Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/10/2025

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnresolvedMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  The fence job we hired Reifeis for was supposed to take 2 weeks but ended up taking over 2 months (April to June 2024); they were behind schedule from the start. **, the owner, sold us the job and gave us a quote (~24k), assuring us hed be on-site every day. In reality, I doubt he put in more than a few hours across those two months, aside from dropping off materials. The crew he assigned was slow, disorganized, and lacked any oversight. They were not Red Brand Certified, as **** company claimed to be. When we raised concerns with ** and his mother, **** (who helps run the business), they blamed the rocky ground. But thats hardly an excusethis company works in *******, ********, in the ***************. We had little recourse because we were already financially committed (paid ~27k), so we tried to stay patient, pushed for more supervision. When the job was done, they demanded significantly more money than originally quoted, despite the work being worse than the chicken run fence I had built myself the previous yearmy first and only fencing project. We told ** and **** that if they wanted additional payment, they needed to come out and inspect the work. They refused, got defensive, and even made threats. ***** parting words were, Weve done enough on the jobyou can hire someone else to fix it. We recently looked into that, and we were quoted $27,000 by a reputable fence company in ******************* to straighten the fence, noting that the wire is likely unusable and all the posts would need to be dug out and properly set in concrete. The posts are wobbly, and some gates even come unlatched when opened because the posts shift backward.When my wife asked ** about the poor work on our property, he not only refused to take responsibility but called us the worst customers hes ever had, claiming hes been talking to the neighbors about us. We want a refund to hire another company to fix the botched job. Our fence is unusable in its current state.

  Business Response

  Date: 06/23/2025

  Although we have communicated with this customer privately, we are responding to this complaint regarding a fence installation project completed in June 2024. We understand the customer's frustration and regret that this project did not meet their expectations. While we acknowledge each party has a right to their narrative,we believe some context regarding the project's unique challenges is important for clarity.
  This project involved installing over *************************************************************** Conifer, ********. Our initial estimate was based on approximately 135 hours of labor, assuming no extraordinary challenges. However, due to unforeseen ground conditions, our team ultimately invested 264 hours to address the extreme rock and terrain.
  It's important to clarify that our company does not guarantee specific timelines for completion due to potential variables such as weather, extreme rock, material sourcing, or equipment availability. These factors were discussed and agreed upon at the project's outset.
  As the project progressed, we encountered significant rock mitigation challenges. We communicated these challenges to the customer, along with the associated additional labor and equipment costs. The customer also requested additional items outside the original scope. Unfortunately, at this point, the relationship became increasingly contentious, and the customer indicated they were unwilling to pay for the additional labor required. Despite these difficulties, we continued working to at least enclose the remaining area to contain their animals on site.
  The customer had previously shared, over a year ago, that an estimate to complete the remaining work with another contractor was approximately $10,****** that time, more than $10,000 in uncollected funds remained on the project with our company. We fully expected these funds would be used by the customer to complete the project with a contractor of their choosing, as our relationship had deteriorated beyond repair. Since that course of action wasn't taken, and with the passage of over a year, the condition of the fence has unfortunately deteriorated further, leading to the customer's current quote of $27,000 for corrective work. Had the work been addressed a year ago using the available funds, this extensive deterioration might have been avoided.
  Regarding the customer's request for a $27,000 refund, we want to clarify the financial breakdown of the project from our perspective:
  Total paid to our company: $20,115.24
  Our company's direct costs for materials, subcontractors, and equipment rentals (no margins): $14,770.98
  Remaining funds used for labor: $5,344.26
  Considering the 264 labor hours invested, the amount paid for labor equates to approximately $20.24 per hour. If we consider only the original estimated 135 hours, the paid labor would be approximately $39.59 per hour. The company covered the remaining labor and overhead expenses. By the project's conclusion, our company incurred a significant loss of approximately $18,000.00+ on this project.
  Ultimately, we decided to absorb this substantial loss and leave the remaining funds uncollected so the customer could engage another contractor they trusted to complete the project, as they had indicated.
  We recognize that seeing our company working on a neighboring property may have re-triggered frustrations for the customer, leading to this public complaint and social media posts. Over the past year, we have successfully completed multiple projects, continuing to work collaboratively with our clients and effectively mitigating challenges. We have taken valuable lessons from this experience and continue to prioritize clear communication and customer satisfaction.
  We wish the customer the best.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/01/2025

  I am rejecting this response because it misrepresents key facts, omits important context, and fails to acknowledge the substandard quality of work performed. We are requesting a $7,500 refund to cover a portion of the labor costs associated with the failed fence installation and the extensive repairs now required.
  We hired Reifeis Land Management in good faith to install over ***** feet of secure fencing on our property in *******, ********. What we received was a poorly executed and unsafe fence that is structurally unsound, inadequately tensioned, and incapable of reliably containing animals. Our request for partial compensation is not based on opinionits based on documentation, on-site photos, the companys own quote, and the condition of the fence as it was left.
  
  1. Terrain and Site Conditions Were Misrepresented
  We were transparent from the beginning about the rocky conditions on our property. During the walk-through, ** ******************** assured us that their quote included padding for rocky soilapproximately 30 hours. We also explicitly stated that if rock conditions became problematic, wed be willing to adjust the fence line. He agreed, and we trusted that he would maintain communication throughout the project.
  Fewer than 10 post holes required jackhammering by our count. The majority of the job was typical Conifer terrain and did not justify more than doubling the labor hours. The issue was not the site. The issue was lack of oversight and inefficient labor practices.
  
  2. Oversight Was Practically Nonexistent
  The job took over two months, despite a two-week estimate. One worker was on his second job with ******************** ever. The ******* was on his first. **, who was supposed to oversee the job and assured us that he would be working on it himself with 23 guys, showed up only 35 times, mostly just to drop off materials. We estimate he worked a total of 12 days on site. Many messages requesting updates and behavior changes around the property went unanswered.
  This lack of qualified labor and poor planning led to extended jackhammer rentals and other inflated equipment charges. These overruns were preventable and are not the customer's responsibility. Had ** been there, as he said he would, to communicate and make adjustments and monitor worker pace and behavior, these overages would not have existed.
  
  3. The Fence Was Never Built Correctly
  This isnt a case of deterioration. The fence was never structurally sound. The wire is under-tensioned. The H-braces are unstable. Posts shift easily. ***** come off their mounts. Our own DIY chicken fence has held up betterdespite having no H-braces and being tensioned by myself with c-clamps and no prior fence building experience.
  Most telling: our golden retriever has escaped the fenced area simply by seeing us on the other side. The fence does not function.
  
  4. Misleading Accounting of Materials and Scope
  ******************** claims to have spent $14,770.98 on materials and equipment rentals. However, their own signed and updated quote (March 7, 2024) lists $11,379.12. While a few gates were added (discussed during the walk-through but omitted from the quote), roughly 80 feet of fence was removed from the planoffsetting any increase.
  There were no formal change orders. No documented approvals of overruns. These cost changes were neither justified nor communicated until well after they had significantly overrun their estimate, and they had stapled and locked down subpar fencing.
  
  5. The Fence Was Not UnfinishedIt Was Done, Just Done Poorly
  The fence was stretched, stapled, and fully constructed when ******************** left. Every H-brace, every post. This was not a paused projectit was a completed one, albeit completed to an unacceptable standard. Suggesting they left the job for us to finish is inaccurate and misleading.
  
  6. The Cost of Repairs Reflects the Scope of the Damage
  We have now received quotes between $16,000$27,000 to replace or repair the fence. These are not inflated figures. They reflect the cost of various repair quotes, from tearing out and replacing more than ***** feet of poorly installed fencing to pulling out staples, removing/retamping/replacing existing fence poles, and re-stretching the existing fencing to a reasonable standard. We initially held off hiring a new contractor in hopes of resolving things peacefully. Other home repairs took priority, but now we are returning to address this lingering issue.
  
  7. Our Public Comments Are Factual and Supported
  We shared our experience on the Nextdoor Conifer forums and on ****** reviews. Our post was supported by documentation and, on Nextdoor, echoed by other community members who had similar experiences. In contrast, **** ********************s response to that post misrepresented the number of animals on our property and misstated financial facts.
  We have not made any defamatory statements. Weve simply told the truth. Our concerns are not isolated; they are consistent with what others in the community have publicly shared.
  
  8. Reason for Relationship Deterioration
  Lori's claim above that the relationship deteriorated because we refused to pay for additional labor is inaccurate. The relationship deteriorated because the quality of work declined, and we began raising concerns. It ultimately failed completely when **** and ** refused to even come to our home to look at the work completed and discuss how to move forward. This is a pattern of refusing to take accountability for actions.
  At one point, we addressed dangerous debris left in our yard (see attached photo of a can our dog ingested) and asked for better cleanup going forward. We also had ongoing communication issues, particularly with **, who was often unresponsive and unclear about the plan (see attached text). In addition to trash on our property, their crew also left personal items on a neighbors land and failed to secure our barn during work hours, compromising our animals' safety.
  
  Conclusion and Requested Resolution
  This was not a terrain problem. It was a mismanaged project with inadequate labor, little oversight, and no accountability. The result was a dangerous, unstable fence and a loss of trust.
  We are seeking a $7,500 refund, which is less than the quoted labor, less than ********************s claimed labor, and only a fraction of what it will cost us to repair this work. We believe this is more than reasonable.
  We are seeking a fair outcomenot a full refund, but reasonable compensation for a job that failed on both technical and professional levels. Their refusal to take responsibility leaves us with no option but to pursue recovery through the court, if it is not handled appropriately here.
  
  Attachments:
  Signed quote (dated 3/7/24)
  Photos of the fence condition
  Screenshots of messages, both with ** and on Nextdoor
  We also have video documentation of the fence condition and project timeline, but due to BBB file size restrictions, only photos are included here.
  
  Sincerely,
  **** and ****** *****
  Conifer, CO