About Kaamalot

Kaamalot (pronounced: "kam-uh-lot") is another spelling of "Camelot", the castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur.  Knights of Kaamalot lived by a code of chivalry that valued honor, honesty, respect and responsibility among other chivalrous qualities. I have personally witnesses and experienced firsthand the negative consequences of contractors and service providers not adhering to an ethical code of conduct.

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IT IS TIME TO RESTORE CHIVALRY IN BUSINESS AND IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES!

 

Many people rely on trade professionals, contractors and service providers for a variety of personal and commercial services; for example,

• Concrete 

• Framing

• Electricians

• Hanging drywall

• Flooring

• Handyman work

• Remodels

• Plumbing

• New Construction

• Digging wells

• Septic tank installation

• Custom woodworking

• Landscaping

• Swimming Pool Installation

• Automotive work

• Hanging windows

• Roofing

• Gutters

• Legal

• Counseling

• Etc.

 

Many times your contractor may have you sign a contract stating terms and conditions ("T's&C's").  But what if those "T's&C's" are written to protect the contractor and not your best interests.  For example, what if your home builder is a Cost+ builder, meaning, you will be charged the cost to build the house plus the builder’s fee, let’s say 15%.  Let’s say the cost of lumber, paint, concrete, etc. go up in price significantly from the time you signed the contract to when these products and services are purchased.  For example, if the cost of your build goes up $100,000 from your original estimate due to spikes in materials, do you believe that your builder has provided you with an additional $15,000 of value?  Well that is what you would pay with a Cost+ builder with no guardrails on the contract.

 

Or if your Cost+ builder gives you an estimate, what accountability measures are in place to ensure your builder is working against a budget?  Again, a loosely defined contract provides no guardrails for your builder to manage the cost of the build because all those costs are passed onto you plus their fee.  In my case, this resulted in a residential home construction that was 35-40% overbudget!

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How about home improvement services?  Let’s say you want a concrete deck poured for a patio or a swimming pool.  You get a referral from a friend or find a contractor from an Internet search or Craigslist; in my case, it was a referral from a friend.  You meet the contractor, you like them, they assure you they can do the job with excellence, you shake hands after agreeing to the project and price and the project begins.  However, soon after the project is completed and you have paid the contractor in full, you discover that the quality is not what you expected.  For example, the concrete is not level, cracks have appeared, after drying the color isn’t what you agreed upon, etc.  Now the contractor isn’t returning your calls or texts.  You discover that fixing this poor workmanship will cost you more than the original project.  What are your options?  Hire an attorney?  Pay a $500 retainer in hopes that a certified demand letter will spur your contractor to either be responsible and pay for damages or at least file a claim with their insurance?  

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Oh but wait.  Your contractor only has General Liability insurance which is required by law but not Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance (optional for most contractors).  E&O Insurance can cover many poor workmanship claims.  Next step, pay a $2,000 retainer for a civil lawsuit and hope that even if you win, the contractor is not a loser and will pay.  They may just declare bankruptcy and you're stuck with legal fees and still have to pay out of pocket to repair your deck.  Welcome to my world; this is exactly what I am going through right now!

 

There are countless other examples, but I mention these two regarding the Cost+ builder and the concrete contractor because both of these happened to me.  I have spent TENS OF THOUSANDS OF unnecessary dollars because I believed that others, like me, followed the “Golden Rule”; that they would treat me the way they would like to be treated.  Sadly, from experience, I have learned that no matter how much you like someone, or how much they assure you that they will make things right, sometimes they don’t.

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I truly want you to help you avoid these and other pitfalls.

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Our purpose is to define best practices and CODE OF CONDUCT between you and your contractors that will:

1. Significantly increase the likelihood that you will be delighted with work your service professional or contractor performs.

2. Minimize any service level misses in regards to quality, cost or time.

3. Provide a path for remediation in the event of avoidable, flagrant agreement breaches and poor workmanship.