Couple Says Their Contractor Dragged Out the Job and Damaged Appliances — Now They’re Trying to Figure Out How to Fight Back

A home renovation already comes with enough stress on its own. Add a delayed contractor, damaged appliances, stained carpet, and a baby due any day, and suddenly a project that was supposed to make life easier starts feeling like one more thing going wrong at the worst possible time.

That was the situation described in a Reddit post on r/HomeImprovement, where someone wrote on behalf of their very pregnant sister, who had recently bought a house with her husband and hired a general contractor to handle renovation work before they moved in. The original Reddit post is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement/comments/wgaupi/general_contractor_is_dragging_out_work_and/

According to the post, the couple was dealing with two separate problems at the same time. The first was damage around the house and to items that were supposed to be part of the finished renovation. The second was the contractor’s slow progress, which was putting their move-in plans in jeopardy right before the baby arrived.

The damage issue started with the kitchen. The dishwasher had been removed while cabinets and countertops were being replaced, then moved to the garage. While it was sitting there, the door ended up with a serious dent. The couple had also ordered a brand-new range hood, but by the time they saw it at the job site, it had multiple dents and scratches. The poster said it looked like something pulled out of a junkyard instead of a new appliance meant for a renovated home.

The carpet became another issue. A wall-to-wall carpet had not been properly protected during the work, and it ended up with stains that might or might not come out. That left the couple stuck wondering what was reasonable. A dented dishwasher may still run fine, but nobody wants to move into a freshly renovated house and stare at damaged appliances every day. A carpet cleaning might solve the stain problem, but if it failed, replacing the carpet could mean thousands of dollars.

The contractor, according to the post, denied responsibility. The stains were supposedly already there. The range hood supposedly arrived damaged from the store. The couple wasn’t buying that explanation, especially because the contractor had not reported the damage when the appliances were delivered or unpacked. Instead, the damage only came up after the couple noticed it and asked what happened.

That detail bothered the poster. In their experience, if something arrives broken or defective at a job site, a contractor usually photographs it, reports it quickly, and lets the homeowner know before installing or handling it further. Here, the couple said the contractor was the one receiving shipments, unpacking appliances, and leaving materials unattended or unprotected. From their perspective, even if the contractor claimed the item came damaged, he should have told them as soon as he saw it.

The delays made everything worse. The contract apparently still allowed a few more days before the official completion deadline, but the couple had seen little to no progress for about two weeks. Some days, no one showed up. Other days, one person came by in the evening for a few hours. The kitchen was supposed to be done, but the poster said the crew had hung only one cabinet, put it in the wrong place, and left it there.

The contractor kept assuring them the work would be finished on time, but the couple had little reason to trust those promises. Previous assurances had not played out the way they were told they would. Now, with the baby due soon, they were worried they might not be able to move into the house before the birth at all.

That’s what made the situation so stressful. It was not only about scratched appliances or slow cabinet installation. The couple had planned their move around a major life event, and the contractor’s handling of the job threatened to throw off the whole plan. Anyone who has ever moved while pregnant, renovated before a deadline, or tried to coordinate repairs around family needs can understand why this would feel overwhelming fast.

They were considering withholding the final payment until the damage and unfinished work were handled. The poster said they were trying to figure out what was reasonable, what recourse they had, and whether the contractor’s insurance might cover the damage.

Commenters focused heavily on documentation and payment leverage. Several users told the poster to take photos of everything, keep all text exchanges, review the contract carefully, and make sure they understood any clauses related to completion dates, termination, late work, and final payment.

Some commenters said the contractor was responsible for the job site and should have protected appliances, flooring, and materials during the renovation. One user pointed out that contractors normally use protective coverings like plastic, floor protection, and other barriers when work is happening around finished surfaces.

Others warned that withholding payment can be useful leverage, but it also needs to be handled carefully because contractors may threaten liens or legal action. Several commenters suggested putting concerns in writing, following the termination terms in the contract if they decided to fire the contractor, and being very clear about why payment was being held.

A few users felt the couple should cut their losses and find a different contractor, even though the timing was awful. Their reasoning was that a contractor who denies damage, leaves work stalled, and keeps giving promises that don’t match what is happening on site may not be the person to trust with finishing the project properly.