This company has had multiple names under Oregon CCB license number 205370 to include: Assurant Exteriors; Assurant Construction; Assured Exteriors; Assured Construction, etc. Also, different addresses in Oregon and Washington and different phone numbers are listed in various online locations.
Due to the issues we had with PHIL SMITH and this company, we asked a relative who spent 25 years in the U.S. Air Force (now a retired Colonel) to assist us due to her experience with such matter. Throughout her career she established contracts with, worked with, managed, and oversaw companies whose contracts with the government ranged in value from hundreds of thousands of dollars up to multi-million dollars. Following is a review of this company by her on our behalf.
The number and magnitude of the issues encountered with this company and Phil Smith in terms of: compliance with the signed contract, Oregon code, and/or manufacturers recommendations; quality of the work; and professionalism/customer care were among the worse and possibly the worse (relative to the size of the contract) I encountered in my 25 year career of overseeing contracts for the US military and in my personal experience of overseeing 6 contracts for myself and my relatives.
Following are a few of the most significant issues encountered with this company:
1. New patio cover had slope below that required by code, contract, and/or manufacturer recommendation. Homeowners sent email asking for contract change order for review and signature, when they agreed to top of patio cover roof being lowered so as not to interfere with power pole. However, contract change order decreasing patio cover roof slope below that required per the contract was never provided. Nor did the company advise that the new slope required low slope roofing material per code/manufacturer’s recommendation. Phil Smith refused to correct slope to that required by the contract, code/manufacturers’ recommendations even during the Oregon Construction Contractors Board complaint process. The only thing which Phil Smith agreed to do was to change the patio cover roofing material to low slope roofing material which was not in compliance with the signed contract.
2. ASSURANT CONSTRUCTION LLC advised that a permit was not required for the new patio cover which homeowners found out later was not correct. Homeowners signed contract with statement that company would provide all necessary city permits (patio cover exempt) based upon company’s incorrect advice.
3. ASSURANT CONSTRUCTION LLC had to redo patio cover posts seatings (jackhammer up concrete and add rebar which was supposed to have been there but wasn’t) and redo patio cover framing/connection to house which was not done correctly. They did not do this until city inspector told them they had to uncover posts seating and patio cover framing so he could view it before permit would be approved. So company uncovered these items and then quickly corrected the posts and framing/connection before scheduling another inspection.
4. ASSURANT CONSTRUCTION LLC did not provide other permit (electrical) required by code and contract. Electrical required correction before permit approval.
5. Phil Smith was very unprofessional and not customer friendly multiple times when he was asked to do things he didn’t agree with. One example is when I asked him to do something per the advice of Portland code offices, he accused me of simply trying to cause problems, of doing so since the beginnings of my dealings with him, and that he would no longer talk to me but to have lawyer call him and then he abruptly hung up. In my entire career and in my personal experiences with contract companies, I have never had a contractor employee, much less an owner or manager, act in such manner. This is one example of multiple occurrences of such behavior.
6. The above are