Tool Sheds
Ulrich Barn Builders, LLCHeadquarters
Complaints
This profile includes complaints for Ulrich Barn Builders, LLC's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see
Customer Complaints Summary
- 10 total complaints in the last 3 years.
- 6 complaints closed in the last 12 months.
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Initial Complaint
Date:05/30/2025
Type:Delivery IssuesStatus: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.
Date of order was 4/15. Paid $4973.81 via debit card for storage building. Paid an additional $109.43 on 4/16 for upgrades to order for a total of $5083.25. The sales order is for an 8'x24' storage building (copy of order attached). The order was cancelled 5/5/25 due to code/space restrictions at our home and refund was requested. We have inquired multiple times about status of refund. The business has told us on 5 different occasions that it is 'in process' and will arrive 'pretty soon'. Detailed timelines of our efforts and communication notes are attachedBusiness Response
Date: 06/02/2025
I am sorry for the poor communication from our team and not setting the proper expectation. Our team has been reminded of how to better communicate to our customers regarding refunds.Refunds may take up to 30 days to process. This refund will be returned to the card tomorrow, 6/3/25.
Customer Answer
Date: 06/04/2025
Complaint: 23398274
I am rejecting this response because: The response from the business indicated the funds would be returned to my debit card/checking account on 6/3. As of 2:45 pm on 6/4, the funds are not in our account nor are they pending with ACH. I know this for a fact as I work at the financial institution that issued the debit card.
Regards,
***** ********Business Response
Date: 06/13/2025
The refunds were processed last week. Please see the attached confirmation.Initial Complaint
Date:05/30/2025
Type:Product IssuesStatus: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.
Contract to build shed was canceled 4th April, 2025. Per contract full refund was promised. After 40 days and numerous contacts with diffrent persons/departments of Ulrich, was sent a check for $5000. Total refund should have been $8850. Contacted corporate office, told there was a mistake, promised correction. After another week told hold up is in Accounts Payable.Business Response
Date: 05/30/2025
Refunds can take up to 30 days to process. Mr. ***** was working with out team through April 17th exploring different alternatives. At that time, when it was determined we could not meet Mr. ******* needs, the refund process started. Due to human error, we refunded the wrong amount, $5,000 on 5-15. Once we learned of the error, we refunded the additional $3,850. The check was placed in the mail to Mr. ***** yesterday, 5-29-25.Initial Complaint
Date:04/08/2025
Type:Product IssuesStatus: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.
On March 11, 2025 I signed contract with Ulrich Lifestyle to have a storage building built. I used a bank debit card for the downpayment of $2326.07. I had to cancel the contract on March ******* I was assured by the sales representative ****** ******** I would be issued a full refund within a few days. I had ****** signed the copy of contract that says we cancelled the order. I was assured by him that our full deposit would be issued within a few days. I have called on 3/14/25, 3/18/25, 3/19/25, 3/24/25, 3/25/25, 3/31/25, 4/2/25, 4/4/25. to inquire about why I haven't received my full deposit back. Ive spoken to ****** at least three times and received texts messages on a few occasions from him. but still no resolution to getting my deposit back.I also spoke with a ****** I believe thats his name, and at least two different ladies as well. It is now April 4,/2025. Im asking for the BBB to help with this matter.Business Response
Date: 04/15/2025
Mr. ********* refund we sent to him yesterday. Unfortunately, this refund took much longer to process than what we consider normal or acceptable. We have trained the appropriate people to prevent this in the future.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/22/2025
Better Business Bureau:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
It shouldnt have taken BBBs involvement in order to get my refund
Regards,
****** *******Initial Complaint
Date:01/10/2025
Type:Product IssuesStatus: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 purchased a shed from this company in April of 2024. To summarize the timeline of events:- I made a deposit of $1,000 on April 10, 2024, followed by a payment of $2,500 on April 16, 2024, to facilitate the permitting process for my 12x20 shed.- ***** ******* was responsible for providing updates on the permitting process. Unfortunately, it took until May 30, 2024, for the plans to be submitted to the cityover six weeks after my payment.- Subsequent communication received from ***** on June 5 and July 30 indicated that progress was being made, but in early August, she informed me that the city had requested minor changes, and updates would be submitted within 1-2 days.- After weeks of delays and no further communication, I contacted the city directly. They informed me that plans were submitted at the end of June and that requests for updates had been made as early as August 9, but had gone unanswered.- I contacted the local office and they revealed ***** is no longer with the company. No one from the company contacted me about this, I had to follow up.I finally spoke with the regional sales manager ***** who apologized profusely and told they screwed up and dropped the ball and would make this right. Once a new engineer was assigned, and the questions addressed by the city, **************** told me I had two options, either pour a concrete pad or move the shed. This is after I already paid $2500 to have pad graded based on the Ulrich sale *** advising us on location and type. Ulrich then offered to pay to regrade -I have this voice mails and text messages from the sales ***, if we move the location. We agreed to this and once the updated permit was approved, I was told by rude engineer (****** *******) that they were now not going to pay for regrading and that they spent too much time and money on this already and I had to pay for it. And if I canceled, I owed them money still for engineering fees. THEY OWE ME money for the $2500 I spent for grading!Business Response
Date: 04/18/2025
This issue was resolved in March with the customer receiving refunds amounting to $3,500 through their credit card. Receipts are attached documenting the funds have been returned to the customer.
We are reviewing our internal processes to determine how we missed the message from the BBB that this complaint was pending. I work to address any and all BBB issues personally and promptly. Somehow I was unaware of this complaint. I regret not having responded to this matter promptly.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/22/2025
Complaint: 22791092
I am rejecting this response because:The company did not resolve this issue with us. Well, we were refunded. The refund was only handled because we the customer took action with our credit card company. The company denied and refused our request over several months to resolve this issue. Furthermore, they were rude and disrespectful. They had no intention of resolving this issue and told us they we had no choice, but to lose our deposit and that they would not rectify the original issue that caused this mess. They refused our phone calls continuously to try to speak to management to resolve this in a timely and Mutually acceptable resolution.
Regards,
****** And **** *********Initial Complaint
Date:09/05/2024
Type:Product IssuesStatus: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 wanted to purchase a building. I put $9,000.00 down. The land I was purchasing fell through. I explained this to Ulrich. Told me no problem, we can refund your deposit in full. I have made numerous attempts to call and figure out why I have yet to receive my deposit back. I have left numerous messages. No one answers, no one calls back. And I still don't have a refund check.Business Response
Date: 09/13/2024
This refund has taken too long. To explain the delay, Ms. ****** purchased this shed with a third party check and we needed to contact the owner of the check for instructions as to how he wanted this money refunded and this process took longer than it should.
We have contracted the owner of the original check and, per his instructions, we are send him a refund check directly today.
Initial Complaint
Date:04/04/2024
Type:Product IssuesStatus: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.
On 9/6/2023 I signed a contract with Ulrich Barn Builder for a small garage project. I paid a $10,000 deposit on the project with a total cost of $98,000. After 6 months of back and forth, the project is still in the planning stage. Ulrich ultimately hired another company to try to get the building permit because Ulrich had no experience in our county. Due to the length of time anticipated to obtain the permits we decided that Ulrich was not working in our favor and so we canceled the contract.Two weeks ago we were advised that we would receive a refund of $5168, however we have not heard anything back from Ulrich since then. We are asking for a full refund of the $10,000 deposit, due to the company not providing the service we paid for.Business Response
Date: 04/11/2024
Because every customers property is unique and we are building a unique, custom structure, we cannot guarantee the steps that will need to be taken to successfully permit a new building.
Unfortunately, ********************** property required a number of unusual processes during the permitting process, including:
-An Engineers Wet Stamp
-Riparian Vegetation study
-Archaeological Sensitivity StudyBecause these are atypical, we use third party partners that have the required expertise or licenses to properly perform these services. Of course, each party requires a fee to perform these services.
Attached are the following:
-The contract ******************** signed ****** that we, the seller, are not responsible for the fees or services required during the permitting process (highlighted in yellow in *********************** Complete Agreement).
-Explanation of Refund Deductions detailing the fees paid for the services provided during the permitting process.
-Correspondence from *********************, Principal Environmental Specialist at County of San **** Obispo Planning and Building discussing the Riparian Vegetation study requirement.
-Correspondence from *************************, AICP, Principal Planner at County of San **** Obispo Planning and Building discussing the Riparian Vegetation study requirement.
-The confirmation of the refund sent to ******************* less the fees for the services provided.Customer Answer
Date: 04/12/2024
Complaint: 21527387
I am rejecting this response because;1. I was advised at the beginning of September 2023, by *************************** ***************************************** of Ulrich, that "should any problems stop the project due to permitting" that I would receive the entire deposit back.
2. In response to itemizing details on the refund, it should be noted that a complete set of architectural drawings was provided to Ulrich. Therefore the excessive charge for a redundant set of drawings by Ulrich is absurd. Transferring the design into a different software system for a 20'x32' one story structure is a simple process and does not require 2 months and $3500 to complete.
3. We waited nearly a month for the initial "site visit" from *****************************. A site visit should have been done as a prerequisite to the process and should be an included service.
4. Since the Ulrich staff could not understand or take the time to deal with the San **** Obispo ************************** they hired an outside organization to do so. This is not something that was agreed to and should not be charged against the customer. This is an inefficiency of the Ulrich staff and the customer should not be penalized.
5. I am requesting the full refund of the deposit of $10,000. It should also be noted that a Home Equity Line of Credit was obtained in order to pay for the garage project, and which is a substantial cost for the three years of the term, money that is now wasted due to the lack of contractual fufillment from Ulrich. The remaining $4831.25 of our deposit must be refunded in order to resolve this claim.
Regards,
***************************Business Response
Date: 04/18/2024
With regard to the bullets in the previous response:
1. The signed agreement is very clear that we, the seller, are not responsible for permitting fees. If ***** said this, he was incorrect.
2. The $3,500 fee was to obtain an Engineers Wet Stamp from ****** Engineering, not to transfer a design from one software package to another. This is a flat fee ****** Engineering charges for every stamp provided, regardless of the software package used.
3. Unfortunately, this is not an included service.
4. As previously explained, the fee from **************** is related to the Riparian Vegetation study required by the County of San **** Obispo Planning and Building.
5. The refund is complete, less the permitting fees as explained above.Customer Answer
Date: 04/18/2024
Complaint: 21527387
I am rejecting this response because:the Salesman advised that I would receive a full refund.
The Company officials say one thing and do another.
The Company officials did not respond to requests in a timely manner and as a result I been subject to a financial loss.
The company is unethical and incompetent.
Regards,
***************************Initial Complaint
Date:03/18/2024
Type:Product IssuesStatus: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.
The builder wouldn't build according toe the contract therefore I canceled the order before any building of product took place. The company will not return my calls and has not returned my deposit of $1959.71Business Response
Date: 03/29/2024
Unfortunately, the way the building was specified, there is no way we can be certain it will not leak. Our team worked with ********************** for approximately two weeks attempting to find a solution that would meet her needs. Unable to find a solution, ********************** cancelled her order on 3/12.
************************** refund was returned to her credit card this morning.
Customer Answer
Date: 04/03/2024
Better Business Bureau:Initial Complaint
Date:08/01/2023
Type:Customer Service IssuesStatus: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.
They wont answer any calls from their office in ******** **, they wont return emails and representatives are not answering cell phones or texts and the issue is ongoing. I filed a "warranty service' request for roof repairs for my 89yr old Mother in law and was asking for some guidance on who to call and how to file request and when Ulrich could get someone out to look at the roof and repair it. I sent a formal email on 6/14 and followed that email up with certified letter on 6/20, signed & received on 6/22 by Ulrich and we have never received a call, letter, text or email from anyone.All future buyers need to be made aware that they may never get a person on the phone to help them if something goes wrong with the cabin/home that they just spent their hard earned money on. Buyer be ware, the company looks great on the outside, peel back the cover and this company is horrible from the service and warranty support side.Business Response
Date: 08/09/2023
I apologize for the difficulty in contacting our Service Department. I fear somehow ************** was directed to the wrong office. In the letter attached to this complaint, ************** mentions discussions with ****** and *******, these were the correct people and are located in our ********* office. Our ******** office is our factory and they should have redirected ************** back to ******* and ************* Why this did not happen I am uncertain, but will make sure our team knows better in the future.
Earlier this week, I had *******, another member of our ******************* contact ************** to inform him that weather damage to his mother-in-law's **** is not covered under her warranty and should be directed to her homeowner's insurance provider. ******* left a voice message, but I have asked her to continue to attempt to make person-to-person contact.
We have reviewed the other information attached to the complaint and, given this information, have no reason to believe the roof is improperly installed. The screws that were pictured are the correct screws and are used in different aspects of the installation. With regard to the 30# felt paper, ************** is referring to an outdated specification. We have upgraded our roofing process and replaced the felt paper with synthetic underlayment, which is visible in the attached picture.
With regard to an inspection, this is a for fee service that I believe ******* mentioned in the message she left ***************
I sincerely apologize for the communication issues. Everything I have mentioned here should have been addressed by ******* and ****** back in June.
Customer Answer
Date: 08/31/2023
Complaint: 20402997
I am rejecting this response because:I apologize for the difficulty in contacting our Service Department. I fear somehow ************** was directed to the wrong office. No one redirected my calls to the factory because no one answered the phone or the office messages that were left by me. In the letter attached to this complaint, ************** mentions discussions with ****** and *******, these were the correct people and are located in our ********* office. Our ******** office is our factory and they should have redirected ************** back to ******* and ************* Why this did not happen I am uncertain, but will make sure our team knows better in the future. Again there was no response because no one answered the phones at the factory, it always went to a auto-attendant. FYI I called the same phone numbers that we called when we ordered the cabin, when we did a tour of the manufacturing facility and the customer service number that they UBB posts on their website and brochure as the number to call. I was able to reach them at the same phone numbers when we moved the cabin from ******** ***** to ********* ** at the very same phone numbers 3+ years ago. I also called and texted ****** & ******* to their cell phones and they did not respond to their cell phone messages or texts, not once.
Earlier this week, I had *******, another member of our ******************* contact ************** to inform him that weather damage to his mother-in-law's roof is not covered under her warranty and should be directed to her homeowner's insurance provider. ******* left a voice message, but I have asked her to continue to attempt to make person-to-person contact.
We have reviewed the other information attached to the complaint and, given this information, have no reason to believe the roof is improperly installed. The screws that were pictured are the correct screws and are used in different aspects of the installation. With regard to the 30# felt paper, ************** is referring to an outdated specification. We have upgraded our roofing process and replaced the felt paper with synthetic underlayment, which is visible in the attached picture. That outdated specification they are referencing is what was provided to us when they built the cabin 5 years ago. It was the specification we used to submit for the windstorm rating. So they installed a roofing system with newer specs and didnt upgrade their specifications, I find that hard to believe as those changes would have had to go through engineering and operations and that would have required a draft with specifications and procedures.
With regard to an inspection, this is a for fee service that I believe ******* mentioned in the message she left ***************
I sincerely apologize for the communication issues. Everything I have mentioned here should have been addressed by ******* and ****** back in June. It was not addressed by either of these 2 people. Very unprofessional and horrible customer service.
I did get a phone call on 8/7 from ******* addressing my complaint but if I have to pay someone to fix what I believe is a warranty issue due to improper installation, it certainly isnt going to be the company that doesnt answer their phones or provides me with a wrong specification.
I will go with someone local that I can trust.
Thank you for your help.
Regards,
*******************Initial Complaint
Date:03/02/2023
Type:Product IssuesStatus: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 purchased a shed from Ulrich Barns to convert (minimal effort) into a dwelling for AirBnB. As I walked into the ************, ** location, I told them my plans and they showed me a specific shed that fit my needs. I was told it would pass all county permits to be converted into a short term dwelling with minimal modifications. As this was a discounted shed they had as a demo for a 3+ month period, I was granted it at a reduced price. I then put half down in the sum of $15,000 and will pay the remaining once it passed all permits with the county. I had the county come out to view its dimensions and they concluded that there would be major modifications to the structure to make it a dwelling. Once I received this news, I reached back to *********** at Ulrich to tell them this and requested to cancel my order. They agreed and they stated there would be a refund coming via wired bank transfer within 5 business days. This was two months ago. My fianc and I have tried to reach out to them and higher echelons of the company with no response. The date of putting the down payment is 12-05-22. The date of cancelation is 12-15-22. $15,000 is a lot of money and we are looking at taking legal actions to retrieve the money.Business Response
Date: 03/06/2023
*****************' down payment was made via a debit card. When she cancelled the order, we tried to reverse the transaction only to have the bank refuse the transaction because the account has been closed. Since we are unable to reverse the transaction we only have two options to *************'s down payment:
1) ****** may dispute the charge with her bank / debit card service provider. We have informed ****** that we will not challenge her dispute and that this is likely the quickest way for her to get her down payment back.
2) Since we are unable to reverse the original charge, we must wait for the window for her to dispute the charge closes; 90 days from the original charge. After this window closes, we will return the down payment by check. Doing otherwise, exposes us to the potential someone could cash the check and then dispute the charge to steal $15,000.Ulrich Barn Builders, LLC is BBB Accredited.
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