Texas Outdoor Kitchens

Well, I had this guy do our outdoor kitchen when his company was a different name, Cattleman’s Ranch. It went out of business and evidently he has tried to take a second pass. Same story, talked a good game. NEVER met any commitment. The project took a total of NINE MONTHS to complete and that was after many complaints and threats to sue. The project was not elaborate, either. The excuse from his parents was that he was going through a divorce. The finished project was of OK quality. Several tiles have fallen off and I have reglued the. This guy is totally unreliable. If you use him DO NOT give any money up front. Do it strictly on a pay as you go but even then he will not meet commitments.

My wife and I signed a contract for an outdoor kitchen on April 25, 2014. The contract was to include a custom smoker, gas grill, sink, drain, and fan as well as an overlay to our existing patio. We later added a pergola to the contract. As I write this on January 17, 2015, we still involved in one of the most frustrating nightmares I have ever experienced.
The patio itself was complete in June by a subcontractor, and that’s when the problems began. The owner has apparently had every personal problem that one could ever experience during the summer of 2014, which has amounted to an incomplete project. The patio and pergola have both been finished. There is a kitchen frame that has been left completely open and exposed, and at one point I actually caught my 6-​year old playing hide-​and-​seek inside it. We have not received the appliances for the kitchen, nor has the stucco and tile been completed. Just this week, when I inquired on the installation of the smoker, the owner said that he «having problems with the laser cut guys, but he should have in by the end of the month.» This is despite the fact that the owner told me in mid July that he was having my smoker cut so that it would be ready for installation-​it seems that he cannot keep his stories straight. He was supposed to be at my house this week, and he never showed. Now he refuses to return calls or text messages.
The only reason I am willing to give 2-​stars is because of the quality of the work that has been complete so far. The pergola and patio look great, and quite frankly I wish that I only hired him to do those parts. That way I could hire someone else for the kitchen. The kitchen frame is well-​constructed, but it is pointless to have the frame with no appliances, especially with it creating a safety hazard.
Update: he has finally returned and completed the frame of the kitchen, including all tile and electrical work. He has installed the grill and completed the French drain. I am still waiting on the smoker, which is the entire reason I signed the contract with him initially. He also has a few other touch items, including fan remotes, shingles on my roof, and a concrete patch. Ultimately, my goal is to get my smoker. I have gone in great detail on Facebook.

I signed a contract on 5÷3÷2014 with his assurances that this project would only take a month. The scope of the project was to be an outdoor kitchen with a custom smoker/​grill, propane grill, sink, and kegerator. It would have a roof with ceiling fan and light. The cabinet would include a granite top and rock siding.
Website was impressive and the owner was very personable when he came over and seemed very knowledgeable. He talked a great game.
We have had multiple problems on this project. There was a dispute between the contractor and sub-​contractor that almost put a lien on my property. Other workers not doing their assigned tasks correctly or actually damaging what others had done previously.
As I write this, the date is 8÷19÷14, and it has been 15 ½ weeks since this project started. I only have the shell for the kitchen and the roof. The shell needs repairs on the grout, the roof is already sagging, and several other minor items that need fixing. None of the appliances have been installed, no electrical, the plumbing has been partly done, no ceiling fan, etc. I literally have just the cabinet where all the appliances should be placed, but that is it. One excuse after another, with constantly being told that, «You are the priority, and I am working as fast as I can.» Keeps telling me the grill/​smoker should be ready in another week. Then that week goes by, I get more excuses, and get told it will be another week. I was told yesterday the smoker should be ready next week. Again… another week.
I have had a lot of contractors work for me over the years. We try to improve every home we have lived in. This has been, without a doubt, the absolute worst experience we have ever had with a contractor. My hope is that this project will eventually completed and I can update this review with some positive information.