ComplaintsforDeitemeyer Brothers

• Initial Complaint

  03/04/2024

  Complaint Type:

  Billing Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  I called Deitemeyer brothers for an estimate for chimney flashing replacement. The lady on the phone said they do not send out someone to give estimates for small projects like this and that they do a standard service contract of 4 hours. She said the contractors will look at the chimney and if it looks like it could be more than 4 hours they would let me know and we could do a regular contract with a formal estimate. I sent them a picture of the chimney flashing. She sent me a service repair contract for 4 hours of labor at 95$ per man hour and $75 for materials totaling $455 (see attached). The initial bill they sent me was for $2210. I told the lady on the phone at their office that it was unacceptable and she contacted the owner ***** who then started emailing me. They have lowered the price and several emails with their latest invoice to me is $1233 which in my opinion is still unacceptable. They stated they encountered some unexpected work with countering flashing which is understandable. I think a fair price for this is the original estimate plus 2 hours of labor for unexpected work and the materials required for the unexpected work which would be approximately $850 which is still double what their estimate was. I was not able to attach the email thread with Deitemeyer brothers owner ***** but please let me know if there is a way to forward to you. Thanks for your help!

  Business response

  03/27/2024

  [BBB Transcription via Email]

  ****, 
  We have developed a service contract with purposes of expediting service, as well as reducing unnecessary front end work and costs (estimating and sales) in an effort to benefit the customer. Unfortunately, your chimney flashing project was not a 4 hour project, however, the service contract you signed clearly stated the hourly rate and markups.  We should have adjusted for travel, it was missed on our end. If it were a non service contract, change orders would be required.  Moreover, I acknowledged areas where we can improve, you have not addressed questions regarding other estimates you received.   The job was completed in a professional manner and looks great.  
  
   
  
  The invoice attached credits half of the hours back, in my opinion, it's weighted to address your complaints.  I have met with our team to make future improvements.
  
  Respectfully,
  
  *****
  
  *****
  
  I understand it’s normal to go over an estimate by a couple hours so that is why I wasn’t concerned with 6 hours of the workers being here. I also wasn’t aware that it took two guys to do the job. I figured one was getting trained. A fair price in my opinion would be your estimate plus a 2 hours for unforeseen work and the materials needed to do that additional work. Are you guys legally obligated to notify the customer if the cost of the job goes way beyond the estimate?
  
  ****
  
  
  Sent from my iPhone
  
  On Mar 1, 2024, at 5:29 PM, ***** Deitemeyer <************************************> wrote:
  
  ****,
  
  You have some valid points.  However, your chimney flashing was not purely cosmetic, see the attached pictures.  There was no step flashing under the counterflashing on the chimney, which required removal of shingles, cutting into the brick, new step flashing and new counterflashing, this could not be determined by the picture you sent.  Moreover, if you were aware of hours of the crew, at the time of the repair, did you not realize a discrepancy with hours you agreed to.  Lastly, Lori indicated you had other estimates, how did the total fall with those other estimates? 
  
  Nonetheless, I agree, we need to improve our communication, you should have been notified that we had discovered a more extensive need on the repair.  I will be sharing with our team, so we can improve in this area, including travel times, notifications, etc.  We will work to improve these items.   
  
  The job you received was completed in a professional manner, looks great, and will serve you well.  Our costs WITHOUT indirect overheads (office staff, insurances, office costs, etc) was $1283.09.  What do you feel is a fair amount for the work you received? 
  
  ***** 
  
  *****,
  
  This is not even close to being acceptable. I work in the consulting business myself where we do estimates on a daily basis. You generally have approximately 10-20% for overages before you notify the customer. I was never notified at any point that this project was going to cost 5 times what was estimated. 
  
  The lady I spoke to on the phone when scheduling this project said that you guys do a standard 4 hour estimate for projects like mine.  She said if it was going to be more than 4 hours the workers would let me know before they started the work and we would do a new estimate. I also sent a picture to your salesman. You guys have been in business long enough to estimate a chimney flashing replacement assuming no huge unforeseen issues for which there were none as this was purely cosmetic.
  
  -Your workers should have informed me before starting this project that it was going to be over 4 hours but they did NOT.
  -You guys knew my address when you sent me the quote so you should have informed me that you no longer had a Findlay office and that you charge for drive time for two workers from an hour away and an hour back home for them. 
  -Your labor was 5 times what you had estimated.
  -Your material estimate was 4 times what you had estimated.
  -Your guys were here for 6 hours which includes them sitting in the van and cigarette breaks on my roof. You charged me for 20 hours of labor.
  -They also left Friday with plenty of daylight left with a small amount work needed to finish the project and then had to make an unnecessary trip on Monday to come back from Van Wert and finish. 
  
  ****
  
  
  On Friday, March 1, 2024 at 04:40:49 PM EST, ***** Deitemeyer <************************************> wrote:
  
  
  ****, 
  
  Sorry didn't compose a message in the first email.
  
  
  I have removed $400 from the invoice.  I have attached pictures of the work completed. Work completed included multiple trips, as it was discovered after the initial vist, that the step flashing, flashing, and shingles around the chimney needed replaced. 
  
  The contract you signed was a service contract and specifically addresses rates and what the estimate covered, sight unseen.  
  
   
  
  I'll let you review and if you have questions, I can be reached at ************.
  
  
  Thanks
  
   
  
  Very best,
  
  ***** Deitemeyer
  
  Deitemeyer Brothers
  
  Roofing & Construction 
  
  P: (**** ********     F: (**** ********

  Customer response

  03/27/2024

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:

  His response was all emails that he has already sent me so nothing new to me.

  I am rejecting this response because I do not feel the price of $1233 is fair even though it was already reduced for Deitemeyer's mistakes/miscommunications. I understand it’s normal to go over an estimate by a couple hours so that is why I wasn’t concerned with 6 hours of the workers being here. I also wasn’t aware that it took two guys to do the job. I figured one was getting trained. A fair price in my opinion would be your estimate plus a 2 hours for "unforeseen" work and the materials needed to do that additional work. I spoke with another roofing contractor and they said the workers should have been able to get on the roof and determine what needed to be done by simply lifting one piece of flashing that was already pulling away from the chimney. At that point, they should have told me that the cost was going to be upwards of $1233 instead of $455 like the Deitemeyer secretary said they would do.

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

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