Home Pro America

Mismanaged project, increased costs, multiple delays, dissatisfying final result. I hired HomePro America to remodel my master bathroom. HomePro has a contract with Lowe’s for supplies and the owner, Steve, highly recommended that I work with a Lowe’s designer, Priscilla, at the Shakopee location. My meeting with Priscilla was less than polished because of a scheduling mix up. I was not worried because of Steve’s confidence in her but I should have checked every single detail and requested a detailed project outline. I thought this is what I was paying HomePro America to do, manage my project. The first day of the remodel I got a call on the way to work from Steve. Apparently the onyx shower base that was ordered was not actually ordered. We agreed that I would pick out some tile that evening and the cost of this upgrade would be covered by HomePro. I was not happy but I was optimistic. They covered some of the costs but I still had to pay for the tile I chose because it was more expensive than the “tile allowance.” That day ended up being unbelievably distressing when I couldn’t find my cat. I knew she would hide from the noisy air compressor and I was told ahead of time that their crew were used to pets and that they were careful to shut doors. Later that evening when things calmed down my roommate and I listened carefully and heard a faint meow. The cat had crawled into the floor during the day (obviously the door wasn’t shut over their lunch or during a trip outside as I had asked in a note on the mirror). They had sealed my cat in the floor! Frantic tears, a panicked knock on a neighbors door, and a jigsaw cut hole later and my cat was out of the floor and ok. I was mad at myself for not locking her up, but also disappointed that the crew had not taken the “close the door” note seriously. The final touches of the project were put on hold for weeks as we waited for a cabinet delivery. When the cabinet arrived it was a pink toned wood. Fine, I accepted the cabinet but had the company reorder the wood for the mirror frame as that would really stand out if it didn’t have a closer match. A few weeks later the wood arrives and a man is sent out to finish the project. I see that the mirror has only been framed on three sides...and looks awful. Who frames a mirror on three sides? The whole point of a frame is to make it look polished and finished but he tells me there were only three usable pieces in the box because the fourth was damaged. Why not go ahead and hope I wouldn’t notice? Ugh! I talked to the subcontractor and we agree that the wood will need to be reordered again. A month later it arrives and I scheduled someone to come out. When they opened the box the sub-contractors informed me that HomePro America had under-ordered so the project again couldn’t be completed. I suggested buying and staining wood themselves instead of waiting another month for a shipment from Lowe’s. On the last visit the subcontractor brought the cheapest oak framing wood and stained it on the wall. They couldn’t even be bothered to pre-stain the wood. The subcontractor gave me the choice: either leave the mirror framed on two sides or have them reframe it with the cheap oak. Either way he said he would not return again. Leaving me with two undesirable choices. Now instead of having one color wood in my bathroom as I did at the start I have three. My yellow maple, the pink toned maple cabinet and an ugly, cheap looking oak frame. The initial estimate did not include many basic line items and they were added in later which increased the cost of the project. In the end the cost grew from around $13,000 to $17,000. I decided to ask for a discount on the project after all the screw ups. The owner was not receptive to complaints and just breezed over them and belittled the stress, cost increases and mistakes the company was responsible for until he could get off the phone. Then I was told that because they forgot to add in the cost of the frame I should just be grateful they were still going to finish it and consider that cost my discount. No compensation or apology for the terrible management of this project. I definitely won’t be a repeat customer for HomePro America or Lowe’s. I strongly encourage anyone looking at hiring this company to look elsewhere.