Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  05/15/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  ***** *****, owner of *****s Home Improvements, installed a metal roof May 2021 that has leaked since first rain after installation. We have buckets in our attic to try and help prevent more damage. After inital rain, he tried to say it was the boot, replaced it, still leaked. Then my husband had to go into attic with him to show leak was coming from lap seam above vent pipe. ***** put an excessive amount of caulk on the seam, and my husband told him that was a band aid and there would be issues again. Sure enough in February, it leaked again several times and continues to do so. He first stated it was vent pipe cap, it wasn't. Then he spent 3 hours on roof, and told me he still didn't know where leak was but assured me it wouldn't leak again. It did, next rain. When my husband finally made it back to town and was able to get on the roof, he found damage (scratches, dents to roof panels and ridge vent) and a mess of excessive amounts of caulk all over everything. All of that still didn't stop the leak from the bad storms to follow. Then ***** tried to say it was the vent pipe. It is the lap seam, original problem it has always been. Then there has been no communication from him at all since February 27. He refuses to try and remedy this. We finally taped the lap seam and surprise, no leaks! We have even sprayed the pipe, like he says he did, for half an hour, no leaks. Covered pipe, tested with a gas meter for leaks, all negative. It is the lap seam. All the videos and pictures cleary show this, which he has been sent these multiple ways, multiple times. Still nothing. And to add to that, one of the recent terrible storms we had, we were up in attic making sure buckets were ok. I started to feel water and looked up and we have another leak now at the ridge vent above the garage! Sent pictures and videos of that as well. Nothing. Very frustrating, investing in a metal roof that was supposed to last a lifetime, and we have to have buckets in our attic!

  Business response

  06/05/2023

  dHello, I have just received this complaint on my desk and apologize that it is now a delayed response.  I feel this customer is mistaken in their assessment of this situation, and these events.  Please give us 24 to 48 hours to write a formal response as well as submit photos from the *******' job file.  Please advise if this message was received, and how we can submit the formal response.

  Thank you,

  ***** *****

  Smith's Home Improvement and Repair

  Business response

  06/07/2023

  Tell us why here...From the time we started this project at the ******* home, we could tell they would be difficult customers to satisfy.  During installation of the roof, **** requested that we loosen screws in the roof to eliminate the dimples that the screws created in the roof (these dimples are common with exposed fastner roofing), to make the roof more esthetically pleasing to her.  Even after installation, she called us out to loosen screws – one of my employees was on the roof while she pointed out each individual screw that she wanted loosened.   
  Originally, we had installed a high temp pipe boot which is orange in color, and they did not like that, as it did not like the roof and stood out.  After a manufacturer’s defect in the pipe boot was found, we replaced it, and *** requested a non- high temp black boot, which is typically not used on furnace or water heater applications.  At that time, we sealed the lap behind the pipe boot, which is standard for us to do, to stop any type of pooling and siphoning effect in the lap.   
  We had not heard from them again until *** wanted more work done on January 28, 2023.  Then on February 9, 2023, he stated that he had a leak in the same place again, underneath the furnace pipe.  We responded to that the same day, and discovered that *** himself had been on the roof and changed the furnace cap.  Upon inspection, we took the cap off and noticed that the cap itself and the furnace pipe had water and rust inside, and that water was leaking through the seams of the pipe and dripping into the attic. When we discussed these findings, **** stated to me and my employees that the leaking had not started again until *** had been on the roof. *** was going to replace the furnace cap himself, then he contacted us on Feb. 13, 2023, to ask if we would replace the cap – so we did. 
  On March 4, 2023, *** texted to say the roof was still leaking into a bucket he had in the attic. We went to the property the same day and discovered that the pipe boot was leaking, and advised him that the pipe boot should be changed at that point. The owners did not believe this assessment and continued from here on out to insist that the lap seam was the problem. Also, while we were doing work that day, we could hear **** conversing on the phone with *** loudly enough for us to hear, her dislike of our work, and commented that people make her nervous when they work on her home.  
  There are hundreds of lap seams on a metal roof. For just one of those seams to leak exactly where a pipe boot is, that is sealed with caulking (picture provided by **** *******) would be an extreme coincidence to impossible. 
  The disregard of our recommendations, along with the comments we heard **** make, caused us to choose to cut ties with these customers. After almost 2 years of no problems with this roof, we were going above and beyond to check these problems with same day service. We have 42 total pictures of this job, for documentation. 

  Customer response

  06/21/2023

  [BBB Transcription via Email]

  We are rejecting the business response.  The response is made up of false statements, time gaps, and misinformation. Bottom line, this contractor installed our roof and after the first rain, it leaked and has for the last 2 years. He has failed to fix the leak. He also did not comment on the additional leak we now have, nor why the initial installation was never completed. Further, his comment on "cutting ties", which we were never informed of, shows his lack of professionalism over the course of 2 years. To be frank, this narrative, along with several others in his response, are so ridiculous that we do not feel the need to comment on them. At this point, after the fabrication and tone of his comments and getting confirmation of his poor character, we are left to question if the damage done to our roof on his last visit was intentional. We appreciate the BBB trying to mediate a resolution, but we believe this is a lost cause. We have done our due diligence these past 2 years and will proceed on our own. Buyer beware, if you want a new roof that leaks, then hire this contractor!

  Business response

  06/28/2023

  We literally have proof of the items mentioned in our statement, including the provided screenshot of *** ******* requesting additional work.  It is ridiculous to accuse us of doing intentional harm, and we have hundreds of happy customers who would gladly back us up, and who continue to refer their family and friends to us.

  Customer response

  07/07/2023

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response from Smith's Home Improvements again. I'm not sure why the business attached a screenshot of us asking for snow guards. If he is trying to back his fabricated story of how this is the first time he has heard from us in 2 years, that is false. He was contacted several times via text, phone calls, and emails since the original installation throughout these past 2 years, in regards to our leaking roof, not completing the original installation, and snow guards. Since, he brought the snow guards up, I must add that as you can see via ***'s text to him, we had contacted him the year before.  We were told during installation to wait on the snow guards until after the first winter to see where they were needed.  Which we did attempt to contact him several times, and the response we finally received was - you do know you didn't pay for the snow guards. Again an example of his poor character and lack of professionalism. So, another year passed in regards to the snow guards when *** reached out yet again. Unfortunately, following that text, February 9 is when the storms began and our roof started leaking again. (Obviously, it does not leak in the winter) And so the most recent fiasco began.  (Which is my original complaint)  At this point, we have tried again to have this contractor repair his defective workmanship, and he refuses. The fact remains that our roof still leaks, the original installation is still not completed, and the new leak has yet to be addressed, along with no snow guards. Please close the complaint, as we will proceed on our own. We appreciate the BBB trying to mediate the situation and thank you for your time.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  **** *******

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩