E. Ho in Vancouver

My family's 53-year-old house started to sink ever since the new house was built next door: cracks were starting to show and widen on drywall; floors were becoming uneven; even pests were beginning to infiltrate the interior. We initially interviewed the most well-known company for concrete/foundation lifting, the one who runs ads on tv, with an active presence in social media. While this company proposed a more comprehensive and drastic solution (push pier and PolyLevel), the estimate came to almost 100K, not including additional work such as removing concrete pavements around the perimeter as well as other necessary preparations requiring other contractors. In addition to this proposal being cost-prohibitive as well as daunting, I also cannot shake the unease I felt from this companys sales person, as he described the settling to be very serious and needing repair soon. We subsequently talked to a number of people, including another foundation specialist, and none of them feel that the settling is as grave as this big company made it out to be. This review is for Level Best Concrete, so apologies for the digression, but this comparison is a crucial factor in why I am rating Level Best a 5/5. Every statement from the previous review remains true (even since 2017). Level Best gave an excellent impression right from the start: from Rhiannons initial reply for a consultation, to Reinhards (owner) in-home visit. Instead of instilling fear and a sense of doom, Reinhard assess the condition of the house as if it was his own. His measurements yielded the exact same numbers as the other companys. Yes, there is definitely 4 inches of settlement on one side of the house, but is it really bad? Not really. Do we need to do something about it soon? Well, depends on what you plan to do with the property and what you can live with. Reinhard asked us some really hard questions to reflect on: What is your long-term plan with the house? Can you live with more settling? Are you willing to accept the cosmetic consequences of the settling? His honesty, as well as the reasonable price, is what sold us on the contract: 1) honest about the severity of the settling (not pushy) 2) honest about the outcome of the job (may not be able to lift but will definitely stabilize) 3) honest about pricing (cost of material and labor) After putting down the deposit, Reinhard came for a 2nd visit with his worker Dave, to assess the areas to be worked on, and to inform us of the prep work before their work can commence. The project took 2 days (for two settling living rooms) to complete. On both days, the crew worked efficiently and tirelessly, without taking any breaks, just so that the process did not suffer any interruptions. Throughout the work, the crew was respectful and kept the work areas clean and tidy, minimizing the need for us to clean up. In addition, Reinhard came by every single day to check in with his crew, answering questions and addressing concerns we may have. After the project is complete, Reinhard and his crew gave us professional info and advice on filling the cracks and finishing the concrete floors. These guys know what they are doing (knowledgeable, professional), and they do it with a positive, courteous and fun attitude. As the project came to a conclusion, they expressed their gratitude and appreciation for our business, and above all, our trust in them. All in all, working with Level Best has been a very positive and reassuring process. Reinhard and his crew have their customers best interest in mind. Fixing the foundation of your home is a costly and daunting project, and we are so glad to have chosen Level Best Concrete!

Milani may have tons of great reviews of their work, but when things go wrong, does it ever go wrong! I purchased a new furnace through Costco, with ease that Milani was their trusted installer. I met “Comfort Advisor” Greg for initial consultation on Jul. 19. Greg’s professionalism and thoroughness were the deciding factors in proceeding with the purchase and installation. 2 Milani technicians commenced the work on Jul. 24, which was done quickly and seamlessly (or so I thought). We were pleased with the new furnace and the efficiency with which the technicians carried out the work. Then the whole experience turn south. “Comfort Advisor” Greg told us to apply for Fortis BC Furnace Rebate Program for the new furnace. I downloaded and filled out all forms, and texted Greg on Jul. 31 because the forms require technical data from Milani’s technicians. My text to Greg was never answered. I called Milani Head Office multiple times for documents follow-up in subsequent days and weeks. I waited another 3 weeks because they told me they were busy. Finally, extremely frustrated, I went to a Costco warehouse, where Varinder was staffing the promotional booth for Milani. Varinder called his colleagues for me and promised that someone would be in touch, or he would personally follow up for me. Another week went by, I finally received the filled Rebate forms on Aug. 29, but one page with the critical data is missing. After multiple phone calls (again) to Milani, I finally received the completed documents via email on Sep. 6, 33 business days after installation. On the same day, the same set of documents (filled out by another person) were mailed to me. The City of Vancouver (CoV) Inspector came to evaluate the work on Sep. 7, and told me that the installation was in violation of City by-law, which requires the pipes to point towards front, back, or towards sky, but Milani installed them at the side of the house, towards the neighbors. The inspector informed me that Milani technicians knew about the by-law, but probably took a shortcut in an attempt for an easier job. As a result, the installation failed CoV inspection. On Sep. 8, I saw Varinder again at the Costco warehouse and told him about the failed inspection. He promised to bring this case up with the owners and to help me rectify the problem. On Sep. 12, Lawrence called to promise that someone would call next week regarding re-installation. After submitting the Fortis rebate forms, I noticed on Sep.19 that the technical data on the mailed forms is different than the ones emailed. I sent follow-up email to Milani for explanation on discrepant data. I dropped by the Costco Warehouse again on Sep. 22 to see Varinder, who has always been supportive and caring, and told him that no one has contacted me regarding the re-installation, ever since Lawrence called on Sep. 12 promising a follow-up. Bob finally called on Sep. 24 telling me that he would drop by the house to investigate the discrepant data on the Fortis forms, and to look at the pipes in preparation for the re-installation. Since I work full-time and could not be at the house to supervise, my parents told me that the Milani staff came by the house, spent ~2 hours extending the pipes to point at the roof. Nikita from Milani called me on Sep. 25 to schedule another City of Vancouver inspection for the re-installation. I told her that I was not aware that Bob would do the actual re-installation. I was planning on waiting for this case to resolve before releasing this review. Unfortunately, at the rate Milani operates, I am afraid more people would suffer the same fate. Moral of the story: do your research and due diligence; get all the facts; don’t trust that the job is done right just because the company has good reputation. If you don’t have a lot of vacation days to spare to supervise Milani’s work, look elsewhere! If you do plan on hiring Milani, always ask for an “experienced technician”, or you might get sent an apprentice to do the work. UPDATE: Case still ongoing, but Business Manager has personally taken on to oversee the case resolution.