Please stay away from Jeff Lambert. He's what you get when you hired a reputable ""design-build"" duo to renovate your dream home. He's what you get when your architect cares more about securing the next job than the job you just paid for. Our problems with Jeff began almost immediately. The demolition didn't go well. We were 10% over budget before a nail was pounded. Then the real fun began. Incorrectly poured foundations, in-fighting between Jeff and the architects, telephone game tactics instead of open communication with client. Almost shockingly bush league. We should have acted sooner. Instead, we let Jeff and his revolving door goon squad frame a 3600 SF home. Progress was quick and we thought the house looked pretty good. Then the nightmare. I should have known when Jeff asked me to pay for the windows. A ""deal"" offered by the supplier if a credit card were used. Am I that stupid? Yup. Sadly, I am that stupid. From there, our conversations with Jeff went something like this: ""Jeff, we're not your bank. As a business owner, it's your responsibility to have working capital. You get paid for services rendered, like everyone else on the planet."" Apparently that's a concept unfamiliar and unpopular with a long line of Lambert men. Anyhow, we finally put him out of his misery as it became obvious there was no chance in h*** Jeff was going to finish the house for what was left on the contract. My assumption was that, at this point, he was so behind with ours and other jobs that he was merely kiting checks from job to job in a desperate attempt to stay afloat. Needless to say, we did an extensive amount of due diligence in selecting a builder to finish this mess. Every town inspector spent hours in the home. Seven general contractors made multiple visits. Two engineering firms provided reports on the structural integrity of the home. The general conclusions? Shock (how did this happen?), confusion (what were they thinking here?), and anger (this gives real builders a bad name). A highly qualified inspector with 30 years of experience said to me that he ""hadn't seen anything this bad since the 80's."" That's what you want to hear. How bad, you ask? Exterior walls were not plumb. Loads were not carried properly. None of the windows were flashed properly, all had to be removed. The newly shingled roof leaked in three locations. The plumbing was so atrocious the building inspector recommended that we just rip it all out, because no licensed plumber would be willing to complete the job. Floors weren't level. The front of the house was so crooked it took our current builder three weeks with 6 men to fix it. I can't make this up. Jeff doesn't just give builders a bad name, he sullies the human race. I wouldn't cross the street to p*** on his foot.
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