ComplaintsforHighlander Waterproofing and Foundation Repair

• Initial Complaint

  10/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Highlander performed a water remediation job at my home at ************************************* between 2/27 and 2/28/2024. The salesperson failed to inform me that the project would totally destroy a room in my basement which had just been completed. Although the contract stated that they would need to cut a trench in the floor and cut the studs, I had no idea that they would leave the newly installed drywall totally unsupported or that it would be necessary to replace the entire brand new floor after the job was completed. I never anticipated that a reputable contractor would cut studs which were supporting heavy drywall without taking any steps to support it. The company created a hazardous condition and failed to warn me of its existence. I hired Highlander to remediate the water problem in the room. I now know that the water entered the basement from the area between the concrete foundation and the floor. The solution was to reroute the water to the sump pump and remove it from the house. However, the water which had already accumulated under the floor became trapped there when the area was sealed to prevent water from entering the area in the future. The handyman I hired to replace the portion of the floor which had been removed discovered it when he knelt down and water started pouring in from beneath the floor. In order to dry it out, the entire floor needed to be removed. It could not be reinstalled because the plastic pieces which allowed the pieces to fit together were destroyed when the flooring was removed. I was led to believe that after the project was completed, it would be necessary to make cosmetic repairs to the room. Instead, I had to hire a contractor to **** nearly all the work which had just been ************ cost me $5541.23 to repair the room. Please refer to the uploaded documents for a complete description of my experience with Highlander as well as receipts for the work which needed to be done to restore the room.

  Business response

  10/07/2024

  In response to ****** ********* demand for reimbursement for remodeling basement work she had performed at her property after our project was complete; we have provided documentation attached here highlighting the areas within our contractual agreement which were presented to the customer for review and spelled out in ******** terms around the work to be performed by Highlander. We first met with the customer on 2/16/24 and then again on 2/21/24. The customer had shared with us that she is a retired attorney and was diligent about reviewing the agreement prior to signing. We believe it was prudent, based on our communications with Mrs. ******* and her continued demand for reimbursement, to escalate the matter to be handled through our attorney to better communicate our position, after first attempting to communicate our position on numerous calls over the course of time. It is our position that the work we performed was detailed clearly and within the agreement for Mrs. ******* to understand, and that in no way are we responsible for reimbursing her for remodeling/updating flooring and walls per our agreement. 

  Customer response

  10/08/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  I made my position abundantly clear in my original submission.  The owners of the company repeatedly assured me that they understood my position. They encouraged me to submit documentation of the expenses I incurred to repair the collateral damage they caused. After the repairs were completed and I submitted a chronological account of the process I endured in completely refinishing the portions of my basement which had just been completed weeks before I hired the company, they stalled for time by telling me that they had been out of town and had contracted Covid upon their return. Instead of negotiating as they had led me to believe they would they hired an attorney to advise me that they would not compensate me at all.

  Yes, I am a retired attorney, and I was aware that the contract stated that it would be necessary to dig a trench and cut the studs in order to install the system. I am not a contractor, nor do I have experience in construction. My expertise was in litigation of personal injury and criminal law, not in matters involving construction. They filled in the trench when they were finished. Common sense led me to believe that they would not simply leave the severed studs holding up brand-new drywall totally unsupported. This company is supposed to have expertise in remediating water damage. Until it was discovered, it never occurred to me that they would seal the water which had entered the house and accumulated under the brand-new flooring inside and not bother to warn me. I was led to believe that after the job was completed, I would need to hire a handyman to reinstall the floor pieces which had been removed and repair the drywall. Instead, I needed to hire a contractor to repair the studs and drywall and to replace the entire floor!

  If the company is not willing to negotiate a reasonable settlement, my only alternative will be to initiate legal action. In that event, I request that the BBB reconsider its A+ rating of the company.
  

   

   

  
  Regards,
  
  ** **** *******

• Initial Complaint

  08/30/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  On 8/18/2023 I entered into a contract with Highlander to have a channel drain installed in front of my garage for $5285. The contract stated they would dig a trench 6-24 and place soil over the pipe. The initial issue was they left the pipe exposed with a hole in front of my driveway, they concreted the grate closed, and the pitch of the pipe. It is parallel with the driveway and not down. After several emails and phone calls, 2 different crews and a visit from the original salesman they fixed the hole and the concrete over the grate, but not the pitch of the grate. The concrete has disintegrated now and it is all falling apart. I contacted ******* ********* in July, in July 12, 2024, he said he would have it removed and give me a refund and to send me photos to give to his GM and is now not returning my emails.

  Business response

  09/07/2024

  Our response to this customer's complaint: We were contracted to install a channel grate at the entrance of a garage in order to stop water intrusion.  We performed this work for this customer per the terms of our contract and did, in fact, fix and correct the problem which she sought our services for, which was to prevent water entering her garage during rain events and snow thaws. This project is located in the *******, ** area, where ******* are harsh, which can contribute to concrete cracking due to heaving from temperature changes and weather events, such as record snowfalls; these hairline cracks do not, however, impact the function of our work. Additionally, this is a driveway grate, which also bears the weight of vehicles driving on it, daily. That said, cracks that appear after several seasons of weather, where old concrete and pavement meet the new concrete and pavement, are not uncommon - and again, are not impacting the functionality of the grate and drains which we were contracted for. At no time have we agreed to a refund for the work, as the project is functional per the contract terms and conditions. We are happy to speak with this customer, however we have fulfilled our contractual agreement. The customer's complaint is unwarranted from our position, the water is being directed away from the threshold of the garage as it was designed to perform, and we regret we cannot comply with her request. 

  Customer response

  09/11/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  See the attached pictures of the concrete that has crumbled after only 9 months.  This channel drain that I paid over $5000 for has not even lasted an entire year and is falling apart.  It is not pitched properly and is filling with mud, the company would see that if they sent anyone out to check when I contacted them back in July.  No efforts have been made by this company to even come and look at their work.  Obviously they don't stand by their work and have integrity issues as ******* ********* did state that he could come and have it removed and give me a refund and called back and asked for the photos to give to his General Manager, which I provided and then he ghosted me.  If this is what this company considers quality work then maybe they should consider not doing this type of work any longer.  
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

  Business response

  09/15/2024

  As we stated previously, the channel drain is not " falling apart" - it does have hairline cracks that are naturally occurring due to temperature change and the concrete curing process.  In response to the customer's concern that the grate and drain is filling up with mud: the channel drain is designed to take on the water flow (which is preventing water intrusion, as we were contracted to fulfill.) and the result can be a buildup of silt or mud within the drain. Cleaning out the channel drain grate is the responsibility of the homeowner and is considered maintenance of the channel drain, which is something the homeowner is responsible for. This is not included in our contract and is not a service we offer. However, we would be happy to visit the project with the customer in person, and review with her how she will need to clean this out, moving forward. We have attempted to communicate this information to this customer, which she was not accepting of, and again, it is out position that the work we performed is functioning as promised. The contracted agreement was to prevent water intrusion. We will gladly revisit the project with the customer to review her concerns again, in person. But it is not necessary to remove the work and refund her the cost of the project, as the work is performing as expected. 

  Customer response

  09/16/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.
  
  I have added additional pictures from a different viewpoint that show how deep these cracks are, they are hardly hairline cracks and this work was installed 9 months from the original complain.  As you can see where the cracks are they have pushed on the plastic which has caused the metal to buckle which make is unsafe for me to pull my vehicles into the garage.  If this was a company took pride in their work they would have sent someone out immediately to view this work and correct, and I would not have had to file this complaint.  I would like their channel drain removed as it was NOT installed properly and done poorly and I would like a reputable company that stands by their work to install one, a drain that will last for years and not months.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

  Business response

  09/20/2024

  We would be happy to **** these customers work, as we most definitely stand behind the work we do. However, we were not agreeable to removing the work and refunding the customer- which was the customer's request when originally reaching out. We have always been willing to revisit the project with the customer. And if this requires us to re-do the work to satisfy the customer, we will gladly do-so. 

  Customer response

  09/22/2024

  Better Business Bureau:
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.

  This company has not provided a professional product, it has never looked like a professional installed product, it was supposed to be buried, which it initially, the concrete started cracking within weeks of being installed and was brought to their attention within weeks of being installed.  I have allowed them access and 3 opportunities to correct this work and at no time have they fixed it, at all times they have said that there was nothing wrong with it, just like the 2 or 3 other responses they have provided to this complaint all without ever coming to look at what it my complaints are.  I paid a lot of money to have this installed and I did it immediately because I wanted an issue that I was having resolved, this company has NOT to this point stuck behind their work and who is to say that it will be any better the second go around.  Furthermore, they do not have the required insurance per NY State ******************* website to do the work on my home or in NY State.
  
  Regards,
  
  ****** ******

  Customer response

  11/19/2024

  ---------- Forwarded message ---------
  From: ****** ****** ********************
  Date: Tue, Nov 19, 2024 at 12:57 PM
  Subject: ********* *********
  To: info@pittsburgh.bbb.org <info@pittsburgh.bbb.org>
  Cc: ******** ********** **********************************
  
  
  Good afternoon,
  
  I wanted to give an update on my complaint. Highlander Waterproofing and I have resolved my complaint.
  
  Thank you,
  ****** ******

• Initial Complaint

  01/17/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  Our Salesperson is Brandon; it is nauseating to think about what we paid and what we got. Similar to storm chasing roofing “companies,” my impression of this company is nothing more than a broker scam. Your salesperson said y’all use your employees, you neither do nor does your team verify the quality of the work that is done. Six figures later and we have an abhorrent basement job and an eye sore of a french drain that was supposed to be 12-24 inches minimum, but is so shallow you can see the pipes - it’s level with the ground!!! If I were playing a drinking game every time the contractors asked, “did your salesman tell you _____,” I would be in a coma. Salesman told us “it will be like a new construction basement when we are done.” I have a picture that he included with the proposal. We went with the most expensive thinking turnkey… now, my wife is fighting tears every day. Oh yeah, she got to see one of the workers pissing outside her office window. How professional… It gets better... I contacted the owners, Jennifer and Guilio (spelling?)... Jennifer first. Ironically, the I was initially going to chalk ALL of this up as a $105,000 lesson. However, being a business owner myself, I decided to let Jennifer know; I had to find her on linked in. After an onslaught of what I know now to be platitudes, her husband Guilio came that friday for a "QA." I concured that the finish, particularly around the windows was sub par and that was getting fixed. As of today, it's been two months and I've heard nothing. During his visit, he had the audacity to, in referring to his company's work, as me, "What do you want this to do?" I work in technology. THis is his company; shouldn't he tell me what it was supposed to do. He said the french drain, which is an abhorent excuse for a drain would capture surface, sub surface, and roof run off. The water from roof would have to literally travel up hill to make it to their pipe, which is over my sewage pipe that they broke and repaired

  Business response

  01/17/2024

  We deeply regret that this customer was left disappointed after the completion of an extensive project at his property.    

  We met with *** ******* on site after the project completion to review the work, and at that time we agreed we would revisit and service the details of some of the more"cosmetic" work in nature. Important to note, the work that was installed is performing as intended, per the contract terms, but again, we agreed that we would gladly revisit the details this customer was not satisfied with. 

  Our last meeting with this consumer was the week of Thanksgiving, and it was our intention to reach out after the holidays to schedule these services. We regret if there was miscommunication around the timing of this. 

  As an organization, we are very responsive and pride ourselves on being easily accessible through numerous channels. This customer was provided our direct phone numbers to make any and all communication smooth. We have a website that has "live chat" and phones that answer 24 hours a day. 

  We are hopeful this can be resolved and some minor adjustments completed to our customers satisfaction in the near future. 

*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. ↩