New Home Buyer - Contractor Nightmare

[Luke Cionci]

I recently bought my first  home and had started replacing the siding myself. Along the way discovered some of the walls were rotted out due to previous termite damage. Since this was out of my experience I hired a "Structural Engineer" to replace all of the rotted out studs, reframe the wall, and a few other things. Him & his team started and finished the job in one day. Mind you this was not a one day job. After speaking with him about everything that popped up I became weary & questioning the work performed.

Once he left the property I decided to cut into the sheathing and discovered all of the rotted out wood was still there. The scope of work we had discussed was not in any sense completed. Before he started the work, on multiple occasions I had requested proof of permits, the actual estimate, and at least something in writing. Nothing ever came and he has been demanding payment. Turns out after further research we had discovered his license had expired in July of 2023. Since then I've had a few other contractors come out and verify the work is not sufficient let alone up to code. They were also able to provide new estimates on the work needing to be done including correcting everything the original contractor had done.

My question is, should I pursue some sort of legal action or just never get into contact with said contractor again? This is my first go around with real estate and contractors in general. I blame myself for neglecting to do further research but I guess that's the way it goes when you're just starting out. You've got to learn from your mistakes. Thanks to anyone who shares an opinion.

Cheers,
Luke

[Stuart Udis]

@Luke Cionci  Don't believe you are the first to experience this. Most in your shoes want to move as quickly as possible and sometimes slowing down & being more deliberate will save you time and money in the long run. Unfortunately, along with individuals in your shoes desire to advance their projects as quickly as possible, the contractors are often eager to get the work started and the combined desires of both parties frequently leads to rash decision making. Aside from well drafted contracts protecting all parties to a business transaction, the process of preparing and executing contracts in itself slows down processes and allows for more thoughtful decision making, diligence & vetting.