Anyone familiar with this contractor?

[PennyPenny]

I haven't posted in a while but I was wondering if anyone is familiar with a contractor named Terry Doyle/Doyal. Not sure of the spelling of the last name. Also, can anyone recall about a new law or whatever about contractors having to be licenced in NH. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[jmen24]

Contractors in NH are not required to be licensed, some of the new EPA regs require that the contractor present you with this form http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovaterightbrochure.pdf prior to starting the project (started Dec. 2008) then in April 2010 contractors will be required to be certified in lead paint removal, disposal and cleaning. There are more documents that go with this but after you open the link you can search around the site and I recommend that you do because there will be some contractors that will not even know about this and then some that do not even care, if they don't run and find someone that does.

I should add that this only applies to homes that were built prior to 1978.

Contractors in NH are required to carry liability insurance and are required to provide a minimum of 1 year warranty on labor and materials furnished by them.

I do not have any information regarding that particular contractor.

[gravy boat]

PennyPenny,

I replied confidentially to you -- you should have a private message.

GB

[dmjr]

I own my general contracting & property management company. I carry General Liabilty Insurance (both my self, sub-contractors & vehicles), Errors & Omissions Insurance and Bonding. The total package is very expensive per year. Make sure you check all insurances and get references.

[RLW]

Originally Posted by dmjr

I own my general contracting & property management company. I carry General Liabilty Insurance (both my self, sub-contractors & vehicles), Errors & Omissions Insurance and Bonding. The total package is very expensive per year. Make sure you check all insurances and get references.

If you should hire any contractor always, I repeat, always request a insurance binder before work is begun. It is a very simple thing to get and the insurance companies 9 out of 10 send them directly to the homeowner.

[tis]

And check with references or their supplier for quality of work and payment history.

[dmjr]

I have all insurance certifcates for my sub-contractors on file all the time. I have a policy - if they don't provide it, they dont get a bid.

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by dmjr

I have all insurance certifcates for my sub-contractors on file all the time. I have a policy - if they don't provide it, they dont get a bid.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[dmjr]

It is better to be safe that sorry. Where I do Property Management, General Contracting and Property Maintenance all under one business, the insurace and bonding is expensive.

[jetskier]

We purchased a home from an individual acting as a contractor. This was approximately 15 months ago. Within a few months of the purchase, we found out that the heating system was completely mis-installed (dangerously so) and approached the seller. He would not do anything to rectify the situation. My lawyer indicated that a sale in New Hampshire is purely at risk. We ended up spending almost $40k to remove and reinstall the entire HVAC system.

What are the warrantly rules as they apply to an individual acting as a contractor? We were not offered a warranty on any work or materials. This individual has now incorporated and is building a house on speculation. Do I have any legal recourse?

Jetskier

[dpg]

Originally Posted by jetskier

We purchased a home from an individual acting as a contractor. This was approximately 15 months ago. Within a few months of the purchase, we found out that the heating system was completely mis-installed (dangerously so) and approached the seller. He would not do anything to rectify the situation. My lawyer indicated that a sale in New Hampshire is purely at risk. We ended up spending almost $40k to remove and reinstall the entire HVAC system.

What are the warrantly rules as they apply to an individual acting as a contractor? We were not offered a warranty on any work or materials. This individual has now incorporated and is building a house on speculation. Do I have any legal recourse?

Jetskier

You stated you had a lawyer, he/she is best to guide you with this question.

[jmen24]

The state of NH requires that all home renovation work, new homes, anything that you hire someone else that is presenting themselves as a contractor (Tax ID registered with the state) HAS to provide a 1 year warranty on all labor and materials to perform the work. Materials that the owner supplies are not covered as well as removed and replaced materials. Based on the 15 month time frame I would say you are out of luck and if the install was completed incorrectly the manufacturer will walk away as well. This happens all the time and in the current economy more and more fly-by-night contractors are performing work that is very sub-par (cutting corners is the only way to reduce costs when you do not have a large overhead). I am sorry that the previous owners left you with this bag.

Always work will a reputable company that provides you all the proof that backs up there statements and answers all your questions clearly and confidently. Do not shop on price alone, part of our design process is to draw a pie graph in front of the owners and divide into three pieces: Finish Level, Square Footage and Price. The owners get to select two and we provide the third, you cannot get all three, it is practically impossible. Thats it for my infomercial today.

[robmac]

Did you pay someone for a home inspection? If so rhis may get you some relief,I had a problem that the inspector missed on an as is purchase and I went after the inspection company and got half the cost of repairs for the failures missed by the inspector.

[ACutAbove]

Originally Posted by jmen24

The state of NH requires that all home renovation work, new homes, anything that you hire someone else that is presenting themselves as a contractor (Tax ID registered with the state) HAS to provide a 1 year warranty on all labor and materials to perform the work. Materials that the owner supplies are not covered as well as removed and replaced materials. Based on the 15 month time frame I would say you are out of luck and if the install was completed incorrectly the manufacturer will walk away as well. This happens all the time and in the current economy more and more fly-by-night contractors are performing work that is very sub-par (cutting corners is the only way to reduce costs when you do not have a large overhead). I am sorry that the previous owners left you with this bag.

Always work will a reputable company that provides you all the proof that backs up there statements and answers all your questions clearly and confidently. Do not shop on price alone, part of our design process is to draw a pie graph in front of the owners and divide into three pieces: Finish Level, Square Footage and Price. The owners get to select two and we provide the third, you cannot get all three, it is practically impossible. Thats it for my infomercial today.

You are right on with your post. If the company is reputable they should stand behind thier work if it was installed wrong in the first place, Time frame should not matter as long it is not a redicoulous amout of time. 1 yr is the normal amout of time but if someones company means anything to them step up and correct the issues.
And this statement has no reflection on the original post, All to often most people shop on price alone and not the quality of work you would get for the cheapest price. Personally I like some of these fly by nite companies. Once they mess something up so bad it makes the reputable companies look all that much better, and when a shopper has to pay twice for the same project they usually are not very happy about it but do learn a good lesson.
Sorry for the rant
Ken

[jetskier]

Originally Posted by robmac

Did you pay someone for a home inspection? If so rhis may get you some relief,I had a problem that the inspector missed on an as is purchase and I went after the inspection company and got half the cost of repairs for the failures missed by the inspector.

Yes we did have an inspection done. There are a couple of interesting issues with home inspectors:

1. Even though they work for you, they are mindful that they need to keep relationships with the brokers. As such, they don't usually want to screw up the deal
2. They do not seem to be as capable as the craftsperson that works in the trade

The home inspector caught the incidentals but not the major problems. The heating system installation utilized used parts and the ductwork was too small to actually heat and cool the house. The drains for the AC were dumped into the attic (that would have been nice). The venting for one furnace went into a living area (can you say die?). That installation was done by Schneider (bad bad news).

I believe that the culpability limitation for the home inspector is the fee.

OK, the guy that built my house was Dave Hendrick. He has now formed Hendrick home builders and is building more spec houses. This guy is bad news; we have a reputable builder fixing all the stuff he messed up (much more than the HVAC stuff). Forewarned/forearmed

Jetskier

[jmen24]

Originally Posted by ACutAbove

You are right on with your post. If the company is reputable they should stand behind thier work if it was installed wrong in the first place, Time frame should not matter as long it is not a redicoulous amout of time. 1 yr is the normal amout of time but if someones company means anything to them step up and correct the issues.
And this statement has no reflection on the original post, All to often most people shop on price alone and not the quality of work you would get for the cheapest price. Personally I like some of these fly by nite companies. Once they mess something up so bad it makes the reputable companies look all that much better, and when a shopper has to pay twice for the same project they usually are not very happy about it but do learn a good lesson.
Sorry for the rant
Ken

Ken glad to hear that we think alike, it sounds like you have a nice following in the area.

jmen

[PennyPenny]

First off, Gravy Boat you sent me a PM and I pretty much expected someone to comment as you did personally. Thank You. I have read all of the responces and would tend to agree with them. However, even though most contracters hire sub-contracters that are insured it doesn't necessarily mean that they know what they are doing (the subs) Just about anyone can get insurance if you pay the premiums. Actually anyone can get get insurance if they pay the preium. I am not sure of who has to be licenced in the State of NH other then plumbers and electricians and Gasfitters but that is one person/company that I would expect to be reputable with a Masters licence in order to pull permits for the town. I could go on and on about builders. licences, permits etc. but will stop. In summary, I would still go on reputation with references as others have stated.

[jetskier]

Originally Posted by PennyPenny

First off, Gravy Boat you sent me a PM and I pretty much expected someone to comment as you did personally. Thank You. I have read all of the responces and would tend to agree with them. However, even though most contracters hire sub-contracters that are insured it doesn't necessarily mean that they know what they are doing (the subs) Just about anyone can get insurance if you pay the premiums. Actually anyone can get get insurance if they pay the preium. I am not sure of who has to be licenced in the State of NH other then plumbers and electricians and Gasfitters but that is one person/company that I would expect to be reputable with a Masters licence in order to pull permits for the town. I could go on and on about builders. licences, permits etc. but will stop. In summary, I would still go on reputation with references as others have stated.

In the final analysis, you really need to know the subcontractors that the general contractor is using. The top contractors know the top subcontractors. I have found in working with a top notch contractor that I am learning who the best people are in the area. The problem with home construction when you use a lesser general contractor is that unless the subcontractors are extremely good, they create issues and do not flag issues that can be corrected early in the process. If the general contractor does not intercede...problems are created and typically cascade.


There is a house a couple of doors down under construction and I can tell you all the mistakes that the subcontractors have made. When the construction is completed, many of them will be covered up and only become an issue down the line.

Jetskier

[jmen24]

Penny Penny You are correct in that anyone can get insurance. The first step in any process is to work with a contractor that YOU trust and are comfortable with. Not everyone is a fit. If you trust your contractor and feel the references are good the experience will be so much more rewarding for you the customer. A good reputable contractor will ONLY work with good reputable subs.

But please do not lump all builders and contractors into the same group as we are not all created equal. The bottom line is find a contractor you are comfortable with and stay there, for all your projects. 78% of our business is from repeat customers and 2/3 of that number have been working with us since founding in 1998. I am not jumping on you or trying disregard your experiences, but not all contractors are equal.

[northeastelectric]

Penny,I am a Licensed Master Electrician & General Contractor in the State of New Hampshire,Unfortunatly General Contractors are Currently not required to be licensed however we hope that will change in the near future & and I believe the state has been considering addressing that soon,(Mass. Already requires it)What is required however by "State Law"in N.H. though is an Electricians License and or a Plumbing license in the state in order to perform Electrical Or Plumbing work in the state on any thing other than "The owner themself Performing thier own work on thier owner occupied-SINGLE FAMILY dwelling unit"..that is the olny exception,A contractor Must be licensed to perform either of those trades and it has now been adopted into N.H. State "RSA Laws" (Formely RSA Rules)and it can now be a felony if they are caught(This may surprise those some of those handymen out there who have gotten away with it for years,the state is finaly cracking down thank god,there has been some Scary work done by unqualified contractors out there over the years).All Contractors regardless of trade however should be able to supply you with at least an insurance certificate and preferably some refrences that you could check if you felt the need to do so,If they are doing either electrical or plumbing work than state law requires they have a copy of thier License or card with them while working and should be able to show you if asked,you can also check to see if thier license is valid by calling or going online to either the state plumbing or electricians boards in Concord N.H.,it may also help to check with the BBB to see if there have been any complaints or unresolved issues about them ect.Good luck with your project,& Remember get it all down in wrighting to save yourself a lot of headaches later.Good Luck, Dan G.-Northeast Electric

Originally Posted by PennyPenny

I haven't posted in a while but I was wondering if anyone is familiar with a contractor named Terry Doyle/Doyal. Not sure of the spelling of the last name. Also, can anyone recall about a new law or whatever about contractors having to be licenced in NH. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[swnoel]

Also, be aware that because a Plumber is licensed, doesn't mean he is a competent Heating or Air Conditioning contractor.

I find may inefficient, low cost systems installed, where home owners thought they were getting something else.

Make sure that whatever you have done, will be serviced by the individual that installed it... too often I hear that the installer only does installs, not service. Red Flag should go up!

Never use a Home Inspector recommended by a sellers Realtor, for obvious reasons.

[northeastelectric]

I had also forget to mention that unfortunatly HEATING CONTRACTORS as with Carpenters or Builders are currently Not required by N.H. State law to be licensed wich is a scary thought since an improperly installed boiler can and has on some occaisions Blown up,caused carbon monoxide health issues and worse.as for Carpenters and Builders there are many good and highly skilled ones around but unfortunatly there are just as many who are not,wich is to say that anyone with a pickup truck,a hammer,a saw and a magnetic sign can call themselfs a builder and get away with it without breaking any laws,if you are unsure than always ask for at least a couple refrences and checking with your local code enforcement officer to see if they have had any complaints is not a bad idea either.Also it is Always a good idea to ask a builders Sub contractors,(Privatly and descreetly of course) how long they have worked with the builder and has he had any unresolved issues and has he always paid them on time.Unfortunatly the biggest problems as far as money is concerned with electricians,plumbers,heating and A.C. contractors have had is usualy with builders or general contractors,any electrician or plumber will probably agree with that if you ask them.I have been in buisiness since 1986 and in all that time we have olny gotten stuck by two homeowners(one who had thier house foreclosed on and the other whos check bounced due to insuficient funds in thier account)We also have Many,many Commercial customers none of whom have ever stuck us although they may take a little longer to pay,However we always feel like we are gambling whenever we work with a new builder or general contractor because they are notorious for going broke halfway through a project thereby Sticking thier sub contractors for thier final payments.The worst part about that is that in most cases the subs olny recourse is to file a lien against the property to insure that they may get paid at some point wich can cause many problems for the homeowner with thier banks should they try to apply for a home improvement loan ect.Always cover yourself and insure that all subs are paid in full and request lien waivers directly from them at the end of the job from all of them to insure that this has been done and not just Accept the builders word for it.Doing a little homework in this matter will save you a lot of grief later on.Here is a perfect example (we can supply you with the homeowners contact info should you e-mail us with that request)We are actualy going to testify in court next month along with the other subs on a homeowners behalf against a "Crooked builder" that the homeowner is sueing in court because he told her that all the subs had been paid in full so he could get more money from her and she did not know that none of them had been paid untill she asked them,he then paid us off to try and keep us from filing a lien on the property after he heard from our lawyer(all of Our Standard Contracts have a clause in them that makes the builder or customer responsible for ANY AND ALL legal and other costs involved should collection activity be required,the contracts also state in them that We still own ALL MATERIALS installed untill paid in full.Once he took our lawyers letter and our Standard contract wich he had sighned to his lawyer we were paid in full the very next day,he actualy sent the check to our lawyers office by special courier because he got so nervous,to date All of the other subs have still not been paid,and now we are told that the builder may actualy get out of it by filing bankruptcy....He will probably open the next day under another name and get away with it,believe me this kind of thing goes on out there more than you might think.Just so you and all subcontactors out there are warned the company's name is :Nelson Builders,from portsmouth N.H.,we have since learned he has done this before to other homeowners and subs and learned that he can usualy get away with it...Good luck on your project,as I said before,a little homework on your part will save you a lot of headaches later on.Good luck.
Sincerly,Dan G.-Northeast Electric

[PennyPenny]

Dan, You are correct in everything you have stated but remember that all gas fired appliances,boilers,heaters etc etc etc should only be piped by a reputable, licenced NH gas fitter. (if the work is done in NH) Many other states also require a gas fitters licence or training. Joe Schmo from xxx gas company can install the appliance but unless licenced they can not legally hook onto new or existing gas lines. Always check with local and state officials before, to protect yourself when having a gas appliance installed. The gas fitters licence came into effect as of Jan 1, 2009.

[northeastelectric]

I am glad to hear about the gas fitters license,we have always used reputable ones for our generator hookups ect, but i know what you mean they are out there,the other thing is that on forced hot water systems the actual final hook up to "House or city water system must be completed by a licensed plumber and the electrical hookup by a licensed electrician.,we in the trade have always looked for more oversight in these areas,glad to see the states are finaly getting with the program ect.
Have a great day,& feel free to contact me anytime should you have any questions ect. or need a licensed electrician ect.
Sincerly;Dan G.-Northeast Electric, e-mail: northeast.electric@live.com

[ACutAbove]

Also need a licensed plumber or pump guy to do a hook up on a irrigation system....

[northeastelectric]

Just to give another quick followup,As for Electricians,New Hampshire State "RSA LAWS" wich were formely "RSA RULES" require a pretty lengthy & strict Voc.Tech or similar school program 5 years worth and a full time job with a licensed electrical contractor for that same amount of time approx.5 years (Recorded Time is actualy supposed to be sent in to state electricians board by the master electrician quite regularly for them to keep track) before an Apprentice Electrician is even eligible to take the Journeymen Electricians exam for his journeymens license(Doesent meen they will pass the exam),I believe he or she must continue to be employed by a master electrician for at least another year before being eligible to take the Master Electricians Exam,they must also pass these exams in order to recieve thier licenses,Then All Licensed Electricians are Required to complete a code update course every three years for as long as they wish to keep thier license's(Basicly all thier lives),So Most have been taught or learned most of what they need to know by that point,unfortunatly there are some of them out there who try to get around to many of the the codes or rules by CHOICE because they are "Unprofessional" or just figure they can get away with it,it isent because they dont know the codes or laws,they are just "playing stupid to try and save a buck"in most of those cases & if you see these type contractors out there you should report them to the licensing boards so they can have thier licenses pulled,Unfortunatly a few bad Contractors out there make us all look bad in the publics eyes,Anyone who has worked for me in the past can testify that I take great pride in our work and if they want to try and cut corners than they will be fired the minute I find out about it & I have no problem reporting the violations to the licensing board and have on at least one occaision.I believe that if they cant do quality work and at a reasonable price than they should not be in the trade and I have no problem telling them so as I have done in the past.,The plumbing board has requirements for school ect. similar to that of the electricians so they should also know better than to do work that isent quite up to par ect.,I have actualy heard people who are not in the electrical or plumbing trades say in the past that we just have to apply for a license to get one and when I tell them what the requirements actualy are most of them are pretty surprised because they have run accross some of those "Bad Contractors"out there that I just mentioned and so they were under the assumption that it must not be that hard to get or keep a license.and insurance for electricians and plumbers is a whole nother story,Insurance Companies are the ones who should be regulated,a lot of them are so crooked that I cant believe they have stayed in buisiness so long.Anyways,sorry to ramble on,Just thought I should let everyone know the Facts about getting licensed in New Hampshire,....Mass is even harder and Maine is just a downright Joke as far as residential inspections are concerned ect.(The Master Electrician or Electrical Contractor in Maine actually can Inspect thier own work over there on most residential projects if they choose to unless the town has an inspector also holds a master electricians license!!!)No chance for abuse there HuH?I hope and pray that will be changed soon.anyways,sorry to ramble on,Have a great day.D.G.-Northeast Electric