Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/02) */
My company was hired to install soil for the final grade on [redacted]'s duplex. I made a trip prior to starting to make sure the lot was ready. I contacted [redacted] to confirm a start date and she advised me that she had someone else measure...
the lot and calculate the soil needed was accurate. I "Never" said she had enough soil, and wouldn't have because that calculation was not needed in my quote. I explained to her that there were no grading stakes for us to go by, but we could go ahead and do the work by eye and hopefully it will be good. After spreading out the soil that was there, It seemed to [redacted], my grader, that we needed about 16 yrd more soil to finish the job. There are 12 yds in a load, so I told [redacted] to order 2 more loads as the soil is cheap, it's the trucking that costs. So [redacted] came back a second day to spread it all out, trying to use it all so there wouldn't be any excess to get rid of. The grade then failed inspection as we were high across the back and a few small areas that had to be raked out a bit.
We took about one load back off and made the adjustments as per the inspection. So [redacted] was one load short. I paid [redacted] for the extra load of soil. The next inspection passed [redacted] all is good.
As I explained to [redacted]. The lot should have been staked out to give us the exact grading levels, but we tried to do the work without that to save her $756 to have that done. The end result was that she paid $420 to have [redacted] inspect it instead, saving her $336 in total.
We spent 3 days of this, which was a one day job. If I had billed her for that, it would have been $1400 more, which I wrote off.
How she figures we owe her money is totally unjustified.
We saved her $336 and spent alot of free time on this job.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
it was very nice of you to return the cost of one of the two extra loads of dirt you told me to buy. Thank you. There is still the problem of not doing a proper job. The following is a COPY AND PASTE of an email I received from the City of Spruce Grove inspector - "Proper lot grading is much more than meeting the design grades that were set out by the surveyors, we have our inspectors look for positive drainage away from the foundation of the home, no on site ponding and drainage that leads to the common property lines to minimize cross lot drainage. These conditions were not met so even if the numbers set by the engineers were met the lot would have still failed the inspection. As for the rough grade not being done correctly the city approved the lot grading and all locations on both lots were within the city's tolerances of -7 to -20 cm with the exception of one location which was out by 1cm or approximately 3/8ths of an inch. The city has all the requirements of the lot grading outlined both on the city website, or are available in hard copy here at city hall. As for the following comment "If we are off on our work, we will immediately fix what is needed, but we have nothing to do with the inspector not agreeing with the engineer" in this case the inspector agrees with the engineer when we say the work was NOT done properly. [redacted]
Final Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2015/08/06) */
On most properties we work on, the grading and property line stakes are missing. The owners want the job done as soon as possible and at the lowest cost.
In these cases,I explain to all of them that they should have the site re-staked in order to get the job perfect the first time, but that involves waiting, sometimes weeks, to have that done.
This also costs hundreds of dollars.
So as agreed when I explain that to the customers, we will go ahead and do the work based on putting down 6" of soil over the rough grade. If that passes inspection, we can start landscaping right away and save the owner alot of money The worst case scenario is that the city inspector fails it and explains where we have to tweek the grades. Then we have to come back, on our own time and touch it up. Then they have to get it re-surveyed which is approx.1/2 of the cost of getting it re-staked prior to us doing the work.
[redacted]
We are taking a risk that if it doesn't pass, we have to go back on our own time and cost. Everybody understands that we are going the extra mile to help them.
[redacted]
I absolutely understand that there should be stakes there, but that is rarely the case, and the scenario I just explained happens.
As the inspector states, " there should have been stakes there or a plot plan supplied" true.
But as I just explained, that is the way alot of these jobs go in the real world.
[redacted]
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 14, 2015/08/11) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
he has not proposed a resolution.[redacted] All I know is that both the city inspector and the engineer said that his work was not done properly. [redacted]
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/07/02) */
My company was hired to install soil for the final grade on [redacted]'s duplex. I made a trip prior to starting to make sure the lot was ready. I contacted [redacted] to confirm a start date and she advised me that she had someone else measure...
the lot and calculate the soil needed was accurate. I "Never" said she had enough soil, and wouldn't have because that calculation was not needed in my quote. I explained to her that there were no grading stakes for us to go by, but we could go ahead and do the work by eye and hopefully it will be good. After spreading out the soil that was there, It seemed to [redacted], my grader, that we needed about 16 yrd more soil to finish the job. There are 12 yds in a load, so I told [redacted] to order 2 more loads as the soil is cheap, it's the trucking that costs. So [redacted] came back a second day to spread it all out, trying to use it all so there wouldn't be any excess to get rid of. The grade then failed inspection as we were high across the back and a few small areas that had to be raked out a bit.
We took about one load back off and made the adjustments as per the inspection. So [redacted] was one load short. I paid [redacted] for the extra load of soil. The next inspection passed [redacted] all is good.
As I explained to [redacted]. The lot should have been staked out to give us the exact grading levels, but we tried to do the work without that to save her $756 to have that done. The end result was that she paid $420 to have [redacted] inspect it instead, saving her $336 in total.
We spent 3 days of this, which was a one day job. If I had billed her for that, it would have been $1400 more, which I wrote off.
How she figures we owe her money is totally unjustified.
We saved her $336 and spent alot of free time on this job.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/07/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
it was very nice of you to return the cost of one of the two extra loads of dirt you told me to buy. Thank you. There is still the problem of not doing a proper job. The following is a COPY AND PASTE of an email I received from the City of Spruce Grove inspector - "Proper lot grading is much more than meeting the design grades that were set out by the surveyors, we have our inspectors look for positive drainage away from the foundation of the home, no on site ponding and drainage that leads to the common property lines to minimize cross lot drainage. These conditions were not met so even if the numbers set by the engineers were met the lot would have still failed the inspection. As for the rough grade not being done correctly the city approved the lot grading and all locations on both lots were within the city's tolerances of -7 to -20 cm with the exception of one location which was out by 1cm or approximately 3/8ths of an inch. The city has all the requirements of the lot grading outlined both on the city website, or are available in hard copy here at city hall. As for the following comment "If we are off on our work, we will immediately fix what is needed, but we have nothing to do with the inspector not agreeing with the engineer" in this case the inspector agrees with the engineer when we say the work was NOT done properly. [redacted]
Final Business Response /* (4000, 12, 2015/08/06) */
On most properties we work on, the grading and property line stakes are missing. The owners want the job done as soon as possible and at the lowest cost.
In these cases,I explain to all of them that they should have the site re-staked in order to get the job perfect the first time, but that involves waiting, sometimes weeks, to have that done.
This also costs hundreds of dollars.
So as agreed when I explain that to the customers, we will go ahead and do the work based on putting down 6" of soil over the rough grade. If that passes inspection, we can start landscaping right away and save the owner alot of money The worst case scenario is that the city inspector fails it and explains where we have to tweek the grades. Then we have to come back, on our own time and touch it up. Then they have to get it re-surveyed which is approx.1/2 of the cost of getting it re-staked prior to us doing the work.
[redacted]
We are taking a risk that if it doesn't pass, we have to go back on our own time and cost. Everybody understands that we are going the extra mile to help them.
[redacted]
I absolutely understand that there should be stakes there, but that is rarely the case, and the scenario I just explained happens.
As the inspector states, " there should have been stakes there or a plot plan supplied" true.
But as I just explained, that is the way alot of these jobs go in the real world.
[redacted]
Final Consumer Response /* (4200, 14, 2015/08/11) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
he has not proposed a resolution.[redacted] All I know is that both the city inspector and the engineer said that his work was not done properly. [redacted]