Better Contracting Services

My dealings with Better Contracting

I bought a home with rusted gutters in late’08. In spring of ’09, I picked two companies, but since one only gave the quote via the phone, I went with Better Contracting from watching Holmes on Holmes.

Desmond from Better Contracting came to my house; walked around, and told me everything that was wrong with my neighbour’s eaves troughs—the neighbour did the work himself with a buddy. We sat in my kitchen, he wrote up what needed to be done, and gave me an estimate-$1900 and change. I provided my Visa for the down payment, a date was selected for the job to be done and we parted ways.

I was informed when the job was to be done, and I rushed home after work to see my new eaves. When I got home, the guys were still working at the front of the house, but I could see that the portion that was “completed” looked really good. By the time that they were finished, it was dark out and they left. The next day after I came from work, look again at my new eaves, and it looked great. The house looked finished with the new soffit, fascia and gutters. The area was clean, the openings were the old down spouts drained into the city line were capped and everything was perfect. I got a call to pay the balance of the work and did. I completed and gave a good review. Then it rained.

I had a beautiful waterfall running between the gutter and fascia of my new eaves. I walked under looking up, and could see straight through to the sky through about a ½ inch gap where the water poured down. I was going to take a video with my phone, but it was a bit difficult with the rain, so I went online to investigate so that I would be able to explain when I called. The investigation provided an explanation of what was wrong and including a picture which I cut and pasted onto an email which I sent.

Better Contracting came out, fixed the side where the gap and rain was really pouring, but there was still water leaking at the front part, so I emailed again and explained that the back and front was ok, but why did they not fix the front. The email reply was terse; I was told that the roof edge was cut too short and that they had to put drip edge on which by the way they charge for and I was getting it for “free”. (My feeling is if the roof was too short to begin with, they should have known that as my problem with my gutters was not because it was too short, but that the gutters were rusted through). The women then suggest to me that I should replace my roof. I responded by telling her that there was nothing wrong with my roof, and there was no other communication.

My expectation was still that they would come because their reputation was "on-the-line", seeing as there was an expectation of it “being done right” and that the problem was in the front of the house where anyone who passed by could see, but… Since they never showed up, I went to a big box store and bought drip edge and had a friend put it in for me, and it lessened the problem to drips. Over this winter the snow has shifted the drip edge because it was not secured properly and the leak has returned. I sent an email to Better Contracting asking them to came take a look when it rain (because I am suppose to have a 5 yr warranty), but this have been few weeks with no reply. Righ now, I have a window box which get very well watered when it rains, and I will have to hire someone else to fix a problem that I should should not be happening. My neighbour's which he did himself, has nary a leak!!!