Complaints

The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. 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.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:08/25/2024

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  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.

  We are filing a complaint against Hoffman Flatwork concerning a paver installation project. We contracted them for $31,000 and paid a $22,000 deposit. The scope included installing pavers around our pool and on our patio, but after material and equipment delivery to our property, Hoffman Flatwork presented a $23,000 change order, citing additional work due to an underestimation of the projects scope.Despite multiple evaluations by Hoffman Flatworks estimator, ****, and owner, Mark *********************** between June and July 2024, they failed to correctly assess the project before the bid was signed, deposits were given, and materials were delivered. The "change order" nearly doubled the original bid, including additional materials and coping that were supposedly missing from the initial scope. Most of these changes were simply changes that Hoffman Flatwork made because they underestimated the materials and labor needed to complete the project they initially scoped. We decided to halt the project and terminate the work with Hoffman Flatwork on August 2 due to these unforeseen costs and scope changes.We asked **** to pay the invoice for the materials delivered from the deposit money totaling $8,394.98. We requested to receive the remainder of our deposit minus a reasonable $500 fee for his equipment removal from the property. On August 16, we were refunded $10,000 (and were provided with lien waivers and invoices) with approximately $3,600 still retained by **** and Hoffman Flatwork. We are seeking a further $3,100 return from the deposit, minus a reasonable $500 fee for moving equipment. Hoffman Flatwork has shifted blame to our general contractor and refused to address these issues satisfactorily.Attached are relevant documents, including the contract, change orders, and correspondence. We seek the return of the remaining deposit, and any necessary documentation related to our deposit handling. Your assistance in resolving this matter is appreciated.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/26/2024

  We have a contract with **** ******** of ******** Remodeling for this project. Our scope of work was to install a paver patio/pool deck using Grand Discover pavers with a border around the outside perimeter using a majestic color border. **** was to install the pool couping before we arrived. The grade of the patio/pool was supposed to be the same elevation. I ordered all of the materials for the project while **** was building the pool, and had them delivered and placed in the driveway. If i was installing the pool couping it would have already been sitting in the driveway waiting on me, because thats the first thing that would of had to be done if it was in our scope of work which it was not.  ********** got a call that they were ready for us, and that there was going to be a change in the scope of work due to the pool being installed one foot too low, which now would require a step down from the patio to the pool deck area  So, i scheduled the mobilazation and we started moving equipment in to the job. during this process, we noticed that there was no pool couping on the pool. We called **** and asked when the couping was going to be installed, and he replied that it already was installed. what he called the couping was where the liner wrapped around the top of the pool forms. **** then told us to use the Grand Discover pavers for the couping, i explained that i would not do that, that couping has to have a bull nose so that it is smooth, Not rough cut edges that someone could get cut on. next i seen that **** had backfilled the whole area in back with screenings, and there was a 3 to 4 foot drop off about five feet from where our new paver pool deck was going to be going and the rock already was starting to wash away. i told **** that needed to be a retaining wall installed to prevent the erosion of the subgrade. the next day i went out and met the homeowner on site and we discussed the new scope of work. #1 pool couping, #2 step down from patio to pool deck, #3 retaining wall  to retain subgrade so that the pool deck doesnt fail in the near future. at this time he also told me **** had forgotten to install the plumbing for his water slide. i offered to dig a trench so that we could get that done quickly, he said he needed to make some calls to see if his pool pump could put out the volume of pressure needed adding a third water line. So we talked and decided i would go start looking around to see what kind of pool couping was available locally, i found one that was close , but not exact. and the matching material i would have to order, i made another appointment with the homeowner showed him the one i could get my hands on and a picture of the one i could order out of a book, he decided on the one i needed to order. so i ordered the couping paver that afternoon paid for rush shipping. the next day i went and got some samples for the step down and the retaining wall that was needed. made another appointment and stopped by and showed him the material i picked up and he like it and told me to get materials for that ordered. i ordered those materials and had them dropped off a day later. after deciding on all the materials needed for the new scope of work , i sent over a updated proposal for the new scope of work.  customer wanted to dicuss this scope and pricing, i made another appointment stopped by and talked to ******** and his wifes father. i explained that this was not my fault, and that all of this was caused by the grade of the pool being installed to low, and by **** not even knowing what couping was, and not installing it before we arrived. i also explained how **** backfilled the area with screenings , and that if they did not build a retaining wall that they would have problems down the line. the sub-grade was already washing out and we were not even started yet. i told them i would work with them, do anything i could to make this work. ******** said he wanted to discuss things with his wife.  His father in law agreed with me , that **** needed to eat the extra cost that was not in the budget.  I told them both that if i got terminated that there would be money lost for my time lost that it was in my contract with ****. i then got notice that they wanted me terminated. they wanted lien waivers and a refund. i responded and said ok. i went to my supplier and asked for expidited billing because im on 30 day net billing. that took a couple days , i went up and paid my bill, but the accounts payable  employee was out sick, i text them and let them know it might be a couple days. after 3 days i finally recieved the paid lien waivers,talked to the homeowners and told them i could drop off check and paperwork friday mid day after i got done pouring another job. i stopped by around 1pm knocked on the door, but there was no answer so i left the paperwork and check inbetween the screen door and the front door. I could have been building another project the whole time this was going but instead i was doing Seths job trying to find the materials needed to be able to get this project started, thats what a general contractor does. not point the blame on someone else,thats whats wrong with this county. Bottom Line! **** messed up the grade of the pool,he didnt install the couping, he backfilled the area around the pool with screenings with nothing retaining it,he forgot to install the plumbing for the water slide,and he wasnt around to try and fix any of these problems. i lost two full weeks trying to get this project started,my time is valuable too.  i paid for all the materials and i returned the amount of the deposit , minus my time .sincerely Mark S ********************************

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/29/2024

  Complaint: 22194450
  
  I have reviewed the business's response and am rejecting it because:
  
  Hoffman Flatwork's response aligns with the core of our complaint. Owner **** Hoffman and his team did not scope the project correctly from the outset, which led to significant and unexpected increases in the project's scope and cost just as work was about to begin. Hoffman Flatwork had multiple opportunities to accurately assess the project and clarify any details with our general contractor before construction started. Despite these opportunities, **** Hoffman and **** from Hoffman Flatwork failed to communicate effectively and address these scope issues proactively.
  
  Regardless of any confusion or misunderstandings between Hoffman Flatwork and our general contractor, the homeowners should not be penalized for these mistakes by not receiving a full refund of our deposit, minus a reasonable $500 fee for equipment removal. Every time we contacted **** he was consistently "busy" or "pouring" concrete, indicating that he did not lose out on potential income or time as he claims.
  
  Hoffman Flatwork should have taken more time to properly assess the project scope and coordinate with our general contractor before materials were ordered and the project was set to begin. It is unfair for Hoffman Flatwork to retain $3,600 for a job that was never started and was improperly scoped from the beginning. While mistakes were made in this process, it is unreasonable for the homeowners to bear the financial burden of these errors while Hoffman Flatwork benefits from the situation.
  
  We understand that there may be some disagreement regarding what constitutes a reasonable fee for the time spent on this project. However, we believe that a $500 fee for equipment removal is fair compensation given the circumstances. Hoffman Flatwork did not begin any substantial construction work, and their claim for retaining $3,600 from our deposit seems excessive.
  
  To better understand their position, we request that Hoffman Flatwork provide a detailed, itemized breakdown of the costs they claim justify retaining the $3,600. This should include any labor, or other expenses they believe were incurred directly due to their work on our project.
  
  We are requesting the return of the remaining deposit, minus the $500 fee for equipment removal, and hope for a fair resolution to this matter. 
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ******* and ******** *****

  Business Response

  Date: 09/30/2024

  i have already explained everything that happened . i deducted mobalization to and from their project, and i deducted my time and my salesman time for doing seths job. i apoligize that you disagree with the charges. but my discission is final. i find it strange that there has been no complaint made against **** ******** Remodeling the (general contractor)  so i looked into this and **** is good friends with the owners. I'm very tired of people going out of their way to post false imformation about my company, i also good friends with **** **** who owns the company whose probably finishing the project and he agreed with me and told me his pricing would be the same if not higher.  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 10/08/2024

  We remain unsatisfied with the response from Hoffmann Concrete. His company misunderstood the scope and blamed everyone else and took no responsibility. They then kept a good amount of our deposit for the time they spent cleaning up their mistakes. We do not feel comfortable working with a company that operates this way. We are dissatisfied with their response and we stand by our rating of this company and the way they operate. 

• Initial Complaint

  Date:03/22/2023

  Type:Service or Repair Issues
  Status:

  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.

  Hoffman pour a concrete driveway for me June of 2021. In May 2022, I contacted them about some holes that had developed, with photos. They responded and was told that they would come check it out. The has been a few sporadic email communication and I have tested them. At this time, they have not yest been out to look at the problem. I believe I have been patient enough, since it has been 10 months since I initially contacted them. Subsequent emails and texts have been ignored. I paid extra for a sealant coat.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/10/2023

  Im on vacation, I return on 4/12/2023.

  I just seen this email. I will be out to have a look this week once i return .

  Is the correct address (**********************************************************************?

  Please confirm? i do not have access to my files currently.

  Sincerely, Mark S Hoffman 

  Hoffman Concrete LLC

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/11/2023

  Yes, the address ************************************************************.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/11/2023

  ill be by soon , sincerely **** s hoffman

  Business Response

  Date: 04/12/2023

  i stopped by this morning, met with customer , took some pictures and  sent them to my supplier . waiting for a response to what they think caused  this damage.

  thank you , **** hoffman 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/13/2023

  awaiting response from concrete provider

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2023

  I responded - please do not close this claim. The man came out and looked and said he would talk to the concrete people. I have heard nothing and nothing has been done

   

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/21/2023

  This is not resolved. He came out and looked and said he would talk to the concrete people. I have heard nothing since. There are still holes in my concrete driveway.

   

  Your,automatic system only allows you to accept the respone of the business, but the response was not a response, just that he would talk to the concrete company. This is not closed, please do not close this.

  Business Response

  Date: 04/24/2023

  my concrete supplier responded to my inquiry , response was the damage was caused from rock salt. 

  no chemicals are good on concrete, but we will come out and patch the areas where the rocks popped due to rock salt .

  please do not continue to use chemicals , and if the subdivision uses rock salt on the roads , remove it from your driveway asap. 

  we are backed up but i will get this scheduled asap, thanks ****

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/24/2023

  Complaint: 19634855
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  

  We did not use any chemicals or rock salt on the concrete. Due to our age, my neighbor shoveled our driveway because we were not using chemicals.
  
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/25/2023

  i dont know what your rejecting ,rock salt caused the damage ,  the roads must of had rock salt put down on them and it was thrown on your driveway as the trucks went by ,  im not arguing with you, i will come out and patch the areas where there is rock salt damage, with a patch material put in those areas. thanks ****

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2023

  im sending my son over this afternoon to do the repairs (4/26/2023) sometime around 12:30 -3:30 today 

  his name is ****************; *************

  Business Response

  Date: 04/26/2023

  Repairs completed this afternoon .

  (4/26/2023)

  Thank You For Your Business ,

  Sincerely,

  Mark S Hoffman 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 04/29/2023

  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.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***************************

• Initial Complaint

  Date:01/07/2023

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  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.

  Installation of residential concrete porch, walkway, and driveway began in September 2022.
  Throughout construction, various damage was made to my lawn irrigation system sprinkler heads and lines.
  The contract does state that they are not responsible for any damage to irrigation system that are un****ed, however, I had all irrigation system heads and lines clearly ****ed with orange flags throughout the concrete installation process.
  10/09/2022 - I sent email to Hoffman regarding my discovery of damage to lawn irrigation system.
  10/09/2022 - Hoffman sent me email stating “Get a company to come out and fix the heads, you can send us the invoice and we can split the cost with you”.
  10/11/2022 – I sent email to Hoffman notifying them I had scheduled the repairs to the irrigation system.
  10/12/2022 - Hoffman sent me email stating “We will get the (irrigation) invoice taken care of when we receive it”.
  10/20/2022 - Porch, walkway and driveway construction was completed, and I paid Hoffman the remaining full contract construction price, in good faith. Total construction price as $26,450. I would have never paid Hofmann the full contract price if I had known that they would not honor their written commitment for future reimbursement of the irrigation system repairs.
  10/26/2022 - Irrigation system was fixed by irrigation company, and I paid 100% of the charges.
  10/27/2022 - I sent a copy of the irrigation company repair invoice to Hoffman, requesting reimbursement.
  10/27/2022 – Hoffmann sent me email stating “I’ve forwarded it to **** and he will get in touch with you soon”. I have received no response.
  11/15/2022 - I sent another email to Hoffman requesting reimbursement, I have received no response.
  11/29/2022 - I sent another email to Hoffman requesting reimbursement, I have received no response.
  I expect Hoffman to provide reimbursement for irrigation system repairs based on their written commitment of such.

  Business Response

  Date: 01/19/2023

  She told me we hit a couple sprinkler heads, so I was thinking it would be about $60-$70 for each one. I told her I would pay half of the cost. She did not call me back but send me a bill for $1168.23. I will send a check out today for $584.12.
  

  Customer Answer

  Date: 01/30/2023

  Please note that complaint # ******** has been satisfactorily resolved, thank you for your service.

• Initial Complaint

  Date:09/24/2022

  Type:Order Issues
  Status:

  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.

  Paid this guy over 90k for pool deck patio and firepit deck. Concrete started cracking just weeks after install and all has to be ripped out as it will only get worse. He also left the firepit with exposed wiring inside so it cannot even be used. He made sure he got paid but sure didn’t make sure the work was done right. Been giving me excuses for months about the firepit.
  He needs to give me a refund for his faulty work.

  Business Response

  Date: 10/07/2022

  I reached out to my customer earlier today , the firepit ring has been completed by my sub contractor . Im picking it up tommorrow and will get it installed asap. I have been waiting for it to be completed, by a ****** ******** ******** I also told this to my customer through text, i will look up the messages and send them to you as well . Thank you **** *******