I had a HORRIBLE experience with this contractor.
I worked indirectly with Rick when he was operating as “Rick Pfaff, Inc.” (license 648186) and remodeled the house that I purchased from SVHOME (seller.) Both businesses closed last year, and Rick recently re-surfaced as “Silicon Valley Building & Development” (license 998902.) Same guy, different name. In fact, several photos that he posted on Houzz reflect work he did for SVHOME as “Rick Pfaff, Inc.”
A few highlights (or should I say lowlights?) of my experience with this contractor:
No Permits
I discovered after close of escrow (Dec 2013) that this contractor performed a major remodel (knocked out internal and externals walls) WITHOUT proper permits or reinforcements. As a result, my house was red-tagged by the city after it was found to be “structurally unsound” by a city inspector and structural engineer.
Delays
When I went into contract on my house, the remodel was scheduled to be completed by 12/14/2013. Unfortunately, because this contractor cut corners during the original remodel, it took EIGHT months after close of escrow to re-open the walls and complete necessary work below the house to install the missing reinforcements.
Poor Workmanship & Materials
Recently, I contacted Rick after narrowly avoiding injury when the glass shower door that he installed in the master bath spontaneously EXPLODED. He wasn’t surprised; he said the same door shattered at FIVE houses (mine plus four others) in which he’d installed it.
I’ve also been experiencing ongoing ELECTRICAL issues that, I suspect, are related to the remodel. A few weeks before the glass shower door exploded, I woke up covered in glass after one of the bulbs in the light fixture above my bed shattered while I was sleeping. The same week, two more light bulbs popped in the same light fixture. On 8/21/2015, another light bulb shattered in the master bath and then another on 8/26/2015 in the living room. FIVE light bulbs popped in THREE different rooms in the span of a few weeks. Two more went out in the hallway this week. It's concerning how frequently I have to replace bulbs.
In addition to the shower door, other damaged and/or defective materials that this contractor installed include: a dented bathtub, damaged light fixtures, scratched cabinets, damaged window frames, defective outdoor spigot (spewed water even when closed), wrong kitchen drain (flooded under my sink) and the list goes on.
Regarding workmanship, since a picture’s worth a thousand words, I’ll post photos, so Houzz homeowners can evaluate the quality of work themselves.
No Accountability
Communication with Rick was extremely frustrating. He never picked up his phone, I couldn’t leave a voice message (mailbox was always full), he didn’t respond to my texts or emails (unless pushed by my realtor), and he made verbal and written commitments that he didn’t keep.
Based on my experience, one star is one star too many for this contractor.
