ComplaintsforTri-Coastal, Inc.

• Initial Complaint

  07/30/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  This company installed a new roof for me. Not long after I had a roof leak. I called them immediately and they came out started banging and doing some kind of work up on the roof and finally came down to tell me that it’s not the roof. I explained to them that I now have a water stain in my foyer on the ceiling from the leak that I told them that they needed to fix because of the leak from the roof. They immediately told me that the stain on my ceiling in the foyer was there from before. I could not believe I was being treated like this being called a liar. I immediately asked to speak to the owner who I think his name was Jason and he refused to do anything for me. He continued to keep saying that the leak is not from the roof. I Have had a contractor come out and they assured me it was the roof because there is nothing above the foyer except the roof! Regardless it did not leak again. I’m assuming they fixed it when they came out to check and we’re banging on the roof. Now I have another leak in the foyer and I contacted them almost 4 weeks ago and spoke to some lady named Hannah who keeps giving me the run around telling me that she will get back to me with an appointment but never does. I’ve called so many times and at first she told me that they will not be out cause they already checked out the first leak. I told her this was a different one but I have yet to hear back from anyone. My old roof was 20 years old and never had an issue and now this new roof has been nothing but a headache. This company is horrible and refuses to take responsibility for their shotty work. You would think after spending 30k plus they would want to take care of their customers but after they were paid they could careless. I now have another leak and a new water stain on my ceiling in the foyer. Lastly I explained to Hannah I will have my contractor out at the same time so that he could show them it’s clearly the roof when they come out and never heard back from her after.

  Business response

  08/14/2023

  
  Jason ***** President of Tri-Coastal Inc. Response to Customer’s Statement of the Problem:
  
  
  Please note:
  Quotes from homeowner’s statement followed by response from Jason *****.
  
  This company installed a new roof for me.
  (1) Correct, the roof was paid for through homeowner’s insurance because of a damage claim from a severe storm.
  
  Not long after I had a roof leak.
  (2) The roof was installed on 12/05/2020. 1st Service was 07/31/21. That’s about 8 months of winter weather and spring rain after the install with no problems. We have done hundreds of roofs via insurance claims. Any damage should be reported to the insurance company to be included in the claim. So, we always ask if we can inspect the ceilings and walls in the home for stains before installing the new roof.  We also do not want people to see an old stain and think it is from the new roof. A frequent response is that people say they have no stains. We then ask to inspect just to be sure. In my experience, a reasonable estimate is that more than half of the time, there is a stain that the homeowner was unaware of on standard height ceilings. This homeowners stain is on the ceiling 2 stories above ground. It is typical for people to not look that far up with purpose often. As a result, stains go unnoticed or assumed to be a shadow. We did not get an opportunity to inspect for interior damage. This was during COVID, so we understand why this homeowner was not comfortable letting people in. But it doesn’t change that we could not verify that there was no preexisting damage under a roof that was damaged enough for the insurance to pay for a full replacement. Which means it very well could have been there before we installed the new roof. Regardless, when called, we came and performed a thorough inspection with the intent to fix any issues. None were found.
  
  
  
    I called them immediately and they came out started banging and doing some kind of work up on the roof and finally came down to tell me that it’s not the roof.
  (3) Correct, we came out to inspect for warranty related issues because that was what was called in. We are looking for labor and/or material defects. Those items cannot be inspected without moving shingles (this is the noise heard in the house). We did a thorough inspection, not just visual. There were no defects in labor or material in any of the surrounding areas. Homeowner was not home at this visit. 
  
  
  
  I explained to them that I now have a water stain in my foyer on the ceiling from the leak that I told them that they needed to fix because of the leak from the roof.
  (4) We understand that the homeowner would like to have us paint her ceiling. However, the warranty is for labor and material defects. For us to repair under warranty, we need to find a warranty issue. In the many attempts (4 at this point, including meeting her contractor at the property) to find defects on this roof, no one has found anything wrong.
  

   They immediately told me that the stain on my ceiling in the foyer was there from before. I could not believe I was being treated like this being called a liar. 
  (5) False, at no point did anyone call this homeowner a liar or anything else. It was explained, we cannot find any issues on the roof that would cause a leak. The homeowner was reminded that there was no inspection of the interior before the roof was installed. So, it COULD NOT BE RULED OUT that it was there before the roof was installed (Basic inspection troubleshooting step). That does not mean she lied. It could have been an oversite. As stated above, this happens frequently. It could have been an AC unit in the attic that leaked. It could have been a spill in the attack that traveled to the lowest spot and soaked in. It could have been extreme weather namely sideways driven rain. Many homes have areas that will sometimes leak if the storm hits in the right way even when a property is built to all local building codes. Examples are gable vents, ridge vents, open windows, vented soffit, a clogged downspout, a clogged gutter, ice damming, etc. A stain does not always mean workmanship or material defect is the issue. Code is decided based on the typical weather conditions of the area. Sometimes we get weather that is more severe, and those codes may not suffice in that rare circumstance. None of these examples are warranty claims.
  
  (6) I immediately asked to speak to the owner who I think his name was Jason and he refused to do anything for me. He continued to keep saying that the leak is not from the roof.
  False, I explained that the warranties are for labor and materials. Not a blanket insurance policy for all water damage in the home. We are tasked with finding fault in the roof and correcting it. I never said I wouldn’t do anything for her. Proof of that is the fact that we ended up coming out multiple times (4) to attempt to find an issue with this roof. It should be mentioned that it would be much less expensive and easier to send 2 guys to paint the ceiling than to continue to send crews to spend a day looking for an issue with the roof. So of course, that would be the easiest fix for us after finding any issues on the roof. However, there were no issues found. If we painted the ceiling without eliminating the cause, it will just stain the repaired ceiling again when whatever circumstances caused the original stain returned. Then we would be painting the ceiling on a regular basis although the roof has no issues. That is not how warranty works.
  
  I Have had a contractor come out and they assured me it was the roof because there is nothing above the foyer except the roof!
  (7) Any pro contractor should inspect and report rather than speculate. Any assurances made should have been with some proof if they are expected to be credible. The warranties are for workmanship and material defects. Did they show any issues with either of those? If so, it should have been presented to the BBB and us. We saw no such report.
  
  Regardless it did not leak again. I’m assuming they fixed it when they came out to check and we’re banging on the roof. 
  (8) During our last visit to this home, the homeowner admitted to our rep Shawn Lee, that in her opinion, it only happens during extreme storms. Please see number 5 above. Also, this homeowner says there is a new stain in this room, so whatever caused it (starting to sound like wind driven rain in extreme storms getting in an area as expressed in #5) likely happened again. This was covered again on our most recent service. We asked the homeowner to check the attic during the next extreme storm and any other rain.
  
   Now I have another leak in the foyer and I contacted them almost 4 weeks ago and spoke to some lady named             Hannah who keeps giving me the run around telling me that she will get back to me with an appointment but never does.
  (9)  Hannah has responded promptly to each of the first 3 service requests. We have reports and pictures of everything. This leak is in the same room. 
  
  I’ve called so many times and at first she told me that they will not be out cause they already checked out the first leak. I told her this was a different one but I have yet to hear back from anyone. 
  (10) The 4th request for the service (that has already been done 3 times before) was at a time just after major storms have hit multiple areas that we service. Our crews were very busy on installs as a result. This damage claim was not called in as an emergency. The appointment was made for the first available time our crews could get there. It was about 3 weeks wait time which is admittedly longer than we would like and is not typical of our service. However, more pressing issues were already scheduled with other homeowners needing new roofs due to storm damage. On the 4th service call, Shawn Lee met with the homeowner and her contractor at the property. They found no issues with the roof. But we did suggest a strategy for the homeowner to inspect the attic during the next storm and take video or pics of any problems. We do not want this issue to continue. If there was a fix through warranty, we would handle it and move on.
  
  
                My old roof was 20 years old and never had an issue and now this new roof has been nothing but a headache. 
  (11)  This is debatable because we were not able to inspect. Also, many leaks are not known because they go inside walls down to the foundation not leaving any visual damage. The current roof was done to all local building codes, and product manufacturers specifications. We also upgraded the shingles and underlayment to synthetic rather than felt paper at no charge to the homeowner. We also installed Ice and Water Shield in all necessary areas, which was not on the previous roof. This roof is installed very well and has not had any report saying otherwise. See provided pictures at time of install.
  
  This company is horrible and refuses to take responsibility for their shotty work.
  (12)  This is a highly offensive statement and I take extreme issue with it. I spoke to this homeowner at length after I read the report on her service call. She did not want to hear what I had to say. She spoke over me consistently. She threated a complaint to the BBB, regardless of what caused the stain, if I didn’t come paint her ceiling. I explained that if she did that, I would respond to the claim. We have done over 1,000 jobs in 7 years. The crew that did this work has been doing roofs for longer than that. We have gone on 4 service calls to this property to no avail. We upgraded multiple products on her roof at our expense. We have an A+ rating because we treat people how we would like to be treated. But we will not be bullied by people that think they can threaten and intimidate us into doing work for free. We honor our warranties plain and simple and have plenty of customers that would concur.
  
      You would think after spending 30k plus they would want to take care of their customers but after they were paid they         could careless. 
  (13)  We earned the 30K by doing the 30K roof. We take very good care of all our customers. In this homeowner’s case, we upgraded the shingles, underlayment, and installed code upgrades that we typically must fight with adjusters to get approved and were not on the old roof. I believe these falls into the category of taking care of your customers. But, by “taking care of their customers” if she means that you should have some type of credit for future work on the home at your discretion, then I’ll just say that is not a reasonable expectation and leave it at that. 
  
  I now have another leak and a new water stain on my ceiling in the foyer. Lastly I explained to Hannah I will have my contractor out at the same time so that he could show them it’s clearly the roof when they come out and never heard back from her after.
  (14)  We came out to meet the person that the homeowner says is her contractor. There were no workmanship or material defects found by him or us. We placed a pan in the area above the leak to help the homeowner figure out what is causing the stain and asked that she check the attic during future storms. This was the trip that she expressed that it was only during extreme weather events that she has a problem.  Again, please review number 5 above.
  
  

  
  

  Customer response

  08/14/2023

  
  Complaint: 20393629
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  Yes this contractor did come out and seal all the areas of the roof that were leaking but that does not mean it’s fixed. He also stated that there is no OTHER possibility that it could be from anything g else except the roof since there is nothing above or near the leak!!!!! Jason needs to take accountability for his horrible work. I don’t care if we had a storm, this is the second leak I have had and I now have water stains on my ceiling and yea he did accuse me of lying cause just as he stared they never check the interior!! The contractor he sent out a pan where the leaks were in my attic to try and see if it would leak with another heavy rain  he also continued to tell me that he would speak with Jason about painting my ceiling.  I want my ceiling painted as I should not have to pay for this due to their workmanship. I never had one leak with my old roof.  I messed up by going with this company but they made me sign a waiver saying they would go with them for the new roof .  I was always in the dark, they never gave a price and I see now why! My complaint still stands firm.

   

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

  Business response

  08/21/2023

  While I understand that this homeowner continues to demand that her ceiling be painted, there is no new information other than more verbal abuse in her response. A small sample of what I experienced during my phone call with this homeowner. Verbal abuse and aggression will not somehow change the facts in the situation. Since there are no new facts or accusations, our previous response addresses the issue and I believe stands. If this homeowner has anything new to add to the conversation, we will address those concerns. I would ask that the homeowner re-reads our response.  It has addressed everything in the complaint. At this time, after 4 visits, including meeting with her approved contractor, 8 professional roofers have now inspected this roof and found no problems. If there were problems, they would have been addressed. Multiple stains in the same area do not indicate multiple leaks. We have worked with this homeowner fairly and similar to every other customer who has ever called for service. We have never had a customer ignore our words, talk over us and demand things in this fashion before. I believe that is because we handle every situation professionally. That said, we stand by our workmanship, materials, customer service and heartfelt attempts to satisfy everyone we work with. Unfortunately, when dealing with the public, you will run across people that have unrealistic expectations from time to time. I believe this is a perfect example of one of those situations. 

  Business response

  08/28/2023

  Hello again, if this homeowner would like to have another contractor come out to inspect the roof again, I think that’s a great idea. That was who we thought we met the last time we came out. But if she’d like to try a different one, we will come out to meet them too. Please let the contractor know they will need at least a 32’ ladder as we cannot share for insurance purposes. They should be prepared to go on the roof that day. If we could get a contact person/number for that contractor, we will call and schedule a time to meet them there. I personally would like to be there as well per homeowners request. However, my schedule is very tricky for the next quarter as I will be in and out of town for multiple business trips. Hopefully, we can schedule something that works. If we come out and find an issue with labor or materials that caused the stain, we will repair the issue, paint the ceiling and pay the contractor for their time that day according to fair market value. I think it’s only fair that if no problem is found, the homeowner withdraws the complain.
  However, it should be noted, we will not except a random invoice or report from someone we cannot verify. That said, please ask the homeowner to re read my last statement. I did not say we sent 8 different contractors. I said there have been 8 professional roofers on the roof. I was referring to the guys we have brought out and the homeowners first attempt at bringing another contractor to meet us. However, I have sense been informed that a couple of our guys have been there more than once. So, in the interest of being completely transparent, I admit I was mistaken. It was not 8. It was 5 Tri-Coastal Reps and as I understand, the homeowners first 3rd party contractor was not prepared to get on the roof at that time. So, we will be happy to come out to meet the new 3rd party contractor and see if we get enough eyes on this, we can find a cause to the staining and resolve this issue either way. Again, we have and will honor all of our warranty’s. But we must find a warrantable issue/defect, just like every other company/business on the planet. 

  Customer response

  08/30/2023

  
  Complaint: 20393629
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  The owners response is fair however I cannot be responsible if someone from their company will not be able to make it on the exact time the contractor comes out. Therefore if they are not able to show for some reason I will have a report from the roofing contractor that they will be able to look over. I will however let them know when he will be out. 
  Sincerely,
  
  ****** *******

   

  Customer response

  09/21/2023

  
  Complaint: 20393629
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  Here is a copy of the work that was done to fix the leak by Tri-costal. This company came out on short notice after the 3rd leak! They diagnosed the problem and fixed it. This company was recommended to me by a very reputable company Roof.net and you will see their reviews speak for themselves. Id like a refund for the work performed and I’d also like my ceiling repainted from all the water stains. I have more pictures of the job However it keeps telling me the the files are too big. I will try to resend them using a different format. Thank you

• Initial Complaint

  11/22/2021

  Complaint Type:

  Order Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  Spencer S. and Adrian D. put blue marks on various areas of my home to mark hail damage in order take photographs to submit with the insurance claim. They did not tell me nor ask permission to put the marks on my home. Nor did they wipe the marks off after they had taken the photographs. We were able to wipe the marks off after we noticed them. However, we could not reach the area above the garage because a ladder was needed. I have exchange numerous emails and text messages with Spencer S. regarding removing the blue marks. He kept saying he would take care of it but did not When he finally tried to remove the marks, they would not come off. The blue marks are lighter, but still visible. The area around the blue marks is faded and I am assuming that is from him trying to scrub the marks off. Additionally, there are two small dents in the dormer, which I am assuming is from him pressing down when he was trying to scrub the marks off. (He claims they were already there, but I am not 100% they were or were not). In any event, they are responsible for the blue marks and now they won't come off. If he had removed the blue marks when I first brought the matter to his attention they probably would have wiped off. I have exchanged emails and text messages with Spencer S. regarding this matter throughout the summer into September. He responded to my email on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 10:09:22 PM and said he would stop by that week. He never showed up. He sent another email on Tue, Sep 7, 2021 10:13 pm and said "What I believe happened is the sun must have made the chalk stick to the aluminum. Never seen this before. So, we will forgive(sic) it out. "I have not heard from him or anyone at his company since.

  Business response

  01/31/2022

  Business Response /* (1000, 6, 2021/12/06) */ Contact Name and Title: Jason B. President Contact Phone: ************ #*** Contact Email: *****@tricoastalrestoration.com Hello, we are very sorry to hear about this situation. While I would hope a homeowner would call or email our office before taking the step of filing a complaint with the BBB, I understand this type of issue can be very frustrating. That being said, we have reiterated training steps with ALL Project Managers regarding this type of issue going forward. It was not the homeowners responsibility to notify our office. I can understand if the homeowner felt the onus was on the Project Manager to get this issue resolved in a timely manner and I completely agree. We would be happy to schedule this repair with the homeowner at their convenience. But because of the nature of a BBB complaint, we ask that the homeowner please inform us how they would like to proceed. We will agree to any of the three options they have requested for resolution. 1. Replace the existing metal stained by the chalk. 2. Reimburse the homeowner the amount charged to the insurance company to replace the existing metal. or 3. Attempt repair on existing metal.(not advised) We would also like to thank this homeowner for allowing us to complete their overall project and hope they are happy with the work that has been performed. It is also our hope that our diligent response to this matter and quick resolution will redeem us in their eyes regarding this unfortunate oversight. Consumer Response /* (2000, 8, 2021/12/08) */ (The consumer indicated he/she ACCEPTED the response from the business.) I would like the first option : Replace the existing metal stained by the chalk. Thank You

*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. ↩