Labbe Home Improvement

I unfortunately had a horrible experience with Kevin Labbe (Labbe Home Improvement). This month, I canceled a job with him due to his negligent behavior, and he is now refusing to return my nearly $10,000 deposit. In September of 2021, I consulted with Kevin Labbe to quote multiple projects in my house. His quote for a bathroom remodel was reasonable and I felt comfortable giving him the deposit (one third of the entire cost). Kevin's demeanor and communication completely changed after he had my money. My HVAC and electrical work was delayed by other contractors, so I asked him to wait to start the bathroom until that was done. In November, the electrical was done, so I asked him to move forward if he still had availability. Kevin told me "soon," but never gave a clear timeline, even after repeated requests over the next month and a half. Kevin then sent me an unexpected second invoice billing me for past phone/text communications outside the bathroom quote, which he had never mentioned he would charge for. From the very beginning I was adamant about Kevin pulling permits; I called City Hall to double check and found out he lied, he never even applied for one. That was the final red flag. I canceled the job and Kevin Labbe is now refusing to return any of my deposit (nearly $10k) on a job he never started. I fully offered to pay him for his time and the drywall he had already purchased, but he is threatening me with an attorney and trying to keep the entirety of my deposit. His responses have been aggressive and unprofessional, for example: "You jerked me around for 4 months," "You have strung me along too long," and "I don't work for free."