I hired HomeWorks Energy through Mass Save to install a heat pump system. The install left water damage in two floors of my house, took nearly three months and four visits to finish, and as of today the company has not paid a dollar of the repair costs it agreed in writing to cover.
The heat pump install was scheduled, rescheduled, and started late. A part was missing, so the new system couldn't talk to my thermostats. When a technician came back to finish the job and turned the system on, water from the installation leaked into my ceilings, staining a first-floor living room and a second-floor bedroom closet. The closet developed a persistent musty smell.
HomeWorks sent a remediation company and a drywall/paint subcontractor. The subcontractor's ceiling patch didn't match, water stains were still visible, paint went onto the moulding, and the floor got scratched. Meanwhile, the second technician sent to finish the controls told me he'd never seen the equipment before and didn't know how to install it.
I eventually got two independent repair quotes myself. HomeWorks agreed to cover $3,025 of them, then spent the next ten days telling me it was "still waiting on the agreement letter." After I escalated to senior leadership, I was told the team would follow up that day. Nobody did.
Signed the proposal and paid a $500 deposit. The project was financed through a Mass Save HEAT Loan.
Told HomeWorks that the coordinator assigned to my project, who called me, didn't seem familiar with basic details of the job. HomeWorks apologized for "any confusion."
Per HomeWorks' loan process, I endorsed the loan check over to HomeWorks and mailed it. The project was effectively paid before any work started.
HomeWorks confirmed a four-day install, June 9–12.
HomeWorks' confirmation now listed only June 10–12. I pointed out it had been booked as four days.
The crew didn't start as scheduled. HomeWorks emailed that afternoon saying they'd come the next three days instead.
System installed, but a part needed to connect it to my existing thermostats and boiler was missing. The thermostats could only see the old boiler.
I followed up repeatedly about the missing part. HomeWorks installed a basic stopgap thermostat on June 25 and booked the controls integration for July 1.
Integration attempt #2. The technician turned the system on.
After discovering water stains, I sent HomeWorks photos of damage to the first-floor ceiling, the second-floor closet ceiling, and the attic.
Asked, in writing, for an independent water-restoration evaluation at HomeWorks' expense, given a persistent smell in a bedroom closet and possible mold. Reported a new stain later that day.
After 24 hours with no written reply, I set a deadline. HomeWorks replied:
"I also want to reassure you that you have not been ignored."I asked HomeWorks to stop responding to my emails by phone and put things in writing.
A remediation company inspected. Remediation work didn't start until mid-August.
Integration attempt #3. The technician told me he had never seen this integration equipment and didn't know how to install it; he expected to be trained on it the following week.
Two weeks of follow-ups ("I know you're reading this") before HomeWorks proposed a date.
Remediation opened the closet wall; HomeWorks' drywall/paint subcontractor followed.
The repair was inadequate. The patched textured ceiling didn't match the original, water stains were still visible, paint was applied onto the moulding, and the living-room floor was scratched. The closet was rebuilt with nail holes and gaps left unfinished.
HomeWorks cancelled the integration visit the morning of, citing an emergency call. Nobody came.
Integration attempt #4 finally completed, and the drain line was relocated away from the storage space. About 12 weeks after the install.
Sent HomeWorks a written, photo-documented list of remaining damage across seven rooms. Also noted that two air purifiers (about $2,000) included in the contract were never installed.
Reported that with the thermostat set to 65°F, the house wouldn't drop much below 75°F, with thermostat data to show it. The project manager first suggested the thermostat schedule was to blame, then asked me to call.
Sent HomeWorks two independent repair quotes I'd gathered myself: $3,405 and $3,475.
HomeWorks agreed to cover $3,025, excluding items it called
"unrelated to the leak and resulting damage."The excluded items were holes and damage in ceilings next to the vents and ductwork HomeWorks installed.
HomeWorks said it would seek approval "today."
Five written reminders from me. Replies included:
"Unfortunately I am still waiting on the agreement letter for us to sign."
"My apologies for the delay, I will find out what is holding up this process!"
Escalated to HomeWorks senior leadership.
Leadership replied:
"That is not the level of service we aim to provide. … They assured me that they will be following up today."No one followed up that day.
| Repair (from an independent quote) | Quote | HomeWorks |
|---|---|---|
| Living room ceiling: sand, skim coat, prime and paint | $2,225 | Covered |
| Living room wall: crown moulding, water stain, repaint | $410 | Covered |
| Primary bedroom: drill damage in ceiling, wall, moulding | $190 | Covered |
| Bedroom closet: baseboards, shelf, bracket | $200 | Covered |
| Primary bathroom: ceiling around exhaust fan | $75 | Excluded |
| Upstairs hallway: two ceiling holes from the HVAC work | $100 | Excluded |
| Guest bedroom: ceiling around new vent | $125 | Excluded |
| Second bedroom: ceiling around new vent | $80 | Excluded |
| Agreed Oct 6 · paid as of Oct 16 | $3,025 | $0 |
The excluded items weren't caused by the leak, but they were caused by the install. Every one of them is next to ductwork or equipment HomeWorks put in. HomeWorks' field team told me during an end-of-install walkthrough that they'd be fixed.