James Talbot General Contractor

Description of Work: May 25, 2016 I hired James ""Jim"" Talbot, a Blaine/ Bellingham area general contractor, to build a detached garage in March of 2016. During our initial meeting I was impressed by his knowledge, insight and experience. Our mutually signed contracts included, among other things, sleeves in the northwest corner of the to-be-poured slab for sewer and water lines. This water sleeve, or pipe, would allow a water supply line to be brought up through the slab to supply a future sink and toilet. After the concrete was poured and hardened and the structure was basically complete, I noticed that, while the sewer pipe was properly in place, the water supply sleeve had been omitted. When Mr. Talbot then asked for the full and final payment, I asked him about options for completing the missing water sleeve as specified in our contract first. After all, what's the use of a dry toilet? I found his reaction to my question quite surprising. Many of the words and phrases included in his immediate and lengthy verbal response to my question, in my opinion, along with his volume level, facial expressions, hand gestures, and body language led me to believe that my physical safety was at risk. Because of his repeated use of profanity, I do feel fortunate that my wife and children were not in the backyard at the time and did not witness his response. Despite being paid in full, Mr. Talbot never did add the water supply sleeve in the northwest corner, even though it is clearly specified in the contract. Mr. Talbot gave me two options concerning the forgotten water supply sleeve before he left: I could bring the water line through the siding and not use the sink or toilet during cold weather or attempt to bring the water line through a sleeve placed for the electrical lines on the south side of the building. | I would like to say that I feel Mr. Talbot has, overall, good skills as a builder. But, in my opinion, working to develop additional social skills, ensuring that his language and interactions with clients remain appropriate, understanding that using an aggressive, confrontational style with clients will not enhance communication, or help to solve any building issues that may arise, will help Mr. Talbot become an even better builder.

Description of Work: Jim Talbot is an excellent contractor. We have an old house that was built in 1910 and wanted to add a new bathroom that fit the style of the house. He went out of his way to make sure the style matched and provided quality work. He was always prompt, easy to work with, and honest. He offered suggestions and advice when we needed it. He was also willing to work with us when planning out the layout and doing some of the work ourselves to cut costs. He stayed on budget and even did some extras for no charge. I would highly recommend Jim to anyone and wouldn't hesitate to hire him again for a future project.