Case Handyman & Remodeling

Case handled all aspects of the remodel - professional design consulting, scheduling contractors, helping us pick out the cupboards, granite, backsplash and appliances.  Rick, who handled all the on-site work was the best!  He did an excellent job with the cupboard installation and all the other carpentry that needed to be done.  Rick was careful to protect the rest of the house from debris, cleaned up each night and did what he could to lessen the disruption to our lives.  Everything progressed without a hitch until the granite and sink installation.  We ordered our sink from Ferguson. The sink was sent to Capitol Granite for installation (under-mounted). When we got home after the granite installation, we discovered that they installed the wrong sink. Case did order the right sink; Ferguson sent the wrong one to Capitol Granite. We were told that the granite around the sink would have to be cut out and replaced (no cost to us).  The Capitol granite installers had to come back the next day to shave off some of the granite so that our new stove would fit in the space.  The installers took few precautions to contain the granite dust. You can imagine our anger when we came home to our new kitchen and appliances covered with granite dust.  Upon further examination, we found granite dust up inside our new microwave!  We immediately called Keith and Steve, our Case project managers.  They took action to resolve the issue, and arranged for us to get another new microwave.  On the day that the new sink was to be installed, all of our Case representatives, as well as those from Capitol Granite were present to oversee the operation.  Fortunately Rick was able to work out a way to install the new sink without cutting the granite. Kudos to Rick!!   The remodel was finished in about 5 weeks.  Case ensured that we were completely satisfied with the work.  It took until the middle of July to get the new light fixture for over our table.  Regardless of the snafus with the granite and sink installation, we are extremely satisfied with the quality of the work and the professionalism of the Case representatives in handling the issues that arose.  We will definitely consider Case for any future remodel needs. They are certainly not the cheapest, but we feel we got great value and quality.  We love our new kitchen!

The worst service ever. Beware and stay clear.   They subbed out the electrical wiring. They promised to be there through out the processes and to come back inspect the work and satisfaction.  They only came to get the check..  The electrician took about 40 minutes for all 4 units with no damage to the walls.  In the bill it was to cover sheetrock repair, plastering, primer paint and final paint. NONE was required. I as for an adjustment in the bill as this service was not required or preformed and they took off $25.00 from the bill.  In my opinion they gouge the non- informed home owner that does not have an idea what time and material is required for the job. I would never have them near any home of mine ever. SHYSTERS.

It was one of the worst experiences I've ever had.  My wife and I were looking for "a turnkey" operation to build a downstairs bedroom/living space and to upgrade/remodel other portions of our home.  We wanted a firm that would work with us through design to completion.  We understood that we would pay more for this service but wanted someone to oversee the entire effort.  We selected Case Remodeling based on advertising and some references. Case convinced us that they had adequate "in house" resources and used few if/any subcontractors.  My wife communicated with the designer and described what we wanted.   We clearly articulated that we wanted good craftsmanship and quality products.  It started out well. Based on the initial work, I made what proved to be a bad decision.  I negotiated costs and decided to pre-pay a large portion of the work based on discounts.  It quickly went "downhill" from there.  Soon some of the better craftsmen were replaced by less qualified personnel; shoddy materials were selected for the work; there were delays toward completing scheduled work.  I met frequently with the owner and senior managers expressing our dissatisfaction with their work.  Promises were met but few kept.  There were a number of problems with subcontractors who told us privately that they were not been paid.  Several stopped work until payments were sorted out.  My complaints were not addressed; I appealed telephonically and in writing to Case Headquarters expressing my disgust; they essentially did nothing to rectify the situation.  We had lots of work that had to be redone.  I paid for an independent review of the work that I documented and provided to Case but they quibbled over the smallest items and only corrected a few things.  In the end, we just decided to "cut our losses" and cease working with them.  My wife had health issues and it was really troubling her.  I have had to redo much of what they did.  The bedroom addition was poorly engineered and I had to hire a new HVAC contractor to add ducts and other features to improved circulation.  My patio has been redone several times as the proper subflooring was not done.  I paid independently to have the hardwood floors redone.  I still have problems with the plumbing due to design features.  Just last week we learned that electrical outlets were improperly installed with resultant electrical issues.  Some cabinets that were supposed to be hardwood turned out to be press board.  It turned out that the owner of Case Remodeling also had a separate painting company.  That was not clear when we started the engagement but added confusion later.
firmsFor a long time, I wrestled with how to deal with this horrible engagement.  Repeated calls to local management and the franchise owner proved fruitless.  I consulted with attorneys, contemplated legal action but just decided to move on to spare my wife the agony and delays associated with seeking redress.  We also wanted to enjoy our home.  I thought about publicizing my story to warn others about my experience.  I even purchased (and still own) the web URL:  www.nocase.com. as a place to tell my story.  In the end, I strongly feel that businesses like Case Remodeling should not be in business.  I am the founder and CEO of a company and pride myself on doing reputable work.  So should others.  Lessons learned:

• --- Do a more thorough job of vetting contractors:  check with agencies, customers, etc.
  • --- Do not prepay for work.
  • --- Hand select/review all materials.
  • --- Demand to see drawings, schematics, etc.
  • --- Evaluate each segment of work.

This job was a nightmare once we signed the contract. Prior to that, the manager- Keith- was a delight. We have known him for years and even tho his estimate was substantially higher than the other estimates, we decided to go with him b/c he promised: A professional job "A crew" would be working on the house Project would take 2-3 weeks to complete He would drop by at least every week to inspect. In Reality: The final product was no better than any other paint company; we had to hire someone to fix areas we were not happy with. The crew was 3 people; majority of time only 2 people were working. Keith came by ONE TIME to inspect the work, and only b/c we asked him several times. The work started in mid June and was finally completed in mid Dec. Part of the reason for the lengthy period is because we were so fed up with the company that we told them we needed a break, which ended up lasting 2 months. The other reason is because the workers, when they showed: Took numerous breaks throughout the day Showed late and/or left early Only work 4 days a week The work day includes an hour to set up, and 1 1/2 hours to clean up Other complaints: Work started on a Thurs, with one guy showing up. When no one showed on Fri we called the office, only to find out they don't work on Fridays. Workers parked in the driveway, forcing us to park in the street. Did not try to contain dust/debris when sanding: Doors we closed to help keep dust to one area were routinely opened, and left open. Furniture was not covered, even tho contract stated it would be. Floors were not covered, even tho contract stated it would be. Had to ask that plastic be used to section off the Great Room (does not have any doors). But plastic was not secured adequately. We had to use tape to fasten plastic to floors and walls. Later workers tore hole in plastic and did not refasten, even tho sanding work was still in full swing. They then tore down the plastic, but did not clean up. Our cat got into the mess, and tracked it thru the rest of the house. Damage to wallpaper (paint) was discovered by us- rather than them telling us. We have many more complaints about this company but this should be enough to give you an idea of our displeasure. We ended up meeting with the District Manager (?) after calls to Keith about our displeasure were either ignored, or met with objection. The other guy was very nice and agreed to give us a refund on several items.

I had a very small job done and the neighbors had some extensive construction done with them. They were pleased with theirs and I was not pleased with mine. The neighbors were using Case and they liked them so I called Case. The man came out and told me that they would have to order a custom door and it would cost $1000.00 for the door. He also told me that the copper flashing above the door should have been inserted between the bricks and it wasn't. The water was running down behind the flashing and running down on top of the door frame and rotting it as well as the boards along the sides. I don't know why the door itself had to be replaced. I gave a deposit check and they were going to call us to set up an appointment. We were leaving for California a month or so later so I wanted it done right away. They said they could call me for an appointment but nobody called. About 3 weeks later I called and asked them what was going on. The lady said they had no record of our order. When I told her that I had given their guy a pretty sizable check, she told me that he was no longer with them. She went to his desk and found the check in the drawer. I told her that we were leaving in 2 weeks and they wanted to know if we could have somebody open the door for them when they came out. We had one of our very good friends agree to come over when they came. We gave them his number and they called and said they would be there on Monday morning at 9 o'clock. The friend came over and waited for them until noon. Nobody showed up. They did that twice. They called him and set it up for 9 o'clock both the times and didn't show up. When they came out eventually, he was there and he photographed every step of it. When we got back and looked at it, we noticed that they hadn't replaced the top. They didn't do the flashing and that was what was causing the problem in the first place. They put the framing on the sides made of material that won't rot. It was U-shaped and was not solid. They didn't put a cap on the top, so water could get inside and rot the wood that was underneath. The $1000.00 special door turned out to be an interior door that cost $89.00 in a home improvement store. My friends saw the same workmen buying the same model door in the store. My friend had a tough time fitting the lock on the door and we realized that it was because the thickness of the door was that of an interior door, which is a quarter inch thinner than an exterior door. The guy from Case had mutilated our lock as well as put in an interior door. We took pictures of the work that was done and pictures of the door in the store and went and showed it to Case. He didn't believe us so we asked him to come out and see. We had the door the guy had taken out and showed that along with the door that was fixed and the measurements to him. He said that it was an embarrassment and said that they would make it right. He sent Alan, a new hire, who was marvelous. It took him a week to redo the work that was wrongly done. I probably paid twice as much as I should have but I think Case lost money on it in the long run. The man who made it right took extra care to make it right. I don't think he is with them anymore. They didn't refund my money and charged me what I would have been charged for in the first place. They charged me about $5000.00 so they charged me at least $900.00 too much. I don't know if I was overcharged or not. When they came out, they did do the work of putting the flashing back in where it belonged and putting the caps back on those so the water wouldn't run down behind them. I wouldn't call them again. I was pleased that they made it right in the long run. It just left a bad taste and I wouldn't try them again. They charged too much. It was all because of one man who was no longer with the company. In the end it was fine. The dealings with the man in charge turned out to be fine. Nobody in the office knew that I had given the man a check and he had disappeared so I can't blame them for not setting up the appointment. There was also the time when the man came out to do the work. He called our friend and brought him out here twice and never showed up. The final experience with the one who fixed it was good, but before that it was all bad. Except for the one person, the professionalism was bad. The job that they originally did was terrible.