Onorati Construction Company, Inc.

Although the concrete apron was approved for it's structure by the town, it is still too high and that is determining the grade of the driveway and causing back pitch Again, if the concrete apron is removed, we are happy to cap the driveway at our expense to assist with the drainage however the soil levels of the yard will still be too high causing some standing water on the drivewayCapping the driveway would result in a 4" driveway instead of a 2" driveway which is equivalent to road standards and the extra 2" will assist in the drainage Digging out the entire driveway will lower the grade which will not eliminate the soil issues that are causing the standing water, it will only make it worse.The client repeatedly sites his "experts" but has failed to produced any documentation or estimate proposals from any contractors If the client is uncomfortable with our assessment, he should hire an engineer to confirm our assessment is correct and that the apron is the actual cause of the back pitch and the soils from the yard will continue to cause standing water Other paving contractors are neither more qualified nor more experience than we are to make this assessment.We are approaching our 100th year in a family owned and operated business and we are confident in our expertise and experience

Complaint: ***
I am rejecting this response because:
The soil on either side of the driveway is properly gradedand is immaterialI have uploaded copies of both the original OnoratiConstruction proposal and the updated contractNeither contract containsany mention of the property gradingThe contracts simply state that Onorati will “completely re gradethe driveway and install additional compacted sub base as needed”However,this was not done correctly, as a large portion of the driveway has no pitchand therefore does not drain to either sideI have uploaded sample pictures ofthe standing water.None of Onorati Construction’s responses have addressed thecracking that began less than months after the asphalt was installedI haveuploaded additional sample pictures of some of the cracks.Onorati also has failed to respond to the depressions in theasphalt that are collecting rainwaterThe majority of these are away from theedge and preventing water from draining to the edgeI have uploaded samplepictures of these as well.As Onorati is aware, the only way to correct the issues aboveis to excavate the existing driveway, install and properly grade a newsub-layer, and re-paveTo this end, I have obtained a written quote of $4500for this work and am seeking compensation for these charges
Regards,
*** ***

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:[redacted] ’s letter from September 26th is the first mention of...

any concerns regarding the apron. The concrete apron at the driveway entrance was installed per Town of [redacted] requirements. It was subsequently inspected and approved by the Town.I spoke with both [redacted]  and [redacted] regarding crowning the driveway to provide drainage. Each of them indicated that this would not be an issue and represented that this was standard practice. No concerns were raised.Each of the other paving experts that I have consulted to determine the cause of the standing water and the cracking has indicated that the sub-layer was improperly installed. Furthermore, they specifically cautioned that layering additional asphalt would not fix the problems. With cracks already occurring, they have advised me that the driveway will most likely fail in two to three years.All of the paving experts that I have consulted have stated that the only way to correct these issues is to excavate the existing driveway, install and properly grade a new sub-layer, and re-pave. I have obtained a quote of $4500 for this work and am seeking compensation for these charges.Regards,
[redacted]

Attached please find response to Mr. [redacted]'s remarks.  Please know that neither the other contractor's bids nor recommendations were provided to our office.

Complaint: [redacted]
I am rejecting this response because:
[redacted] ’s letter from September 26th is the first mention of any concerns...

regarding the apron. The concrete apron at the driveway entrance was installed per Town of [redacted] requirements. It was subsequently inspected and approved by the Town.I spoke with both [redacted]  and [redacted] regarding crowning the driveway to provide drainage. Each of them indicated that this would not be an issue and represented that this was standard practice. No concerns were raised.Each of the other paving experts that I have consulted to determine the cause of the standing water and the cracking has indicated that the sub-layer was improperly installed. Furthermore, they specifically cautioned that layering additional asphalt would not fix the problems. With cracks already occurring, they have advised me that the driveway will most likely fail in two to three years.All of the paving experts that I have consulted have stated that the only way to correct these issues is to excavate the existing driveway, install and properly grade a new sub-layer, and re-pave. I have obtained a quote of $4500 for this work and am seeking compensation for these charges.Regards,
[redacted]

Although the consumer continues to site that he has expert opinions and documentation, to date, he has not presented any of this paperwork.  We would like to consult with the consumer's "experts".  If they are in fact licensed and legitimate paving contractors, there should be no problem providing their proposals and contact information.As far as the actual grading of the entire property is concerned, we respectfully disagree.  No matter how the driveway is re-done the puddling issues will remain because there is no where for the water to go.  The consumer was advised of this before the driveway was installed.  We suggest the consumer consult the contract he signed prior to the work being completed.We always want our customers to be satisfied.  That being said,  we are offering to re-cap the driveway at our expense.  This is a common practice in our industry and will in fact strengthen the driveway.

Review: Onorati installed a new driveway in late May. Unfortunately, the driveway has numerous puddles (one as large as 6 ft in diameter) that do not evaporate are drain. Moreover, after only three months, there are cracks forming in the driveway (the longest of which is approx. 14 inches). These cracks occurred despite the fact that we have not driven on the driveway since installation.Desired Settlement: Based on the evaluation of other paving contractors, the only way to fix these problems is to replace the driveway. In lieu of replacement, I would accept full refund so I can have my driveway replaced by someone else.

Business

Response:

Attached please find response to Mr. [redacted]'s remarks. Please know that neither the other contractor's bids nor recommendations were provided to our office.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

[redacted] ’s letter from September 26th is the first mention of any concerns regarding the apron. The concrete apron at the driveway entrance was installed per Town of [redacted] requirements. It was subsequently inspected and approved by the Town.I spoke with both [redacted] and [redacted] regarding crowning the driveway to provide drainage. Each of them indicated that this would not be an issue and represented that this was standard practice. No concerns were raised.Each of the other paving experts that I have consulted to determine the cause of the standing water and the cracking has indicated that the sub-layer was improperly installed. Furthermore, they specifically cautioned that layering additional asphalt would not fix the problems. With cracks already occurring, they have advised me that the driveway will most likely fail in two to three years.All of the paving experts that I have consulted have stated that the only way to correct these issues is to excavate the existing driveway, install and properly grade a new sub-layer, and re-pave. I have obtained a quote of $4500 for this work and am seeking compensation for these charges.Regards,

Business

Response:

Although the concrete apron was approved for it's structure by the town, it is still too high and that is determining the grade of the driveway and causing back pitch. Again, if the concrete apron is removed, we are happy to cap the driveway at our expense to assist with the drainage however the soil levels of the yard will still be too high causing some standing water on the driveway. Capping the driveway would result in a 4" driveway instead of a 2" driveway which is equivalent to road standards and the extra 2" will assist in the drainage. Digging out the entire driveway will lower the grade which will not eliminate the soil issues that are causing the standing water, it will only make it worse.The client repeatedly sites his "experts" but has failed to produced any documentation or estimate proposals from any contractors. If the client is uncomfortable with our assessment, he should hire an engineer to confirm our assessment is correct and that the apron is the actual cause of the back pitch and the soils from the yard will continue to cause standing water. Other paving contractors are neither more qualified nor more experience than we are to make this assessment.We are approaching our 100th year in a family owned and operated business and we are confident in our expertise and experience.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

The concrete apron, which was in place more than a year prior to Onorati’s installation of the driveway, was inspected by [redacted]’s Town Engineer and is at the proper height and pitch. However, this is immaterial since it is a pre-existing condition.The soil on either side of the driveway is properly graded and is also immaterial.The problems with Onorati’s work are as follows:1. Cracking – Cracks began forming in the asphalt less than three months after it was installed. This problem cannot be corrected by adding another layer of asphalt, since the cracks will transmit through the new layer.2. Numerous depressions in the asphalt surface – These depressions are present throughout the driveway and are as large as 6 feet in diameter. The majority are away from the edge and collecting rain water that does not drain. This problem cannot be corrected by adding another layer of asphalt.3. Improper grading – A large portion of the driveway has no pitch and therefore does not drain to either side.Each of the three paving experts I consulted has provided the same evaluation. They only way to correct the problems listed above is to start over by excavating the existing driveway, installing and properly grading a new sub-layer, and re-paving. I have obtained a written quote of $4500 for this work and am seeking compensation for these charges.Regards,

Business

Response:

Although the consumer continues to site that he has expert opinions and documentation, to date, he has not presented any of this paperwork. We would like to consult with the consumer's "experts". If they are in fact licensed and legitimate paving contractors, there should be no problem providing their proposals and contact information.As far as the actual grading of the entire property is concerned, we respectfully disagree. No matter how the driveway is re-done the puddling issues will remain because there is no where for the water to go. The consumer was advised of this before the driveway was installed. We suggest the consumer consult the contract he signed prior to the work being completed.We always want our customers to be satisfied. That being said, we are offering to re-cap the driveway at our expense. This is a common practice in our industry and will in fact strengthen the driveway.

Consumer

Response:

Review: [redacted]

I am rejecting this response because:

The soil on either side of the driveway is properly gradedand is immaterial. I have uploaded copies of both the original OnoratiConstruction proposal and the updated 2014 contract. Neither contract containsany mention of the property grading. The contracts simply state that Onorati will “completely re gradethe driveway and install additional compacted sub base as needed”. However,this was not done correctly, as a large portion of the driveway has no pitchand therefore does not drain to either side. I have uploaded sample pictures ofthe standing water.None of Onorati Construction’s responses have addressed thecracking that began less than 3 months after the asphalt was installed. I haveuploaded additional sample pictures of some of the cracks.Onorati also has failed to respond to the depressions in theasphalt that are collecting rainwater. The majority of these are away from theedge and preventing water from draining to the edge. I have uploaded samplepictures of these as well.As Onorati is aware, the only way to correct the issues aboveis to excavate the existing driveway, install and properly grade a newsub-layer, and re-pave. To this end, I have obtained a written quote of $4500for this work and am seeking compensation for these charges.

Regards,