Cosgrove and Sons

1) Professional Expertise Issues:
a) Inadequate Knowledge of Code: Cosgrove did not pull some permits until after construction started & some were not pulled until authorities issued notice of violation. Cosgrove was not aware that local Code required R49 insulation in ceilings for new construction. I had to find insulation product that met Code & contractor to install it. Some electrical & plumbing work was performed by general workers and not performed by licensed professionals.
b) Drawings Issues: Cosgrove agreed to provide all architectural & permit drawings. At least 4-​sets of incomplete architectural drawings were submitted. Each was promptly returned with many notes questioning dimensional & factual errors, omissions, discrepancies, & questions — almost all of which were either ignored or not discussed or corrected on subsequent submissions. Drawings were never completed or accurate leading to delays, misunderstandings, etc.
c) Poor Scheduling: Contract called for 9 – 12 weeks. Work began in February 2015. It is now almost 1-​year & the job is not finished.
d) Poor Communication: Contract calls for timely and regular communication with owner and a weekly in-​person conference with owner — this almost never occurred & Cosgrove seldom visited my job site. I made a typo error in one part number, & the manufacturer told Cosgrove it could not provide this item. Rather than tell me Cosgrove ‘guessed’ at the «correct» part number. When the product arrived it didn’t match & was rejected by me resulting in a 6-​week delay & extra cost. Cosgrove told me to omit exterior trim from windows & doors since ‘these could be fabricated on site at lower cost’. When Cosgrove installed them they had no exterior trim at all. Two windows arrived with damaged sashes — this should have been a warranty item but has not been resolved. Many changes resulted from the lack of the repeatedly requested drawings. Most of the changes were verbal and not documented by Cosgrove as stipulated in the contract. Therefore, when Cosgrove’s invoices included items previously deleted, duplicated, inconsistent pricing, incorrect quantities, missing credits, & billing for items specifically included in the contract, etc.
2) Poorly Managed Subcontractors: Work was frequently inefficiently scheduled — trades were scheduled one-​at-​a-​time, often with days or weeks between visits & often with only 1 day notice.
a) Heating System: The contract included changes to the existing hot water heating system. Cosgrove’s subcontractor was either unwilling or unable to provide the calculations for the new radiators. Rather than discuss the issues with me or find another subcontractor Cosgrove told me to find my own subcontractor.. I located a subcontractor who did provide the necessary calculations, could schedule the work, & provided a cost estimate. However, Cosgrove objected to his estimate since it was higher than his original, but he still didn’t suggest he would find his own alternate & offered only a fraction of the added cost as a credit even though a completed heating system was included in his contract. Only after I indicated that I would take this issue to arbitration (as stipulated in the contract for disputes) did Cosgrove agree to credit the full amount of the new estimate.
b) Kitchen: One day I noticed that Cosgrove had installed a Formica type countertop material in the kitchen. It was crudely installed & when I inquired Cosgrove told me this was ‘temporary’ so he could schedule an inspection (an inspection that could trigger a progress payment for him). I objected to this & subsequently found out that the kitchen counter top material was delayed due to Cosgrove not having ordered it in a timely fashion. In the meantime, I had to take more time off of work to be present during the rescheduled countertop installation.
c) Flooring: The flooring subcontractor was required to reinstall flooring in the sunroom because many of the boards had rather large flaws (knots, shakes, uneven joints, etc.) that he proposed to fill — a solution not agreed to by me for practical reasons (since the floor was installed in the middle of a hot, humid spell when the wood would have swelled it would be subject to the maximum amount of shrinkage in the dry, cool winter & the seams would open up). Proper supervision of this work would have either had the materials protected or the work done under more climate controlled conditions.
There is more but space is limited

Cosgrove and Sons are amazing! Our home required long-​overdue updating to the bathrooms and kitchen, electrical and plumbing work, and replacement flooring, and they did it all! We could not be happier and just love the results! From phasing the priorities with budget planning, to choosing and recommending materials that worked with our home, they were professional, thorough, and dependable every step of the way. After contacting several other companies in the area, right after I met with Lisa I felt a confidence that Cosgrove and Sons was a business I could trust, especially since most of the time I would not be home while they worked. I have had them back several times for additional work and I just cannot say enough about how grateful I am for everything they have done. Thank you again!