| Business Categories | Additions and Remodels in Revere, MA |
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I unfortunately had a horrible experience with Kevin Labbe (Labbe Home Improvement). This month, I canceled a job with him–due to his negligent behavior–and he is now refusing to return my nearly $10,000 deposit. I’m hoping this review can help anyone else avoid this contractor… In September of 2021, I consulted with Kevin Labbe to quote multiple projects in my house. Kevin gives a great first impression. His quote for a bathroom remodel was reasonable and I felt comfortable giving him the deposit (one third of the entire cost). Kevin’s demeanor and communication completely changed after he had my money. Several days after giving him the deposit, my electrical work was delayed by other contractors I was working with. Since Kevin had not yet communicated a start date or timeline for the bathroom, I asked him to wait to start the project until the electrical work was completed. I also requested a quote for my kitchen, so we had two projects up in the air. In November, the electrical was done, so I asked him to move forward with the bathroom remodel if he still had availability. Kevin told me, “soon,” but did not state if “soon” meant days, weeks, or months. During the next month and a half, I repeatedly requested a clearer start date from Kevin, even a general timeline. He never gave me either one. Kevin either did not respond or gave me these answers: “Soon let me get back,” “Better timeline after holiday,” “Will start soon.” Kevin then sent me an unexpected second invoice; the additional invoice billed me for any past communication outside of the bathroom quote as well as a project quote he had already given me. For example, the second invoice listed: “phone/text discussions on projects outside contracted work.” The additional billing was shocking; he never communicated beforehand that he would charge me for texts or phone calls. No contractor I have ever worked with has billed for communication. Cut to January of 2022 (after he again pushed the start back another week), Kevin texted: “Will start soon. Possibly demo Saturday.” I was now very uneasy about him starting the project; Kevin still had not communicated any type of timeline for completion. Kevin was clearly fitting me in whenever he had time; this, combined with his inability to give me clear answers, made me believe the project would drag on indefinitely. Additionally: from the very beginning, I was adamant about Kevin pulling permits. I called City Hall to double check and found out he lied; he never even applied for one. That was the final red flag; I could not move forward with a contractor I did not trust. I canceled the job and Kevin Labbe is now refusing to return any of my deposit (nearly 10k) on a job he never started. To be clear: in spite of his gross negligence (and in all honesty, fearing a combative response), I fully offered to pay him for his time thus far and the drywall he had already purchased. Kevin is now threatening me with an attorney and is trying to keep the entirety of my deposit. All of his responses have been aggressive, jarring, and not professional. For example: “You jerked me around for 4 months,” You have strung me along too long,” and: “I don’t work for free.” But Kevin apparently believes it’s okay for a client to pay for work that wasn’t performed. Thank you for reading; my experience with Kevin Labbe was, and still is, truly a nightmare. I hope this review prevents him from doing this to anyone else.
Always ask for references, and always check them. Keep in mind though that the only references you'll get are people who the contractor is certain will give him a good review. You'd also be well advised to check online review sources in Revere as well, which will give you a broader view of customer satisfaction for a given company.
These first two questions should only relate to services or good purchased directly from the service provider. Many products carry their own warranties, like roofing shingles or siding. It's useful to know what these warranties cover as well as how long they last. The "warranty agent" question is important, because often warranty agents work with the manufacturer to get you repairs under warranty at a much lower price.
This will be answered when you ask if all employees are licensed. The only way to obtain a legitimate tradesman's license is to be a legal or naturalized citizen of the US. The company may employ people in positions that don't require a license, however, so it's wise to inquire.
This is important mostly for larger jobs. Clearly a two man operation is going to build a home much slower than a 15 man crew. This is also a good indication of the overall size of the Additions and Remodels company, if that's an area of concern for you. The reason you may want to ask about the fleet is that fleet size is a good indicator of the mobility of the company. Mobility may not sound important, but it's hard for the Revere contractors to get to job sites if they lack appropriate vehicles.
