F J Smith Contracting Francis J. Smith Shoddy Contractor Over Budget and Over Time New York, New York

He is a rip off artist who hires cheap labor to do work they are not skilled to do.

Walls were not plumb, water leaked through walls and ceilings and into lighting fixtures causing a safety hazard and damage to our property; marks from rotary sanders were left on our refinished wood floors. The list goes on and on. He had an excuse for everything that was poorly done and refused to correct his work until he was paid in advance. He spent months fixing substandard work causing the project to fall more and more behind schedule. We've spoken to other clients who've had similarly horrendous experience with F J Smith Contracting so we are not alone.

We checked with the NYC DOB and found out he was working without liability insurance for over a year. Francis Smith did not pay his subcontractors and continually stopped the job until new and outrageous demands were met. He essentially held our property hostage, knowing that home owners will pay just about anything to get their homes back.

Before the project was completed, Francis Smith demanded to be paid in full and refused to allow any work to continue. Our architect was forced to fire him.

Do Not hire this contractor. I'd advise subcontractors to steer clear of him as well - the homeowners to pay for the work, but Francis Smith does not compensate his subcontractors. 

See pictures and descriptions of some of his shoddy work here:

http://fjsmithcontracting.blogspot.com