"Do not work with a contractor that is unlicensed or does not pull permits when required."

TraVek received a call from a homeowner whose home in Grayhawk had been left in a disheveled mess by a contractor that walked off the job when his business went under. Not knowing exactly what we'd find when we got there, here's what met our eyes as we first entered the door.

The entry and dining room was torn apart, and the flooring was completely removed. There did not seem to be a real plan in place and the steps that had been taken seemed very disorganized. Though it seemed in our minds that the drywall phase was still a long ways away, and a lot of interior wall work needed to be done, drywall had been started. In a contractor's world, this is completely out of order.

We must say that the previous contractor's working areas were kept quite clean and tidy. That was nice and definitely not something you always see. The living room was emptied and floor removed.

Electrical wiring was hanging from the ceilings throughout most of the house.  This ended up being a challenge for us coming into it since the lines were unmarked. It took us a bit to map out the electrical to determine which lines went to which outlets and switches.

The walls had exposed wiring, too. This wouldn't be unusual; it's just the stage in which it was left. It was a bit of a challenge, but mostly it just took time to figure out where all the wires in the walls throughout the house belonged.

The Kitchen

This photo below is how we found the kitchen. After going through the design with the homeowner we could see some flaws in the design, and so after doing a little reconfiguring of the layout and placement of appliances, we were able to get a better work flow in the kitchen. The soffit and a/c vent had to be raised higher to accommodate the placement of the cabinetry. Had we left it as it was, the wall cabinets would have been way too low. This design shows it lining up with the top of the door frame. You'll see in After photos how it was moved up.

This Could've Been a Real Disaster and the Destruction of the House!

This supporting beam had been put in already. Unfortunately it was not the correct size for the amount of weight it was bearing, so we had to remove and replace that. In addition to that, it was installed upside down and was already starting to bend! This is one very good reason why a reputable contractor will get permitting. In order to get the permits, an engineer's stamp is required for this type of a project. Any time you put an opening over 20 feet, engineering is required. It never pays to cut corners or save on cost of engineering when it comes to the structure of your home. This flaw could have allowed the entire roof of this home to cave in! Steer clear of contractors who do not get permits when they're required by the city.

This is probably enough photos to show how dire the situation was for this homeowner, and to fully understand how important it is to work with a licensed contractor that follows the rules and regulations of the city.

When this homeowner first called TraVek, one of the first questions she asked was if we get permits for our projects We told her yes, for anything that the city requires permitting,  we get it. That means when we're moving the plumbing, electrical or structure (additions, supporting beams), we get permits. For us, that is the majority of our projects. I was curious why she asked. Unfortunately for her, the previous contractor did not get permits, which meant there was no consulting with an engineer, and the integrity of her home was compromised, Fortunately we were able to help her with that.

Obviously this was an emotional situation for the homeowner. Not only was there a lot of time that she had been sitting in a house with no movement on the project, but by this time she had spent a lot of money and had a house that was torn apart. She was going to have to spend a more to get it put back together.

Our designers listened and worked with her to put the pieces of the puzzle back together, and the end result is beautiful, as you will see from the following pictures.

The room below was originally set apart from the kitchen by a dividing wall. It had been a sun room. By removing the wall and putting in a supporting beam, we were able to incorporate it nicely into the living area.

Just look at the beautiful kitchen! There is a double-island, with the one closest to the range being a Prep Island. Remember what was said earlier of the soffit line needing to change.

The original design had that soffit down even with the low doorway on the left. That would not have allowed the proper space between the countertop and the bottom of the upper cabinetry. That was a good catch by our experienced designers.

The semi-custom cabinets are Starmark, Ridgeville Mocha. The countertops are fabricated from Kalahari granite. The European Oak wood floors are made by English Carpenter, Colchester Collection. The color is Croydon.

In the end, the homeowner got a beautiful home remodel. It was a painful experience to be left in the lurch, but we were happy that we were able to help out and give her a home she can be proud of and feel good living in.

To see how our Scottsdale Designers can help you make your home a place you love to be, call now to 480-367-1171.

Together, Building Dreams.