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:08/12/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  ResolvedMore 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.

  APX. $12,400 for a foundation wall repair and basement waterproofing plus $875 to install/replace 5 basement windows. July 22-26 2024
  
  Poor craftsmanship - dura-wall misaligned, gaps, separation, missing trim, mis-cut pieces.
  
  Epoxy dribbled all over stairs, concrete embedded in stairs, concrete dribbles all over basement.
  
  Concrete not level or on-plane with original basement floor. New concrete undulates like waves.
  
  They broke my new dryer vent elbow joint, did not tell me, taped back tougher in a way to be a fire-hazard.
  
  EMT straps used to affix copper pipe to walls (against code). Copper pipes not properly attached and are loose. Ceiling pipe bracket mount broken and not fixed. All against code.
  
  2-1/2” drain pipe reattached to wall on level. Code requires minimum of 2.08degree slope. Proper fasteners weren’t used so the pipe dangles off the Dura-wall, not secured to wall. Pipe can be moved with gentle pressure.
  
  Gas line not affixed to foundation wall with proper fasteners. Gas line is free-hanging and can be moved with gentle pressure.
  
  Originally told to order 5 custom windows. Owner changed his mind once work began and blocked up one window. Had to pay extra $300 for worthless extra window.
  
  Broken foundation blocks around the new window instillation weren’t filled properly. Had to call Owner out on them for him to fix it.
  
  Foundation wall repair wasn’t done properly. They skim-coated it to make it look like the repair was done but a block disintegrated when a dura-wall fastener went through it. Had to keep pointing out this section hadn’t been done every day of work and finally had to stand there and watch Owner do it. He then tried to put hydrostatic concrete on an inch of disintegrated particulate in the bottom of the block which is not to code. Concrete needs to bond to solid structure (and usually needs a bonding agent).
  
  Owner told me no permits necessary. Building Dept told me permit AND INSPECTION is necessary for foundation wall repairs.

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/17/2024

  I was very surprised when I received this email since we completed job 4 weeks ago and never heard anything from customer at all. I did reach out after email and let a voicemail and an email with only a response to email back through the BBB. As you can see from the attached file with all the photos of the job there is no gaps or missing trim on dura-wall. we did have two small pieces that couldn't be install behind a shelving of wood which was explained and we left the two pieced and pins for homeowner incase he ever moves shelf. for all the lines that where reattached if somethin is loose or needs extra support I'm more than happy to come out and adjust anything needed. I'm not sure about a bracket in the ceiling since I wouldn't have touched anything up there but if I did break something on accident again will repair. The emt strap on copper line is allowed, code suggest not using different metals when moisture is present but now with the vapor barrier up and being attached with plastic rivets your are fine, but if you would like a different strap will replace. your 2 1/2" line by washer was remounted with the original strapping and was pulled up a bit to keep of new concrete until dry but can be adjusted if needed. The windows you had ordered in the five replacement I suggested glass block which you didn't want. when we got to job one window was found to be under an overhang and buried in dirt. I suggested letting me dig out earth and crawl under the overhang to then remove the old window and then block it up so you wouldn't have future problem which you saw and agreed, at the end I didn't charge you the extra $300. We did fill in the tiles that you contracted for that had the deterioration and then ended up repairing several others you asked for. The on tile that did break from drilling into it that was showing to me the next day was repaired and I also broke open two additional tiles you said were bad to show that they weren't as you agreed when you saw the. I stopped by building department Thursday again and yes wall repairs need inspected when structure is changed as in rebuilding, anchoring or straightening is done. We installed two carbon fiber straps to stop hold wall from having to have anything like that needing done in future. The uneven concrete more than happy to repair or replace anything you aren't satisfied with. The steps I agree the taping off i did wasn't enough. In conclusion I'm more than happy to come back out and repair anything with the straps and concrete you like. I'll even have city come out and look things over as well. Otherwise I will refund you 10% of total cost of job to either have your steps sanded down or replaced. I will also refund an additional 10% if you want to replace any straps or concrete your not happy with for your time and inconvenience if you don't want me to do work.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2024

  The contractor starts by claiming he didn’t hear a complaint for four weeks after completing work. Please note I filed the BBB complaint two business weeks after work was completed. Claiming that it took four weeks for me to file my complaint is a gross exaggeration. This is indicative of the behavior the contractor exhibited every time I pointed out an issue while they were working… and I had to point out issues daily to ensure the work was done as contracted. This is why I started recording our conversations and why I insist on email communication and why I insisted this be handled through BBB and not directly.
  
  It took us two weeks to get together all the documentation to submit, including hearing back from the building dept on several issues. A shame the contractor thinks that a delay in our reporting our issues means our complaints must in some way be less valid. Is the contractor’s response less valid because he tried to circumvent the BBB and call and email directly the day I filed the complaint?  I immediately replied instructing him to go through the BBB complaint process so all this was documented by a third party. I’m surprised it took a week after my reply for the contractor to give his formal response through the BBB. 
  
  
  I could not attach my video showing the numerous issues because it exceeded the 5mb limit even when compressed, so I have included a link to to the video here: ****************************. I have also attached screenshots of the correspondences from the building department as well as photos in two PDFs of various issues with the work done. The photos are spread between two pdfs to keep it under maximum file size.
  
  
  After contacting the building department, they told me that the foundation wall repairs  that were done require a permit and an inspection. This directly contradicted what the contractor told me - that permits were not required for any part of this job, much less inspections. Furthermore, the building department informed me that the alterations to plumbing, gas, or electrical that was done must be handled by a licensed plumber and licensed electrician, respectively. They also said it would require permits. It is obvious the contractor did not use a licensed plumber or electrician as none of the work was done to code and he is obviously ignorant of code…
  
  
  The contractor’s claim that emt straps can be used on copper is not correct. Code states: “Hangers and anchors shall be of sufficient strength to maintain their proportional share of the weight of pipe and contents and of sufficient width to prevent distortion to the pipe. Hangers and strapping shall be of approved material that will not promote galvanic action.”
  “Anchorage shall be provided to restrain drainage piping from axial movement.”
  “The intent of supporting the pipe is to maintain proper slope and alignment and to prevent sagging, while allowing movement of the pipe resulting from expansion and contraction . Hangers and supports for piping must be capable of supporting the load imposed by the piping system and must not be detrimental to the pipes they support. Using hanger or strapping material that is not compatible with the piping material can result in corrosion caused by galvanic action. Galvanic action occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact in the presence of an electrolyte.”
  EMT straps are galvanized and will promote galvanic action. You can see that code makes no claim that this only applies in moist areas, as the contractor claims. Additionally, the emt straps used were not the correct size to match the pipe, nor are they ”sufficient to prevent distortion to the pipe” nor did they prevent axial movement. The straps used allowed excess movement to occur axially and rotationally (as can be seen in the video).
  
  
  I am confused by the contractor’s claim that my 2.5” drain line was “pulled up a bit to keep of new concrete until dry.” A drain line must be installed at a particular angle according to code, an angle determined by the size of the pipe. The angle must slope toward the drain because otherwise it won’t properly drain (gravity). As shown in the video, the pipe is near level with a very slight slope AWAY from the drain. I noticed it because the two pipes that come up on either side of the sink were noticeably lower than before work had been done so I put my level on the pipe to check it. A licensed plumber would never have installed it that way - also the pipe hangar is cracked where they attached it… and it is attached using a too-short fastener so it isn’t even secured to the foundation wall but rather hanging off the durawall. Complete incompetence and an illegal installation.
  
  
  The contractor has offered to come out and “fix” what was improperly done due to ignorance and lack of proper licensing and permits. I can’t allow him back to fix these issues because doing so would be illegal. I now have to hire a licensed plumber and electrician to properly fix this shoddy work. I had assumed legal requirements would be followed and all licensed professionals would be used for necessary work with necessary permits. 
  
  
  The contractor’s claim that there are no gaps or missing trim is disproven in the video evidence. You can also see the shoddy workmanship of misaligned pieces, trim cut too short, and sloppy edge work.
  
  
  The contractor asserts that ”when we got to the job one window was found to be under an overhang and buried in dirt.” The contractor did TWO inspections before work began, one for an estimate, one for a final inspection and down payment several weeks before work began. He saw the window in question both times and we had conversations about it - he directly told me to purchase a window for that space and did not recommend filling it instead. Yes he didn’t charge me for extra labor - telling me it was to make up for his mistake with not filling in the crumbling foundation block I had told him to (and skim coating it to try and make it LOOK like they did the work I told them to properly). Side note, you don’t skim coat a foundation wall for any other reason than hiding poor work because skim coating does nothing. But even with him not charging me extra in labor, I still spent $300 on a window that he should have told me from the outset not to order. He did not offer to cover that cost so I had to eat it due to his mistake.
  
  
  In terms of the poorly graded concrete he poured, the contractor offers to repair or replace anything I’m not satisfied with. This would require jackhammering out my entire basement perimeter again. As seen in the video, it is not in plane with the basement floor, nor level or consistent with itself. Many areas are much higher than the preexisting basement floor. The only fix for this is either grind all of these areas down, a huge undertaking which would create a disaster of dust for the house (it was bad enough with the jackhammering the first time and grinding would be 100x worse) or have it jackhammered out and re-poured. If this is the caliber of work he did the first time, I don’t believe he has the skills to properly pour and grade it if he were to try again. My choices are to live with it or hire someone else to tear up my basement, leaving us with an unusable space until who knows when it can be scheduled.
  
  
  There is not one bit of work this contractor or his team did that met with any basic expectations or even legal requirements. I would not have him back in my house to try and address any problems because he has clearly established the quality of his work.
  
  
  The total work cost was $13,285. The two 10% refunds offered would total $2657. This amount would not cover the cost of hiring a licensed electrician, licensed plumber, fixing the steps, and removing and re-pouring the concrete properly. How am I supposed to accept that? Nor does it cover the distress caused by having our home torn up and treated so poorly with no way to fix the shoddy workmanship (ie how the durawall was installed) without ripping everything out and starting over. It also doesn’t address the constant half-truths, exaggerations, and insults to my intelligence and character that have plagued all my communication with this contractor. I cannot with any confidence believe that any of the other advice or promises this contractor made were honest. I would like to avoid full legal action but an offer for a $2657 refund is insulting. How much would you be willing to pay for someone to do this to your home? How much do you think a court would order to be refunded on top of legal fees? The evidence speaks for itself.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/19/2024

   I am rejecting this response because:
  
  
  The contractor starts by claiming he didn’t hear a complaint for four weeks after completing work. Please note I filed the BBB complaint two business weeks after work was completed. Claiming that it took four weeks for me to file my complaint is a gross exaggeration. This is indicative of the behavior the contractor exhibited every time I pointed out an issue while they were working… and I had to point out issues daily to ensure the work was done as contracted. This is why I started recording our conversations and why I insist on email communication and why I insisted this be handled through BBB and not directly.
  
  It took us two weeks to get together all the documentation to submit, including hearing back from the building dept on several issues. A shame the contractor thinks that a delay in our reporting our issues means our complaints must in some way be less valid. Is the contractor’s response less valid because he tried to circumvent the BBB and call and email directly the day I filed the complaint?  I immediately replied instructing him to go through the BBB complaint process so all this was documented by a third party. I’m surprised it took a week after my reply for the contractor to give his formal response through the BBB. 
  
  
  I could not attach my video showing the numerous issues because it exceeded the 5mb limit, even when compressed so I have included a link to the video here: ***************************** I have also attached screenshots of the correspondences from the building department as well as photos in PDFs of various issues with the work done. I split the photos into two pdfs so the files were both under the 5mb limit.
  
  
  After contacting the building department, they told me that the foundation wall repairs  that were done require a permit and an inspection. This directly contradicted what the contractor told me - that permits were not required for any part of this job, much less inspections. Furthermore, the building department informed me that the alterations to plumbing, gas, or electrical that was done must be handled by a licensed plumber and licensed electrician, respectively. They also said it would require permits. It is obvious the contractor did not use a licensed plumber or electrician as none of the work was done to code and he is obviously ignorant of code…
  
  
  The contractor’s claim that emt straps can be used on copper is not correct. Code states: “Hangers and anchors shall be of sufficient strength to maintain their proportional share of the weight of pipe and contents and of sufficient width to prevent distortion to the pipe. Hangers and strapping shall be of approved material that will not promote galvanic action.”
  “Anchorage shall be provided to restrain drainage piping from axial movement.”
  “The intent of supporting the pipe is to maintain proper slope and alignment and to prevent sagging, while allowing movement of the pipe resulting from expansion and contraction . Hangers and supports for piping must be capable of supporting the load imposed by the piping system and must not be detrimental to the pipes they support. Using hanger or strapping material that is not compatible with the piping material can result in corrosion caused by galvanic action. Galvanic action occurs when dissimilar metals are in contact in the presence of an electrolyte.”
  EMT straps are galvanized and will promote galvanic action. You can see that code makes no claim that this only applies in moist areas, as the contractor claims. Additionally, the emt straps used were not the correct size to match the pipe, nor are they ”sufficient to prevent distortion to the pipe” nor did they prevent axial movement. The straps used allowed excess movement to occur axially and rotationally (as can be seen in the video).
  
  
  I am confused by the contractor’s claim that my 2.5” drain line was “pulled up a bit to keep of new concrete until dry.” A drain line must be installed at a particular angle according to code, an angle determined by the size of the pipe. The angle must slope toward the drain because otherwise it won’t properly drain (gravity). As shown in the video, the pipe is near level with a very slight slope AWAY from the drain. I noticed it because the two pipes that come up on either side of the sink were noticeably lower than before work had been done so I put my level on the pipe to check it. A licensed plumber would never have installed it that way - also the pipe hangar is cracked where they attached it… and it is attached using a too-short fastener so it isn’t even secured to the foundation wall but rather hanging off the durawall. Complete incompetence and an illegal installation.
  
  
  The contractor has offered to come out and “fix” what was improperly done due to ignorance and lack of proper licensing and permits. I can’t allow him back to fix these issues because doing so would be illegal. I now have to hire a licensed plumber and electrician to properly fix this shoddy work. I had assumed legal requirements would be followed and all licensed professionals would be used for necessary work with necessary permits. 
  
  
  The contractor’s claim that there are no gaps or missing trim is disproven in the video evidence. You can also see the shoddy workmanship of misaligned pieces, trim cut too short, and sloppy edge work.
  
  
  The contractor asserts that ”when we got to the job one window was found to be under an overhang and buried in dirt.” The contractor did TWO inspections before work began, one for an estimate, one for a final inspection and down payment several weeks before work began. He saw the window in question both times and we had conversations about it - he directly told me to purchase a window for that space and did not recommend filling it instead. Yes he didn’t charge me for extra labor - telling me it was to make up for his mistake with not filling in the crumbling foundation block I had told him to (and skim coating it to try and make it LOOK like they did the work I told them to properly). Side note, you don’t skim coat a foundation wall for any other reason than hiding poor work because skim coating does nothing. But even with him not charging me extra in labor, I still spent $300 on a window that he should have told me from the outset not to order. He did not offer to cover that cost so I had to eat it due to his mistake.
  
  
  In terms of the poorly graded concrete he poured, the contractor offers to repair or replace anything I’m not satisfied with. This would require jackhammering out my entire basement perimeter again. As seen in the video, it is not in plane with the basement floor, nor level or consistent with itself. Many areas are much higher than the preexisting basement floor. The only fix for this is either grind all of these areas down, a huge undertaking which would create a disaster of dust for the house (it was bad enough with the jackhammering the first time and grinding would be 100x worse) or have it jackhammered out and re-poured. If this is the caliber of work he did the first time, I don’t believe he has the skills to properly pour and grade it if he were to try again. My choices are to live with it or hire someone else to tear up my basement, leaving us with an unusable space until who knows when it can be scheduled.
  
  
  There is not one bit of work this contractor or his team did that met with any basic expectations or even legal requirements. I would not have him back in my house to try and address any problems because he has clearly established the quality of his work.
  
  
  The total work cost was $13,285. The two 10% refunds offered would total $2657. This amount would not cover the cost of hiring a licensed electrician, licensed plumber, fixing the steps, and removing and re-pouring the concrete properly. How am I supposed to accept that? Nor does it cover the distress caused by having our home torn up and treated so poorly with no way to fix the shoddy workmanship (ie how the durawall was installed) without ripping everything out and starting over. It also doesn’t address the constant half-truths, exaggerations, and insults to my intelligence and character that have plagued all my communication with this contractor. I cannot with any confidence believe that any of the other advice or promises this contractor made were honest. I would like to avoid full legal action but an offer for a $2657 refund is insulting. How much would you be willing to pay for someone to do this to your home? How much do you think a court would order to be refunded on top of legal fees? The evidence speaks for itself.
  

  

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2024

  There’s no reason to keep going back and forth with this obviously homeowner has his own personal issues with the work done. There was no alteration to any plumbing or electrical at all there was simply a removal and remount of existing so NO you do not need a licensed electrician or plumber to come in and install straps. When we looked at windows originally it looked as if the window well was full of leaves when looking as the rest and didn’t know it was under ground until we went to install. I then discussed it with you and told you I would put in your window , but you would be better off blocking it up. You went and discuss It with your wife and came back down and agreed. I went and purchased materials needed to block up and seal wall as you agreed to. I’m terrible sorry that you are not happy with all the work we did for you. I will credit you back $10,000 of the original 12,460 if that will help you find some peace of mind.

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/20/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that the proposed resolution of a $10,000 refund is satisfactory to me.
  
  I encourage the contractor to actually watch the video of the issues I documented so he can see firsthand how his work would not pass electrical, gas, or plumbing inspection if I were to bring them out. In the video I document how the drain line slopes the wrong direction, how the gas line isn't attached to the wall, why the fasteners used are not to code, I show how uneven and lot level the floor is, etc. It could be a training tool for his crew.