contractor installed our backsplash and did a horrible job!

14 years ago

We saw a sample in a tile store that we loved for our kitchen. We took a photo of it and called a tile guy that had done many backsplashes in our neighborhood and was recommended to us by several people. We showed him the photo and he said he could do that for us. When he was finished the 2 day job, we noticed there are a ton of tiles that are not flush with each other. They noticeably stick out. He did not use spacers, so the grout line is inconsistent everywhere throughout the backsplash. When we told him we were not happy with it, he came back and told us there was nothing he could do now. He did say that he should have used spacers and given us a more consistent grout line like the photo we showed him. HELP!! i don't know what to do now. He was paid and we have about $1500 invested between the tile and his labor. Do i sue him? Or just pay someone else to redo it. I don't have the extra money to do that!

Featured Answer

PRO

Brickwood Builders, Inc.

14 years ago

Could you please post a picture of your backsplash close up enough to see the inconsistencies you describe? That would be helpful.

You did all the right things in asking for recommendations in order to hire someone. You can attempt to sue in small claims court, but it takes a long time and it nickels and dimes you to death and then even if you get a judgement it is hard, if not impossible to collect. Most of the small, independent tile setters operate as sole proprietors so you don't have a business to go after and he very likely does not have insurance for you to go after. You might be able to get an attorney to write him a letter requesting that he voluntarily return his fee in lieu of a lawsuit and see if you can get anything.

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Comments (7)

mswilder
14 years ago
Uhm... why did you pay him for a job you weren't happy with?

Advice to every homeowner -
1. have a signed contract with a licensed professional
2. you buy the materials direct, don't let the contractor do it
3. NEVER pay labor until the job is complete and you are 100% satisfied

So what are your options now... if this guy is a licensed contractor you can go after that license with complaints and there is often a fund for bad work that may become available to you. If this guy has no license then you probably can only take him to small claims court. Honestly, you will probably never see any actual money from this guy. You better have everything documented and an actual contract in hand if you want to get anywhere with this, otherwise it isn't worth the aggravation of going after the guy and your sanity would be better served by chalking this up to an expensive lesson learned. If what you want is emotional satisfaction, try getting your local news to do a story and expose the guy.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
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olldcan
14 years ago
Here's where he needs to be honest. If he's actually capable, perhaps he should redo the installation.....and this time not only for free but properly. I would also ask for his suggestion on what to do about the cost to purchase all the supplies again. If he's not capable (and thats what I think or he would have done it right) he should refund the money. Go with the installer from the tile store, that way you most likely will have warranty that you'll never need to use.
kimdiro
Original Author
14 years ago
Yes--I know...no contract was signed. This is where we went bad. We know this policy. We trusted him to do the job and left him a check. All I have is his business card with the price of labor. We know this policy, but assumed with all the recommendations, he would do a great job. I thought about small claims court. How would I go after the license? I will post pics shortly.
PRO
Brickwood Builders, Inc.
14 years ago
Is the person that did the work a tile setter primarily or is it a general contractor? If a GC, google "NC (substitute your state here instead of North Carolina) general contractor licenses" or maybe license administration. When I do that here, the website where you look up licenses comes up. You can search for this person. If you do find he is licensed, then you would file a complaint with the licensing board. If the person is primarily a tile setter, then there is no license required for that particular trade.

Good luck. Difficult position to be in. It's a lose-lose situation.
kimdiro
Original Author
14 years ago
He is a professional tile setter...or so he claims. I may have my lawyer write a letter.
Oksana Kreitlein
10 years ago
We had a same problem with our backsplash in my kitchen....the installer incorrectly put the backsplash in my kitchen... The made many mistakes ,the left gaps under the cabinets and it looks so bad, they did not follow pictures on the backsplash...and more ....And I told them I do not like the large gap between the cabinets ,he said : we can add a wood trim .....I told him I was not going to do it it's look so bad....And now he is refusing to fix that , because he has no idea how to do it ... This is very disappointing and his job was poorly made and I am not willing to pay for his labor and I am going to cancel check too...And I was waiting about four months ,when he will finish his job...he did not finish .....