Ceramic Tile

Bill Fennert (Ceramic Tile) was the worst contractor experience I have ever had. He was late without calling for the quote and gave specific instructions on how he wanted our bathroom tile prepped for two simple 45 degree cuts to allow for a new shower enclosure. I was shocked that for $310 he couldn't figure out what 45 degrees looked like but I followed his instructions and called the shower installers to mark the tile. When Bill returned to complete the work, he refused to make the two simple cuts. He said the tile was not marked exactly the way he had described. He then said it was not his fault and that my installer (who referred him) dropped the ball. He was laughing as I told him when needed the job done that day because the shower enclosure was happening the following day. When I asked him to speak to our contractor on the phone he was rude, insulting and told our installer that he didn't need his referrals and hung up on him. He then told me he wouldn't complete the job and walked out. Minutes later he returned to tell me he planned on billing me for the service call at $105. I can't tell you how many times Bill told me he has done this work for 50 years but I am shocked that he has been able to get work. Again, he was mocking, rude, untimely and expensive. To make matters worse, he called and called to request payment (only days after these events transpired). Fortunately, our installer was able to find a last minute handyman (amazing!) named Dave Johnson - known as Dr. Dave. He was gracious, timely and did the job for $50. He truly saved the day.

Bill Fennert initially came for an estimate. I told him I wanted the tile around the bathtub regrouted (the grout had begun to fall out in several spots due to a cleaning lady cleaning it too vigorously with a toothbrush). I also said we were going to replace the faucets and spout. He said he could come before the plumber came, to remove the tile around the faucets and spout. Then after the plumber was done, he would come back and replace the tile and regrout everything. He gave me an estimate for $326.00 for the material and labor. On the appointed day he came, an hour late (but he did call). After removing tiles around the faucets and bathtub spout, he called me in and said that the drywall behind the tile was in bad shape. He said he could replace all of the tile around the bathtub as well as install new waterproof sheetrock for $892. He said this would only be about $200 more than what I would pay for the regrouting and the "repair." It then became clear that the $326 estimate he gave me for the regrouting did not include what he called the "repair", which is what he called the work involving relaying the tile around the new fixtures after those were installed by the plumber. So he was expecting me to pay $300 for the "repair" in addition to the $326 for the regrouting. I tried to explain my understanding of the estimate: that when he had given the estimate, we had discussed the regrouting as well as the issue of removing the tile around the old fixtures and replacing it when the new fixtures had been installed. I explained that I thought everything had been included in the estimate. He countered that he thought people paid attention and that he didn't "run an adult day-care." He said several other insulting things. Since by that point he had said several times that he could just "walk away" (leaving a gaping hole in my bathroom wall) I said that it would be best if he just left, so that my husband and I could decide whether we could afford to spend $500 more than we had planned. I said I could not just make a spur of the moment decision about spending $500 more. He gave me lots more advice about how we should hire a professional like him and not a handyman. Before leaving he also said it was apparent, by knocking on the tile, that the entire drywall behind them was in bad shape. I asked why he had not noticed this during the estimate. He replied that during the estimate he "didn't have the time to knock on every single one of the 365 tiles." However, while he worked in our bathroom today, he only spent 2-3 minutes knocking on the tiles. He insisted on being paid for the work he had done, and he said he charged $75 per hour. I noted that he had only been there 45 minutes, and he said he charged like a plumber, from the time he left home, and he lived 20 miles away. I pointed out that he advertised in my local newspaper, and he said "only for free estimates". I paid him the $75 anyway. In sum, it is clear from this bad experience that I cannot recommend this ceramic tile worker to anyone.