Terzetto Homes was supposed to renovate the entire second floor, the electrical, and the plumbing of our 3500 sq ft home. As has been explained in a previous review on Homestars (and alluded to in a prior review below this one), beyond bathroom and kitchen aesthetics, the ability of this extremely young company (est. late 2021) to build and renovate with knowledge of the Building Code and common practice in the trades, is quite limited. We experienced it first-hand.
They had been informed, 6 months before the start of construction, through the DSR (Designated Substances Report) we had submitted to them, that our 1970 home contained asbestos. Therefore an abatement was required, by a specialized sub-contractor: this implies specific disclosures, work procedures and site preparations (negative pressure and air extraction), and PPE (full-face respirators). When we realized that they were about to start demolition without abating, we wrote to them to stop any further work. Terzetto did not acknowledge that email. In our later conversation, they said they had lost track of the report and appeared not to know what an abatement was. Yet protecting workers from exposure is the law.
Our project also required the removal of load-bearing walls, which meant the structural integrity of our home needed to be preserved. Yet the designs in the application Terzetto prepared and wanted us to submit for a city permit (putting us owner as the designer) did not have any sign-off, declaration, or notes for construction: there was no signature (by Terzetto), no engineering stamp, and no BCIN (Building Code Identification Number). When we questioned them, Vivians answer was: After reviewing the city reply we would provide the appropriate signatures and BCIN stamps if needed. In other words, the design had simply not been reviewed by an engineer. Terzetto was willing to risk the integrity of our house and the safety of the carpenters working from those plans.
When we looked into the details of those drawings, we found out that anything beyond graphic design i.e an actual of understanding of the requirements of construction is beyond their capacity. Critical pre-existing elements of the house were not considered: in all three bathrooms, the ducting and prior structure were completely omitted as if they were working from a blank page. An attic hatch was placed in one of the bathrooms: terrible idea since condensation and temperature differences would lead to moisture. And they chose to draw the hatch in a location with no space for ladder access. Drawing measurements in all rooms were also off from the actual (onsite dimensions) by 6 to 18.
And the list goes on.
Due to these red flags, and further mistakes, we had to pause the project.
Months later, despite the laundry list of errors, we still gave Terzetto the opportunity to finish a smaller basement project: their estimates came back 60% above the competition. So we made an offer to settle: at that point as well, the counter was unreasonable, and unsubstantiated. To date, they have yet to refund us our $79,344.92 deposit.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $100,000.00