| Business Categories | Basement Waterproofing, Decks and Porches, Foundations in Austin, TX |
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We hired Ray and Danielle Link in April to build our new deck and gave them 50% deposit and $6000 for additional work. They did the demolition of the old deck and then nothing happened for weeks. Eventually they started framing the new deck using substandard materials and did work not up to code. Ray had numerous excuses and then stopped responding to phone calls and text messages in June/July. We consulted and attorney and will try to recover our losses. If you do a criminal background check on these two you will see a long history of scams, aliases, and criminal citations.
Ray and Danielle from Next Level General Contractors ATX (they also do business under “Level Up Foundation Repair” per multiple websites- beware) were hired by us to do a backyard deck demolition and rebuild in late April 2022 and our experience has been horrible. After providing an $7,400/50% deposit, problems and delays started. After a missed start date, they hired a single sub-contractor to start with the demolition which took him 2 weeks to complete with no additional crew to help which should have taken 2 days if he had the help that was promised. That sub-contractor recommended some additional work that was not part of the original scope and we agreed to the amount of $2,500 (A total of $9,900 given to Next Level). The sub-contractor eventually quit because of not getting the support he needed from Next Level. Now, we are only left with part of the original deck framing left standing and with no floor (house is elevated from rest of yard so we need the deck floor and stairs to access the yard) with the original top boarding that was removed as part of the demolition in a heap in the backyard which was never removed. While we attempted to be very patient while Ray and Danielle dealt with their personal issues that kept creating delays in getting work done, we kept getting broken promises from them saying we were in the schedule and that they would send a crew, with the materials needed for the job, and work would start. All we ever asked from Ray and Danielle is be proactive and honest in their communications with us and to keep to the schedules they developed as best they can. That rarely ever happened with us having to consistently chase them down for updates as the delays continued with multiple excuses and the materials needed to rebuild the floor and other elements of the deck never showing up at the job site. The final straw was when Ray promised he would have a crew and materials at our house, while we were out of town for a trip in early June, so by the time we got back the deck would be mostly done. When we returned 6 days later, NO ONE HAD SHOWED UP, NO MATERIALS DELIVERED, and NOTHING WAS DONE. So, in mid-June, due to regular delays and broken promises, we eventually had to fire Next Level via a termination clause in the contract. Now we are having to pursue to get back our $7,350 that they owe us. We agreed to pay the sub-contractor, back in late June, for his demolition labor and for some pieces of lumber purchased for the deck frame out of the $9,900 given to Next Level (We have it in writing an agreement from Next Level to the amount they owe to us). Meanwhile, Ray kept making promises to pay even asking for our Venmo account as to send payment (all of this is documented). Still nothing! You can’t even go by any office address they list online to discuss a repayment plan as the two addresses are both UPS Stores! They don’t answer their phones and have stopped replying to texts from us, as of early August, asking for an update as to when we will get our money back. We even tried to engage them via an arbitration service, per the contract, to get this settled and they have not responded to those requests at the time of the writing of this review. We are now in the process of taking them to court to get our $7,350 back. Based on our experience with Ray and Danielle at Next Level General Contractors ATX, we would not/will not recommend them for any work!
You'll always want to ask how long the company has been in business in Austin. While this isn't a guarantee that the company will do good work, companies with longevity on their side must be doing something right. That being said, there are newer companies that do great work. If the company is under three years old, ask where the owner was employed before and for how long. If he/she has a long history of employment, it's reasonable to infer that he or she decided to go into business for themselves after so many years of experience.
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.
The question is great for some industries and non-applicable for others. A general contractor, for example, will by definition employ subcontractors. Most Austin Basement Waterproofing companies do not, but there are exceptions. You should always ask this question to your service providers. If they do use subcontractors, ask if they're all licensed and insured independently.
This is important mostly for larger jobs. Clearly a two man operation is going to build a home much slower than a 15 man crew. This is also a good indication of the overall size of the Basement Waterproofing company, if that's an area of concern for you. The reason you may want to ask about the fleet is that fleet size is a good indicator of the mobility of the company. Mobility may not sound important, but it's hard for the Austin contractors to get to job sites if they lack appropriate vehicles.
This will be answered when you ask if all employees are licensed. The only way to obtain a legitimate tradesman's license is to be a legal or naturalized citizen of the US. The company may employ people in positions that don't require a license, however, so it's wise to inquire.
