One of our clients was remodeling her home when she started having problems with the contractor. His prices kept going up, but the work didn’t seem to be getting done—or getting done right.
Once she started to suspect that there were problems with the work, she began to look for a home inspector online. She wanted that second opinion that would either confirm her suspicions or put her mind at rest.
But what she found online was regular pre-purchase home inspectors. Plenty of them.
While she could have hired one of these, she knew needed something more. She needed a construction expert who had both the knowledge and experience in construction practices to examine a contractor’s work and offer a professional opinion as to its quality and conformance to building codes.
She found Matthew Furlong, owner of Först Consulting Group based out of Bluemont, Virginia.
Home Inspection for Construction-Related Problems
Unfortunately, homeowners unknowingly engage unscrupulous or untrained contractors to work on their home construction projects. These contractors may try to take shortcuts in construction practices thinking that the homeowner will never know. Or they may neglect to fully complete work they know will be covered up by walls.
At other times, the contractor or subcontractor’s lack of knowledge may unwittingly cause a construction defect. In either case, it’s the homeowner who suffers.
Some defects can cause dire consequences down the line, with water damage or electrical fires as a result. Other defects can lead to a shifting foundation, poor ventilation and mold growth, sagging floors, and a number of other problems that would lead to an expensive repair.
Inspect Suspected Construction Problems as they Happen
The best time to catch a construction problem is as it happens. Once it is sealed up behind walls or floors, it is much more difficult to identify.
As a homeowner, be aware of your contract and your architectural renderings. If something seems amiss, check it out immediately. Watch the construction as it progresses and if you suspect an error, bring it up with your contractor. If they do not answer to your satisfaction, check it out with a construction expert like Först Consulting Group. We are specialists at identifying construction-related deficiencies.
Först will provide a thorough inspection of the suspected construction deficiency, or perform a whole-house inspection to look for other problems. We will then provide the homeowner with a full and detailed inspection report of our findings that includes photographic and testing evidence, and potential costs for remediation.
With this client, numerous deficiencies were identified in a whole-house inspection that would never have been caught had the homeowner not brought in a specialist. In her words, “I would never again buy or build a house without calling Matthew.”
Först Consulting Group. A Construction Expert Advocate on Your Side
If your construction problem is not resolved to your satisfaction, Först Consulting Group can be hired as an expert witness, In fact, we can be hired by the homeowner, the contractor or either party’s representing attorneys—but not for both sides on the same case.
In the above-cited case, the homeowner additionally hired Matthew Furlong to provide expert testimony that, along with his corroborating inspection evidence, proved invaluable in her mediation procedure, leading to her winning her lawsuit against the contractor.
Först Consulting Group works with homeowners, contractors, attorneys, insurance firms, and architects to serve as a construction expert advocate, construction deficiencies inspector, investigator and expert witness. There’s no reason to put up with bad construction practices. Contact Först Consulting Group today.
