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Building Nightmares: The True Cost of Oversight
Description
Hosts Mikki Paradis and Jessica Abreu of Chicks in Construction explain why permits matter and share a Denver homeowner horror story: Kevin and Noelle Collins hired Schwab Builders (run by Avi Schwab and involving his father Sean) for a major remodel of their 1950s bungalow, paying over $250,000 in installments. After demolition, progress stalled, communication turned vague, and they later discovered no permits were pulled and the contractor wasn’t properly licensed. A courtesy inspection led to a stop-work order and an engineering report declaring the home unsafe to occupy, forcing the family out after Thanksgiving 2023 and into two years of paying mortgage plus rent. Prosecutors found multiple victims, alleged over $1.1M in consumer fraud, and a jury convicted the builder on 47 felony counts; Avi was sentenced to 10 years. The BBB “Restoring Trust” program helped rebuild the Collins’ home for free, and the hosts highlight red flags like failing to verify licensing and skipping permits.
00:00 Permits Matter
00:13 Welcome and Submit Stories
01:42 Sneeze Talk Tangent
03:50 Tough Mudder Signup
08:59 Camping and Clean Freak
14:30 Back to the Horror Story
18:09 Denver Remodel Nightmare Setup
19:46 Schwab Builders Red Flags
20:55 Quarter Million Renovation Reality
22:22 Contracts and Payments
24:38 Demo and Dependency Trap
27:53 Delays and Ghosting
30:37 No Permits No License
35:30 Lawyer and Courtesy Inspection
37:45 Stop Work Unsafe Home
43:03 More Victims and Fraud
47:21 Trial Verdict and Sentencing
48:56 Restoring Trust and Red Flags
52:00 Final Takeaways and Outro
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