Dream Builders Shelter And Woodworking

I wrote the previous complaint about the deck. This entire project cost me$147,000.

took all my life savings without so much as a sorry. I called sheriff, they told me was a civil matter. reported to attorney general. they sent him a letter.

he did not respond so it was dropped. started proceedings with a lawyer and was told it would cost another $5,000 to $10,000 and we would win but he has no assets any many liens so we wouldn't collect anything.

Now i am broke so couldn't pursue it. I think this should be a crime.

We hired Frank Crowe to remodel our small kitchen (8'x11'). It took him nearly FOUR MONTHS mainly because he showed up, at best, 2-3 days a week for 2-3 hours each time. The original estimate was one month, tops. We did all the demo ourselves to save money and it was a good 2-3 weeks before he actually showed up to start working. We should have fired him right then and there.

He would promise things (e.g. "I'll have running water for you guys tomorrow" or "I'll have the flooring done by Friday") and then come back a day later with an excuse as to why it wasn't done. His excuses were quite theatrical: the engine in his truck blew, someone in his family was in the hospital, he had to have emergency surgery, etc.. After reading the reviews on here, it seems like those are his "go to" excuses. We didn't believe him at the time, but were had no kitchen and had already partially paid him so we had to pretend to.

At one point he got so difficult to work with and argumentative we almost had to call the police because he was refusing to leave our property and yelling.

The end product was pretty decent cosmetically at first, but we ran into several issues with counter tops peeling up, cabinets breaking and flooring coming up due to improper installation. He did come back (reluctantly) twice to address those issues, but we ended up selling our house a year later because we were so traumatized by the kitchen project.

I wouldn't recommend him to my worst enemy.

In April 2016 I contracted with Frank Crowe of Dream Builders LLC, in Lockport NY to replace the old pressure treated deck boards on a two story deck attached to my house. I agreed to do the demolition of the deck, and he was going to install new composite decking and vinyl railings for $10,000.

He assured us it would be done by the last week in June 2016. June came and went, and he was telling us that this and that came up and he couldn't get to us yet. He finally got started the first week in September after more excuses. After he started work he noticed a problem with how the deck was attached to the house.

As it turned out, the original deck was not installed properly, and there was extensive water damage to the entire section of house, affecting the den, fitness room, master bedroom, and master bathroom. The insurance company was contacted, Frank gave them an estimate of $50, 516, and they said they would cover it. Also since the siding on that section of the house was going to be replaced, we decided to replace the siding on the entire house to match at our own cost, another $ 27,266. Frank was slowly working working on the project, showing up a couple of times a week and working 3 -4 hrs a day when he showed up at all.

I was concerned that with the back wall of my house gone and a tarp over the hole that he wasn't going to be done by winter. He kept assuring me that everything would be done by winter. In the mean time we would give him a few thousand dollars here and there for materials. The insurance check for $35,000 came in October, made out to Dream Builders, And Us.

We took it to the bank and the bank refused to let us cash it because it had a business name on it also. Frank said he would take the check to his bank and get it cashed, we told him to use the money to order the siding materials. He said he would get the materials ordered that day. Christmas was coming and still our house was torn up, with very little progress, and Frank kept assuring us that he could get everything done.

We had a vacation planned for right after the New Year, and still very little progress. Frank assured us that everything would be done when we returned in late February. Once we left, Frank did almost nothing, Numerous emails trying to get progress updates proved futile. Finally we decided to cut our vacation short and came home.

We had no bedroom, our bedroom furniture was stuffed into the 2 guest rooms,and our master bathroom was torn up, with no toilet or sink. We ended sleeping on the couches and living out of suitcases for 6 weeks, while he finally got our bedroom finished. In April 2017, our master bathroom is still not usable, because he is having trouble installing the new tile floor. The weather started getting nice, and I am asking him when the siding will be delivered, and the siding crew getting it done.

He keeps giving me excuses that they haven't started work yet etc. May 2017, deck still not done, bathroom still not done, siding still not done, or delivered, new french doors still not finished. June 2017, deck still not done, french doors still not done, bathroom still not done, siding not done or delivered. We decide to find out if the siding was really ordered or not, we call around to a few suppliers, and nobody has an order.

This is the point that we contacted our lawyer, he delivered a letter stating he had 7 days to either finish the project, make arrangements to have the materials delivered and refund us what was ours. Frank decided that he could finish the job. He showed up for a few hours, and did a little bit, packed up his tools and equipment and said he would be back the next day. Haven't seen him since, emails back and forth still didn't get him back to finish.

On June 28, 2017, he finally says he is done, and not coming back. He said he would do a final accounting and issue a refund of what is owed us. I contract a new tile installer to finish the bathroom floor, he does a great job and charges me $1,800. At least we can now use our bathroom.

I also contract an electrician to finish the electrical work, and that gets done for $1,700. Still the doors are not finished and don't operate correctly, deck is not done, and siding is not done, nor are there any materials August 2017 still haven't gotten a final accounting or a refund after several attempts to get them through email. We have talked to a lawyer, and it will cost us upwards of $3,000 to sue him and am told that we are probably not going to receive any compensation even if we took him to court and win, as the business has no property in it's name. I do know that he has opened another business making tables and wooden furniture call Wood Butcher.

You can find him online @***.com. We have also filed a complaint with NYS Attorney Generals Office.

Yup, he ripped us off too. He took a deposit and money for materials and then never started the work.

We finally elected to terminate the contract (we had a time of the essence clause) after we were a month and a half beyond the date the work was to be finished and hadn't even had a start date. We requested that he refund the money and now he has completely ignored any attempts to contact him. Our next contact will be by way of a process server. My advice would be to run far, far away from this piece of garbage.

He has no regard for the fact that people have entrusted him with their hard-earned money. He has no sense of the stress and strife he has caused families with his actions. He also has a company now called Wood Butchers in Lockport. I'd stay away from that business also.

We are also making a complaint with the New York State AG's office. I would encourage any of the other people who have had problems to do the same: https://ag.ny.gov/bureau/consumer-frauds-bureau

Working with Frank Crowe (owner of Dream Builders Shelter and Woodworking in Lockport, NY) has been very taxing. He was hired for a complete kitchen demo/renovation, a project that was estimated to take 4-6 weeks, and WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR HIM TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT 16 MONTHS LATER!

He is a poor communicator, is vague with progression updates, cannot meet any deadlines, needs to be prompted to respond to emails/texts/voicemails, does not handle constructive criticism well, is poorly staffed, is very manipulative, and cannot accept responsibility for his actions. He has damaged other areas of our home during the demo (i.e.: bathroom drywall and flooring, bedroom flooring, driveway) in addition to damaging materials used for the renovation (i.e.: hardwood floors, cabinets).

He has walked off the job-site, has belittled my family and worst of all, engages in fradulent activity (most notably, did not pay his vendors, did not obtain necessary permits, overcharged us for materials and did not finish the work he has already been paid to do). As a paying customer, such behaviors are a reflection of his lack of commitment, experience, and professionalism and I would never recommend him or rehire for future work.

An absolutely terrible experience. Sold me a contact in April 2015, didn't start work until October, promised to finish by Thanksgiving, delayed the project by misappropriating deposits and payments, and now has abandoned the job, all the while taking on new work with other unsuspecting clients.

He wants you to think he's a good person, even makes you feel sorry for him, but at the end of the day he manipulates people to get what he wants and that's all. Watch out!!

One word. FRAUD!

Do not ever trust frank.

Pushed to get paid in advance for the project. Then made several promises and verbal agreements and does not keep them.

Frank crowe also increased the price by almost 30% just before the project was supposed to start. Then refused to dobthe job without the $30,000 increase. Do not use them for anything big. In my experience they try to underbid other contractors, push for a contract to lock in the price, then raise the price and keep your deposit if you dont want to pay the increase or keep them for the job.

They say one thing and do another. Frank crowe and dream builders are a waste of time and full of false hopes.

I recently was hired as a sub contractor for electrical. Upon doing the walk threw i cought that Frank Crowe sold a kitchen electrical plan that did not meet the minimum requirements for National Electric Code.

So I very quickly realized that Frank and his company did not know codes for electric, he told me codes just bother people. May I suggest they are to make sure then when you are doing contracting they are to make sure you are performing the minimum standard of work. A few times frank suggested that violations where not indeed not violations. I did inform him I keep a code book in my truck and quickly changed the subject.

He also informed me that the work he was performing did not require a permit nor inspection. Although every municipality is different when ever you alter wiring,structure,gas or plumbing is certainly subject to a permit and inspection.

He also falsely accused me of putting his job behind and tried to get me to fix a mistake hes crew made for free. And was bothered I asked the homeowner when the started to have issues with lighting in a differnt part of the home.

In my professional opion Frank should not be nor allowed to work or install on anyones electric.

Although a " time is of the essence" clause was not part of the contract, DREAM BUILDERS OF LOCKPORT NY (contacted through Thumbtack) failed to live up to several mutually agreed to start up dates, and then after a mutual agreement to terminate the contract and refund the full deposit within 7-10 business days, failed to meet that deadline (which the builder suggested in writing through an e mail).

The entire experience resulted in a substantial wast of time in getting the project started. We have since engaged another contractor through a personal referral, with the project set to commence within 3 weeks.