L5 Design Build Corp

BUYER BEWARE! L5 Design Build's CEO Ben Lee will say anything to get you to sign the dotted line, then steadily walk back his promises, eventually leaving you hanging with a final product that he won't stand behind. This was one of the most disappointing and unprofessional experiences I’ve ever had.

Things started off great with Ben: He seemed very nice, eager and easygoing. We were excited to work with him and thought we'd really lucked out. But as construction of our home continued, his communication became increasingly lacking and his attitude soured. He assured us we would be able to customize the house (within reason, of course), but would often proceed without seeking our input, cutting us out of the process. When he did loop us in, he'd fail to set parameters and then quickly get frustrated when we'd cross his invisible lines. For example, we were allowed to pick paint colors, but he then got angry that we picked too many colors because he didn't want to pay his subcontractors to change brushes (!?). He would also frequently agree to do one thing and then do another -- without communicating about it at all until we discovered the discrepancy. We even had very specific items in our contract that he guaranteed, like landscaping in the backyard, that he would later flat-out refuse to provide. When we gently raised these issues, either directly with him or through our realtors, he would become very defensive or nonresponsive.

Additionally, we had a very disturbing incident in which Ben flew into a rage at our realtor, a young woman half his size, when she approached him amicably with questions and suggestions about how to smooth out the communication problems. He screamed at her for several minutes and actually threw her out of the house. When we showed up shortly after to meet with him, he was all smiles and pretended that nothing had happened — despite the fact that our realtor was literally sobbing on the front porch after the unsettling and misogynistic experience she'd had with him. Even Ben's own realtor seemed deeply embarrassed and uncomfortable when we arrived at the scene.

Don't get me wrong: For the most part we like our house and things are fine. That's why this isn't a 1-star review. But in the few short months since we moved into the home L5 Design Build built for us, we've had numerous frustrating problems resulting from rushed or sub-par work, including a collapsing stone patio, incomplete cable and electrical wiring, cracking drywall, improperly sized and sticking doors, improperly installed cabinets, bulging floorboards, shower tiles that weren't sealed, leaking gutters, etc. All of that would be fine and understandable if Ben bothered to acknowledge and address these problems, and uphold the 2-year builder's warranty he agreed to in our purchase contract. Instead, he has completely ignored all communications and refuses to return calls or messages. It’s a stunning lack of professionalism and speaks volumes about his work ethic and integrity.

Bottom line: Ben Lee does not negotiate in good faith. He doesn't stand by his word or behind his work. Unfortunately, I advise folks to steer clear, or to at least handle with caution and go in with eyes wide open about how he operates.