eoR61M IJWTS wow! Why can't I think of things like that?

hR4gXp I'm not easily impressed. . . but that's impressing me! :)

Yes, The home owner should not be picking on the designer. The problem is between after thought handyman and the homeowner. Cheaper is not always better. Better is better. You get what you pay for. We fix heating mistakes made by others - who may have charged less. Our advice: Never take the lowest bidder. Good luck! Steve Aquacaresolar.com (solar heating)

If a consumer hires a registered Architect to perform 'full services',
the consumer will receive detailed plans and specifications and Construction Phase oversight that will go a long way toward protecting the homeowner and assuring that the project is built to code and follows the original Construction Documents (plans). An architect's review of the project as it moves along should ascertain if there are oversights or problems with the work. The architect's role is not only to design the look of the project and translate the client's wishes into instructions for it's execution; but also, to protect the interests of the owner and project as a whole!

Consumers want to save money. That's more than understandable. However, they most often do not do their due diligence. They hire service people based on the lowest bid which is not always the best choice. Part of doing due diligence is using the BBB and other resources to obtain information about the company you wish to hire.

In this case, Anonymous Remodelers is not at fault. I believe that they assumed that they would be getting the work. The consumer's complaint lies with Afterthought Handymen because they did the work. If there was a fault in the plans and if they knew what they were doing, they could have made the necessary changes as they were doing the work. If Anonymous Remodelers is a business with integrity, they should at least go over the work that was done and document the cause of the problems for the consumer so that she can seek relief in court. Although my company, Grandma's Handyman Service, Inc., specializes in home repair and maintenance and we do not do major remodeling, that is what we would do. And, if we were Anonymous Remodelers, we would add a disclaimer to our plans that says, 'We are only responsible for work completed by Anonymous Remodelers and are not responsible for work completed by others using our plans.'

The consumer can also hire a home inspector to document the problems with the home as a result of the work that was done. This would give her additional ammunition in court.