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Better Business Bureau St. Louis advises consumers to use caution if doing business with Ross Contractors LLC of Cadet, Missouri. Consumers reported to BBB they believed the company performed inferior workmanship, did not finish projects, failed to provide refunds, and provided poor customer service.
Ross Contractors LLC has an “F” rating, the lowest on BBB’s scale, due to several recent unanswered complaints. The business is located in Washington County. Jefferson County consumers filed all of BBB’s complaints.
A man from Pevely, Missouri, told BBB he hired Ross Contractors LLC in March 2022 to excavate land at his residence. The company was to do several things as part of the contract, including digging swales, digging for a garage/house pad, grading in rock, building a driveway, and creating a septic design for the property. The man said he paid the company just over $25,000.
The man said little work was done on the project besides cleaning the area's brush. The man waited a year before filing his BBB complaint. According to the man, the company agreed to a repayment plan for a refund but never followed up on it.
“(The business) took the money and ran with it,” the man told BBB.
Another man from Pevely told BBB he hired Ross Contractors LLC last fall to demolish a house and clear brush on land he owned. The man said there was no problem initially and decided to pay the company more to grade the area. The man said that after he paid $5,000 for the grading work, the company stopped work on the project.
“(The business) never came back to my residence except to dump brush from other jobs he did,” the man told BBB. “He made one excuse after another for not returning to complete my job. He didn’t do any work for me once that last check cleared.”
A woman from De Soto, Missouri, told BBB she paid Ross Contractors LLC $6,000 in November 2022 to do septic work on a property she was selling. The woman told BBB no work had been done on the project, and she had been unable to get a refund from the company. Two certified letters she sent to the business were returned to her.
According to Missouri Secretary of State records, Ross Contractors LLC has been registered with the state since January 2019. Barbara S. Ross is listed as the registered agent for the business. Consumers who filed complaints with BBB indicated they dealt with Joseph T. Ross on their jobs.
One complainant shared with BBB two other business cards he received from Joseph Ross, one for Ross Asphalt & Paving and one for Ross Septic Services. Those businesses shared the same contact information as Ross Contractors LLC.
BBB attempts to reach Ross Contractors LLC for comment failed, and it did not respond to a BBB letter regarding how it plans to address its pattern of consumer complaints.
BBB offers these tips on hiring a contractor:
- Research any business and its owners carefully before paying any money. Check the company’s BBB Business Profile at BBB.org or by calling 888-996-3887.
- Ask for references and contact them.
- Before paying, ensure you have a signed contract outlining what work is to be done, a timetable for completion, and an explanation of what happens if the business or consumer reneges on the agreement.
- Ask the contractor for proof that he or she is bonded and insured.
- Pay by credit card whenever possible if you need to challenge the payment.
- Do not pay everything in advance. It is a good rule to pay a portion when you sign the contract and the final payment only after you are satisfied with the work.
- When work is completed, and the contractor has been paid, request lien waivers showing subcontractors and material suppliers have been paid for the job.
- If you have a complaint, file it at BBB.org and with your state’s attorney general’s office.
