(September 15, 2017, 10:19 pm)
When purchasing a home the home inspector missed several important problems/flaws, including a badly sagging roof -- something which would have been so obvious to the inspector it leaves one wondering if he was simply pretending to be looking! In any event, after purchasing the home and when the problem came to our attention we started the process of trying to find a qualified contractor to determine the cause of the sag, and whether or not it was a true structural problem or just cosmetic, and to fix it if it needed fixing.
So, that was the first problem: Just trying to find a qualified contractor locally provided to be a challenge. One came, and after months of phone calls and promises we never did receive the written estimate. Several others never returned phone calls, period. One did, at least, return my call to let me know that he wouldn't be interested in the job and that we should look elsewhere. Rob Peltenburg from Darwood Homes showed up.
Rob was extremely professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. From the moment he arrived to look at the sagging roof, to his detailed explanation of what was causing the problem and the significant of that and the importance of fixing it, to his detailed estimate and plans, and his crew completing the work ... it was all excellent. There is not a single item or anything that I could complain about or find the least thing to question or critique. That is something very unusual, both because I've encountered a lot of problematic contractors over the years, and because I'm rather demanding and particular.
Among many things, I was very impressed that for the entirety of the 5 days the work was being done Rob was right there himself working with his crew. It wasn't a case of the contractor showing up at 8 a.m. and telling the crew what to do .. and then disappearing until quitting time or, worse yet, disappearing until it was time to get paid. The entire crew worked hard, but I don't think any of them worked any harder than Rob himself. While the job cost us a lot of money, it was also a big job - taking 5 full days - requiring a crew of 5 men - and I am not left feeling like we didn't get our money's worth. If you have to spend $10K or $15K or $20K on major structural repairs it sure does make it a lot easier to bear when you feel, and know that you got the best contractor, the best job done, and that it will last a lifetime (likely longer). Rob has an uncle-like quality that instills trust, and it isn't misplaced trust either; it is trust baked by decades of experience and a man of obvious and proven integrity and commitment.