Our terrible experience with Joe Parulski/JP Custom Carpentry

We hired Jared Watson of Big Monkey Renovation and Repair to build a screened in porch in March. We were told we'd be staining by Christmas. We are now in February and we did not even have the permit. We bought this concern to Jared, who instead recommended his "best friend" of 15 years (Joe Parulski, JP Custom Carpentry) to complete the job. We were told we can trust him and that Joe "knew people" at the Wake County Office and can get the permit quickly.

After 10 months of waiting, Joe showed up and were supposed to be "prepping the site" (we did not have the permit at this point) and next thing we know, he ordered all the material and starting putting up the frame. We were told permit is not a concern and the construction will pass the inspections. Since Jared was highly recommended, we did not think twice to question him and thought he put us in good hands with Joe. Prior to the job starting, we were told money can be paid at the end but Joe started asking for money every week. We wrote 2 checks to Joe to cover majority of the labor but they ended up being on hold by his bank so he was asking for cash payment, which we foolishly paid.

After majority of the work was done, the inspection failed because my shed was too close to the septic field and needed to be moved. Joe quoted us $3800 plus material to move the shed. We fired him due to various things including theft. We were able to get that shed moved for $300 after we fired Joe. We discovered that Joe had bought tools and other items on our dime (a ladder, bunch of concrete, unreasonable amount of saw blades and utility blades) that were not used on our property. We emailed Joe regarding payment for the above items, and in return we got derogatory and unprofessional emails from Joe, who only threaten to put a lien on our house. This is a tactic used by contractors to intimidate home owners.

Also, since Joe Parulski is deceitful, manipulative, and cunning, he will try to discredit my experience with him as "fake" or "false," I have attached some photos which shows he ordered a 24ft ladder on our dime and then leaving our property with it as seen on the security footage. This is a common tactic used by crooked contractors. When they order a big list of materials on your behalf, they will sneak in tools as done in this case. This is a felony in NC. It's Obtaining Property by False Pretense. Please call the police and file a report so crooked contractors like Joe Parulski can be arrested.
I later discovered that he took money from multiple other customers and never finished the job from the attorney representing those clients.

Lesson learned:

• Never pay upfront 
• Never let anyone do any work without a permit in hand
• Have a contract that lays out who, what, when, and how and a clause in there that you can terminate the contract for ANY reason provided balance is paid for the work that is already done
• Get everything in writing and take pictures and videos
• Do research on the contractor and their company
• Verify they are licensed and insured
• Ask for pictures of their recent work to see if you like their work
• If the contractor misses appointments or scheduled calls without any notice, this may not be the person you want to hire

The laws are against the property owners so it is imperative that we protect ourselves as our dream projects can turn into a nightmare.

A side note, please make sure that if your contractor hires a sub-contractor that they are paid by your contractor as that sub-contractor can secure a lien on your property if they do not get paid by your contractor. (for example, you hire a contractor to build you a house, your contractor then buys materials from a lumber yard, thinking your contractor will take care of the payment as you are paying your contractor. If your contractor does not pay the lumber yard, it is easy for them to secure a lien on your property then them having to go after your contractor for non-payment). This is where contract comes into play and can help you when the matter goes to court.

Joe Parulski is a perfect example of a crooked contractor that people need to avoid at all cost. Please listen to me and stay away from this individual.

To the hard working Americans, you work hard for your money, don't let deceitful people take advantage of you. If I did not check behind Joe Parulski, I would have been ripped off for over $4000.