| Business Categories | Masonry in Olney, MD |
|---|
In mid October, I asked C&G for an estimate to repoint my patio where needed and to repair cracks in my front walkway. Gus came out and told me that it was impossible to give me an exact estimate until after he power washed everything but that in the worst case repointing would be at most $2,500. So I hired him to power wash the patio, the walkway and two low retaining walls along the driveway as well as to reseat 15 stones that he said needed to be reseated, and to apply a sealer to the patio. I gave him a deposit and he promised that the work would be completed by Nov 8th. However he only started on the 9th, blaming bad weather for the delay. He worked about half a day and came back two more times working a couple of hours each time, doing a bit more power washing and reseating 4 stones. He told me that it made no sense to reseat the other stones because the whole patio had to be redone at a cost of $4,200 and then of $10,200. And then he stopped showing up. He made repeated promises to complete the work by specific dates that came and went. Of the last 4 times he promised to come and work he didn't show up at all three times and the fourth time he just dropped off some paperwork. It is now a month after he promised to complete the work and dispute multiple promises in writing he refused to do any work for weeks. I finally threatened him to file formal charges with the county if he didn't show up and continue his work. His response was to tell me that he would get to it eventually and that if I didn't pay him the full amount including for the work that he said shouldn't be done (reseating stones in the patio), that he would sue me in court. Run don't walk away from this con man.
You'll certainly want to ask them this. Steer clear of any company that is not insured in Maryland, because that means that any incidental damage they may do on your property will be a real hassle to recover compensation for. It is never wise to work with uninsured tradesmen of any kind. Most states also require that someone have insurance in order to be issued a trade license. If they say they're licensed but not insured, they're being less than truthful.
This really only matters if you have a preference, but it is good to ask. If you have a strong ideological belief about unions or nonunions, it's perfectly acceptable to make a decision based on the preference.
This is very important, since an estimate is just that. Many contractors will submit a "paper estimate", meaning they've written the estimate down on paper. The bill is the true amount owed and will almost always say "Invoice" or "Bill" at the top of the page. The bill should also list the date it was issued, the due date of payment, and a list of services rendered.
Always ask for references, and always check them. Keep in mind though that the only references you'll get are people who the contractor is certain will give him a good review. You'd also be well advised to check online review sources in Olney as well, which will give you a broader view of customer satisfaction for a given company.
