Advice needed: Unresponsive Builder

[sartail]

You may also contact your local news station to see if they would be interested in doing an investigative story on this business. They do this frequently in the Atlanta area. The "free advertisement" might get their attention.

[jabre]

First, buy a clean notebook and start logging every communication with the builder in the notebook. Every call you make. Every message you leave. Every, although few, reply you receive. Take a few minutes and send the builder a certified letter indicating that they are not demonstrating a reasonable effort to complete the pool and requesting a detailed schedule of work to which they will perform. Request this in writing. Give them a reasonable amount of time to reply to you, like five days after receipt of the letter. Again, send this letter by certified mail. If they don't reply you need should seek advise from the BBB and probably an attorney.

[ehorn]

Thanks for all the advice so far. The good news is that we are on a payment schedule which is recommended by the State of Arizona for the contracting board for pool builders. This is 30% after being excavated, 30% after plumbing, steel and concrete has been done, 30 % after the finish, and the remainder when work is complete.

I'll probably call them and threaten to get a new builder and send them a certified letter and go from there. I'll let you all know how it goes.

[minddeal]

I would also try the local news as well. I just saw a story here in Orlando about a local pool builder. It definitely got things moving for these particular people.

Be sure the pool company provides lien releases from each sub contractor along the way. I would not pay them any more until they can prove to you they paid their subs.

Good luck and keep good notes.