I am getting ready to buy my first house and I heard some are better than others. Are there any that should never be bought from?
There are a few very bad bottomfeeder builders but the one that absolutely must be avoided at all costs is COSCAN. They are consistently ranked among the worst in customer satisfaction across the board. They use bottom-tier labor and cut corners at every turn. I have seen their work upclose and marvelled at how irresponsibly they attempt to fool the public by using subpar materials that wont last a decade. Most roofs built by coscan will have to be replaced within 15 years. Floors will always squeak within 2 years of use. Shoddy craftsmanship, cheap materials, nonexistent customer support. Avoid Coscan.
February 27th, 2010 at 9:18 am
The ones that are almost bankrupt. Really!
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 9:58 am
yes and a big yes
best way to check is with your state lic board
they are there for you
calif has one as many other states do too
cali is the hardest place to get your lic
if you get it here you can get it any where else
good luck
References :
cali state lic contractor for 25 yrs
February 27th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Off the top of my head the only one that is consistently awful is KB. There is another one that starts with a P, if I recall the name I will edit this.
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 10:46 am
There are a few very bad bottomfeeder builders but the one that absolutely must be avoided at all costs is COSCAN. They are consistently ranked among the worst in customer satisfaction across the board. They use bottom-tier labor and cut corners at every turn. I have seen their work upclose and marvelled at how irresponsibly they attempt to fool the public by using subpar materials that wont last a decade. Most roofs built by coscan will have to be replaced within 15 years. Floors will always squeak within 2 years of use. Shoddy craftsmanship, cheap materials, nonexistent customer support. Avoid Coscan.
References :
Commercial/Residental Appraiser 24 years.
Former principle/Project manager RTKL Baltimore
February 27th, 2010 at 11:08 am
i deliver mail to some of those communities that the home builders develop. in one of those communities the homes are built by CAMBRIA. the people that live there have told me plenty. from cracking walls to uneven doors to stuck windows. one lady said the smell in her new homes bathroom was SO BAD that she tore up the floor and found old lunches from the construction crews under her floor rotting. another guy said his carpet was so lumpy he finally pulled it up and saw the carpet pad was incomplete. a piece here, a piece there, no pad in some places. i hear the builders don’t help w/squat. i also deliver 50+ certified letters every few months because of hoa violations-everything from a single weed in the grass to siding on the house that is loose-builders fault!
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 11:49 am
cooooooooll………….
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
I’m not sure where you are located but there is one in Maryland in the DC Metro area. They are based in Rockville and the company name is Premiere Homes and they are owned by Mr. E. Kevin Smart. I had a terrible experience with them because they hid some underlying problems with the lot they built my house on and would only fix the problem after 9 months when i enlisted an attorney to handle the problem. I later found out they were in several lawsuits for going under contract with a buyer then later finding ways to get out of the first contract once they were under contract with a new buyer that offered a higher price. Very shady.
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Yes, Portrait Homes aka Pasquinelli, Ryan Homes, KB Homes and Beazer.
These are extremely low end construction homes…what they sell for makes no difference…..they are still made of junk.
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
I would suggest becoming a member of Angie’s List. It’s a small monthly fee compared to what a bad job could cost you. Also, if you find a builder do an internet seach, for example Dura Builders Complaints.
References :
February 27th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
Dan Ryan in the WV/PA/MD area.
References :