A Cut Above Outdoors

Disappointment. Lies. Deceit. Betrayal. Over $30k overcharged. Did I mention lies? When you commit to building your dream outdoor space, it is an emotional rollercoaster no matter what. But when you build your outdoor space with A Cut Above Outdoors, be prepared for the above. :( Things started out slow, and maybe that should have been a sign, but we started in October 2017 with the first tree coming down and then they left for a month. We extended GRACE because that is what you do. "We can't use the pool now anyway, we were promised it would be done in March, they still have time." This is what we kept telling ourselves, when day after day, nobody would show up. No text message saying, "Hey, we are finishing up a job, we will be back in a week, nothing." NO COMMUNICATION! BUT, they had no problem calling us to get another check. $15k, $10k, $25k, and we would still not have much to show for it. I understand, it takes a lot of upfront money to get a project going and getting the materials on the job site to start working. By December 2017 we had footers in the ground for the pool house. That is it. When we came back from Christmas, there were some walls put up, but we were still assured it would be done in March. Months go by, they would show up a few days here or there, enough to get us excited only to not show up again for weeks. In March 2018 we HAD to meet at the local nursery to pick out the plants for the backyard because "when we got back from vacation, we wouldn't even recognize the place" (plants were eventually planted in June) March comes and goes and we still don't have a pool we can swim in (it is in the ground, but not functioning) or a pool house to use. At this point, we are going to do everything we can to make sure that they get finished. We have a hard deadline of July 6, 2018 when my sister is getting married IN OUR BACKYARD! 90% of the Knotty Pine that is in the pool house was stained by my husband and I at night so the next day the carpenter could spend his time putting the walls up, rather than staining wood. My husband and I also painted the bathroom and pantry at night so they can spend their time doing things that we can't. To date, our space is mostly complete (with so much work done ourselves, that we paid for them to do, staining, landscaping, painting, etc.). The original bid had gorgeous NanaWall doors in the pool house (that we specifically requested and gave Joe the information and contact for). Joe Nash told us the doors had been ordered and would be in around June. Then he told us that they wouldn't be in until the middle of July (again, wedding is July 6). Then, after we got a phone call about "needing more money" and it was the "final payment on the doors and labor", I called Bruce at NanaWall only to find out that these doors have NEVER been ordered, they take 8-12 weeks to order and that Joe Nash would never return any of his phone calls or emails. More lies from Joe! When we confronted Joe's middle man (because he wouldn't come out to talk to us in person) and told him that the doors have never been ordered, he was floored! But, when Gary went back to Joe to tell Joe that "we aren't doing their doors anymore because they aren't ordered", Joe never argued or tried to talk his way out of his previous lies about ordering the doors. I guess he knew we caught him in just 1 more lie! To save you any more disgust, I will tell you that in the end, they came to us knowing they owe us over $5500. Gary promised we would have an answer the same night he met with us (, by 8pm. He messaged us that night and said that he and Joe talked, Joe needed to run things by Tiera (his wife) and they were meeting again at 10am the next morning and would be in touch with us by 12 or 1 that next day. Another text message and Gary told us that he would have an answer later that night. Finally, at 8pm we called and sent Gary a text, another excuse was used and we said enough is enough. Gary said we would have an answer "tomorrow." We told him if we don't hear from you by 8am, you can talk to our attorney. When you lie about how much product you use (when we can easily count and measure the pavers and landscape block - over $28,800 over charged in just pavers and block, not to mention things he tried to double charge us for!), claim the weather is a factor for him not working but prove him wrong with the daily rainfall for Cumberland Co and the only way he can respond is huffing, puffing and yelling louder and louder, there is no coming back from that. Top it off, 4 of his employees came up to me at different times throughout the project apologizing for how he had treated us. Character can go a long way, it is unfortunate that his character doesn't stand up to his promises.