My Calbridge Experience

Calbridge Wants $500 to Not Drill a Hole

Our Kitchen Counter

Before the house construction was started my wife and I met with a Calbridge designer at the Calbridge Design Studio where we chose, among many other things, the granite counter top (and faucet) shown in the above picture. The counter top was an expensive upgrade but the faucet was standard.

Now I want to make it fully understood that our sales representative, DC, was very clear when we had finalized our plans, that any changes to the plan would require a minimum of $500 for a change order.

I also want to make it fully understood that when we selected our faucet, we were not told that it came with a soap dispenser and that a hole would be drilled into our very expensive counter to hold a cheap plastic soap dispenser.

Construction began on our house and when the framing was completed (but the electrical had not been run in) we met with our sales rep DC and we found out that our counter would have a hole drilled into it for the soap dispenser. We told DC that we did not want this hole and she promised to bring it up with the office. We were weeks away from getting any cabinetry done let alone the granite counter tops.

The next weekend DC told us that Calbridge wanted $500 not to drill the hole because it was a "change order." Really? Okay, you got us there because we were aware of this nasty clause. But we're not happy.

Coincidentally, at about the same time, I got a notice saying that the company doing the electrical install had made a mistake and they wanted me to fix the mistake or pay several hundred dollars extra. While they were explaining that to me over the telephone I brought up the $500 charge for a change order and how do they justify that considering they never told us about the soap dispenser?

And that's when it happened! The reason, I was told, for the $500 "change order" was because not drilling the hole was not as simple as a two minute telephone call. Contractors had to be notified and drawings changed. Lots of people would have to be involved. And, yes, she admitted, it was partly punitive to prevent people from changing things during construction.

Now I whole-heartedly agree that it's very difficult to build a house when people keep changing their minds about what they want. But the fact was that we had never been told about this soap dispenser!

As for having to get lots of people involved ... well, no. I believed that only the granite supplier needed to get involved.

But she was adamant. Pay $500 or get the hole drilled into our expensive counter top. So I asked for the name of the company supplying the granite.

I called the granite company right away. I explained that we had hired Calbridge to build our home, that we were just finished the framing and could we not have the hole drilled for the soap dispenser?

Not a problem, said the granite company. This happens all the time. Of course we won't drill the hole. What's your name and what is the address?

Problem solved.

Literally a two minute telephone call. The Calbridge representative spent more time justifying the $500 charge than it took me to solve the problem at no extra cost to Calbridge or to me. No other contractors needed.

Summary

"We are a company built on a foundation of quality and trust. Founded 42 years ago by the Ferraro family, our commitment to craft, quality and building lasting relationships continues to be at the forefront of what we do. We lead every day with a passion for crafting beautiful and unforgettable family homes and are proud to be a generational homebuilder. Our homeowners are what drive our business and providing an exceptional experience is our duty to them. Whether it’s our staff, partners, trades, or customers, we align ourselves with those who share a common goal – to always do the right thing."

I think the right thing to do would have been to waive the $500 change order fee considering my wife and I had not been made aware that we were getting a hole drilled into expensive granite for a cheap plastic soap dispenser.

If they wanted to strictly uphold the no changes no matter what policy then I should not have been told a story about getting plans changed and involving all these contractors. I certainly should never have been told it involved so much more than a two minute telephone call when that's all it took me to fix the problem.

Was it a money grab by Calbridge? I don't know. I hope not. But I sure wouldn't bet against it!

What do you think? Did Calbridge live up to its promise to "always do the right thing?" Share your views in the Reader's Comments section.