DJ Construction & Remodeling

Decided against using this group as on the website they claim affiliation with BBB and a A+ rating, but in fact have been removed from BBB after unsatisfactory results with customers. The rating is in fact an F.

DJ Construction and Remodeling lacks moral integrity, ethics, and general human decency. His poor-quality bathroom remodel has left our home with tile that is jagged and dangerous and now chipped, and a shower stall that doesn’t have glass installed along with a dangerous lip that causes tripping. After begging and begging and begging DJ to fix the problems, he has gone radio silent. I suspect that he believes that because he’s working with a single female that he can take advantage of the situation. DJ never pulled permits. He refused to hire an electrician because it would be too expensive and he conducted business in our city without a valid license. Now, after requesting DJ hire master craftsman to fix the problems, he has decided to walk away from the job. This is solidly confirmed with several texts and several emails begging him to make this right. Shame on you, DJ, for perpetuating the reputation that all general contractors are crooks and frauds.

We hired DJ Construction for a bathroom remodel. The contract stated that it would take 18 to 26 working days to complete the project. I was very happy with the demo process. His worker came every day on time, worked all day, and cleaned up before he left. DJ went with me to pick out tile and told me where to go to pick out granite and cabinets. He used a licensed plumber to do the required plumbing. Problems began with the installation of the tile. DJ charged me for an upgrade on tile installation to a staggered pattern (brickwork). Since the tile was the same for the walls and floor, I requested a herringbone pattern for the floor to set it apart from the rest of the bathroom tile. He said that the brickwork pattern would normally take a day for installation, but the herringbone pattern would take six days. However, he never said he couldn't do it - only that it would take longer. About halfway through the floor installation, I pointed out a couple of areas where the tiles didn't line up, leaving sharp edges that were not only noticeable but would catch your toe and cause injury. They told me it was because they didn't level (or float) the floor. They replaced several tiles in one area, but it did not correct the problem. I told DJ that those corners were not just sharp on the toes but would likely break from people walking on them. He advised that it was due to the pattern because the tiles are not all uniform. We talked about it at length, and he would tell me that it was because of the design, and then he would say it was because they didn't float the floor. His final answer was, "this is as good as it gets" because of the pattern. However, when taking a closer look at the shower that was installed from the pattern HE picked, it had the same, very visible issues as the floor. So, I told him I didn't think it was the pattern because the shower has the same problems, but it wouldn't cut anyone's toes because no one would be walking on the wall. Then they said it was the tile - which he helped me pick out and never said they didn't know how to install it properly. I finally asked if he would be happy if this were his floor, and he admitted he would not. He acknowledged that it was poorly installed but that he would not fix it because that was the best he could do. DJ said he would send his handyman back to attempt to fix the floor tiling with grout, but after that, "by law," he could send a final bill, and I would have to deduct the cost to fix the problems. He advised that I should call a couple of other tile installers to get bids. However, after speaking with three contractors, they've all stated there is no 'fix' for the improper tile installation. These tile installers advised that DJ should complete his contract by hiring a tile installer rather than a handyman because DJ has better access to the tradesmen who can correctly install the tile. I relayed all this information to DJ and didn't get a response. Finally, I sent him a letter with a deadline for resolution. He responded by asking when we could meet to discuss my concerns again. I gave him a date and time, asking him to respond with his confirmation. I did not receive a response, nor did he show up. While he did 'complete' his installations within the 26 days, it appears that the poor workmanship throughout the bathroom may be a result of cutting corners to make his deadline since he seemed to be so concerned that the pattern would take six times longer than his original plan. Now I am left with an unfinished bathroom with sharp and dangerous installation issues and a contractor who won't complete his contract or respond to my requests. ***Updated In Response to Mr. Joseph*** Firstly, per the contract, this contractor is licensed and insured and is responsible for obtaining all required permits in our city. However, we can not find a registered license for him in our city or any of the surrounding areas during the period of the contract. Nor did he obtain the permits our city required. Secondly, this is an interesting response from this "business." He is saying that I am inconsistent in my reviews as in one I reported that he said, "this is the best worker I have," and in another, "this is as good as it gets." Mr. Joseph made both of these statements. We met with him several times, and he admitted that he had delivered poor workmanship. Each time Mr. Joseph had a different reason for this poor quality. He stated that because of COVID, he lost some of his better subcontractors. Adding that even if he did redo the tile, he couldn't guarantee a better result because the current handyman was the best worker he had. And another time, Mr. Joseph just flat stated, "this is as good as it gets," advising that I should call some other contractors to see if they could do a better job. NEVER did he say that he believed the work was immaculate (as stated in his response). We met with him several times in an attempt to work out a resolution, only to be met with a plethora of excuses. Mr. Joseph added images of the inside of my home to his website without my permission. If you look closely at the images, you can see that the job is not completed. The shower glass has not been installed, nor was any of the hardware (towel rods, door latches, GFCI at the sink). In addition to not completing all installation items, he has not corrected the poorly done wall texture, poor paint job, poor installation of the pocket door, cabinet drawers with protruding sharp screw tips - just to name a few. And, of course, the images will not reflect the uneven and dangerous sharp edges on the tile floor due to the angle from which he took them. It's just another example of Mr. Joseph's deceptive and dishonest practices. Mr. Joseph's account that "After the floor of the bathroom had been tiled, the client even had us tile an entire accent wall" is a complete fabrication. On January 14, 2021, Mr. Joseph met with us at the tile shop to make tile selections. During this meeting, we showed him the tile design for above the vanity, which HE designated as "the accent wall." Please see the attached photo from January 14, showing both the accent wall tiles and floor tiles. All the bathroom tiles (floor, wall, and accent wall) were chosen on this date (01/14/2021). Furthermore, the purchased tile was stored in my garage until needed. And as far as having guests over to show off the "completed" bathroom - how can this be true if, as he stated, they were still in there working? On Friday, May 14, 2021, Mr. Joseph was getting ready to go on a trip to Dallas and approached us with a request for final payment. Per the contract, the final payment was due upon completion. Again, we still had no shower, as well as many unresolved issues. On this day, Mr. Joseph told me that his handyman would make one more attempt to smooth out the sharp floor tiles with additional grout. However, this did not work and only added to the unprofessional look of the floor. I texted Mr. Joseph on May 19, May 20, May 21, May 27, May 28, June 7, and June 15, appealing to him for a resolution. I also sent emails on June 10th and 12th. The contract also says there is a one-year warranty. If he refuses to complete the project, how would the warranty be applied? Curious! Mr. Joseph agreed on several instances that the work was sub-standard and that had it been HIS floor, he would not be happy...but that was the best his worker could do. He even offered a discount if we could "somehow learn to live with it." He also advised us to call a couple of professionals to determine what it would cost to fix it. Now he's saying that the floor is "immaculate." On June 10, I sent an email, once again outlining the construction issues. I told him if we didn't hear from him by June 13, I would take more pro-active steps to resolve the issues, the first being posting reviews of our experience for other consumers to beware of. He did ask when we could meet to discuss the problems. We gave him a date and time and asked him to confirm that he would meet with us. We didn't receive a response from him - nor did he show up. We gave him ample notice, virtually begged for a resolution which he chose to ignore. Finally, the bathroom is NOT completed. Again, the contract stipulates that final payment is due "upon completion." I paid all other payments as scheduled. I have no issue with paying for what the contract promised. This contractor has an integrity issue and cannot tell the truth. He overpromised, underdelivered, and blamed someone else for every single issue he caused. I have journaled and thoroughly documented the work completed daily and what conversations we had. All correspondence, phone calls, and contracts are also documented.