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:02/22/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnpursuableMore 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.

  They installed our stone front stairs during May 2023 with shoddy workmanship and increased costs due to "scope creep". Some of our stones are already falling off less than a year later and they never repaired damages they made to our property during the installation. After a poor review online they came back to inspect our stairs, said they never would have signed off on it and would be back in a week. I stead of fixing them, they blocked our number and never came back. Avoid them at all costs.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:11/27/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  We contacted this ***** to come and look at a leak in our chimney. We had had this fixed by another contractor and we still had this issue. The contractor came and said there was a crack in the top and he needed to remove a few layers of brick and build this back up. He came and removed the layers of brick and then told us it needed to be brought down to **** level and built back up and would be $10,000 dollars or the chimney would fall. This seems to be a pattern with this contractor. He built the chimney back up and it looked great, yet we still have the same leak we had in the first place and this contractor after numerous calls has not returned to fix this issue even though his work supposedly had a life time warranty.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 12/08/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/15/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  My elderly, foreign parents were looking for a contractor to remodel their basement. They found "Interstate Masonry and Construction" on Angi's List, and were contacted by an individual named *************************.******* gave them a quote of $9000 and promised a "25 years warranty." ******* indicated that he could do the project within "two days." After getting my parents to agree and sign an invoice for $9,000, ******* then pressured them into giving him money on the spot. Specifically, he said that, if my parents did not give him a $4,000 deposit, he would not be able to get to the project "for many weeks or months." My parents eventually agreed to give him $2000 as a deposit to begin work the next day, which he agreed to do.******* had them write out a check for the $2000 deposit. But he told them NOT to make it out to "Interstate Masonry and Construction." Instead, he asked them to make it out to him personally.******* did not show up at the agreed upon time for the job. He eventually called my parents back and said that the new cost of the project would be "at least $16,000" or more.My parents refused to agree to the higher price and for their $2,000 back. But ******* just hung up, refused to return their calls, and then blocked them. He cashed the $2,000 check that same day.It turns out all of this was a scam:1) I found several other complaints that mirrored my parents' experience on the BBB (*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************). 2) Interstate's website claims that it is a "licensed and insured" contractor. Neither "*************************" nor "Interstate Masonry and Construction" is a licensed contractor in NY or MA. (Search for yourself: *********************************************************; ******************************************************)3) There is no registered company operating under the name "Interstate Masonry and Construction" in NY or MA.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/26/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint, except ************************* threatened to stop the check he said hed already sent in the mail to us a week before if I didnt withdraw our complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:06/20/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  UnansweredMore 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.

  We hired Interstate to repair our chimney & install a wood burning stove. The problem was smoke coming in through the basement fireplace when we used the main floor fireplace. We were told that the chimney needed to be extended by ******** high. The quote was for $1900. They began on 3/24/23. ***** then told us that our chimney was unstable & needed to be brought to roof level & rebuilt for $10k. He said they were very busy & could do the work this weekend only or he wouldnt be able to return for months & that our chimney could fall. We felt that we didn't have time to get a second opinion. We gave a $5k deposit. He returned the next day & said the chimney is actually unstable to the base & needs to be completely redone. He said the cost would be $25k & that if we didn't do it they would leave the chimney how it was now & stop working (chimney was half down, some of our siding already removed & roof shingles pulled off). He said this had a lifetime warranty. The workers started taking down the chimney & didn't cover the fireplace openings inside, allowing soot to fill our living spaces. After ~5 days the chimney was mostly complete & ***** demanded full payment. I felt intimidated to pay despite not having everything cleaned up, the chimney tested, and stove installed. He promised to return that day with a receipt & to test the chimney. He didn't return until 1 week later when the trash was being picked up. He told my husband to start a fire himself instead of him doing a smoke test. Smoke filled the house. Called him daily until he returned 2 weeks later & knocked out some bricks in the chimney. This still didn't work & is worse than before. He said he was going to build the chimney higher 2 weeks later said he was going to get a rotating cap. We called almost daily for 2 months he'd tell us he would be there to do work & would not show or answer our calls. He is now ignoring my calls. We would like a refund to hire someone to fix the poor work that was done.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 07/03/2023

  I have not heard from the business in response to my complaint.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:12/28/2022

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore 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.

  I had some water leaking in from the external wall of the chimney. I called the contractors for a review and they gave me a quote and contract to do the job for $2500. Job included chinmey pot replacement, new hydraulic cement cap installed, number of top bricks repointed, reseal all lead flashing around and remove all trash. They started the work on December 20, 2022 hammering on the chimney cap the whole day for replacement. At the end of the day I got a call from the manager/supervisor, *****************************, that there are more problems than just a leak. He said they have to knock the chimney down and rebuild because bricks were rotted from the inside and it is a structural issue. He was asking for $10,000 more and will have 10 people here the next day to get the complete job done. I asked for some pictures of the problem but he was not able to show me. He said the cap was closed already, but that was not true. I argued that the external looked fine and I need to see evidence of the damage. He was not able to provide this for me. So I told him to finish the original contract and I want to have a second opinion. I had another chimney/construction guy look at it the next morning and the structure seemed to be fine. He could not climb up to the roof because it was early and there is still some icing on the roof. Interstate came back later that morning to replace and cement the cap, repointed and reseal the flashings. I wrote a check for Interstate, but ******* said he is an independent contractor and said to write the check to his name. I thought that was odd. I was ******* to get the job done because it was close to Christmas and there was another storm coming. The storm hit on Friday and it was leaking again. Everything is supposed to be seals already. I called them back again and they said they can't do anything because of the internal damages that the chimney need to be knocked down and rebuild. I will get a few more contractors to look at this.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/08/2023

  Hi, we've received a complaint from a customer by the name of ***********. We are **********************. We are a Five star company with over 120 five star reviews with not one negative complaint. We are a really busy company it disappoints me to have to even waste my time and have to write this statement. We inspected this guys chimney we identified the leak he wasn't happy with the price. So he asked would a new cap and a small bit of pointing and sealing the led capping help. We replied yes as it would help. He signed the contract and we did everything in the contract then he called us back out and told a team member that wasn't at the job that we told him we'd install a new led capping. He said this trying to trick our new employee into installing a new led flashing for free. We then got informed this and we showed him the invoice again that he already had but refused to show our new employee. He was told where the leak was coming from he didn't want to spend the money. We
   suggested to get new quotes. We also have a written warranty in the contract that we guarantee all ******* ship. We still stand by that. I'm really disappointed we have to end it this way as customer satisfaction is our main priority. We also have him a discount for new customers and he wanted it done soon before the rain and we took guys of another project to work on his to keep him at ease as he was worried about the storm that was coming. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/09/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]

  What was responded by Interstate Masonry is not true.  I called them back because my chimney is still leaking from the same place after the work was completed.  They insisted that it was a structural issue and the chimney need to be knocked down and rebuild to fix the problem.  Therefore the leak will persist and they will not do anymore work for me.  I had 2 separate contactors look at it afterward.  I paid another $160 for a complete chimney inspection.  There were no structural issues cited by both contractors.  Inspection report/inspector indicated that that flashing was poorly sealed.  Photo indication was that the flashing was caulk sealed and not using chimney flashing sealant.  The chimney top/crown was built with mortar and not cement which water can soak in.  To remedy those problems, a chimney cap can be installed to cover the chimney top or a crown coating can be applied.  The flashing need to be sealed with flashing sealant.  Waterproofing spray will also help with the bricks.  This is inspection only, they are not trying to sell or do any work for me and I did not tell the inspector that work had already been done.  Later on the quote I got for chimney cap is $1,075 including installation.  $300 to coat the crown, $275 for waterproofing spray and $245 to redo the flashing seal.  I believed Interstate Masonry is using scare tactic to sell and do more business.  They don't know much about chimney based on what the other 2 contractors told me and I have no confident in Interstate Masonry to get the job done right.  I will get the work redo.  I don't want others to be victimized by their scheme and also pay for poor quality jobs especially when it comes to chimneys.

  Thank you.
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Jin

   

   

  Business Response

  Date: 01/16/2023

  Hi this is ******* from interstate masonry and construction 
  
  Replying to Jin #********
  
  First starts we gave *** a quote for to have new cement, capping and reseal flashing When are experts had a look it needed more work and it's still leaking i am willing to go to the property and have a look at the work for the third time and we are also guaranteeing all of the work that we have done so far. We are also 5 star ratings with all happy customers 135 reviews *********** have really rude try to make us do extra work wasn't on the contract.
  He also tried to get new lead flashing on he's chimney for free 
  I also don't appreciate *** calling us liars because everything is on writing and on contracts and it's really sad to end like this because we took on Jin job as an emergency because he wanted it done sooner. Thank you very much.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/17/2023

  Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

  [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]

  It just makes me so mad to hear these type of responses.  First, I am not asking them to doing any work for free and I am not filing this complaint with BBB for any compensation because I don't have the confident in Interstate Mansonry to do the right thing or get the job done correctly.  If they are a 5 star company then they should stand by their work.  The flashing job they did was a joke.  The chimney inspector said it was a poor job and someone was poking around with it.  It needs to be resealed again.  Rain is still leaking in from the same place.  They came back and already told me that they are not going to do anything.  They keep on insisting that it is a structural issue and the chimney need to be knocked down and rebuilt.  I already confirmed with 2 different independently contractor that was not the case.   What triggered me to question ******* was that they had 2 workers hammering on my chimney the whole day.  ******* was not even around.  At the end of the day around 5pm, he came back and told me there was a structural problem.  I asked for pictures and proof and he was not able to show me.  I also asked if it is a structural problem why are they hammering the chimney the whole day.  Shouldn't they stop and notify me or him?  Wouldn't the hammering cause more damage and debris coming down?  He said that the hammering would not cause anymore damage which to me is a little hard to believe.  I also want to point out that it is very odd for a 5 star company to ask for a check written to a person's name (*******) instead of to the company when the finished the job (even though it was poorly done).

  As for Interstate Masonary's previous response, they went up and inspected the chimney where it is leaking.  They explained to me and sent me a proposal to solve the problem.  I did not ask if doing this and that would help.  I just want to solve the leakage issue.  So I signed the contract so them to start the job because I know there was another storm coming according to the forecast.
  

  As I mentioned before, I am not looking for anything from Interstate Mansonry.  I don't think they are ethical with their business practice and they certainly did a poor job where I have to find another contractor to clean up the mess.  At this point, I just want to share my experience with them.  I don't know if BBB can investigate so other people may not fall for their scheme.

   

  Thank you,

  Jin

   
  
  Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.
  
  FAQ
  
  Regards,

  Jin