that I did not have the opportunity to meet with the general contractor after the installations were completed, although, we did confer and followup by phone and email.

As stated we purchased a new sliding basement door from this company.? The door was ordered and was supposed to be delivered in approximately 6 to 8 weeks.? After a few months, the company finally contacted us after numerous attempts to contact them.? We were informed the door was on back order.? A few months later we were informed the door had arrived and were contacted by another company to come and install it.? When the door was installed we informed the installers that both the door and screen door were not square.? We went round and round with Honest Exteriors and the installation company for approximately 6 to 8 months.? At that time another crew came out and delivered a new screen door stating that it must not be square.? It was installed and it was still not level.? Once again we argued with both Honest Exteriors and the installation company for another 6 months or so and finally another crew came out and looked at the door.? This crew realized that it had not been installed properly when it was originally installed it needed to be shimmed to get it level.? This new crew removed the door and reinstalled it.? When they were finished it was perfectly level and everything looks great and functions correctly and looks good.? Overall, our experience was not good regarding this purchase.? Though Honest Exteriors did give us and additional discount originally since the door was not delivered on time, the fact the neither the installation company nor Honest exteriors would contact us and we had to argue back and forth was not very professional at all.? Due to our experience we will not use either of these companies again.

Our biggest problem was communication with the sales rep. He was somewhat unresponsive as well as not communicating what was being done. This was all solved once the owner got involved. Once he work started it was smooth. The guys doing the work were very nice & professional. And the quality is very good.

Overall, the service was good. NO leaks! The owner was very friendly and helpful. The workers showed up on time and worked really hard; had to explain to them what was needed to be done. Once started, worked hard and did a good job. I did; however have to call to have them come back to complete the shed roof ridge vent. They didn't know exactly what I wanted. They came back and made it right. The only down side was they didn't make any attempt to clean up the shed. Lots of wood chips and sawdust covering everything from the cutting in of the vent.

Working with Honest Exteriors was an absolutely great experience. I purchased my home two years ago and thought I'd have to wait several years before being able to afford paying for a full new roof. But thanks to their advice and assistance during the insurance inspection, I didn't have to wait. The crew that arrived to perform the work was very professional and completed the work quickly. I have new flashing, drip edge, pipe collars, felt paper, ice and water shield, and 25 year warranties shingles - I am very happy with the quality. I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was to work with Rick. He was so friendly, so communicative, and -- something I know everyone truly appreciates -- so honest. He lives up to the company name!

They were great. They handled all the communication with our insurance company, were prompt in their responses and with getting the work done. Always easy to reach and very accommodating. The work was completed very quickly, great quality and the clean up was fantastic.

Back in April of this year I contacted Honest Exteriors about Replacing Gutter on my home. Rick Stearns called me back right away, we set a time for him to do the estimate and he was there on time. Rick was very nice and professional he explained what his crew was going to do, and how long the job would take. Rick answered all my questions to my satisfaction, and very fair pricing. Two of Ricks crew members showed up at my place 2 days later on time, Very nice and professional they had my new Gutters up and in less than 2 hours they were fast and efficient. They hauled the old ones away and didn't leave any debris in my yard. Rick made a finale inspection of the new gutters the following day and made sure everything was secure and I had no concerns before the rest of the bill was paid. They do roofing, siding, windows, Doors and Sunrooms ....I highly recommend Honest Exteriors, I will definitely use them in the future. Give them a call, 301-904-2887 or e-mail rick.stearns@honestexteriors.com

Honest Exterior was supposed to replace my roof on the June 26, 2013 and they changed my date to work on a different roof. I had to call them to find out if they were still going to replace my roof on the June 26, 2013. I followed up with them to find out when then was going to replace my roof. They finally replaced my roof on June 28, 2013 and I was advised by the person working on my roof that they replaced 10 pieces of pile wood. Shortly after my conversation with the worker the Sales Rep Joe Van called and advised they replaced 12 pieces of pile wood. Then I told Joe Van that the worker advised it was 10 pieces of the pile wood. If I was not home then they would have charged me for two additional pile woods ($100.00). They left a hole in my ceiling and the owner advised he would call me back but no return calls. In addition, I was supposed to have a written warranty and I don?t have anything in writing. The Sale rep advised the bags of shingles have a 30 year warranty written on them. It was a very bad experience.. Never again.

Manager responded quickly to my call. Worker was slow to come but did a good job. I did not receive a receipt for the work.

Sal Pirozzi, Storm Manager, inspected roof and aluminum siding and identified significant damage to the siding. I contacted my insurance company who sent an adjustor to determine extent of damage. My insurance company confirmed damage and authorized repair. Honest Exteriors completed new installation in a timely manner. Work exceeded my expectations. Costs--less my deductible-- were covered by my insurance company. Sal worked with me from initial visit until work was completed. He was informed and assured that we understood what needed to be accomplished from initiation until completion. He spent time with my wife and me and made us comfortable with the entire process. His crew worked from sunup till sundown and completed the project in 1 1/2 days--ahead of schedule! The crew did a super job--to include a thorough clean up...

Rick came to my home and we discussed the work I wanted done. He quoted a price, date work would be completed. He was professional and I would highly recommend his company . I will call him when I need any future home improvements. EXCELLENT SERVICE PROVIDED for a FAIR and reasonable price . Work done to complete satisfaction.

I was really impressed by the presentation that I received in September of 2012 given by Rick Stearns of Honest Exteriors. They showed me projects that were amazing. I originally called just for either a patio or front porch. When I looked at their portfolio I was sold and put down a deposit to receive a new door, shutters and a porch with a roof. In January when my door was installed I was able to see their expertise at work. The door and shutters looked fantastic. I can't wait to see the porch and roof. Will post pictures when the project is complete. or

This was a smaller roof repair and was a good time of year to have it done. A sub-crew was assigned to complete the repair and they wanted to size the job up themselves. Ultimately, the job was completed in one day. The job was done professionally and with all the debris taken away. Overall, very happy with a job well done.

I found Honest Exteriors on Angie's List with decent reviews, so I gave the company a call. Rick returned my call the same day I contacted him and performed an estimate within a few days. He also offered assistance in guiding me through the insurance process, since this was an insurance claim, and he had much experience in that area. His guidance was accurate and helpful. Once the insurance processed the claim, he scheduled the roof installation within a week, even within the cold of winter. Two shingles came off the night after installation, but due to the cold temperatures and high winds where I live, I did not feel it was due to lack of quality work. Rick returned as soon as weather permitted to replace the 2 shingles. His workers did not do a good job of cleaning up nails and other materials from the driveway and yard, but Rick was back the day after I reported this to him to clean everything up. The roof looks great!

Really wonderful performance. After recent debacle with windows (another company), it was sheer joy to work with these folks. They sincerely wanted my business and performed so that I would be happy to use them again. It is just unbelievable how different my house looks with the new roof tiles and all of the gutters, soffit and fascia replaced. They wrapped everything, too, so that I now have a maintenance free exterior frame. They did the roof in one day. Took a bit longer for the gutters, etc, because they had to quit during bad weather. They did work extra hard to get the gutters up before Hurricane Sandy hit, though. The only problem I had was that they did not install the covers on the gutters -- this was remedied the same day I called about it. Joe, the salesman and site facilitator, was outstanding and taught me a lot about the ins and outs of the repairs. Proud to still have their ad in my yard -- and lots of neighbors are asking about the transformation of my house. This is the best service experience I have had in twenty years and will definitely be calling them back when I can scrape up the money for new siding!

Rick was very specific with the details of his roofing team's execution of their duties and he also described in detail of the products that we decided to purchase. He constantly provided updates with the process of ordering the products and the scheduling of the installation. Although, circumstances beyond his control delayed the service that we purchased we were confident that Rick would would provide us a aquality product. And that was exactly what he and his team did. They started and finished in one day. We are very pleased!

Roof: Rick sent 3 crews of roofers in February because the weather was great. It turned out that some of the plywood under the old roof needed to be replaced. The roofers handled that with the expert care they did for everything else. They put a new roof on the house and garage in 1 day!! Great job. And they cleaned up everything when they left. We also got new gutters and downspouts. The guys cleaned up everything when they were done. There weren?t even any roofing nails left lying around. Siding: The siding guys discovered that there was roofing paper and flashing under the old siding. We all decided to leave it there. It started snowing in the middle of the project, but as soon as the weather permitted, Rick?s guys came back and finished the job. They also put in new vinyl soffits and fascia. Windows: Rick?s guys came in March, as soon as the weather permitted, and in one day got all the windows changed out. The next day they finished the frames and caulked everything. Everything was cleaned up when they finished. They also put in a new patio door in the back of our house. --side note: The windows are guaranteed for life. As it happens, a stone hit our living room window and left a crack. The window people are going to replace it with another window. Stone work: Rick was really helpful picking out exactly what stone we needed. They finished the stonework in 2 days. The guys laid each stone separately and used a level for each row. It looks good. They even put stone around our chimney to match the base of the house. Rick did all kinds of little extra things for no extra charge. For instance, he got us a new plexiglass window to protect a stained glass window we have. Rick?s motto is: ?A new house at the same address? and that?s exactly what we got.

The crews was very professional, did a great job, and also installed some additional flashing under the drip edge at my request to keep water from getting behind the gutters -- a MAJOR issue with my old gutters. Now when it rains I don't have drips from under the gutter for hours on end after the rain ends, and the new gutters and downspouts look great! Very satisfied with this company and would recommend.

After checking with the Better Business Bureau, Honest Exteriors was one of three contractors we called to get an estimate on roofing. Owner Rick Stearns was already in the area when I called and he came to our house immediately. We wanted a new roof put over one deck and all roofing on our house and garage replaced. We also wanted to have new seamless gutters with gutterguards and downspouts installed. Rick took the time to show us available options and pricing and spent plenty of time answering our questions. He gave us a written estimate that we could use when talking to the other contractors we spoke with so that we were able to make a true comparison. We were very impressed with Rick's thorough knowledge of materials, attention to detail and budgeting as well as his positive attitude. He took time to answer all our questions and we really appreciated his low-key, no-pressure approach. One of the other contractors displayed a condescending attitude toward me and directed his conversation only to my husband. Rick treated me respectfully and talked to both of us. One of the other contractors we contacted did not even return our call until after Honest Exteriors had already completed the job! After signing the contract and paying our deposit, it was only a few days until the foreman Raul and his crew were at our house. They were quick and thorough and cleaned up after themselves and the entire job only took about 3 days. The man who did the new gutters did a beautiful job and we are very happy with the results. We had a long, hot and DRY summer here in Maryland and after the new roof was finished, we had a big storm. Rick called the next day to see if we had stayed snug and dry - and I'm happy to say we were!