Complaint Review: Tom Dixon - Dixon Construction Company

My story mirrors an earlier post from that of Doreen from West Bridgewater. Tom Dixon was referred to us as a friend of the family so we also never questioned his background. He initially comes across as very knowledgeable and personable.

We contracted with Tom Dixon for the initial stage of our kitchen renovation. Our contract with him included removing a non-load-bearing wall and replacing all of the blue-board in the kitchen with skim coat. Additionally, Tom was contracted to replace our sliding door, install a new larger casement window, and replace all of the door and window moldings.

Tom initially informed us that he did not need to pull a permit as he was not structurally changing the house. He completed the demolition within the first couple of days, as my wife and I were very pleased with the progress. We paid him for the first half of the balance and that is when things started to go downhill. After the demolition, we informed Tom that the electrician and plumber were insistent on pulling a permit. Tom refused to pull a permit for the job and told us that he was going to walk from the job if we insisted on having him pull the permit. At this point, we discovered that his license was in question, although we never inquired into the details of why his license was in question. As the homeowner, I decided to pull my own permit for the job.

Tom continued on the job and hung most of the blue-board (approximately 35 sheets). I spent almost 40 hours of my own time correcting his subpar work, before I decided to fire him. In many instances, the blue-board was not properly secured to the studs or was installed over screws that were not removed in advance. In addition, the cuts around the recessed lighting were terrible. I have taken video of Tom's work showing that it was completely unacceptable and unprofessional. I then hired a licensed drywall company to finish the job. Their assessment of the job confirmed my concerns about Tom's work.

Tom would often arrive at the house with his high-school aged nephew and only work for only an hour or two at a time. He told us that the young man would be closely watched but was obviously not watched close enough. This schedule continued for approximately 2 months as Tom would hang 2-4 sheets of blue-board per day. Many days would pass between work completed.

My financial losses with this job were minimal, however, I did end up paying more than my initial contract with Dixon Construction.  I was forced to contract with a separate window installer for the door and window and a drywall company for the skim coat. This does not include all of the time that I spend personally correcting his errors and installing the trim moldings. To anyone that is considering using Tom Dixon, please use extreme caution. I would not recommend his work even if it is offered free of charge.

When working with any contractor, ensure that your contracts are as detailed as possible and clearly specify payment terms at clearly identified completion points. Also, always ensure that you receive a copy of their license and insurance up front.