Pietropaolo Woodworks

It was a nightmare. Having used this contractor successfully before, I didn't anticipate a problem. It was made clear, at the start, that the work was to be paid by the insurance company and not by me, unless I added to the punch list, and the contractor agreed. A problem with the siding occurred when the contractor stacked the siding on the blacktop pavement in the August sun, with paper between the clapboards. My suggestion of moving the clapboards into the garage, to lessen the heat of the August sun from the top and the heat from the blacktop from the bottom, went unheeded. When the clapboarding was separated, it was damaged from sticking together. The contractor assured me that he could reseal it, after it was attached, when I thought it should have been sanded and resealed before use. It was a mess. When I objected to the use of the damaged boards, he tried to fix it, but wasn't successful. In his own words, he said that this "wasn't his best work." He repaired a few of the boards, but not all of them, and some of the siding does not look new. The more intolerable part occurred toward the end of the project. He had been paid over $30K by the insurance co, who still had one payment left to make. As it didn't happen fast enough for the contractor, and the insurance company was slow to respond, I received a notarized letter indicating that he would place a lien on my house if I did not pay him personally. I did everything possible to hasten the insurance payment and, at a meeting of the insurance agent, adjuster, and me, I was told that his prices were excessive, and that he had charged twice for the same part of the project. I received multiple e-mails, and unpleasant phone conversations, so that I refused to correspond, other than by e-mail or fax, as it was very distressing. The end result was that I had to add to the insurance payment to get him to stop his lien action for the remaining $2500. His pricing became ridiculous. Examples included HIS asking me if he could remove a small, leftover pile of cedar mulch, so that he could park his truck in a better location on the driveway. I agreed, never expecting to be charged $100 for this movement, as it was fine where it was and was moved at his request for his convenience. There was plenty of driveway to park his truck in. It was a very sad experience, as he had been brilliant and positive in the renovation of my kitchen several years earlier and the quality of his work had been superb. This later project was so unpleasant and unpredictable, that it became an unexpected and unnecessary aggravation and worry. I am stunned by his negativity and failure to recognize that I cannot control an insurance corporation. I will never use his service again, because of the negative behavior and attitude, along with the less that satisfactory work standard.

He is excellent. He is currently doing some work to repair fire damage. His craftsmanship is excellent. His honesty is impeccable. He's a very good, conscientious worker. He isn't cheap, but he's fair. His prices are a bit high, but the quality of his work makes it worth it.