driveway paving and cement repair
I received a number of quotes from paving companies and cement repair companies. I decided to hire Future paving to do my driveway and another company to repair my retaining wall (cement repair). When Mimmo, the salesman, came to my home, he talked me into using his company for both services. They had guys on staff who were experts at cement repair and it would be easier for me to work with only one company do the whole job. So I hired Future Paving to do everything. It was a nightmare. Six weeks after he removed the old driveway I tried to telephone the salesman but he did not return my call so I sent him an email asking him not to come do the retaining wall and driveway while I was on vacation. He sent two of his staff to work on the retaining wall on the first Saturday of the week I asked him not to come to my home. The repair was a disaster with great drips running down the walls etc. (It looked like I had tried to do the work myself). To their credit, when I expressed my concern, they sent two different men to resurface the wall, and who seemed to do a reasonable job in except that a large crack developed running down one wall when the work dried. They repaved the driveway at the next day. I held back paying them $1000.00 so they would return to fix the crack. Mimmo sent someone to repair the crack that day while I was out, and when I returned Mimmo was at my door to collect the last $1000.00 that afternoon. When the cement dried that evening the crack reappeared. I called Future Paving to come back. They did not return my call or return to fix the crack. And the worst of it is that they sliced (destroyed) my rubber garden hose when they returned to fix the crack! Please see the photographs I took the next day. I definitely would not recommend using this company!
One and a half years later Future Paving posts a response full of misinformation - no one quoted me $30,000. for anything. I did receive a quote for $3000. for the cement work but that company was going to remove and replace a section of the wall not do a repair and surface coat like Future Paving. I did not do this work to sell my house! Again, after reading their response.... my advice is that you hire this company at your own peril!
- Approximate cost of services:
- $7,000.00
- Company Response
The client had been given an outrageous quote of $30,000 to do this work related to the side of the house including the paving costs. She advised us of same and we suggested that the quote was based on an improper assessment of both what was needed and the reality of the circumstances as well as what could be expected of the repair under the circumstances. We made it clear while the majority of the cracks would disappear, in the area of the expansion joint you will always have a crack there as that is the nature of this type of structure. An expansion joint by its very nature is there to expand and contract given weather realities. The resulting work including the paving work cost a total of $8000- saving her a significant amount of money.
Doing this type of cement work is a two stage process which was thoroughly explained to her. No matter how many times you try to mask it there will always be crack at the expansion joint.
The “drips” that she is referring to relates to the compound that was required for the process to be completed in the first stage. It requires time to be cure and we attended went back 2 days later not a day later as referred to in the commentary.
The crack at the joint is the only place where it is and where it should be. The rest of the work as was expected doesn’t do this. Our price was more than reasonable and was to assist her with her goal of selling the house.
Every time we did any work, she was always present. With regards to the water garden hose, it was in very bad shape to begin with but notwithstanding that reality we did replace the hose as it was appropriate for us to do so.