Preferred Home Improvements LLC

We were so excited to get started with Pasquale as he came recommended for a basement remodel job.  After signing the contract with him in February 2012, we expected him to start the job within a few weeks, and he made promises about this job being completed within a month or so, the contract itself states "shall be substantially completed on or before March 21, 2012".    We were asking him to finish a basement which was already started, the walls, flooring and ceiling were already completed, all he had to do was install a bathroom and kitchenette.  After making good progress on the initial demo and rough plumbing, we ran into problems with getting inspections passed for several months.  Once we finally were passed so that finished plumbing fixtures could be installed, Pasquale seemed to be too busy on other jobs to come to our house on a regular basis.  More than a week would go by between visits.  When he put in the toilet in the bathroom, he made a hole in the floor too far from the wall and now the toilet sits away from the wall more than 4 inches.  After complaining that this would not be accepted, he promised for the last two months that he would come and replace it.  To date, November 9, 2012, we still have no replacement toilet.  He did install the cabinets for the kitchenette, but then again played the disappearing act and has not installed countertops, sink or faucet, all of which were to be ordered and installed by Lowe's, not even by Pasquale.  His responsibility was only to project manage the templating, ordering and placement of the countertop.  My husband called Lowe's to inquire about timelines and they confirmed someone could be by to template, and final countertop could be placed within 4 weeks from the order date.   After more than 2 months of waiting, many calls, texts and frustrating conversations involving numerous excuses and stories on Pasquale's part, I am now looking for someone credible to complete the job.  His lack of responsiveness to our calls and requests to complete the job are simply unacceptable, especially when his own contract for work claims he would be done more than 6 months ago.  And did i mention the leaking shower stall or the smell from the sewer pump?  I would not recommend using Pasquale as I don't believe he is willing to be honest or complete the job. 

We were looking to finish half of our basement to create a play space for our children (2 and 5) who have managed to overtake most of our primary living area. We found Pasquale's company on Angie's list - coincidentally he was listed the same day we signed up. He came to our home the next day to discuss the project, provided a very competitive and detailed quote within a few days, and started work two weeks later. Preferred Home Improvements was the fourth company to discuss the project over a 15 month period and the only one that truly understood our desire for the basement remodel - to create a space for the kids. We appreciated how Pasquale included us in the design and construction process. One things that frustrates us most about contractors is that they talk to us in the beginning and not again until the project is finished. In the meantime, we have to closely monitor their work to make sure they are doing the right thing. This was definitely not the case with Pasquale, which we realized from the outset. During the design he covered all of the options for lighting, insulation, and flooring. Pasquale showed us a number of sample material for us to consider and provided a detailed cost breakdown for each. Halfway through the project, we decided to have Pasquale install dricore subfloor and bamboo flooring. For the flooring, we provided Pasquale a sample of what we had in mind. A few days later Pasquale came back with a much better product (we never realized that our sample was not real wood) that he could get for the same price. The six week project has been a very enjoyable process for our family. It was nice to be able to sit back and watch the room take shape. Pasquale became a fixture around the house and the kids were always excited to go down to the basement and give him a high-five. Now that the project is complete, we have a play space for our children that just happens to be the two nicest rooms in our six year old house. My wife and I have joked that the space is nice enough for us to move down there. Here's to a job well done, Pasquale!