Great American Log Homes

Marshall’s crew built our deck in one day and we couldn’t be more happy. They do quality work and have a very hard working crew (even in the overwhelming heat).

On September 25, 2019, we met with Marshall Painter, who portrayed himself to be the owner/proprietor of Great American Log Homes and executed a contract to build a 20 x 20 screened porch, with an open deck above. Value of the project was to be $62,800 with a 50% deposit due at signing and the balance due at completion. The deposit was paid and the project commenced. Early stages seemed to progress as expected – permits were pulled, although under a completely different company name (Colorcraft Litho, Inc., out of Winchester VA), which should have been our first red flag. Regardless, work on the porch continued – the footers were dug and we noticed that one of the footers had a gas line running through it and Marshall said it would be fine – he would pour the concrete around it. We expressed that we weren’t comfortable with that and asked him to have it moved. He continued to profess that it would be fine, but we called the county to see if the footer would be approved with the gas line in it and the county said no. We told Marshall of that conversation and he said he would have his plumber out the next day. This turned in to more than a week delay and when we pushed Marshall on when it would be moved, he said that his plumber wouldn’t do it and we needed to have it moved ourselves. Red flag number 2. We did as he asked and had the gas line moved – footers were approved by the county and framers were set to start. After the footers were approved, the framing crew (led by Wilbur) came and they installed all the support posts for the new porch/deck. The quality of what they built seemed to be good, but we noticed that they had only installed 4 support posts, instead of the 5 as shown on our drawings. When we pointed this out to Marshall and Raul (project manager), they claimed our drawings only showed 4 posts, but upon further review of the drawings, they realized that was incorrect – only 4 posts resulted in openings that were too large for the EZE Breeze windows that were to be installed. Marshall and Raul acknowledged that the framers messed up and said all the posts would be moved, as per the plans. When it was discovered that they had to redo the support posts anyway, we did ask Marshall/Raul to make a change and switch from having 2 exit doors from our porch to only one, they agreed. We acknowledged that the change would have additional costs, as a small deck (approximately 6 x 6) would have to be built as a landing from the new exit doors, and agreed to discuss the costs at a later time. The re-framing work was completed in October, then when the project was nearing completion in January, Raul let us know that the cost for the changes that we had requested for the exit doors (as well as a few other things - lights on our deck posts, insulation of the floor, etc.) would be $3,000. We agreed to that cost and have texts to confirm the amount was agreed upon. Although the project documents called for a 50% deposit up front and balance due at completion, Marshall came to us in early December and said he needed a favor. He said that he had gotten himself in over his head with a house he was building out towards Warrenton – said he didn’t ask for enough of a down payment on that house and he was over extended and couldn’t make payroll. He said his guys would walk off the job and not complete our porch, unless we could help him out. We felt bad for Marshall and definitely wanted our porch to get completed, so we agreed. We gave Marshall $5,000 in early December and another $7,500 in early January, even though the porch wasn’t complete. In addition, in early December Marshall told us that he didn’t have the money to acquire the remaining material that he needed for our project – the EZE Breeze windows that were part of the contract, the deck railings/balusters, etc. He asked if we could pay for the windows directly to the supplier and also pay his vendor (Barrons) for the remaining deck materials that were needed. We agreed, and these direct payments to vendors totaled another $9,060.29. After these progress payments and vendor payments, the balance due to Marshall was $12,839.71. In mid-January, Marshall and Raul announced that they considered the porch to be “complete”. We issued one additional progress payment of $9,839.71 and told them that we would issue the final $3,000 once they completed a few remaining punch list items. During the next few weeks, our porch was leaking every time it rained and we contacted Marshall/Raul to come out to take care of it. Raul did bring a crew out a few times, but their solution to the leaking problem was to apply a tape to the gap between the upper roof and the gutter. We didn’t like this fix and felt that it was temporary – Raul was the only one talking with us at this point (Marshall had stopped returning our calls) and he said he didn’t know what else to try and claimed “this was the best they could do”. We told Raul that this wasn’t satisfactory and they needed to come up with something else. That was 4 months ago and we have yet to see or hear from anyone from Great American Log Homes again. Fast forward to mid June and we were noticing other issues starting to develop with the porch – mildew/mold seemingly growing out of the gaps at the upper roof where water was to have drained, liners that were applied were peeling up, trim boards directing water into the porch (rather than away), etc. We decided to have an inspection of the porch and were informed that there are significant issues with how the porch was constructed and we had serious water drainage issues. We contacted Marshall on July 6th to let him know of the findings and that we would like for him to send his crew out to address the issues found in the report. Marshall said he would call us back the morning of July 7th and would come to take a look. When we didn’t hear from Marshall, we called him again and he informed us that he had personally filed for bankruptcy and there was nothing he could do about our issues – he had dissolved his company and he was working for someone else. When we pressed Marshall about honoring his warranty and the severity of the issues we have, he became very defensive blaming us for him losing his business stating our $60K porch job is what made him have to file for bankruptcy. We knew that wasn’t the case because we had already paid 95% of the agreed upon amount that he was owed. We told Marshall that if he truly did have to close his business, it was probably because he agreed to build a house for someone without asking for enough of a down payment. He didn’t disagree. Marshall acknowledged that he had bitten off more than he could chew with taking on our complicated porch, but we told him that he should have been honest with us, if he wasn’t up for it. He agreed. We ended the call after re-stating that we were going through with filing the report and complaint and he told us to do whatever we had to do. Given Marshall’s unwillingness to help us resolve our issues, we will now have to contract with another company to completely re-work our upper deck area (roof of the porch), install waterproof membranes and the gutter system in the correct manner, replace poorly installed trim boards that drain water into the porch, rebuild the stairs from our porch as they are unlevel and drain water towards the house where it pools, as well as several other issues. We will be filing a complaint with DPOR and seeking restitution from the contractors recovery fund for poor quality work and inability/unwillingness to honor warranty claims.

Workmanship was first class. Project was started early and completed faster than was anticipated. Cleanup was very good. Inspection approved on one visit. Could not have been done any better. We are very satisfied and would recommend to anyone. Thanks to Marshall, Raul, and the team.

I originally hired Marshall Painter (from Great American Log Homes) to add a landing and stairs to my deck and put in a patio under my deck. They did such a great job that I hired them again to do my basement and basement bathroom. I was not disappointed, Marshall, Raul (and their guys) did another terrific job on my basement. They worked very hard to meet all of my requirements and were always courteous and trustworthy. I would definitely recommend them and would hire them again. They are also very reasonably priced. Thanks Marshall and Raul for all of your hard work !!

Excellent from start to finish!! Our screened-in porch was added to the back of our house & it looks beautiful!! The project manager kept us updated & the porch was competed in a timely manner. We would definitely recommend this contractor!

Excellent workmanship, professionally done!!! They installed a knee wall and screened in our back porch. It looks like it came with the house!!! The attention to detail and craftsmanship were outstanding. Likewise, the finished room they completed looks like it came with the house. The crews were punctual, kept their work areas clean and were a pleasure to work with. Raul is outstanding. Really enjoyed the experience with them. Would definitely recommended and hire again!

Marshall Painter and his Project Manager Raul provided an excellent product. Marshall suggested various enhancements to the porch plan and they were excellent. He and Raul were in contact with me throughout construction to ensure I was pleased. Raul managed a team that was hardworking, polite, responsive and showed pride in their work. Several neighbors who observed the construction asked for business cards and followed up with contacts for similar projects. I have been very pleased work and final product.

I contracted with Marshall Painter to build a new deck on a townhouse in Winchester, VA in September 2019 to begin work on November 13, 2019 and paid 50% down. Marshall indicated the work would take approximately 4 days. The work was delayed and it took nearly 2 weeks. Marshall told me the job was completed and I paid him the balance due, unfortunately I did not inspect the job. Upon my inspection the side of the deck was not constructed. I called Marshall and he apologized for forgetting. I also inquired how to turn on the deck lights. I called him 3 times and he said he would call me back but he never did. It has been nearly 5 weeks and Marshall still has not finished the job I contracted him to do. I regret doing business with this man. Moreover, I regret paying him without confirming the job was completed. In summary, I am astounded to know that Marshall’s word and commitments are not honorable.

They did an excellent job on my deck. The were professional and endlessly patient with all my questions. I would highly recommend them for anyone wanting a deck built.

Very well. Marshall and team delivered a beautiful quality product. They were highly accommodating to work with and their collective experience brings sound, creative ideas/solutions to the table. Marshall Painter is respected by all the ‘trades’ he works and partners with. This team is now my ‘go to’ for any major renovation.

It went very well, done within a reasonable timeline and at a competitive price. Worksmanship quality is excellent.

Excellent work. Great quality. Marshall and Duncan are great guys to work with. Good job done in a short time.

A very professional outfit. Marshall came to the house and discussed the project (slightly complex issues) and offered a very fair price for the work. Moises and his crew showed up on time and did a truly professional job on the house and garage. Cleaned up behind themselves when finished. I would highly recommend them and their work.

Great! Marshall’s guys started Tuesday morning and we were enjoying our deck by Friday evening. We’re so happy with the outcome and would work with Marshall and Duncan again in a heartbeat!

The guys at Great American Log Homes were great! From the initial quote, to picking out the color and making payment, it was a great experience. Incredible workmanship, professional, knowledgeable and efficient. They had our deck built in 2 days and it is absolutely gorgeous. Would highly recommend.

I thought I wrote this right after the service. I'll try again. These folks were extremely efficient. They really knew what they were doing. They had many good suggestions better than what I had planned. They were easy to work with, on time, and faster than I ever imagined. I love everything about these decks. They have added a great deal to my house and my entertaining. Thank You.

Excellent, very professional and done on time.

Excellent!

Very professional throughout the entire process. Focused on quality and customer expectations. Final outcome is a product built with exceptional structural integrity and design. This was accomplished in five days. His crew did not come and go. They arrived every day at 8am and departed at 5pm..sometimes later. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a high quality product built by trustworthy craftsmen. Thankyou.

The work was done with high quality. Marshall was very responsive and easy to work with. We recommend Marshall and Great American Log Homes very highly.

Everything went wonderfully, he explained everything, great attention to details, and really takes pride on their work.

Marshall was good to his word. His crew was hard working, professional and courteous. Cleaned up after the job and ensured I was happy with the work. We recommend this contractor.

Excellent workmanship with high level attention to detail. Marshall has an excellent team and is a pleasure to work with. Marshalls right hand man is Don, his younger brother. Don is a perfectionist in his trade. Marshall is a man you can trust to get it done on time, at budget. He provided valuable assistance in the design process. I'm saving for a garage, these guy's will get the job when I make that decision.

Marshall and his crew turned my house into a home. I love the results!!

very professional, completed on time, within budget