Driveway settles, contractor won't fix it

[bctbct]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: JinLien

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: bctbct
IMO the contractor had the duty to inform the owner in writing that ground needed proper preperation OR should have done the compaction himself.

Same as a builder building a house and not installing a foundation.

impossible to tell without soil testing...

What are you smoking?
If a contractor built my house and the foundation footing creeps with in a few months I'll give his ass a whooping in court.

there's a difference in building a structure and laying paving for a driveway. Soils tests are not even required by building code by are recommended. For residential work, they are very rare. For the most part, compaction of the subgrade is done, but if there is a major problem with the subgrade, it may not be visible or apparent until something like this happens without testing. In many cases, simple compaction will work but thn when there is a large rainfall or groundwater influx, everything can go to sh!t.

In this case, the homeowner was aware there had been major issues wih settlement, and apparently did not retain an engineer to investigate the matter, nor did he notfiy the contractor. This is a mitigating factor. The contractor may very well have done his due diigence, compacted the subgrade, and still had this problem. If he was not copntracted to perform soils testing, have engineering review done, or place select fill, this is outside his scope of work.

I work for a general contractor doing commercial work, and this isn't my first time at the rodeo. Take asphalt parking lots for example: the subgrade prep is all done by an excavating contractor. The paving company merely places the asphalt. It is not his responsibility to replace paving if the excavator did not prepare the subbase correctly.

No but it would be his responsibility to make sure that the necessary site prep work be done prior to placement. And if he was instructed to proceed even after raising concerns, a successful contractor would inform GC his concerns in writing therefore limiting his liability in the matter.

 

[Thegonagle]

Originally posted by: Maximus96
sue them for money and hire somebody else to fix it.

Better yet, hire someone else to pour a concrete driveway that you won't need to worry about for the next 40 years.

Just my opinion here: pavers suck. They look nice for a year or two, but they quickly go to hell. They look progressively shittier year after year, until you get tired of the weeds, the anthills, the unevenness, the chipped/broken blocks, the settling, etc., and put in concrete/blacktop anyway. (Thanks for the MyAnandTechRantSpace.com.)

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

Originally posted by: bctbct

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: JinLien

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats

Originally posted by: bctbct
IMO the contractor had the duty to inform the owner in writing that ground needed proper preperation OR should have done the compaction himself.

Same as a builder building a house and not installing a foundation.

impossible to tell without soil testing...

What are you smoking?
If a contractor built my house and the foundation footing creeps with in a few months I'll give his ass a whooping in court.

there's a difference in building a structure and laying paving for a driveway. Soils tests are not even required by building code by are recommended. For residential work, they are very rare. For the most part, compaction of the subgrade is done, but if there is a major problem with the subgrade, it may not be visible or apparent until something like this happens without testing. In many cases, simple compaction will work but thn when there is a large rainfall or groundwater influx, everything can go to sh!t.

In this case, the homeowner was aware there had been major issues wih settlement, and apparently did not retain an engineer to investigate the matter, nor did he notfiy the contractor. This is a mitigating factor. The contractor may very well have done his due diigence, compacted the subgrade, and still had this problem. If he was not copntracted to perform soils testing, have engineering review done, or place select fill, this is outside his scope of work.

I work for a general contractor doing commercial work, and this isn't my first time at the rodeo. Take asphalt parking lots for example: the subgrade prep is all done by an excavating contractor. The paving company merely places the asphalt. It is not his responsibility to replace paving if the excavator did not prepare the subbase correctly.

No but it would be his responsibility to make sure that the necessary site prep work be done prior to placement. And if he was instructed to proceed even after raising concerns, a successful contractor would inform GC his concerns in writing therefore limiting his liability in the matter.

there is no GC in this case...only the homeowner.

 

[compuwiz1]

Send the contractor a professional looking typed letter, explaining your problem, and request for repair. Do this by registered mail, with return receipt he has to sign for. Keep copies for yourself, as we as the origninal bid / receipt for the work. If he does not repsond, take him to court. Registered mail should send out the message that you are done, and this is your last request, before going legal on him.