Barone Masonry

Yes I told him the work would start 2 weeks later. But it took me a little longer to get there. 17 days. I cant control the weather. When we have bad weather I cannot work so jobs get pushed back. I have had my run of bad employees. I sincerelyapologize for any inconvenience. However we have settled this.

B[redacted] wrote Thursday morning that it was finished.  He didn't even show up until Thursday around noon, so he should have written "it should be finished today".He did show up, with 2 other men, and they did pour a new driveway entrance for the garage. On a grading scale, I'd give it a C minus.Afterwards he said he would return to waterproof it.  Since then I've received several promises of "Will be there tomorrow" and it's now Tuesday and he still hasn't. I'm just going to do that myself.I am considering this matter closed for I'm done with dealing with it.  The driveway does look better than what was there before, but it's not as "beautiful" as he promised it'd be.
Regards,
[redacted]

Review: I contacted Barone Masonry on May 19 for a cement deck estimate. He promptly came out and gave me an estimate. He said he would do the work in 2-3 weeks. When I didn't hear from him in 2 weeks I gave him a call. He said he would be out the following week and he would give me 2 days notice as to the time and day. On Tuesday, June 10 he called me at 6:40 and told me he was on the way. That first day I gave him half of what I owed him. I was told by his worker that a receipt would be in mailbox. It never was. He finished the job the next day and still never gave me a receipt. The following day I noticed some things that I was dissatisfied with. The seams weren't finished smoothly, some rough spots on actual surface, sloppy job where cement attached to house and cement was sprayed on my brick and sliding glass door. I scraped it off the door. Also he told me he would return to remove frames. I had to call him several times and he finally removed them on Monday, June 16. When he removed them he left the surface rough and unfinished. I have been calling and lately texting him to resolve these issues. He tells me he will be coming out but never shows up or calls me to let me know he isn't coming. This has been going on for 3 weeks and it still isn't resolved. AND NO RECEIPT!!!!!Desired Settlement: I would like the job that I paid for done professionally or a partial refund so I can call someone else to finish it.

Review: I wanted a concrete job done with Barone Masonry, Rick B[redacted] owner, the day he was supposed to do the job he never shoed up. A couple days later he called again and said he would be at my place the next day

but never showed up. I called his number but only got his answering machine, and told him to cancel the job because he wasen't showing up. I told him I wanted my deposit back of $600 dollars and he said he would bring it to us tomorrow or the next day, He never showed up. I tried to make it easy

on him by telling him I would take half today and the other halp next week, but he never got back to me. I don't

want him to do the job, because I really don't trust him and I am concerned that he would do a bad job. I am thinking of taking him to a Magistrate.Desired Settlement: I want my deposit of $600 dollars back in full and not with a check that will bounce.

Review: I had contacted advertised (in newspaper) business about a month prior, but they would never come. I had a written estimate of $1200 but he never came. We had discussed the walls being done (two in basement) which would include patching a hole in one, then removing plaster (1/2 inch) and putting new masonry over old stone wall. I tried him again (owner) and he did come out. The two workers were left. They argued with each other. One man (older) began to do the doorway which I was concerned greatly about and at my request to do it better, they were nice enough to remove the two boards on either side of the door (which was off) so the stones could be better reinforced with the new mortar or concrete. The older man seemed to take pride in his work but I warned him not to remove any stones (it is a old stone wall) or loosen them when chipping the old debris away. (The wall in that one right of the doorway area was buckling and it made me nervous it could cave in. I did tell him to do his work the way he normally would though after that area). The hose was run continually for over an hour I found out later so I ran and asked a neighbor to borrow his nozzle....but this is not my complaint. I went for a walk after about two hours and when I returned from walking the dog (45 minutes later), they were driving back from a lunch and rejoined by the owner and packed things up. I said, seeing it is only patched there should be a discount. He still wanted 1100 he said. I wrote a check for 1100 and then afterward noticed the rotted, old plaster crumbling on all the rest of one of the walls (around a window) and realized I was ripped off and paid $1200 for only 2 and a half hours work for his two workers, 3 at most. I called him (July 1) and he agreed to come back out the following day (July 2) to do what we had agreed on, put the walls with new concrete. I told him I wanted him there to supervise. Well, he did not arrive in the morning as promised but arrived when I decided to leave the house around early afternoon some time. I was gone one hour. When I got back, there was one worker inside (the younger man who argued with the older on first time) and he was just finishing applying a product onto the walls as is. I asked what it was as it was already almost all done and he said "a bonding agent" "This costs $50 a bag" "It has fibers in it." He and the owner finished it up at breakneck speed and covered a square hole that housed an electrical box switch outlet (next to entry doorway). Then I realized that I was ripped again after giving an additional demanded $100 by this younger man. (The owner was out on the phone the whole time.) I asked if this "bonding agent" was for interior use after a bad night's sleep that night. I called him early the next day to let him know that I felt the rot and the old plaster which were left behind under that was not fair and that I had paid a whole lot for something that was not done as agreed upon. He said he would talk to me next Wednesday. This is Wednesday and no phone call, text or showing up so I left the house at at about noon to come file a complaint. I feel that he is not that trustworthy being I got no receipt or an actual contract from him (only oral with the original estimate which I am trying to find in my papers). I also had asked him on that subsequent to July 2 "bonding agent" applied to supply me with a materials statement so I know it is ok for me to put my woodstove in that basement and that there are no vapors I should not be breathing. He said he would but I have yet to receive a msds or a receipt in the mail. Thank you for any help you can provide in this matter. I am left with a wall that is not done in masonry but primarily just covered over with a smearing of this "bonding agent" and also uneven as the younger man said if I wanted the doorway straight they needed forms. Why do they expect the door installer to straighten out the uneven doorway area which they should be able to make straight edges?Desired Settlement: I ask once again for that business owner to make good on original intention of the job which was to take away the finish work of the old plaster, replace with masonry on the old rocks to make it stronger and no rotting plaster be remaining. There is a better coat of plaster on the larger wall which means it would have been possible to have let some of it remain, but not the wall next the window all irregular with rotting, crumbly plaster underneath it. A contractor that came in to do the door install said that this "bonding agent" will not last on top of that old plaster. It is meant for onto clean masonry or rock and then a new coat of masonry over that. This was not a professionally done job and the owner is the one I thought was going to be doing it with the original partner I had seen but these two men seemed an unlikely pair which apparently did not last because only the one, younger one (who ran the hose non-stop of my water) came on the second of July. If they do come, I would like the older man to come because he was trying to do a good, right job (but they disappeared him).

Review: [redacted] was contracted to put in a new sidewalk at my residence in Canonsburg. He provided an estimate of $2,250 for the entire job, and said it would take 2 days to complete. He started 5/23 and removed the entire old sidewalk, but left half of it sitting in my yard with caution tape surrounding it. He advised he wouldnt be back until 5/27 because of the holiday weekend. I had to move all the concrete he left, so that the grass didn't get destroyed. Strike 1! 5/27 came and went and [redacted] was a no show. After several calls and several excuses from him, he finally scheduled the concrete to be delivered on 6/5. I worked from home so that I could be there when the work was done, only to receive a text advising me that he wouldnt be out now until 6/6. Strike 2!! Unable to work from home for a 2nd straight day, I was surprised when my wife mentioned he actually showed up. At 12:49pm, [redacted] texted me advising sidewalks were completed and asked for the rest of his money, he already required $1200 up front as a deposit. I advised Id be home at 4:00 and would have the money then. He asked if my wife could just write him a check, which I said no because I wanted to see it first. When I got home, [redacted] was gone and I know why. The sidewalks looked like crap. Strike 3!!! There were no finished edges, the steps werent level or even the same size, etc. I sent [redacted] several pictures that showed all the issues and he agreed to meet me on 6/9 to resolve them. Surprise [redacted] was a no show once again. He showed up 6/10 while I was at work and texted me saying he was at my house and he was going to have the sidewalks redone, because he agreed they werent satisfactory. His exact words "Don't be concerned because we do a lot better work than that. I was just there grabbing my wheel barrels and I'm not happy with it either. I'll put my best guys on it." Its been over 3 weeks and hes not returning any calls or texts. As expected, he's not a man of his word. Final straw!!!Desired Settlement: [redacted] needs to provide me with a full and complete refund of my $1200. It's also going to cost me at least $400 to get top soil brought in to fix all the yard that he destroyed, including the ruts from the cement truck he had pull into my yard. I'll be looking to get the sidewalks done correctly by a professional contractor. I hope others out there see this and don't make the same mistake of selecting this unqualified contractor as I did. You'll thank me.

Review: Engaged contractor with a verbal contract for, $1500.00, to replace several sections of old sidewalk. The work in progress was sightly modified, the contractor agreed to the modification but did not complete the project. It is estimated that $325.00 will be required to complete the unfinished portions of the project. Another contractor will be retained to finish the unfinished portions of the project.Desired Settlement: Finish the job per our modified verbal contract. Pay all costs related to bringing this matter before a magisterial court.

Review: [redacted] said he would remove and replace old crumbling wall coping and took $200.00 as a down payment. After one month [redacted] never did the job.We agreed that he would give me my $200.00 back. After promising to reimburse for the job never done three separate times and not showing up each time I filed this complaint.Desired Settlement: Refund of my $200.00