From Rachel L.
Summers Remodeling Services
Mr. Summers will take every opportunity to tell you that he has been in the remodeling business for 30+ years and that he is very confident in his work. I do not believe this to be true. Before I list my (many) issues with him and his sub-standard work, which I can prove with pictures and text messages, I will note that I failed to perform my due diligence in researching his business before hiring him. He was charged and fined in 2021 for substandard work and other code violations. You can view the details at https://www.bbb.org/us/sc/west-columbia/profile/ home - improvement /summers-remodeling-services-0663-34084088.
Here is non-comprehensive list of things that Mr. Summers did (or didn't) do that I would expect from a professional contractor with 30+ years of experience:
- When asked, "What happens if significant unknown issues are found while you're performing work?" Tell the customer "My price will never change," and then request payment for cabinet modifications that the cabinet specialist says is very common work performed by contractors.
- Blame the cabinet specialist (that he specifically referred) for ordering the wrong cabinets, even though you sat down with the specialist and provided the measurements. (He also admitted later that he did not verify the design was correct - based on his measurements - before the order was submitted.)
- Perform sub-standard cabinet modifications and then claim that all of the terrible cuts and uneven seams will be covered by trim (they will not).
- Install crown molding that doesn't meet at the seams or touch the ceiling and blame it on your floor-to-ceiling measurements.
- Cover up significant crown molding damage with a marker and fail to notify the customer.
- Scratch the side of a cabinet while removing equipment and respond with, "the cabinets have been installed for weeks" or "my pictures don't show scratches". (The kitchen is completely unusable so he and his son are the only ones who take any equipment in there).
- Store equipment and trash (including personal trash like drink containers and protein bars) in the customer's home without permission.
- Store trash in the customer's home AGAIN, after being explicitly told you did not have permission. Then, say you didn't have enough room in your trailor because the customer also asked you to remove the equipment you didn't have permission to store.
- Show up late, take an hour and a half lunch, and leave early (based on a standard 9-5 schedule) almost every day for 9 weeks.
- Leave the customer's front door open consistently and then lie, stating you always close it. (I have sensors on my door that send me alerts, and a photo of him standing on my front porch on his phone while my door is wide open).
- Spend half of your time on your phone outside while your son performs most of the grunt work. (I have camera footage).
- Install a shower door crooked, fail to notify the customer, and then blame it on "crooked walls".
- Ruin a brand new kitchen mat, fail to notify the customer, and then throw it in the trash pile hoping they won't find it.
- Leave the garage door open for extended periods of time, even after being asked not to. (I spent hours cleaning out the leaves and debris that blew in).
- Paint over nail holes, chunks of dirt, and unfinished walls.
- Tell the customer, "I didn't build the walls" when they point out significant bowing - including places where he removed overhead cabinets.
- Leave the ceiling unfinished where an air vent is installed and install crown molding over top of it.
- Deliberately avoid finishing areas of the walls and floors that you hope will be covered by furniture - without asking the customer what they want done.
- Leave a "dead" outlet in the wall from a ceiling light that was removed.
- Install countertop supports where a cabinet is supposed to be installed.
- Tell the customer you clean up after yourself every day, but especially on Fridays, and then leave the customer to vacuum up dust/dirt, remove your trash, remove chunks of spackle/mud on brand new tile, doors, and base boards, and clean the tops of trims.
- Fail to cap a water pipe in the unfinished bathroom for 3 weeks, then tell the customer's mother, "I know I could have capped it, but I knew you'd keep emptying the water bucket".
- Saw wood over a customer's brand new flower bed, fail to tell the customer that their flowers are now wilted, and the blame it on the wind. (I have a very large front yard and driveway where he could have cut from, but he chose to do it on my front porch).
