ComplaintsforBallard's Plumbing & Heating

• Initial Complaint

  03/08/2023

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Resolved

  More info

  I hired ballards this last fall of 2022. They did not complete the job and caused damage that they dont want to take care of. I have sent email with photos and description of the damages to D*** ******** one of the owners of ballards but he refuses to take care of the damages. They never capped my old sewer main and when we have heavy rains or thawing it back flows into the home. They also cut out floor joist supports, broke my bathroom vanity and *****, one of the plumbers also when putting sewer line through exterior wall. He cracked surrounding blocks using ************************* when he was told to use the hole cutting tool cement saw something or other. I forgot to mention that to D*** ******** in the email but I pointed that out when I was showing D*** ******** the issues before he determined he didnt want to complete my job and wrote me off without me being in agreements. Ballards is responsible for these damages. My basement *********** to be cut back up and old sewer line needs to be capped off. Cement blocks need to be fixed that got broke due to using a ************************* instead of using the cement saw to cut the hole like he was supposed to. My bathroom vanity needs to be fixed properly to match. And floor joist supports need to be fixed to stop the flexing and cracking of my floor joists.Plus the cost of cleanup of the back flow into the home from old sewer line.

  

  Business response

  03/13/2023

  In October 2022, Ballards plumbing and heating stopped work on Mr. ********** plumbing project and advised ********************** to find another plumbing company, due to the fact that he refused to pay for work that was completed at his residence. Ballards wrote off the remaining balance of $3,194.69, ********************** agreed that Ballards had fulfilled all of our obligations.  Ballards does not offer a warranty on work that has not been paid for.
  
  Ballards contacted the ********************* department to determine if there was an issue with removing the cross supports on the floor joists,  Emmet county stated that it is a common practice to remove cross supports between the joists to allow installation of plumbing and heating components, and does not affect the structural quality of the flooring system.   Ballards then offered to have the ******************************** perform an Inspection of the cross bracing that was removed, ********************** did not respond to the query.
  
  Ballards had not be contacted by ********************** until March 2023
  
  Pertaining to the underground plumbing, Ballards plumbing and heating correctly capped off all of the exposed and abandoned cast iron lines that were cut. The work was inspected and approved by the Emmet County plumbing department.
  
  Ballards made several trips to Mr. ********** residence to repair the bottom of the vanity,on the final trip,  the plumber that was performing the work was instructed to not leave the premises until ********************** was satisfied with the repair that was completed,  ********************** responded that he was satisfied with the work that was performed.
  
  Ballards plumbing and heating did not have a contract with ********************** for the work that was completed. The job was completed on a time and material basis,
  All the work that Ballards plumbing and heating performed at Mr. ********** residence, was under direct supervision of ***********************
  
  

  Customer response

  03/13/2023

   
  Complaint: 19559184
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I told D*** ********* at Ballards I was not sat with the work done and thats when he told me to find someone else to finish the job. They did not cap off the old septic main line. If they had I would not be getting water backing up from ************ into my basement. They did not give a choice to finish the job. D*** ******** said you put $5000 down and we are parting ways. There was never any agreement that I was releasing them from the job. The gentleman they had come out to try fixing the cabinet even said hes not a ********* and he was sorry but it was not the way it should be. 
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************************

  

  Business response

  03/23/2023

  What ********************** is articulating is simply not the truth about what occurred on his job.   ********************** paid $5000 up front for the time and material plumbing work at his house.  The reason that we decided to not continue work on the project is because ********************** refused to pay for any work that went above the $5000. The budget for the job was quoted at $9800 before the work was started.  ************************** refusal to pay and our observations of other contractors stopping work on this project, due to their inability to satisfy his unrealistic expectations for work performed, was the reasons we decided to stop work at ************************** house.   We had a verbal agreement with ********************** that if we deducted the $3,771.38 from his bill and that he was satisfied with the work that was completed to that point,  that would be the end of ********* obligation to ***********************   After numerous trips to ************************** house, under his direct supervision,  he then stated he accepted the work that was completed, with the understanding that Ballards would no longer be offering our services to ***********************  ********* capped off the old cast iron drain lines that were in the basement, which was inspected and approved by the ********************************.  Ballards did not work on any portion of the plumbing on the old septic tank or drain lines on the outside of the house. 

  Customer response

  03/29/2023

   
  Complaint: 19559184
  
  I am rejecting this response because: I told d*** ********* I was not satisfied with the work done at my home. Emmet county had to come back out due to a leak from the plumbing. Thats when they realized ballards messed up. I told d*** ********,  I would not be paying for them to fix what was already done. I refused to pay for ballards to come out and have to fix what did not pass zoning inspection. ***** laid a sewer line across the middle of a doorway and had the sewer line running up hill on a gravity fed system. I also have photos of damages. Ballards wanted me to pay for the guys to come out and replace and fix what emmet county zoning said was not correct. I also told the other plumbers from ballards that my bathroom vanity they broke was not fixed and they stated that was the best they could do because they were not carpenters. As far as the old sewer line that ballards cut off inside my home. They failed to cap the main line they cut that goes from my basement to the outside. I talked to emmet county zoning and they said that was the responsibility of ballards to cap off the sewer line where they cut it off inside the home which had led to 2 times of water coming into my home causing damage. When ballards came back out to fix the issues to make things pass for zoning that they messed up on I received a bill for all of that time and material. I told d*** ****************** was not paying for their mess up and he said fine find someone else to finish the job. I said what about the damages to my vanity and the rest of the work that was not completed? He said to figure it out. If I would have been in agreement of letting them damage my vanity and cause issues with my home. Where is my signature on a agreement for what you are stating d*** ********????
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************************

  

  Business response

  04/14/2023

  ********************** was given an estimate before we started, and work was billed based on time and material. There was no contract for this project, we do not have any signatures.

  Customer response

  04/21/2023

   
  Complaint: 19559184
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  I met with ****** the office manager today at my home and he agreed that ballards did not do the job properly and he said he was going to get to the bottom of things and that it was ballards responsibility because they messed up and thats not the way they do business. I even busted the floor up *************** could in fact see that ***** did not cap off the old septic line which has been causing flooding issues in my home. I also showed ****** the vanity that ***** destroyed and how ***** attempted to fix it plus all of the other issues that led up to this. ****** said they would make it right with me but he needed a day to figure things out. Then o get this response back from ballards 3 hours later. 
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************************

  

  Business response

  05/04/2023

  We have contacted ***************************** and explained his contact with the Better Business Bureau on the same day of our visit was purely coincidental. all issues are resolved.

  Customer response

  05/04/2023

   
  Better Business Bureau:after multiple attempts to get things taken care of we finally came to a resolution. Things are finally fixed. 
  
  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me.
  
  Sincerely,
  
  *****************************************

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