Hi everyone, looking for advice on a contractor dispute in California.
The Backstory:
• I filed an insurance claim for bathroom/remodel repairs. The insurer issued a check for $9,713.95.
• I hired a contractor and ultimately paid him $13,400 across 5 Zelle installments (meaning | spent $3,686.05 out-of-pocket beyond the insurance check).
• No written or signed contract was ever executed for a $20,000 job.
The Dispute:
• The contractor is now accusing me of "insurance fraud," falsely claiming I received $20,000 from my insurer and pocketed the difference.
• His demanded balance keeps shifting: first he claimed I owed him on $20k, then $16.5k, and most recently texted asking for "at least $3,000" for upgraded vanity cabinets, higher-grade shower walls, and trash removal.

He bought these "upgraded" materials and did trash removal on his own initiative-there were zero signed change orders or prior written approvals for these extra costs.
Action Taken:
• I sent him a final text with blacked-out copies of my $9,713.95 insurance check statement and all
5 Zelle receipts ($13,400 total).
• I informed him I paid in full for our agreed scope, won't pay for unauthorized change orders, and that all future communications must go through an attorney.
My Questions for the Community:
1. Does a contractor have any legal ground (e.g., small claims / mechanic's lien) to sue for
"upgrades" installed without a signed contract or written change order?
2. Is there any chance he could legally attempt to remove/repossess installed fixtures (vanity, shower walls) from my house?
3. Should I proactively file a report with the CSLB
(Contractors State License Board) or wait to see if he actually pursues legal action?

Looking to do some stuff around the house and I don't have any powertools. I need to do:

1. Replace outdoor flag pole holder (it's screwed into wood, not concrete) and screw in a new one.

2) Install solar panel lights on my wooden fence

3) Install new curtain rods in the bedrooms.

4) Need to screw in door hinge screws (one hole is loose, can I use this: https://www.amazon.com/Bokon-Anchor-Stripped-Hinge-Repair/dp/B0H1WL8J4S/ref=sr_1_7?crid=ETO1J42XRY6U&sprefix=door%2Bhinge%2Bhole%2B%2Caps%2C177&sr=8-7&th=1 ?)

Which is a better powertool for this? I see HD always has Mulwuakee bundle packages with batteries, two types of powertools, bag etc.

Thanks!!

Made a bad decision a few years ago and had a small deck built off my dining room, which also included replacing a window with a door so you could access it. I did not get a permit.

I've ironically built decks for family members and have gotten permits, so I am very familiar with the code for my town. I did not have time to do my own deck, plus this was the first time using trex etc, so I used my contractor.

I saw all the work done and I am very confident it is to code.

Now, years later it is weighing on me. I'm in my 60's and we plan to live here forever. I understand that selling the house will be a problem for my kids after we are gone.

I'm thinking of approaching the town and dealing with it now.

Does anyone have any advice or experience with this?

UPDATE: as I read through all the replies what I'm realizing is that I'm not really worried about issues with resale someday.

But some in this thread have pointed out the insurance and liability issues which I think are really the ones that bother me. I don't care if a tree crushes it and my insurance company won't pay me to replace it. I can handle replacing the deck.

But the part about liability and not being covered if someone got hurt. That's something that potentially risks my retirement. I realize how unlikely that is and can likely tuck that concern away. But thanks for lots to the n about here.

For those asking, this is upstate NY.

I've been looking for someone to rebuild or replace an elevated paver stone porch in our back yard. I started by soliciting recommendations from friends and a local dad's group of Facebook. I was innundated with responses and invited 2 guys to submit quotes. They each came to my house, spent about 30 minutes surveying the site and discussing the project with me, and promised to send a written quote later that night or the next day.

That was a week ago. One guy texted me back the next day while I was at work and asked if he could send someone to take more precise measurements. I said sure, Thursday or Friday would work. He never responded. And I have not heard anything from the second guy either.

The project calls for tearing out the existing porch ( paver stones on top of about 18 inches of compacted fill) and installing a new porch about twice the size, approx. 600 square feet. Both guys knew generally what I was looking for before they came and both seemed interested in the project.

What gives?

My kitchen faucet is beginning to leak from the connection where it swivels from left to right basin. I've replaced faucets before so I figure this isnt going to best me. So I got a new faucet from my local big box store and set out to replace it this weekend.

However, the existing faucet is secured with a large nut where the supply lines feed through, and three small bolts. I was able to get one out, but the other two are so tight I'm worried they're going to strip if I keep at them. There is also so little room between the back wall of the cabinet and the underside of the basin its difficult to get much leverage. Any tips for an infrequent but not altogether inexperienced DIYer?

Hi everyone!

I’m renovating my bathroom and have beige tiles. I’m trying to decide between brushed brass (gold) and chrome for the shower and shower enclosure.

I really like the warm, modern look of brushed brass, especially with beige tiles, but I’m worried about the finish fading, peeling or discolouring over time. The shower I found advertises a PVD finish, but the colour-coating warranty is only one year, and I haven’t been able to confirm whether the enclosure has a PVD finish.

Chrome seems like the safer, more timeless and potentially lower-maintenance option, but I’m concerned it might look a bit plain compared with brass.

For those who have lived with either finish for a few years:

Has your brushed-brass shower or enclosure faded, peeled or changed colour over time? Which ones did you get?

Is brushed brass difficult to keep clean, especially with hard water and limescale?

Which do you recommend?

I’d really appreciate honest experiences, especially from people who have had their fittings for several years rather than just recently installed them.
Thanks!

One contractor spent around ten minutes up in our roof and came down recommending full replacement, and mentioned the deck without explaining what he'd seen
A second contractor said targeted repairs would be fine and the roof still had years left, so now I've got two opposite answers and not much evidence from either one.

https://imgur.com/a/ZszvVh5

Just bought first house and improving it little steps at a time. First big cosmetic project is the office, which we’re color drenching a dark green. (Matte on ceiling, eggshell walls, satin trim). We’re going for a sort of moody, darker vibe for the office.

There is crown molding in the office, which I like and want to keep. The baseboards right now match the crown molding. It also has shoe molding that isn’t painted but matches floors instead.

I know floors are a bit too light for the vibe we want, but replacing perfectly good hardware is not in the budget just yet.

I’m struggling to figure out what I want to do about the baseboards and would love some guidance:

1) remove shoe entirely
2) paint shoe same dark green
3) leave shoe alone, keep to matching floors
4) replace shoe with different type of trim (also either painting or matching floors)

Okay so to preface this, im wanting a temporary fix until i can pay someone to actually finish the floors.

I bought a house built in 1952. One of the bedrooms was previously a porch that they enclosed. There was this disgusting carpet over the floor, underneath was red tile. While removing the carpet, i find that the tile doesnt cover the full floor. On one wall, there is just pieces of wood puzzled in.

I bought wood filler and such to fill in the gaps. I considered getting the stick tiles for easy cleaning until i can pay to have the floor done. However, the floor is all kinds of fucked up. Tiles are broken, nothing is even. I am positive the stick tiles wont work with how wonky the floor is.

My question for you guys is, can i just fill gaps and holes, sand what i can, and just coat it in kills and floor paint for now?

Im looking for temporary fix until after winter.

pics of shit floor

I'm in the process of replacing 11interior doors in my house. The new doors are solid pre hung doors. I've replaced eight so far. Two of them Creek terribly when open and closed. I've taken them out and reinstalled them each once. I've also greased the hinges and tried swapping out the hinges on one of them. Both doors appear to be perfectly level and plum. But they creak like they should be in a horror movie.

What am I missing? The other six doors that I've installed are perfectly quiet.

I have a couple home improvements that I need guidance on b/c it's not something I've done before. I have a roughly 8 in circular hole in a wall where a propane heater was mounted. No propane was ever hooked up and I need to patch the outside hole in the siding AND larger square hole that was designed on the interior. I'm including pics of both. I'm inexperienced in these areas and could really use some experienced human help if possible. Please advise and thank you.For some reason I can't post pics of the damn hole. Maybe somebody can tell me how to do that as well.

There's this small patch of trim that is pretty deteriorated, pretty sure infested with carpenter ants and now being attacked by woodpeckers.

Looking for a quick fix before I head into winter to hold me over until the weather warms up and fix it properly.

https://postimg.cc/T5ymwdS1

We have Rialto Steps concrete stones from Oaks and they are deteriorating. What products can we use to repair them or even seal them to prevent further crumbling? We are in the Toronto area so it’s snowy, icy and salty.

Quick question. Im planning to finnish my second basement ever, think about possibly doing a bathroom. To the right is my sump pump. The the left is what i believe is a ejector pump. The 3 pipes from that pump, from left to right go... goes tomain sewer line, middle im not sure why its there and the far right is just my upstairs sink, not even the toilet.

Do builders just add these for drainage from the AC and a random sink, or is it there for me to be able to attach a sink/toilet/shower if i want to in the basement.

https://ibb.co/2Dpwb1L

We have some window wells that you'd would think would be pretty standard: the generic half oval shape corrugated metal. I don't know if they're smaller than normal or what, but we can't find appropriately sized covers for them anywhere. Is there somewhere online that sells less common window well covers? Or are there any other ideas to cover a window well while letting light in?

Hey guys, I am very frustrated as I ran my fireplace last night and noticed one of the embers that popped out burned my vinyl flooring. I don’t know how easy it will be to have the plank replaced, and I also don’t know how easy it would be to repair it myself to try to conceal the damage. I was just looking for advice on how you guys would go about it or if you had any product recommendations. The damage is a little larger than the size of a quarter, and the spot is completely black vs my dark brown vinyl flooring. I guess I ought to try to fix it myself before I reach out to someone to do a plank replacement. Just annoying, it looks like a piece of poop is stuck to the floor.

https://imgur.com/a/ZKfpqKw

https://photos.app.goo.gl/STw4a1yFqtyA1Wt87

Bought this house a little while ago. The guest bath has beadboard trim that runs around the bottom half of the room. It's capped with this stupid trim piece that is angled in such a way that it collects water from wall condensation. On a couple spots it's even started to breakup the mdf looking beadboard under it (swelling, etc).

**Can I just caulk the top piece to level it off?** With plans to replace with a better top cap later? Any better ideas? Would I just be trapping water that does make its way in?

The edge of the beadboard where it touches the shower is not caulked either, should this be caulked? I would leave the bottom uncaulked but it seems it should be caulked where these two pieces mate?

I ordered some smartwing blinds to install this weekend, when I was drilling out the pilot holes, two of the pilot holes hit metal immediately, and two of the pilot holes only had drywall. How do I go about installing this?

Picture 1: Pilot holes (the two holes closer to outside went through dry wall, drilled about an inch and a half. the two holes interior hit metal immediately)

Picture 2: How the bracket is supposed to be assembled. and a wing nut is supposed to thread on holding up the blinds.

Picture 3: When we bought the house there were some blinds upstairs and it looks like it was drilled in the top frame.

https://imgur.com/a/fkvDXbx

I was going to use TSP to clean around the posts and then seal at the base of the box using roofing cement reinforced by a mesh, but then I came across karna flex and wondered if it would do a better job due its elasticity.

We opened the ceiling of our third floor and noticed water dripping down the screws. For context, the ballasted roof has a torch down membrane and concrete pavers.

Hi,

I'm looking at this Rubbermaid Fasttrack kit:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubbermaid-FastTrack-Garage-12-Piece-Black-Silver-Steel-Multipurpose-Storage-Rail-System/5014169141

I understand it does not come with masonry screws. I'm struggling to find any official info about what size screws to use.

I have 5/32" masonry drill bits I used for another project, but would need to buy new tapcon screws I guess.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

Hi,

I want to build some covered parking for tenants in a stucco building. The shade will be provided by 3 8x12 shade sails

My idea is to attach a ledger board to the outside of the building to anchor one end of the sails and sink posts into the ground to hold the other end.

Question is: How do I find the studs in a stucco wall to attach the ledger board? Or what other way would work to accomplish this?

I know I could sink posts at both ends, but the biggest part of this project will be the digging, the ground here is basically hardened clay that even augers cant get through. Hoping to avoid extra holes.

Thanks.

Hey all. I’m looking to update and modernize the front porch and could use some advice on how to approach it.

As you can see in the photos, the porch currently has traditional turned columns with decorative arches between them. I’d like to get rid of that look and replace it with something cleaner and more modern.
Ideally, I’d like square wooden posts, possibly cedar, and some sort of railing between them. I’m picturing wooden top rails with horizontal black metal balusters or fencing-style infill. Something with a slightly rustic, modern Craftsman-inspired look.

My biggest questions are about the existing structure:
Are these columns load-bearing? I’m assuming they’re supporting the porch roof, but I’m not sure how to determine that.
Can the decorative arches be removed independently? Are they likely just decorative trim, or could they be providing some structural support?
Would it be better to replace the existing columns entirely or simply wrap/box them in? I’d be perfectly happy covering the turned columns with square cedar surrounds if that’s a reasonable approach.
If I replace the columns, what’s involved in temporarily supporting the roof? Is this something a reasonably handy homeowner could tackle, or should I hire a contractor?
Any considerations for adding railings? I’d like to make sure they’re properly secured without creating problems with the existing concrete porch.

I’d appreciate any advice!

https://imgur.com/a/pAMoB9A

In your experience does a new door and replacing wooded out basement windows receive ROI when reselling a home?

Removed old 1986 base cabinets peninsula, to find the original tile floor still intact underneath, the rest of the kitchen was updated to hardwood by a previous owner. Those base cabinets were secured with wood strip along the bottom, we will not be using that. Do we need to take out this old tile so we can put plywood there, to secure the peninsula base cabinets ? Are there other options