DENVER — Inside a Denver home, a "village" of contractors is volunteering time to help with a project that has turned out to be much larger than expected.
"It really does take a village for us to be able to finish this project," said Meghan Conradt, director of foundation for the Better Business Bureau (BBB). "And we're hoping that the community can come together and help support it."
The home first came on Denver7 Investigate's radar in January 2024. An independent engineer's report deemed it "unsafe to occupy" after finding the contractor hired for a remodel, Schwalb Builders, was not licensed and did not obtain building permits.
Noelle and Kevin Collins were out more than $250,000 and have been forced out of their home for a year and a half.
"They ruined our lives for almost three years now," said Noelle Collins in January. "We're still in a rental. I have to work two jobs. It's just, every time I think about it, it angers me."
Since Denver7 Investigates began looking into Schwalb Builders,the owner Sean Schwalb, his father Avi, and employees have been charged with more than 50 felony counts, accused of defrauding dozens of customers.
Read our previous coverage in the stories below
- 'Ruined:' Customers take on Schwalb Builders after unpermitted remodel
- 'It's criminal what they've done': Clients react to criminal indictment against Schwalb Builders owner, father
- Restoring trust: Contractors offer help to Denver family after unpermitted, unsafe remodel
At the Collins' home, Nate Trail, owner of To the T Plumbing Heating & Air, is chipping in to repair the previous work.
"We couldn't utilize anything that they had put in," said Trail. "We just started over from new, and then got it per code."
He and other contractors volunteered their services for free or at a discount through a Better Business Bureau Foundation program called Restoring Trust, which connects people who have been taken advantage of with reputable contractors willing to help.
Abel Strange, the CEO ofPro Power, is doing all the needed electrical work at a discount.
"We're happy to be a part of it, and we're honored to do it," he said.
Since Denver7 Investigates first covered the volunteers, city inspectors found the prior work was so shoddy that everything had to be taken down to the studs, according to Conradt.
"Because of the massive scope of this project, we really need all the help we can get in order to finish it," said Conradt.
The BBB has set up a donation page through its nonprofit arm, the BBB Foundation, to raise money to help cover the repairs. The group is also asking for supply donations, such as tile and plumbing fixtures.
Meanwhile, the contractors already volunteering to help, including Scott Kirkegaard with AJ Kirkegaard Contractors,said they would finish what they started for a family that deserves a village to help them.
"After hearing their story and what happened to them, I just felt like we had to step in and help," said Kirkegaard. "I'll tell you, I've been building for 25 years in Denver, and this is not our typical project. But I can say this is probably the most rewarding job I've been on."
The original contractor, Sean Schwalb, has continued to have legal troubles. He was arrested on April 11 on domestic violence charges in Florida. It remains to be seen if that will affect his bond status in the Colorado criminal case.
Sean and Avi Schwalb are due in court Monday.
