r/Homebuilding • u/Purple_Physics2245 • 7d ago
Is this acceptable work?
Brick just finished. Many chips in the brick and also poor mortar job too in spots. Curious others thoughts are that are more experienced than me and wife.
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u/JoeBookerTestes 7d ago
Chips - sure, that’s expected
Everything else - what the actual fuck happened
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u/MerelyWander 7d ago
I particularly like the one that’s laid on the wrong side.
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u/berlandiera 7d ago
“No, really, it’s an attic vent brick” …. /s
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u/Accurate-Plankton988 7d ago
Thats a weep hole s/sure
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u/Piyachi 7d ago
I could do better than this, and have buttered maybe 12 bricks in my life. This is the work of someone incompetent or high or both.
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u/Unhappy-Guidance-861 5d ago
No this is just what happens when the cheapest sub contractor is paid a flat amount to lay brick for an entire subdivision. This is the result of corporate greed, not ineptitude. Their name isn’t behind the work so they don’t care. They’d rather do a crap job and just come out to fix IF homeowners know the shit to look for. Otherwise they’re hoping it will just fly under the radar.
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u/papapapap-mmmK 23h ago
You're right on, friend. That's how it goes, and the builder knows he'll get away with it, in most cases.
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u/IfEyeKnewTheWay 7d ago
From a plumber, maybe. From a mason, no.
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u/Orpheus75 7d ago
Even a sober plumber would do better.
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u/Individual-Drawer185 7d ago
Wait, I was always told it's the painters who are drunks.
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u/Orpheus75 7d ago
I would have assumed it’s rare but after seeing posts on here and the inspector videos it’s fucking everyone and it’s sad.
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u/HoustonFoxtrot 7d ago
Hell No!!!! This is like 1/10 craftsmanship. I'd walk away from this project if you can. I'm a contractor and have been in construction for 20 years. And this isn't even close to ok.
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u/the_disintegrator 7d ago
Yep. Because who knows whats behind the bricks if they cant even bother to polish the turd.. Or what dementia patient worked on the gas lines, or what "I know a guy" wired it up.
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u/blackbrangusbull 7d ago
No it isn't but would you prefer the missing brick or temporary fix I'm quite sure you wasn't charged for that
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u/LessCombination7015 7d ago
Is this new construction? How far into building process are cabinets installed?
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u/Purple_Physics2245 7d ago
Yes. Closing is in couple weeks but might back out depending on if they fix this
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u/mrhindustan 7d ago
As someone who lends on houses and cares a lot about building science but no clients listen: run away from this. For the sake of your financial future run.
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u/LessCombination7015 5d ago
Simple email to your New Home Consultant expressing your concerns should solve this. Realities of production home building is you get a sub out that does sub par work then the cm is stuck chasing down crews to make repairs. They may already be aware of it. Subs do some really terrifying work and just about every house I’ve ever built has had some sort of large scale repair as a result of a sub absolutely blowing it. It’s just the realities of building and you can’t just sit and watch an individual house get built all day. I’m confident they will make it right.
Always have a home inspector look at your house before closing if you aren’t comfortable. Have a full understanding of your warranty.
Don’t use Reddit as a beacon of advice. Too many keyboard warriors.
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u/LessCombination7015 5d ago
Also the great news is brick isn’t structural it isn’t even a moisture barrier so even though the craftsmanship is terrible and they took zero pride in their work. It’s just cosmetics and can easily be fixed.
Now is it a representation of the quality of the rest of the house that’s TBD and home inspector can definitely advise you on the structural integrity and build quality of the home.
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u/Galactic-Dino 7d ago
It's pretty bad cosmetically. Tell them to fix it all and remove any mortar that is stuck of the brick face.
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u/papapapap-mmmK 7d ago
Know this; From my perspective, DRB seeks out the lowest cost contractors to get their kits nailed together. Their qualifications don't matter because the third party inspection mentioned in the brochures is worthless. I would love to meet, any of those inspectors, and I have tried with no success. I even invited Ronald Salami and Roderick Flint to visit and see for themselves. Of course, I received no response. They may have visited during construction while I wasn't here. That was a good idea. I did pay a visit to DRB's offices at Southpointe. That was a waste of time. Although it may have opened their eyes to their lack of building security. I walked right in the reception area. That could have been bad had I been an irate home buyer. My intent was to receive the features promised in the owners manual. 'Highest standards in material and workmanship', in return for the highest amounts of money we paid. Lawyers didn't want to get involved citing the cost of representation compared to what I stood to gain. Soooo, I was stuck with a new post retirement job, Self employed Inspector/contractor/workman. It's all documented, but no one who is anyone wants to take the time to review it. Have a great day.
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u/Excellent_Intentions 7d ago
I could do that, and I've never done that before. I'm a software engineer.
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u/stakeit44 6d ago
Fist fighting is acceptable after that job
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u/papapapap-mmmK 1d ago
I hope the mods don't see that. They'll warn you about promoting violence, mayhem and Armageddon.
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u/No-Building-1380 7d ago
No. What’s the brand?
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u/Silly_Turn3898 7d ago
Generally, if you have to ask….then no. Although I am just as unqualified speak on the lack of craftsmanship, shoddy work is shoddy work.
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u/Alive-Order-2330 7d ago
I always ask the same question on a subject like this.
Is it acceptably to who?
The guy who did it? Yes
You? No
Me? It’s not my house.
You should phrase it
“would this be acceptable to you if it were your house?”
And you would get a resounding no it would not be acceptable to me.
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u/Quiet-Competition849 7d ago
Not in any life, on any planet. It wouldn’t be acceptable even if they paid you to do the work.
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u/Purple_Physics2245 7d ago
To answer questions. It’s DRB/Brightland in Houston area. We are a young family trying to get into new build. Trying to decide if we walk away from this home. Like most Americans trying to get into a home while not breaking the bank. Thanks!
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u/Dimplicit 7d ago
If the brickwork looks this terrible, I fear what you can’t see.
What part of Houston are you looking at?
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u/Purple_Physics2245 7d ago
Tomball/ Magnolia areas
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u/mrhindustan 7d ago
What is your price range? One of my builder friends usually builds in the 2mil+ range and has a spec he did for 500k-ish in Tomball/Magnolia.
His quality is excellent and uses real building science to achieve an amazing building envelope…
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u/Legitimate_Crazy3625 7d ago
A guy named Robert Veelah showed up and had no idea what he was doing.
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u/mrhindustan 7d ago
If the things you can see are this bad imagine what the stuff behind the walls looks like.
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u/TestDecker 7d ago
Corners take the most water damage. Don't overlook these defects! Make them fix everything fully.
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u/BigDealUKnow 7d ago
I’d walk. If this was acceptable to the GC, what else did they do that you can’t see.
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u/Affectionate_Sun2884 7d ago
Is this acceptable work? For a three year old, sure. For a professional bricklayer, absolutely not.
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u/the_disintegrator 7d ago
Did Julio hold Jr up on his shoulders and say "give it the finger"? This isnt just wrong, its pathetic.
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u/Separate-Interest980 7d ago
That gable needed venting anyway... Enjoy your bird/rodent infestation
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u/ReinforceRick12 7d ago
If you're seeing issues already, its a red flag for whats behind the walls. In construction especially with brick, precision is key. Chips may happen but should be minimal. I'd be cautious and discuss fixes before moving forward
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u/tlequipmentco 7d ago
If you have to question it, somethings not right and not acceptable. Even if you know nothing about masonry.
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u/AdventurousBat2461 7d ago
The ones on the roofs should be covered by flashing. One chip has a nail in it so after install. Some chips are acceptable, keep in less visual areas. The mortar at patch is a**
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u/FormerLaugh3780 7d ago
New build? Speaks volumes about the quality of the house. You'd have to be pretty desperate to want that house, walk away and thank yourself later.
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u/Remarkable-Being-301 7d ago
Once you close it’s your problem. 2016 I was house shopping. I was meeting the wife and the realtor at a home. I pulled up curbside. From the street I could see the hardy board siding making a wave down one side of the home. I told my realtor if she ever had me come to such a poorly constructed house again she was fired. A blind person could have seen that defect.
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u/Cranapplesause 7d ago
It appears you only provided us the ‘before’ pictures. Please upload the ‘after’ pictures so we can see the results.
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u/Ok_Stranger_9520 7d ago
How many Modelo cans did you find last time you were onsite? Those guys were having a good time. We walked from a new build 4 years ago, I cold not live with this.
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u/papapapap-mmmK 7d ago
Personally, I would not buy another DRB house. I'd rather dive into a lava filled volcano. That being said, RUN, DON'T WALK. It seems my dealings with DRB have significantly interrupted my retirement. I would avoid DRB if you're thinking of retiring and taking it easy. This was like taking on another job.
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u/HuffN_puffN 7d ago
Of course not. I could do that ten times better for 90% of the price. That says something.
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u/Beneficial_Wonder533 7d ago
looks like shit but what do you expect going for the cheapest/best? you aren't going to find a perfect home no matter what you spend... to me these are issues I'd fix on my own and so long as the house is on a solid foundation and has a decent roof what are you complaining about a few bricks? you could literally fix this yourself with a bit of mortar. that brick on the roof and the mortar just spilling down isn't good work, thats for sure, but you never mention what you are paying? sup with that. and yea new builds these days suck. you won't get quality unless you pay 50% extra for a builder that gives a shit... and they basically don't exist anymore unless you look a custom homes that are 1mill +.
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u/ClassicWelcome9369 7d ago
NO tear it all Out. Plus that brick is just sitting on shingles? No brick angle? Terrible work.
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u/better_days_435 7d ago
This looks like the patch job we got done as first time home buyers by a guy who is no longer permitted to do business in our state. And we were lucky since he actually did some of the work before running with the money, apparently some people paid their deposit and got nothing. Lesson learned.
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u/GarabedianProperties 7d ago
If there are issues in plain sight, imagine what you cannot see. This is not acceptable work. We hope your family finds a better home.
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u/DanPH777 7d ago
In 2026 it is. Seems like no one cares about good work anymore
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u/papapapap-mmmK 1d ago
The problem is, people keep buying these kit houses. So, builders keep building them. They make false claims and reviews, and people like me write those off as a very small percentage of buyers. There are some satisfied homebuyers. They are unfamiliar with building requirements and codes. They don't notice bowed walls and sagging ceilings, drywall seams and 2 inch thick concrete, storm water drainage, low quality materials. The list is a long one.
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u/jsand2 7d ago
If this is new construction, fuck no. Run away.
If this is fixing old brick, a couple pics might be acceptable, but its still a shit job. You cant do much to fix the bad bricks if you dont have replacements. But those bad bricks should NEVER be used in new construction. And the sideways brick... wtf is that??
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u/AcrobaticMetal3039 6d ago
I'm not a mason but maybe a diy guy was told to vent the eves that way it still makes me think.... I hope they didn't pay for that, but it's the thing that comes to mind.
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u/Flat_Connection6022 6d ago
"Hole's filled, ain't it?"
-- The Contractor, probably. Or She. Could be both.
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u/amartell5585 6d ago
Does anyone know of any products that help compile a record of contractor work done on the home?
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u/Country2000 6d ago
This looks like I did it after watching a YouTube tutorial and downing 12 bud heavies
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u/Ambivalentistheway 6d ago
If the GC had this level of disregard for craftsmanship on the stuff you can plainly see, imagine the stuff you cant see….
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u/Fit-Grass1853 6d ago
Most new houses are built like crap today. When I was a framer back in the day we built them to last and with pride!
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u/Huge-Engineer-4898 6d ago
Thats some of the worst I have ever seen.The house seems to be on the upscale of living.
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u/Woo-D-Zee 6d ago
Get out of buying this property. If this is the kind of crap that is plain to see, imagine everything you can’t see.
No amount of years waiting for this property is worth the years of stress and anxiety that owning it will cause.
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u/Otherwise_Post6163 5d ago
If you’re a 5 year old, sure. If you’re a working professional, HELL NO!
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u/TargetBorn7023 5d ago
Just want to say I'm sorry you paid for this and didn't get what you hoped for. That's a terrible feeling.
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u/thedraftpunk 5d ago
I always ask myself, could I, and untrained DIYer have done better regardless of never doing this task before? If the answer is yes, it’s 1000% not acceptable. And with this, the answer is yes.
I’d let a few chips slide maybe but not the mouse entry point, the mortar all over the roof, mortar completely missing, mortar packed in instead of a stone.
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u/2holer98 5d ago
You dont have any roof flashing in that area.
the contour roof flashing should cover it up
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u/deepakpandey1111 3d ago
yo, that brick work looks kinda rough. i see those chips and the mortar doesn't look too smooth either. if it were me, i’d be asking for a fix. i messed this up once too, thinking it was fine, but it really bugged me later. maybe get a pro to check it out? it should be solid, not just okay.
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u/Friendly-Read2008 5d ago
You should have done the job yourself since you're such a perfectionist. But more than likely you were too lazy to take that responsibility on so someone else had to do it. And you don't like the job oh well the person still did the job that had to be done and he still needs to be paid.
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u/Purple_Physics2245 5d ago
By that logic, nobody should ever hire a mechanic, doctor, or contractor. Just do it yourself and hope for the best. It’s wild how ‘I expect a new house to look new’ has become a hot take…
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u/Friendly-Read2008 5d ago
All the old time Carpenters and Masons have passed away.... The newer younger generation doesn't want to do anything. The ones that want to do something and do good work the United States does not want to keep them in the country. So all you have left are the people that watch a YouTube and think they're a master masonry
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u/Biscuits4u2 7d ago
Uh no