Complaint Review: BROWN HEATING AND AIR

BROWN HEATING AND AIR - KNOXVILLE, TN

Calvin Brown quoted job for 2000 dollars. He said it would take about 2 days to finish. He started the job with someone named Frank who seemed to be much more knowledgable  than Calvin, but 'fired' Frank after a few days. He then brought in another nan, Dave, who never showed up again. Dave worked for a major HVAC company in Knoxville, but also refused to pull a permit.

 He told me on the second or third day that he could not get a gas permit.

When I asked him what we needed to do, he told me that usually the GM pulls the permit. I told him that I was not the GM and he told me that I was the GM and he was just a subcontractor. I called Building Department and they told me that I could not pull the gas permit. He said he would have to get a permit from another company. He could not find anyone. He told me that he did all he could to find  someone and that I should find one myself..

I called a few HVAC companies and they refused to put their license at risk. I told Calvin that I could not find anyone to help him and he said he could not understand it. He told me that was all he could do. He told me to find a permit or find some that could finish the job. I called another company who could pull the gas permit and had them finish the job. IT COST ME ANOTHER 600 DOLLARS FOR THE GAS LINES.

WHEN THE INSPECTOR ARRIVED, HE TOOK ONE LOOK AT THE VENT WORK CALVIN HAD DONE AND TOLD ME IT HAD TO BE COMPLETELY REMOVED BECAUSE IT WAS R6 AND CODE SAID IT HAD TO BE R8. I called Calvin and told him what happened. He told me he did not understand. He told me that he would come out and provide the labor if I bought the materials. Materials cost was 800 dollars and Calvin could not legally do the work because he could not pull a mechanical permit either.

I ASKED CALVIN IF HE HAD EVER PULLED ANY PERMIT EVER, AND HE ADMITTED HE NEVER HAD. HOW CAN HE CALL HIMSELF A LEGITIMATE COMPANY.

I asked the company that did the gas lines if they could tear out Calvin's work and redo it properly to code. They charged me 600 dollars. After they finished in a day and a half, they called for inspection and everything passed. FINALLY.

So, my additional costs were 600 for gas, 800 for material that I bought not realizing they did not meet code, which I could have returned, and another 600 for labor to rip out Calvin's work and install it properly. That is an additional 2000 dollars more that the 2000 Calvin had quoted me.

I asked Calvin to help out with thee extra cost and he refused. HE KEPT TRYING TO TELL ME THAT HE TOLD ME HE COULD NOT GET ANY PERMITS ON THE SECOND OR THIRD DAY AFTER HE STARTED.

SUMMARY

1- COULD NOT GET EITHER GAS OR MECHANICAL PERMITS I HAD TO HIRE ANOTHER COMPANY AFTER I PAID CALVIN.

2- DID NOT KNOW KNOXVILLE HVAC CODES

3- LEFT ME TO FIND PERMITS WHICH NO COMPANY COULD DO. OTHER COMPANIES SAID IT WAS UNETHICAL

4- REFUSED TO HELP WITH MY ADDITIONAL COSTS.

5- DON'T PAY HIM UNTIL THE JOB PASSES INSPECTION.