ComplaintsforBasement Waterproofing Specialists, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  05/03/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I was getting flooding issues to the right side of the property. I consulted with the company and I requested to water proof the house from the outside. The representative instructed and advised me to complete the work from the inside. It costs me approximately $15 to get the work done. After the work was completed, I keep getting waterdamage from the ground floor to the back of the house and the staircase. I called the company several times, several trips made out to the property and I lost time away from work so that they can complete the repair. My property was damaged by the company and they refuse to complete the repair. I spoke with ********************************* - Service Manager from Basement Waterproofing Specialists. He told me that the problem is not attributed to anything that they did. I signed a lifetime warranty and they refuse to fix the problem. I would like the company to repair the damage that was done to my house. I paid to get a new bilkow door installed and 2 pumps. I never had any water damage from the ground floor and the back of my house. After the company dug through the house, water keeps flooding my basement from the ground **. I completed the basement. I am getting water damages and I am also getting mildew. I called the company to complain, ******, the manager refuses to send someone to the property and when he does, he would send someone 2 weeks later when it stops raining. The issue is being blamed because of my water line. They poked something or damaged something in the property and they refuses to fix it. This issue only happens when it rains. Please help me because the company hangs up the phone in my face and tells me that it is not their problem. I have other documentations of the amount of times that they came to the property. This issue only happens when it rains. I do not have any issues in my water line. I do not have any water leaks in the basement. When it rains, I have water seeping from the groung up. I do not know what the company did to my property. I only get water damage when it rains from the ground up and from the back of the house. I requested for the company to repair the damage based on the lifetime warranty and to honor the contract. Hence, to repair further damages that it caused based on the continuing water damage.Thank you,

  

  Business response

  05/30/2023

  To whom it may concern,
                  Basement Waterproofing Specialists was initially contacted on August 2nd 2020 by ************************** (hereinafter referred to as the Customer) who expressed interest in scheduling an inspection to discuss different water management methods for her basement. During our initial visit, our inspector identified areas of mold as well as damp walls which led her to recommend the installation of an interior French drain system. This would help drain the block as well as control hydrostatic pressure from pushing through the basement slab where the system was to be installed. Afterward, the customer wanted to get another opinion to discuss waterproofing from the exterior, so a different inspector was deployed and observed that the entire front porch slab would need to be removed to access the foundation wall. This ultimately led the customer to move forward with the interior option. This contract mainly consisted of installing a full perimeter French drain system, treating mold, and installing new basement entryway doors. The contracted scope as well as some additional complimentary work was completed on August 31st 2020.
                  Immediately after the job was completed, the customer called in with concerns of water being on the floor, so a technician was dispatched and the water was determined to be caused by a leaking water line that was connected to her washing machine.This, as well as a few other concerns were corrected during the visit and everything was believed to be rectified at that point.
  Afterward, the customer would routinely call after rain events with complaints of water puddling on the floor near her washer and dryer but was unable to identify where the water was originating from. Each time she would call, she would be very aggressive with our office staff as well as the technicians we would send out. Despite this, we would continue to dispatch personnel to assess and complete additional tasks in an attempt to rule out potential sources. This included opening the concrete floor to make sure the discharge line wasnt leaking, installing a small additional French drain stub to make sure water wasnt pushing up from the floor, cementing a portion of the wall in case block was leaking, etc. It was not until our final visit that our technician identified that water was coming up through her well pump conduit that fed the electrical wire from the house to the underground well pump. During the visit, the technician siliconed the inside of the conduit to prevent water from coming up through it, however we never installed this conduit or worked on it so it wouldnt be covered under our warranty. We explained to the customer that this indicates a break or crack somewhere on the conduit and recommended she contact a plumber or well company to either replace it or locate the break. Following this service, she continued calling in to report water in the same area but she never took the appropriate steps to get the conduit repaired so we refrained from sending any more technicians. 

• Initial Complaint

  05/17/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called this company because of a drainage problem in my backyard. They sent a specialist out to look at the problem and suggest a repair. While he was there I explained the problem and showed him the problematic area. He drew a diagram of where he would put in a drainage ditch with a perforated pipe covered by gravel in the problematic area and and then a solid pipe leading to a drywell. Basically across the back and running half way down the side of my house I told him that I would rather it drains to the street but he said it can't be done. I expressed my concern in an e mail that I don't think it would solve the problem but he assured me it would. The day they did the work i was not home. I called to complain that the ditch doesn't go far enough like in the diagram. It only goes behind the house and the drywell is way to close to the house, also not like the diagram. They said that it goes by feet and that is how many feet it says even though the diagram shows something else. In the first rain the water was spraying out of the top of the drywell and water backed up all over my yard. When I complained they made me pay another $2,000 to extend the solid pipe to the street saying they are deducting the cost of the drywell which they removed. This fixed the problem of the water backing up in my yard but I still have water pooling on the side of my house. Also the new pipe was put in with the pitch all wrong as it was connected to the previous solid pipe that went deeper as it was draining in to the drywell. It the end this cost me more then other estimates for the same job but less results.

  

  Business response

  05/26/2022

  In response to the complaint received; our estimates are built and priced upon linear footage as written on the contract. When the crew is dispatched to install the job, they are installing based on the footages provided as that's what is being purchased. Being that the drawing isn't to scale, the footages proposed did account for the drywell being closer to the house than depicted. However, this played no role in the functionality of the drywell installed. These wells are only designed to hold so much water and depend upon the ground to absorb it over time which is why there was water coming out of the overflow emitter. After sending a technician to verify that this is what was occurring, it was determined that the drain would need to be extended to the street (which typically isn't allowed and is township dependent) to alleviate the water from filling the well and relying on ground absorption. The additional footage was 85 feet to extend the drain to the street. Again, being that our pricing is based upon linear footage, a secondary estimate was provided as this would've been additional cost incurred had it been completed during the initial install. We did deduct the price of the drywell to reduce the extra cost. Had the customer felt this was unreasonable, he could've exercised his freedom in getting other proposals or having a different company complete the work. At this time, we feel a refund isn't necessary as the pricing provided is in line with industry standards based upon the materials provided and the labor required to produce the job.
  As for pooling still occurring in the side yard, we were unaware of this as you haven't contacted us regarding it. If you'd like to have a technician come out to assess, please call into our office so we can make arrangements.

• Initial Complaint

  01/18/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  The Basement Waterproofing Specialist Inc did a very poor job in encapsulating the crawlspace from my home. Although they made claims that they were the best in the business I now know they are smoking mirrors. Misleading the customer with photos in the better home and garden magazine is their tactic to reel customers in making the customer believe that the job will be completed as shown. The rocks in the crawl space were removed and left under the deck, there was a plastic tarp that was placed over the dirt and a dehumidifier was installed. The job was $7,300. The work that was completed was absolutely poorly done because the plastic on the ground and a dehumidifier don't cost $7300. I reviewed pictures from other encapsulation jobs from other companies and it is extremely disappointing to view the difference. I do have pictures and I emailed it to the company but they stated that I only paid $7300 and that was all I was supposed to receive which was a difference from the original quote of $25,000. The job was completed poorly and I would never recommend this company to anyone. The company in this complaint is Basement Waterproofing Specialist located at ******************* Collegeville PA. The first picture is a fully encapsulated crawl space such as the one in the photo shown to me from the sales agent the second photo is what my actual crawl space looks like.

  

  Business response

  01/24/2022

  ********, 

  Please review the attached contract that states that we were to install a 20 mil liner over the crawlspace floor and install a commercial grade dehumidifier. This is the contract that you agreed to/signed off on. The reason your crawlspace doesn't look like the one in your photos is because that one includes encapsulating the walls which may not be necessary nor within the budget for your crawlspace. Looking at our notes, it does look like you were provided with a separate estimate but were unable to obtain the financing acquired for that install. If you'd like to call into our office, we'd be happy to setup a return appointment to measure the walls and provide an estimated cost on encapsulating those as well. 

  Customer response

  01/25/2022

  [To assist us in bringing this matter to a close, you must give us a reason why you are rejecting the response. If no reason is received your complaint will be closed as Answered]
  
   Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because: When ******* arrived on the first appointment date, she showed me pictures of the work in the ****** **** and ******* magazine that showed the crawl space as in the photo. This is misleading the customer and the outcome was sloppy. Putting a tarp on the ground with a dehumidifier doesn't cost $7300. I have compared other encapsulations where it doesn't include the wall and it is securely taped along the edges of the wall with a mold resistance substance.  Therefore, I will not consider or recommend this company to anyone due to misleading and sloppy work. In addition, the debris that was removed from the crawl space was left under the deck. We should've been notified that this was going to be left behind instead of disposed of.  Lack of communication and rushing to sign forms lead to this outcome. I agreed to the job because I was receiving what was shown in the photos. That was not the case. 
  
  Regards,
  
  *****************************
  

  

  Business response

  02/15/2022

  *******, 

  The price is dependent upon the square footage of the given space. Additionally, the contract clearly states that we were to only encapsulate the floor of the crawlspace. If you'd like to have the walls done as well, we can certainly make arrangements for the inspector to return and provide an estimate. 

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