‘No woman deserves this’: Homeowner upset with contractor’s work

CONCORD, N.C. — A Concord homeowner says she paid a contractor more than $7,000 to redo her kitchen, but that some drawers are falling apart, some hardware and doors aren’t level, plus there are other problems like warping and chipping paint.

“I was supposed to have functional cabinets that were absolutely mind-blowing,” Whitney Brown said. “No woman deserves this. None.”

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The company, DCE Enterprises, told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke it didn’t know the front of the drawers were falling off. Its owner blamed a number of Brown’s complaints, like the cabinets not being level, on the manufacturer.

He says (and Brown agrees) he gave her $1,500 back to fix things. He also says he would have come back to make other repairs, but that he and Brown had a falling out.

“I was not comfortable with having him in my home anymore,” she said. So she says she cut ties and priced out getting another contractor to make things right, but that it’s not in her budget.

When you hire a contractor for any project:

- Get at least three estimates.

- Check references.

- Make sure the contractor is insured and bonded. You don’t want to be liable for accidents on your property.

- Don’t pay the full amount up front. Action 9 suggests starting with one-third of the total.

- Don’t pay cash.

- Make sure you have a contract.

The contract should include:

- What work the contractor will do (be specific).

- The completion date.

- The price.

- Who is responsible for any permits.