ComplaintsforJerry's Concrete Works Ltd.

• Initial Complaint

  21/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Tuesday, October 11, 2022
  Timeline of events and problems/corrections for driveway at ** ******* ******
  On Saturday, August 6th, 2022, Trevor from Jerry’s Concrete came out to mark the yard for the new driveway. We reviewed the width of the new driveway and discussed details. It was explained that the approach also needed to be widened as well. That was good information and explained during the discussion.
  When framing was completed the week of August 15th, the elevation shots were too low, and the framing was positioned too low. This was discovered after the old driveway was dug out, which was Wednesday, August 24th. There was a difference of 2 – 3” in various areas of the length of the driveway.
  Spoke with Mike at the office and he told me that the elevation was correct. I was adamant that the framing was too low, and I was not prepared to scrape down the grass to accommodate the difference. It was then decided to send Trevor our to recheck it, and the elevation marks were too low. The framing on the east side of the driveway was position for most of the length on a 30-degree angle.
  I also mentioned that when the framers placed the stakes into the ground along the neighbor’s property, they had a black cable (I think it was the Fiber Optic cable) on the driveway side of the stake. It would have been buried in the bottom of the concrete. When the first framing was removed and replaced, the framers made sure to keep the cable on the outside of the framing stake, and reframe the east side of the driveway straight, as per my conversation directly with the framers.
  The framed circles around the manhole for the isolation rings on the driveway, and the drain area by the street were staked and framed. But not with an equal circumference around the manhole. The height of the framing was also not going to be flush once the concrete was poured. I pointed this out to Jerry, I was told that that would be rectified once the new concrete collars were installed.
  When the rebar was being installed and completed, I was not at home. In reviewing how it was done, I noticed that the rebar was lying directly on top of the packed ¼ down. I did wonder where the spacers/lifts/chairs were to keep the rebar up off the packed base. Without the spacers installed, how does that support the stability of the concrete over time, as it is a driveway with the eight of vehicles?
  There was no rebar inside the framed circle areas around the manhole and the street drain area at that time. When I called and asked Mike why not, I was told that the city stated to not have rebar, since in case they needed to dig up the drains, they would not disturb the driveway, or for expansion and contraction. I did not find this to be acceptable as we drive over those area on a regular basis.
  After email with the City Councilor's office for St. Vital, it was forwarded to the Public Works Department, and it was then decided to install the rebar in the area around the drains, but not tied into the existing street concrete, or the new cured concrete in the driveway. I was okay with that, as it would give some stability opposed to no stability.
  On Thursday, September 1st, was the day of the concrete pour for the driveway. There were 6 people on this crew. They used of a concrete dump (gas powered walk behind). The crew moved around the concrete and smoothed it as it was being poured. They also used brooms to create sweeps/lines in the concrete. The edges of the fresh concrete were troweled to create a finished edge.
  Several areas of the concrete surface were swept too much creating a distinct visual difference in the finished surface. This was noticed and photos taken by Jerry ****** when he came a few days after the pour to review some concerns of the job.
  Due to the street drain area and manhole on the driveway not being finished during the main pour, a section of the driveway was not completed. I discussed with Mike at the office and was told that that was going to be finished when the drain areas isolation ring areas were poured, and I was assured by Mike at the office that the edge of the driveway was going to be trowelled to match the rest of the driveway finished edge.
  After the pour crew left, I spent time going around and cleaning up the chunks of concrete and debris that was left on the grass. Yes. There was going to be work that needed to be done (by us) to complete the edges of the grass by the driveway but leaving the mess that should have been picked up was not something that I expected to do.
  The framing crew removed the side framing and inside the circles of the drains. This was done the week of September 5th. In discussion with the person onsite, he said that they were not going to be able to remove the framing boards that were at the top of the driveway under the fence and gate. He said it would have to stay in place. I politely stated that I was told that the finished product would include making sure that the patio blocks would be placed back in under the fence, gate, and against the existing patio blocks.
  The person then asked if I had a Sawzall, which I said nicely that I was not about to use my tools for a job that is something that Jerry’s Concrete needed to take care of. The removal framing crew also removed all the large chunks of concrete that were in the trenches on either side of the new driveway. They did a good job of that.
  I then spoke with Mike at the office about the boards needing to be removed and was firm about it being removed.
  A few days later (September 12th or 13th), 2 guys came with a Sawzall to remove the boards. They were having difficulty in getting into areas to remove the boards. I engaged in conversation and made suggestions as to how they could get into areas and remove sections of the board. In the end, all the boards were removed.
  When the person came to spray/seal the driveway, later that day, it was noticeable that some of the areas either did not have enough spray, too much spray in some areas, or were not sprayed at all. It looked like it was not an even application.
  Side Note***the driveway was framed about 4” longer at the top of the driveway by the gate. This was discovered after the framing was removed and I placed a few patio bricks to see how it would look and discovered the difference from the before length and after length.
  The pour for the manhole drain, and the street drain areas was supposed to happen at the end of the week of September 12th.
  After discussion with Mike at the office regarding no rebar, I insisted that they not proceed until a review was done by the City.
  I again contacted the city councillor’s office regarding the ridiculous idea of not having the rebar in these areas, as it was going to be driven over on a regular basis. The matter was then referred to the Public Works Department.
  I was then contacted by Mike from Jerry’s concrete at the beginning of the week of September 12th updating that the city gave the approval for the rebar to be installed in the areas, but not anchored into the existing street side concrete, or the new cured concrete in the driveway. I was good with this.
  During that phone conversation with Mike, I told him that the spacers/lifters/chairs needed to be installed in those 2 areas as well. I also mentioned that I did not see any spacers/lifts/chairs installed in the driveway during the pour, or prior to the pour.
  He was positive that the spacers were placed prior/during the pour. He went on to tell me how other customers had also said that the spacers were not added.
  I was not going to get into a big discussion about it.
  I question…How does he know when he has never seen the driveway, or progress of the work???
  Note***I took photos of the rebar prior to the pour. No spacers at all. I also have photos and videos that I took during the pour of the driveway, and it is very clear to see that there are no spacer/lifts/chairs under the rebar.
  The reason for taking the video was to send to my grandson to see, as he like machinery.
  During that phone conversation, I explained to Mike that we were going to be away Thursday, September 15th, and Friday, September 16th; and did not want any work being done while we were away. I was very clear that we wanted to be home when the rebar, and the pour was going to take place in the isolation rings of the manhole, and street drain.
  With all the missed steps, inaccurate steps in the process, and my concern of what the next issue was going to be; I wanted to be home to supervise and make sure things were being done as discussed. Mike said that he noted that we were going to be away, and no work was to be done until the week of September 19th.
  On Tuesday, September 13th, the brick crew came to reinstall the patio bricks at the top of the driveway under the fence and gate. They need to cut almost every brick that had been removed and set aside prior to the work being done. The cuts were done due to the extra length of driveway that was now in place (done in error by Jerry’s). This created more work to reinstall the bricks.
  I observed as the patio blocks were being cut (using a gas-powered quick saw), that the person used a rubber mallet to pound the patio blocks quite forcefully into place. They were cut in such a way that the bricks were very tightly placed. There was not room for movement with the change of weather (expansion/contraction), or for the ability to place Polymer sand in the joints. I did mention it to the person doing the job, but he said that it was fine.
  I was also, and I am concerned that the pressure of contraction/expansion could place pressure against the new driveway, or buckle some of the patio bricks that are butt up along the whole row of replaced bricks. This could damage our professionally done patio area, or our 6” x 6” fence posts. I was not going to get into how he should do his job but was not happy about it.
  When he was sweeping up, I checked to see how it looked, and noticed that 2 pieces of patio bricks were not cut or placed in front of the 6 x 6” posts on the driveway side. He just filled the spaces with ¼ down. Also, on the east side of the driveway corner by another 6” x 6” post, an empty unfinished space was left. The space was in line with the whole row of patio bricks that were just reinstalled, so it should have been done as well.
  I did point these missed areas out to him, and I explained to him that he needed to dig out the ¼ down, cut the 2 pieces for those areas, as well as cut a piece for the corner area. He was reluctant to do it as he said he didn’t want to cut his fingers, or feet. I took a couple pieces of bricks and showed him how he could cut them, including the brick for the corner area that could be cut in a ‘L’ shape to be professionally finished.
  He did cut the pieces and place them into the spaces, but instead of a nice ‘L’ shaped piece, he cut 2 pieces for the corner.
  I brought out one of our large flat head screwdrivers for the other person to di out the ¼ down for the pieces to be placed in the 2 areas. I then reviewed it again, and they then left.
  There were approximately 20 full 4’ x 8’ patio blocks that were removed for the driveway to be dug out. The person who cut the pieces used all but 2 blocks to cut up to fill in the section. This was not necessary if he had the correct tool for the job, and the problem-solving skills to use one block for more than one cut. It was a waste of blocks. It was another indicator that the job was not being done with professionalism.
  After they left, we noticed that the patio blocks that he placed were not flush with the new concrete, they were sitting higher in some areas. This was not the position of the patio blocks along the top edge of the old driveway. They were flush originally. This does pose a problem when shovelling snow in the winter.
  The whole reinstalled cut row of patio blocks needs to be removed, ground down, and replaced correctly.
  Cutting and placing the bricks tightly was done from either inexperience, or improper tools for the job.
  While out of town on Thursday, September 15, just before 1:00 p.m., we received a call from our neighbour who was letting us know that the guys were installing the rebar in the drain areas of our driveway. I was not happy about this but thought ok they will not pour while we’re away, and I can review this when we return late Friday evening.
  Then at 2:00 p.m., that same day our neighbour called back to let us know that they just poured the concrete. I was beyond livid, but there was nothing that I could do being over 2 hours away. I would deal with it when I got back home.
  Our neighbour also mentioned that he talked with the concrete crew. He asked questions about the spaces between the cured concrete ring on the driveway for both the manhole and the street drain. They told him that there would be sealant filled into spaces after it cures. Our neighbour also told us that there was a lot of concrete footprints, residue, and clumps of concrete on the driveway and the street, that was not cleaned up.
  I could not contact Jerry’s concrete office on the Thursday, ** ** **** ******* **** ******** ******** *** ** ***** ***** *****. I felt very betrayed by the ridiculous way that this portion was being done, and the lack of respect to not do any work those specific days.
  * ****** ***** * **** ** *** ***** ***** *** ******** ******* *** ***** ****** ** *** **** **** ******* *** ******* **** ** ***** ******** **** **** *** *** ** ******** *** ****** ** **** ***** **** ****** *** ********** *************
  Our son, went to check on our house that Thursday, September 15th in the evening. He sent us videos of what the concrete pour around the drains looked like. It was at 7:20 p.m. We were appalled the way it looked. It was very **************, and the fact it was done when it was clearly discussed with Mike to be done when I was home the following week (September 19th – 23rd).
  This video added more upset and frustration **** **** **** **** ****** **** ***** *** ** ***** ****** ****** **** **** ****** ** ****** **** ** *****
  I did call and leave a lengthy and not so nice voice message Thursday evening at 8:25 p.m. at 204-661-4444, explaining my complete disgust of how this whole job was done.
  During that phone message, I stated under no circumstances they were not to put the sealant in the cracks. This whole job needs to be completely reviewed and things need to be changed.
  On Friday morning, September 16th, I called my neighbour at 6:40 a.m. I asked him to take photos of the 2 areas that were done on the Thursday.
  I received 11 photos at 8:00 a.m. from him. These photos gave us a much clearer picture of the mess, and poor-Quality work that was done. It was very *** unprofessional.
  At 7:05 a.m. on Friday morning, I called Jerry’s Concrete. Mike answered the phone, and then put me on hold to speak to Jake regarding the situation. I shared my dissatisfaction of how the job had been handled.
  When I explained to Jake how unprofessional the job looked, he said that the silicone would be put in to fill the space between the inner concrete and the outer concrete.
  How can you give an answer when you haven’t seen the poor quality of work?
  I asked why they put the liner in between the 2 areas, and he said that the city specs required the ‘slip sleeves’.
  I then told him that this was the first that I had heard of this. He then told me that he did tell me on the phone in one of our conversations. I stated that there was no mention of this previously, and if there was, I would have asked for an explanation/detail as to what that meant and looked like. I then most likely would have pushed back and had more discussion with the city councillor’s office to get proper clarification, which may have been pushing for an engineer’s conversation. As my experience details, I asked questions and needed clarification prior to the process being done.
  I understood that the city gave approval to put rebar in, but not to connect it to the cured concrete on the driveway, or the existing street concrete.
  There was no mention of a ‘slip sleeve’ for this portion of the job. It was understood that after the rebar was installed, the pour was going to be done, and the 2 sections of concrete would be flush with each other, but still allow for breaking up the concrete around the drains without damaging the driveway cured concrete and allow for expansion and contraction.
  During that phone call with Jake, I told him that no other work was to be done until a meeting was held with Jerry ****** on our driveway to review the situation.
  Jake and I also talked about the mess of footprints and concrete residue/chunks on the driveway after the pour on Thursday. He said he would have a crew clean it up today (Friday, September 16th), as it needs to be done that day for easier removal. He said they would use a power washer.
  With regards to the power washer being used, and the concrete chunks/residue on the new concrete driveway, I started to question if that would warrant a reapplication of sealer being applied to protect the concrete?
  At the beginning of this job, I took the time to get involved, asked questions, and wanted to understand the process. In doing so, I am glad I did, as it has allowed for multiple corrections throughout their job thus far.
  During that conversation, I had discussion with Jake from the office, I was very clear that I wanted to have a meeting with the City of Winnipeg Inspector to understand the reasons for the ridiculous results of our driveway relating to the manhole, and street drain area.
  I had a meeting with the city inspector on Wednesday, October 5th on our driveway.
  During that meeting we discussed that the city required the isolation ring around the 2 areas for expanding and contracting which included the ‘slip sleeve’.
  We also looked at the concrete that was packed into the ring around the manhole cover, and the street drain. (Note)** These drains do get checked by the city on rare occasions for proper drainage on the street. With the concrete packed in between the metal collar and the metal cover, it is not going to be easy for the city to open the drains when it arises.
  I ask the inspector if the City of Winnipeg specifications included that the spacers/lift/chairs be installed under the rebar prior to the concrete pour for the city side/approach of our driveway.
  It was stated that these were to be installed and would have been installed during the concrete pour.
  I told her that I took a video, as well as photos of the concrete pour of the driveway, and it does very clearly show that there were not spacers/lift/chairs installed during the pour.
  The city okayed the inspection of the rebar by spray painting a purple ‘OK’ on the ¼ down over the rebar with the understanding that the spacer/lifts/chairs would be installed during the pour.
  Videos that I took very clearly show that this was not done.
  Again, the rebar is sitting on the packed ¼ down, with 6” of concrete sitting on top of the rebar.
  I discussed with the city inspector about the finished work around the drains, and it was not to proper specs.
  It was pointed out the slope for the drain of the curb was not proper, and it was marked out by the city inspector that it would need to be redone.
  I also notice during our reviewing of the curbing, that a portion of the street curb was framed on a slant and was not lined up with the rest of the street curbing.
  In reflecting on the whole situation, I question, why did Jerry’s Concrete people not prior to any work being done, that the isolation rings would need to be installed in the new poured driveway. *** **** **** ********** ** ****** *** ** ** *** *** ******** ***** **** ******** ******** ** *** ********* ********** ********* *** ** ** ****** ** ****** ** **** ******* **** *** *** ***** ***** **** ** *** *** ***** *** **** ******* ******** *** **** * ******* ** ** ******** ** * ******* ********* ** ******** * ******* ********* ** *** *** ******* *** ******* ******** **** ******** *** ******
  And why did Jerry’s Concrete personnel not use the spacer/lifts/chairs under the rebar for the whole driveway??? There are no spacers/lifts/chairs in the driveway, either on the homeowner’s property portion, or the city/approach portion of the driveway.
  If the foundation is not built correctly, then where is the durability and longevity of the workmanship/materials????
  At the beginning of this driveway job, I jokingly mentioned that ‘ I am my own project manager’.
  Now…this is not a joke…..’I am and have my own project manager’.
  This is not what we planned on paying for in our time, energy, frustration, and delays in getting things done due to the driveway mistakes.
  I have spent hours on phone conversations and communicating with various crews to understand the process, and question multiple things and processes that were done.
  * *** *** ***** ** ******* ******** * ***** **** ******* *** ******* *** * *** ******** *** ***** ***** ** *** ******** **** ** ***** ** ***** ******** ** *** ***** ** ****** *** ****** ** ******* ********** *** **** *** ******** ** *** *** ******** ** *** ******* ***** ** **** ** ****** **** *** *** ******* *** *** ************** ******* *** *********** **** ***** * ** *** **** ***** ** **** ******* ********
  I have been patient, and tried to be understanding throughout the process, but that is now over.
  In the meeting with Jerry on our driveway on Monday, September 19th at 8:00 a.m., I gave him a detailed report on what and how the process had gone to this point. A portion of that report is what is in this finalized report. ******** **** ** **** ****** ** ***** ****** ** ******* ******** ** *****
  On September 26th, I received an email from Jerry’s Concrete stating ‘We at Jerry’s Concrete are giving you a 20-year warranty on any structural cracking on any of the concrete work we did in 2022.’
  There was no ownership taken for the multiple errors, and *********** work that was done on our driveway. A 1-line statement in the body of an email is not how a Warranty should be addressed, nor do I believe it to be a valid legal document.
  After reviewing all conversations, and finding out the proper specs for the job, and communicating with other reputable concrete professionals, we have come to a decision of what needs to be done to rectify this poor handling of the concrete driveway from all aspects.
  They are as follows:
  The driveway that was poured on Thursday, September 1st is to remain on site until the Spring of 2023.
  In the Spring of 2023, an agreed upon date would be scheduled for Jerry’s Concrete to remove the concrete, rebar, and ¼ down from the driveway (both on the owner’s portion, and the city/approach portion). This would not be a cost to us, the homeowners ************* ********* ** ** ******* ******
  The removing and replacing of the curbing, as per the spray marked sections on the street/curb portion for the City of Winnipeg specs are to be completed in the Spring of 2023 in conjunction with the homeowner’s schedule. *********** ****************** *** *** *********** **** **** ** **** ***** *** ** ********* **** *** **** ** *********
  The deposit that was given to Jerry’s Concrete May 20, 2022, is to be returned to Susan ********* The reason for the return of the deposit is clearly explained in the detailed report above for all the ‘project managing’ that was done, the many phone calls, in-person, and emails that were carried out, and most importantly for the job not being one to specs or done with ************* This is not a normal practice for a consumer and should not be, to hire a company then follow up on all details of the job, and end up with a driveway that is unacceptable, and not done to specification for both the homeowners, and the City of Winnipeg. Specifically stating the rebar in not installed to specifications with the City of Winnipeg, nor is it to specifications for the property portion of the driveway.
  The remaining amount that was to be paid to Jerry’s Concrete will not be paid by the homeowners.
  
  
  
  
  

  

  Business response

  09/11/2022

  Good afternoon,
  We at Jerry's Concrete are offering to correct the work on your project in the Spring/Summer of 2023. We propose to remove and replace the concrete at ** ******* ** according to our contract specs we will also be replacing the approach according to the city of winnipeg specs. We will also be adjusting the length of your driveway so your bricks will fit properly, upon your approval.
  We at Jerry's Concrete are also offering to do this project in pavers since you have requested it to be done in pavers with ********* from the city of winnipeg on your site visit. We have offered this service for years and have a professional crew to do pavers. We can provide reference addresses if you would like. For this option there will be an add on price to the original contract for $********* ***. This option is priced only for the use of Holland or Roman brick. If you want another design there could be an additional cost as each brick design has a different price. 
  
  
  The specs for paver project is as follows:
  Set up proper heights and slope with laser transit
  Excavate 15" down as necessary and haul away debris. We excavate 12" wider on each side.
  Supply and install Geotech
  Supply 3/4 down limestone (12" - 14"), waterbase while packing in lifts with a 1000lb plate compactor
  Supply and Install bricks, (quote Includes Holland or Roman, other styles available & subject to upcharge )
  Supply and Install snap edging as required
  Supply and Install polymeric sand
  
  
  As for the project that was poured, we used an *********** subcontractor ( who is no longer with us ). We provided him with all our specs and material ( chairs ) for each project he worked on for us. We do apologize for the mistakes he made, however as stated, he is no longer working for us. Now when we redo this project in the Spring/Summer of 2023, we will be using in-house employees on the pour crew only and Jerry himself will be there to supervise this project. If you were to pick the option of having this done in pavers, Jerry/Jake or both of the owners will do a walk through with you upon completion.
  
  
  We at Jerry's Concrete do NOT or will NOT be walking away from any projects/jobs.
  
  We at Jerry's Concrete provided you with a 20 year warranty on the project on Sept 26th, 2022. If we are to redo this project in concrete in the Spring/Summer of 2023, there will be our standard 3 year warranty applied to this project as originally contracted. If you were to choose to do this project in pavers in the Spring/Summer of 2023, your warranty will only be in effect until Oct 31st, 2023 as per Industry standard. There is limited warranty on this product because of the nature of this product.
  
  
  We look forward to your reply and working through this remedy with you. 
  
  
  Jerry *****t - President
  
  
  ***** ****** * **** *********
  
  **** ******** ****** * ** * ****** ******* ***********
  
  

  Customer response

  12/11/2022

   
  Complaint: 18294829
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I would like clarification regarding the Roman Pavers being installed, if that is the option we choose.  

  Is the additional cost of $******** for the installing of Roman Pavers on the whole driveway, not having any poured concrete?  Or are the Roman Pavers only for the Approach portion of the driveway?

  There was a resolve needed for the removal of the concrete that is sealed in-between the manhole cover, and the manhole metal frame; and the street drain cover, and the street drain metal frame.  These 2 covers would not be easily removed by the City of Winnipeg if needed.  

  This is very concerning, as I do not want to have any issues with drainage problems through this winter, or spring season.  

  In communicating with ********* from the City of Winnipeg regarding this unresolved issue, she replied that Jake said that it was taken care of.  

  The removal of the concrete in-between the metal has not been taken care of.

  Look forward to a reply, clarification, and update on both these issues.

  Sincerely,
  
  Susan ********

  

  Business response

  22/11/2022

  Yes the Roman pavers are for the complete project for the entire driveway and approach. We would also do the poured concrete curb as per the specs of City of Winnipeg with their approval of course. If you want another designed brick, there would be an additional charge as each brick design has a different price.

  As requested, yes we would like to come there tomorrow Tuesday November 22nd, 2022 between 9am and 4pm so we can take pictures and prove that the manholes are moving freely.

  If you would only like the approach being done in pavers then we would remove and replace the concrete on your driveway ( at no extra cost to you of course ) , using our specs as per our contract. We would do the approach in Roman pavers ( if that's the brick design you choose ) for an additional $ ** *** * *** , on top of what is owed as of right now. This is our normal upcharge for pavers, and we are giving you our 2022 pricing, not our 2023 pricing for this. The specs are the same as in our last email.

   

  Jerry ****** * President

   

  ***** ****** * **** ********* **** ******** ***** * ** * ***** * ******* **********

  

  Business response

  15/12/2022

  Good morning,

  The amount owing on this is $ ** ******* Our cost to replace the driveway as previously offered is $ ** ****

  We are now making another offer, showing in good faith that we are still trying to work with you, since you rejected our other offers. If you pay the difference $ ** ****** we will consider this debt paid and job completed. We are still standing behind our 20 year warranty on any structural cracking.

  Please advise how you would like to proceed.

   

  Jerry ****** - President

   

  ***** ****** * **** ********* **** ******** ****** * ** * ****** ******* ***********

  Customer response

  15/12/2022

   
  Complaint: ********
  I am rejecting this response because:

  I reject the reply from Jerry’s Concrete.
  I do not wish to engage in any further business with this company as stated with all the details of the experience that we have encountered from the beginning of the driveway job to the final day of Tuesday, November 22nd, 2022.
  It has been stated in the latest response from Jerry’s Concrete that they are wanting to show ‘good faith’. 
  The ‘good faith’ has not been carried out through the many phases of the project for the driveway this past summer of 2022.
  The only resolve at this point is for the $******** deposit that was paid by                Susan ******** by e-transfer on May 20, 2022, not be returned to Susan *********  The deposit would be kept by Jerry’s Concrete, and no further payments would be made to Jerry’s Concrete.           
  The removal of the existing driveway at ** ******* would be removed by another company, chosen by the **********.  It would be to remove the existing concrete driveway and install a new driveway with proper specifications in the Spring of 2023.
  It is Jerry’s Concrete’s responsibility to take care of the curb, and street drain removal and re-concreting ‘as per the City of Winnipeg’ in the Spring of 2023 and inspected by the City of Winnipeg once completed.  The redoing of the curbing, and street drain has been directed by the City of Winnipeg.                                                                                   The expense of the removal and reinstalling the curb and street drain concrete is also an expense that would be the ownness of Jerry’s Concrete, not the Macaulay’s.
  I am looking to settle this dispute with the above resolution of Jerry’s Concrete retaining/keeping the $******** deposit, and no further funds paid by the *********** There will be no future business dealing with Jerry’s Concrete. 
  

  Sincerely,
  
  Susan ********

• Initial Complaint

  13/12/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In May 2021 Jerry's Concrete came to our house to discuss replacing our driveway and provide an estimate. With their estimate they provided addresses of previous work we could go view to help determine if we should hire them. We the homeowners made it very clear during the initial visit that we had a sewer at the end of our driveway and asked numerous questions about how the sewer would be addressed during the project. Jake (owner/project coordinator) assured us that Jerry's Concrete has dealt with this situation many times before and it wouldn't be an issue. After receiving the quote and viewing their past work, we decided to hire them and sent a deposit June 1, 2021 of $2000. On August 29, Jerry's Concrete began work and we were told the project would take approximately 2 weeks (weather dependent). In reality, the project timeline ran until the end of October and we were unable to use our driveway or access our garage for 2 months. There were numerous mistakes made and issues that arose throughout the project (******************). We contacted Jake several times with concerns, met with Jerry in person and indicated how unhappy we were, and talked to several City employees during this process. We are very unhappy with the process and we are not satisfied with the final result of our driveway. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

  

  Business response

  13/01/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2021/12/15) */ The customer ************ forgot to state that they haven't paid there bill. They also failed to mention that we repoured part of the job due to an error we made, which is how we operate with every customer if there is a problem. They also failed to mention that we gave them a 10 year warranty on this area due to customer concerns and we did this in writing via email Sept 28th, 2021 at 403pm. Regarding numerous mistakes and issues, when there are mistakes we correct it and issues sometime happens on jobs and can't be avoided. Part of the problem is that the city was involved on some of this job as well concerning there drain. Regarding the time line of the job we have nothing in writing stating we will complete a job by a date or timeline. Having said that this job did take longer than normal because not only did we have to redo a part of the job but the city was also involved. *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** *************************************************************************************** I would have no problem putting my sign up at this job next Spring to advertise. Consumer Response /* (3000, 8, 2021/12/16) */ ********************************************************************************************************************************** I have not paid my bill because the end result is not what we were promised and quoted on. There were errors every step of the way (framing, pouring, rebar, timeframe, and finishing work). The end result is a driveway in multiple uneven pieces with chips and pits in it, and looks terrible. ************************************************************************** Business Response /* (4000, 10, 2021/12/17) */ When there are errors that are made and miscommunication happens ( and this can happen occasionally ) we will correct these issues to the best of our ability. In some cases redo a part of the job that needs to be redone. So what happened here, there was some miscommunication between the city and ourselves. The elevation that we poured was off by a few inches. The city always tells us to communicate with them as oppose to the homeowner because we are the contractor. There is always information on the city website for the customer. Now as far as the part of the job being not poured, we have no control on the city schedule and they will pour there part of the job according to there schedule. When you pour concrete at the time of the year that the leaves are falling it is impossible for our employees to pull out every leaf. And as far as there being some slight chips from the saw cut, we try to cut the concrete as soon as possible to minimize cracking. Sometimes there is chipping that is caused when the concrete is still green. This happens occasionally and there is nothing in our warranty that covers against this however we did at no charge fill some of these cuts with caulking. We also offered to hire a company at our cost to recut the lines and fill with tar like they do on the streets and they turned us down. Regarding cutting the new line across the front of the garage floor, this was done as per Jake ( co-owner ) Now their concern about our employees not talking to them about the project, our office staff has instructed to tell customers to phone the office. ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* Now a very interesting comment that was made was our workers were rushed during the pour of the concrete, I'm glad this was brought up. We use a very high strength concrete ( 5000 psi ) which very few other companies use. Because of it's high strength it sets up very quickly so of course our workers are rushed when pouring concrete. To conclude we gave this customer a 10 year warranty on the part we had to redo. We feel the cosmetics are of industry standard or better and an engineer has agreed to this as we hired him to potentially back us up just incase. We are awaiting payment.

• Initial Complaint

  08/12/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Spring '21, met with Jerry*******, owner, discussed work needed. JB took notes, drew a picture, which detailed the dimensions accepted by both of us. Agreed end of August job w/be done. From Aug - Sept 10, phoned to see where JB crew was. Told job w/b complete by Sept. 18. Sept 18, Trevor, marked driveway then said it was $1300 more. I had calculated very carefully with JB in Spring. In front of witness, I told T I didn't agree & wrote on bill that this needed to be discussed. No discussion ever. Sept 18 to Oct 24, work was sporadic. Phoned & texted JB asking if topsoil from flower bed could be put on yard & reused, instead of street & hauled away. JB said yes but crew not informed. 5 yards of best top soil gone. Also asked if 3/4 gravel from inside garage could be hauled to my son's house, 5 minutes away, instead of to dump. Offered to pay extra. Dustin said yes, but on the day, was told no by JB. Dustin stated that they would put the 11 c.yds back on my driveway but it was hauled away to another job. Witnessed. Please note that most driveway jobs require the removal of old concrete. Mine was just a gravel driveway, saving JB time & money but there was no discount for the job being easier &cheaper or for reusing gravel I paid for. Framers stated the 6 inch space behind frames would be backfilled. This is not landscaping. If topsoil had not been taken, I could have filled those areas & the larger areas too. JB DID NOT FINISH THE JOB. Also, garage floor slopes incorrectly, & water pools 5 feet from car door which will cause damage in a few years. I phoned, texted & emailed to discuss these issues but was passed from one aggressive employee to the next. Today, JB said phone Linda who threatened me that my account would go to liens. She would not discuss that the job was not complete &/or done incorrectly. **************************************************************************************** *************************

  

  Business response

  21/04/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 19, 2022/02/09) */ Our response to this email would have come sooner, but we have reached out to this customer continuously to discuss this job...Lynn agreed to meet to discuss this, however once we made an appointment to meet, she did not show up. She also continuously said to me that she would be paying her bill but did not pay. When I did the estimate for her I stated very clearly that it included 1003 sq ft. Lynn is not being truthful when she said that we carefully calculated the extra area. When my project manager marked out the job with Lynn and we then excavated and framed it, she disagreed with the city specs and we had to reframe the entire job at our cost. There was a gap on each side because the forms were moved in. This was not our responsibility to fill in. Trevor my project manager, always makes customers sign off if the job ends up bigger than the original quote. Lynn agreed to the changes and signed our contract. We never give completion dates on our contracts as jobs can take longer than anticipated based on various factors including changes customers make along the way. Since 1984, we have never dug up 5 yards of topsoil from a driveway. There might be a 2 or 3 inches of topsoil in small areas but it would be mixed in with clay sod and gravel. I inspected the pile on the street and confirmed that none of it was salvageable . My excavator confirmed there was no topsoil that was salvageable without being mixed in with all the other material. Lynn asked one of our new employees if we could haul gravel away for her to another location...our employee agreed as he did not know that this was not something we do. If she had contacted our office like the majority of our customers do, we would have told her that we never do that because it would cost more than her ordering new gravel. Our equipment onsite is sitting at $290 per hour. We have not done this for years. When we do an estimate we use whatever limestone is onsite. This is how most every contractor operates. If Lynn would have read over our contract, it states "Landscaping not included" As far as the "apparent low spot" in the garage, she has NEVER allowed me to do an onsite visit/inspection. If there is in fact an issue thus a warranty issue, we would address it in the spring if we are allowed access . ********************************************************************************************************************************************************* Lynn has always had my cell number to contact me if necessary yet she never mentioned this to me until much later. Liening a property is not a threat but rather a legal way for contractors to deal with certain customers. This job was completed as per contract, along with the add on which she signed on to. I personally was exceptionally happy with how this customers Driveway/Sidewalk and Approach turned out. Jerry******* Jerry's Concrete Works Ltd. ********************************************************************************* Consumer Response /* (3000, 21, 2022/02/13) */ (The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.) **************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ********************************************************************************************* Their response was to threaten to place a lien on my house. I asked for mediation because Jerry's Concrete did not address &/or solve any of the issues. MEASUREMENTS When we met in May, Jerry's Concrete drew a diagram of the driveway which matched my measurements. When the size of the driveway is calculated from Jerry's Concrete diagram it is around 1010s.f. When Trevor from Jerry's Concrete measured Sept 18, suddenly the driveway had grown 200 s.f., after the invoice had been sent. Trevor informed me that I must pay an extra $1900 & that I had to sign his invoice. I stated, in front of witnesses, **************************************************************************************** that I would not sign his paper. I was told if I didn't sign then the job would be cancelled & I would lose my deposit of $3400. I told Trevor I did not agree & I wrote on the paper that this must be discussed & I wrote my name under THAT SENTENCE. I told Trevor that my name is only there to prove that I asked for a discussion & that I do not agree with their added cost. Jerry's Concrete, in their BBB response, ******* states that I signed Trevor's paper. After Trevor left, I & my partner, measured the driveway. Our calculations showed the driveway to be the original size. Not 200 s.f. larger. Jerry's Concrete did not ever contact me to discuss this increase in size. I believe that Jerry's Concrete miscalculated the triangular areas, multiplying Length times width for a square & not L x W x 1/2 which is the s.f. for a triangle. That explains the 200 more s.f. *************************************************************************************************************** Jerry's Concrete ******* states that I asked for extra area. What I have said all along is that Jerry's Concrete miscalculated & incorrectly asked for more money. Please note that nowhere on any Jerry's Concrete invoice does it say that the price will increase if Jerry's Concrete miscalculates the correct size. At no time did Jerry's Concrete state that the first price was a 'quote' & that the price would increase. ************************************************************************************** There are no sudden increases in price due to measurements. I confirmed that in May at our first meeting. EXCAVATION Jerry's Concrete ******* states that the disagreement with the size of the driveway was after the excavation. The disagreement began right after Trevor measured & told me it was almost $2000 more. I began texting & phoning Jerry's Concrete immediately to discuss this. The marks for excavation were very clear but Jerry's Concrete excavators did not remove the dirt in the city flare areas & had to return. That was a Jerry's Concrete mistake. FRAMING Jerry's Concrete states ******* that they had to reframe. The framers followed the markings but just before the concrete was poured the framers moved boards along the east side. I still do not know why. This was a Jerry's Concrete decision. GAPS Jerry's Concrete ******* states that the gaps were from the frames being moved inwards. Along the west side, no framework was changed yet Jerry's Concrete did not fill in the small 3-6 inch gaps that Jerry's Concrete required in order to place the frames. On the east Jerry's Concrete chose to move the frames creating larger gaps. At no time did I ask Jerry's Concrete to fill in the large gap at the middle of the driveway on the east side or to do "landscaping". I asked the framers if the small gaps would be filled in & they stated that yes, someone would come do it, that that is the normal procedure for gaps due to framing. Filling gaps is not landscaping. TOPSOIL Jerry's Concrete ******* states that the topsoil was mixed with gravel & clay because it was part of the driveway. The topsoil was from the flower bed (3.25' W, 2.5' H, 20'L) between the garage & the block sidewalk (on top of dirt not gravel). Jerry's Concrete dug it down another 6 inches, making the height 3 feet. Total is 7.22 square yards of topsoil. Jerry's Concrete agreed to put the topsoil on the front lawn, 20 feet from the flowerbed. Instead Jerry's Concrete put the topsoil on the street, 44 feet from the flower bed, a waste of time & money. I was going to use that topsoil to fill the large center gap. The loss of topsoil is more than $630. GRAVEL My garage had a clean 3/4 down gravel floor. I asked if it could be taken to my home which is 2.6 klm north & the response was yes. I stated that I would pay them cash for this extra effort. Jerry's Concrete put over 11 square yards of my gravel on the street. Jerry's Concrete states that it costs them $290 per hour to move gravel, plus fees. To dump the gravel at my home then return to the worksite would have taken 12 minutes in total. That cost is $78 compared to the 90 minutes to go to the dump & return approx. $500. The next 2 months, Jerry's Concrete hauled my gravel to other worksites as stated by a Jerry's Concrete employee. Some was put on my driveway. The Jerry's Concrete contract states that Jerry's Concrete removes the old driveway & replaces it with new gravel, packs it, etc., which they did not do. The loss of 11 yards of 3/4 down clean gravel is worth approximately $650. Jerry's Concrete ******* states that this is what all contractors do. If old gravel is used, then there is no cost for new. GRAVEL DRIVEWAY COMPARED TO CONCRETE DRIVEWAY REMOVAL Jerry's Concrete charges $10.46 for a new driveway which includes the removal of the old concrete driveway. Jerry's Concrete saved time & money because my driveway was gravel. Jerry's Concrete did not offer a discount. SLOPE OF GARAGE FLOOR & DRIVEWAY FROM NORTH WALL TO CURB Jerry's Concrete was informed Oct/Nov that the driveway was 1/2 to 1 inch lower than the curb. Jerry's Concrete 'fixed' this problem by grinding down the city curb, which is not legal since City bylaws state exact heights for curbs. This area needs to be redone to city specifications to avoid future damage by standing water. The driveway is 1/8 to 1/4 inch higher than the garage floor. The garage door does not close properly creating snowdrifts inside the garage. This will cause damage to the house & garage foundations. Will Jerry's Concrete agree to be responsible for the foundation repairs that will be needed in the future? Jerry's Concrete has been informed that the north/south slope of the garage floor is incorrect & causes water to collect at 15 feet from the man door/5 feet from the car door. Pooling water will cause the concrete to erode & within a short period of time, with freezing & thawing, the garage floor will need to be redone. **************************************************************************************************************************************** Again, I am asking if Jerry's Concrete will guarantee that this concrete job will last? As per his response to BBB, he states that he is very satisfied with the work that was done on this driveway. If that is so, then he can certainly warranty this job. Laser tests to show that the 65 foot slope is not correct are scheduled for May. But the fact that water & snow are pooling is a definite indication of poor slope. ********** In all communication I have been respectful towards Jerry's Concrete, requesting mediation. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ****** I hired Jerry's Concrete on a friend/contractors trusted advice. ********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** ***************************************************** ************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* PAYMENT Jerry's Concrete invoices state that payment is due when the job is complete. 7:53 p.m., Thurs, Jan 27, 2022, Jerry's Concrete texts that he will come in May to finish the garage. Therefore payment is due in June. ******* Jerry's Concrete states he happy with how this turned out ******************** ******************************************************** So much is wrong with this driveway, that I am asking for my $3400 to be returned because this will all need redoing. Business Response /* (4000, 26, 2022/02/22) */ Our company has done over 800 jobs this past summer, of which over 99% are satisfied. I am very diplomatic and have tried numerous times to meet her in person but she has either stood me up or refused to meet altogether. *************************************************************************************** My project manager; Trevor, marked out the job with the customer and realized there was an extra 125 sq ft over what my customer was quoted on her contract (which we can provide upon request). Every customer that we set a job up with has signed this form if their sq footage exceeds the quote. Also...if the sq ft is less than we quoted, we would then credit the customer. This customer ******* stated that they were told they would lose their $3400 deposit if they did not agree to sign the additional price on the extra sq footage. First of all Trevor has no idea what or if any deposit was received from a customer as this is not part of his job responsibility. If this customer had phoned me and requested the $3400 back because they were not willing to pay extra for extra sq ft above and beyond the initial quote, I would have immediately given her back the deposit. Since 1984, we have not had a customer unwilling to pay for sq footage that was added above the initial quote ( unless they agreed not to do the additional work ahead of time) The driveway quote was for 1003 sq ft...they measurements were written very clearly on the contract...the actual sq ft was 1102 of which I have specific measurements for ( have text to prove it) and was sent to her. I also have a text which I can supply where I suggested we measure the driveway once the job was completed and based the price off of that, to which she agreed to via text. We supplied a permit for the approach at the address and abided by city specs as well as called for an inspection...which was approved. This customer expected us to redo the entire approach because she seemed to think that we were not allowed to alter the curb, when in fact we are legally allowed to cut down a curb...we have done this to over 1000 curbs with city approval. *************************************** ************************************************************ My bobcat operator confirmed that in 99% of excavations, there is minimal topsoil and it is mixed with clay, gravel and sod. Our crew brought new limestone to site, where she once again has her facts confused by indicating that we did not bring any new limestone to site. The customer also indicated that we charged her to remove concrete when in fact there was no concrete to remove. On our price list, we charge $2 per sq ft extra for concrete removal, which she was not charged for. ************************************************************ Our contract states no landscaping included. She has asked us if we warranty our work, we gave her a copy of our 3 year warranty, very few contractors offer this long of warranty. Regarding the issue with the garage floor, which I was notified of for the first time on Dec 8th...she has refused to let me onsite thus addressing any issues. I have assured her that I would address this potential issue in May if I am allowed access to the garage. ******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* She has paid no money since the deposit was paid and has refused to pay any further money. Jerry's Concrete Works Ltd. ********************************************************************************

*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. ↩