My firsthand experience

My Review of Bill Hall and Three Strong Men

Based on my experience, I would not hire Bill Hall again, and I advise other homeowners against hiring him.

I hired Bill Hall and the crew I knew as 3 Strong Handymen / Three Strong Men from Rockford, Illinois, to build a three-season room on our deck and a separate shed in our yard. Each project had its own contract. This review describes what I experienced and what the replacement contractor and building inspector told me.

Communication and Work Schedule

At the beginning, when I was making payments, Bill was pleasant. Later, I found it difficult to raise questions or concerns. When I questioned the work, I was told to wait until it was finished. I experienced his responses as angry and dismissive. Brett, the other crew member I dealt with, was consistently cordial.

In my experience, the crew generally arrived no earlier than noon and worked about five hours a day. Bill gave various explanations for missed work, including phone problems, vehicle breakdowns, and the possibility of rain. The delays and communication made the project increasingly frustrating.

Problems with the Three-Season Room

When a replacement contractor and the building inspector examined the room, they identified serious construction problems. The inspector told me the structure had to be removed. The roof, walls, and floor were taken down, adding expense, lost time, and the cost of a dumpster.

Among the problems I observed or was told about were:

• A connection between the room roof and the house roof that the replacement contractor described as improper and potentially unsafe under wind or snow loads.
• Single-pane windows installed even though my contract called for double-pane windows.
• Missing headers above the windows and door, identified to me as a structural problem.
• Caulking that washed out in the rain and ran down the walls and onto the outside step.
• Expanding insulation foam used to fill wide gaps around wall panels, windows, and the door.
• Persistent leaking where the room roof met the house.

The crew returned to work on the roof leak, but the next rain left a leak extending approximately 20 feet along the room. At that point, I ended their work on the project.

The Shed Was Never Started

The separate shed project was never started. I was left with an unfinished project and a three-season room that had to be removed and rebuilt.

Why I Am Sharing This

I am sharing my experience so other homeowners can make an informed decision. Read the court-record summary on the homepage and review the photographs below. Additional supporting documents will be added as this website is rebuilt.

This review is the homeowner’s account. Observations and opinions are distinguished from information attributed to the building inspector or replacement contractor. The court-record summary is presented separately on the homepage.

Project photographs

Photos from My Project

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