Homeowners, subcontractors speak out after Holtzman Construction abruptly pulls license

PHOENIX - Accusations from customers and subcontractors range from bad communication to evidence of fraud, all as Holtzman Construction and Holtzman Remodeling pulls its license to build, with countless projects far from complete.

Their Home Project:

"This is supposed to be our master bedroom," Richard Finley said.

Richard and Amanda Finley say they signed a contract with Holtzman Construction back in August 2024 for a project to create their dream home. The couple says the first three months of construction, starting in January 2026, went well.

"It went up fast; everything was going great. The last five, six, going on six and a half months. Nothing has been done. Little things, they’d come in and do little things here and there," Richard Finley said.

The project was originally supposed to be completed on Sept. 1.

"$135,000 worth of work has been done. The problem is, Holtzman has taken $622,000 out of a $900,000 project," Richard Finley said. "We don’t even have our skylights in. It was raining in here, and the contractor said about 20%, 25% of the wiring is done. 25% of the plumbing’s done."

Renovation Setbacks:

The lack of progress is affecting the Finleys' daily routine.

"We have not had laundry for five and a half months, so we have to go every weekend to the laundry mat," Richard Finley said.

The stalled work is also affecting their sense of security in their own home.

"That’s actually our house there on the other side of the plywood. That’s sat for weeks and weeks with just the plastic over it. I had to put little alarms in here that would go into the bedroom so if somebody was out here, you know…" Richard Finley said.

"Feels Like We Were Placated":

The Finleys say they emailed the company, and owner Brandon Holtzman came to their home on Aug. 19, telling them he would make sure they saw progress on the project.

"Looking back, it feels like we were placated, honestly," Amanda Finley said.

"We were told what we wanted to hear," Richard Finley said.

No Answer:

Since Aug. 19, the Finleys say communication has stopped altogether. Calls to a number associated with owner Brandon Holtzman from FOX 10 went to voicemail. Last week, an email was sent to Holtzman employees citing the "company's bankruptcy filing and permanent business closure." 

When a FOX 10 team tried the company's brick-and-mortar location on Monday, no one answered the door.

Subcontractors Speak Out:

Communication is also reportedly nonexistent for the owners of A&M Electric, who worked as subcontractors on several Holtzman jobs.

"It’s of course disheartening that there are people out there that actually do this," said Eric McClay and Sarah Amato, owners of A&M Electric.

By the numbers:

When asked how much money they are out right now on jobs where they have not gotten paid from Holtzman, they replied, "$36,657? Yeah. It’s about 12 jobs that are unaccounted for."

They say that kind of money makes a difference for a small business.

"We’ve been in business nine years and for everybody that’s run a small business, that’s a feat by itself. We want to thank the folks that have supported us and our employees, and we hope we’ll be here in the future," Eric McClay said.

List of Complaints:

Data from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors shows more than 150 complaints filed against Holtzman companies since 2010, with 45 filed since 2024 against Holtzman Construction.

The ROC would not comment on specific businesses or licenses, but the agency's website lists Holtzman Construction and Remodeling as inactive, a change from earlier in the day on Sept. 29.

Have You Been Impacted?:

ROC Director Tom Cole says that residents who believe they have been defrauded by any company should file for relief through the Residential Recovery Fund, but there is a cap of $30,000 per customer and $200,000 per contractor. To file a consumer fraud complaint with the Arizona Attorney General, click here. 

"For a residential contract customers, there’s definitely viable action and the important thing is to get that complaint filed as soon as possible. As far as subcontractors who haven’t been compensated, for example, if it’s a general contractor who’s going out of business, their remedy may need to be through the courts," Tom Cole said.

Growing Frustrations:

As for those waiting on paychecks and finished projects, options seem slim, and frustration is running high.

"It almost seems like we should, not expect this, but just be willing to accept the fact that we might not get paid for some of the work that we do and that just doesn’t seem right," Eric McClay said.

"Our dream house is stuck. We don’t have the money to complete the home. We’re just stuck," Richard Finley said.

Holtzman Attorney Statement:

FOX 10 received the following statement from Joel Sannes of Udall Shumway, a bankruptcy attorney representing Holtzman:

"Holtzman Construction and Holtzman Remodeling experienced a unique and unexpected challenge to their business and are exploring all options to respond to the challenge. The companies plan to make all efforts to ensure that their creditors have complete and accurate information regarding the companies' debts. If the companies file for protection under the bankruptcy code we will be happy to notify you."

Dig deeper:

An inquiry was sent to the Attorney General's Office to see if any of the Holtzman companies are currently under investigation, but the office declined to comment.

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