Bulldog Renovations/Contractor review: David McCollum 3522 Vintage Trail, Suite 100, Woodstock Ga 30189

We initially hired Bulldog Renovations (BR) and David McCullum (DM) to build a deck for us on 1/24/2022. His attention to detail on his estimate * (1) was deeply accurate, with description of all work to be done along with prices. We did 3 different revisions with the same attention to detail from BR highlighting all work involved and decisions we made as the project progressed and the job was completed on 5/24 with a final running invoice from BR showing all payments made for the deck * (1). The job was complete and they earned our trust.

On February 28th, we discovered a leak coming from our kitchen where the floors were beginning to warp. We called our insurance company, USAA, and they sent out a recommended mitigation company for the floors and to put our kitchen back together. Because we had trusted BR, we ultimately went with them to do the repairs since BR’s crew was already working at the house. We never received any detailed estimations from BR on what the costs were to put our kitchen back together as we had with the deck, although we had asked for it. I did sign a * (2) blank BR estimate so BR and DM could contact USAA on our behalf, as instructed to do. BR and DM did reach out to USAA about additional dollars needed to which USAA sent me a * (3) Supplement Claim Form which USAA. BR and DM have the capability of putting together an estimate for the cost to me to put the kitchen back together, but they never did.

For the kitchen, Bulldog Renovations was paid:

$5000 on 4/15/22

$10,000 on 4/28/22

$18,000 on 5/6/22

$13,000 on 5/20/22

Since we never received an estimate, we never received a timeline as to how much and when we were supposed to pay him, as we did with the deck BR built. He asked for money and I did pay him because we trusted him at the time. We had no reason not to.

The total amount from the full USAA Document * (4) paid in increments, sent on on 3/22, 5/02 and 5/05/22, totaling $53,665.

The total amount of the payout to BR was $46,000 with dates stated above and cancelled checks from document * (3).

We estimated a 20% fee for BR to be the foreman of the job, paying $7,800 (we have no idea what he kept as payment to himself).

This leaves an estimated $36,800 to cover the cost of the cabinetry, painting of the walls and repair/replace the flooring and labor to finish and extra work we had done.

The invoice for Roc Cabinetry * (5) on 5/9/22 was $8,615.52.

By asking the owner of the flooring company, Mike, we know the replacing, sanding and staining the floors was $7,800, completed on 5/24/22. (On July 8th, Mike, had to threaten BR and DM with putting a lien on DM’s house and on my house, too, in order to get paid. BR had been paid $46,00 by this time. We reached out to BR and DM about this situation and Mike was finally paid on 7/12/22).

This leaves a balance of $21,784 to paint the inside of the house, to install the cabinetry and to pay for extra work we had done, installing a double door and opening up a wall.

This brings us to the extra work. As stated previously, we received, in great detail, estimates on our deck with 3 revisions. We never received an estimate for the kitchen and the cost of the extra work was sent in a text message * (6). It has minimal detail with the installing of a sliding door with the cost of “$6500ish” and the opening of the wall with the cost of “$8,500ish”. The opening of the wall was to be a total of 8 feet but we found a pipe from upstairs so we only went 4 feet. Since only half of the wall would be taken out, he offered to take off $1000. After the extra work was done, it still took a total of 4 months to replace our kitchen. We had several other contractors come through to give us estimates on the extra work and we were given estimates to remove a window for the door at $3500 and the cost of removing the wall 4 feet at $4000. The difference comes to an overcharge of $8000.

We believe BR and DM were fraudulent to USAA by asking for and receiving $6,604 as he insisted on USAA paying for storage of items, boxes, bubble wrap, content evaluator/supervisor, moving charge and other packing materials. * (pg 17 and 18 of Document 4). To clear the house out, we put everything upstairs and in the garage. Those funds were paid out by USAA with no intention of using them for the purpose BR and DM claimed.

Unbeknown to us, BR and DM called and asked USAA for additional funds on 6/20-21/22 for an additional $4,771. USAA paid us for it and when I called to ask what it was for, they didn’t have a full explanation other than cabinet pulls. I then asked to report BR and DM as fraudulent to USAA but since BR and DM aren’t a preferred vendor of USAA, there wasn’t anything they could do and it was up to us. I asked USAA to remove BR and DM from asking for anything else on our behalf.

We have reached out to BR and DM via email on August 3rd, with an even more detail email than in this complaint, asking him for a line item estimate as he provided us when we hired him to install our deck. We reached out to him again on August 5th and 7th when he did reply he received our emails on the August 8th. Still having received nothing from him, we reached out again on August 12th, 17th and 25th. We still have received nothing from BR or DM to this day.

BR and DM didn’t finish the kitchen, leaving the backsplash tile and hood above the stove undone.

We are asking BR and DM for $12,000 returned to us for unfinished work and the overcharging us of the extra work done to the house and the fraudulent estimate he sent to USAA * (pg 17 and 18 of Document 4).

(I thought I could attach documents to this complaint but only video and photos are able to attach. I have these documents ready to email if necessary.)

(1) Estimates and payouts for BR and DM for the deck to establish ability for detailed work.

(2) Blank estimate signed by me where BR and DM could contact USAA on my behalf.

(3) Suppliment Claim form by BR and DM sent to USAA then sent to me.

(4) Full USAA Document without Member ID Numbers.

(5) Roc Cabinetry Invoice

(6) Screen shot of estimate of extra work

Thank you for your help and