Took Frankie Raso to VCAT for attempting to increase costs from an agreed quote (he inspected the property) When we refused, he stopped the job and left a huge mess in our yard. We were awarded our deposit back on VCAT ref: D772/2012. Do not use them!!

The good: good quality work, on-time and fairly quick

The bad: there was a set quoted price for install of gas pipes. It was decided to dig a trench in the concrete then concrete over it. He stated it should be quick and no problem. It wasn't and we were charged for the "extra work" he did even though it was a set quoted price and we frequently asked if it would be a problem.

Approximate cost: $5000

Quoted for an exposed aggregate driveway and pathways all around house...also standard concrete for the shed. Started work then stated that prices need to be increased due to unforeseen circumstances even though he did a site inspect prior to quoting. We refused to pay the extra he refused to continue work...Took to VCAT to get our deposit back (which was 8,500 - 50%), won but still struggling to get the amount back to this day.

Approximate cost: $17000