Contractor Problems, need advice...
 

Before I did anything there was no steps connecting my basement to the house, you had to enter the basement from outside the house. I hired a contractor to build an extension connecting the house and basement by staircase.

My foundation comes at least 3 feet above the ground level. The problem is he is planning on leaving the block exposed and I was under the assumption everything would be finished drywall.

The contract says:
"Walls on exterir of well will be 2x4 16" oc with 1/2" OSB sheathing, bulding paper and vinyl siding. Interior will be R-13 fiberglass insulation and 1/2" drywall, glued, screwed, and finished".

How do I proceed? I can scan the plans if that helps. Thank you...

Now it doesn't really say in the contract that the foundation walls will be drywalled, you only assumed, unfortunately no meeting of the minds. Have you asked him how much it would be to drywall the (2) foundation walls that we see in the pic?

I got news for you, he didn't put the r-13 in the block either.;)

The terms "walls on exterior" to me would not mean the foundation.

DITTO:)

A finished basement is usually specified as such. Foundation walls are not interior/exterior walls. Is he doing anything with the ceiling in the basement? Probably not. That's pretty standard unless a finished basement is requested. It isn't your fault for assuming this, but better communication should have been practiced.

All i can say is i feel sorry for you. A contract must be specific. This contract is vague and not in your favor. All i can say is this. Owens corning makes a nice finish basement kit and they have certified installers who install it. Might be something worth looking into. Its not a budget breaker and is a nice finish look. http://www.owenscorning.com/around/bfs/BFSFlash.asp

Thanks, I looked into that before, but it costs more than double compared to doing it traditionally. I will be finishing the basement myself.

No, it said "Interior will be R-13 fiberglass insulation and 1/2" drywall, glued, screwed, and finished". Is from the foundation down not considered part of the interior of the structure he built?

I guess you have a point there, the contract is open to interpretation. I guess I dont understand because this man was first called on to finish my basement, but we decided to build this staircase outside of the house as to not lose basement space with staires. That being said, this stairwell is not finished and will have to be at a later date. I feel I was misled on purpose. Why would I hire someone to leave a job unfinished? I could maybe understand if he didnt know my intentions...

You got that right, this morning the contracter gave my keys back and told me if I didnt give him a check today he was going to sue me for the balance, court costs, and a fraudulent statment he came up with of 3,500.00 He also threatened to have his attorney start the process of placing a lien on your home.

First of all, the contract gives me 10 days from completion of the job to pay in full. Secondly, the job isnt done, he refinished an esistng wall, but now its all wavy. He also has other shortcuts and bad craftsmanship to fix. And third, the contract states: "Any alteration or deviation from specifications below involving extra cost will be executed upon written orders..."

Also, this job was quoted to take 3 weeks, and its been 8 so far. Its obvious I am dealing with someone who is paranoid they will not get paid. I dont know why being that all payments have been on time. This man seems not to understand his own contract.