BELFOR USA

The rip-out workman (Rolando Breton) started well and removed the damaged ceiling section without damaging the adjacent walls. He found the root cause for the leak: a power cord across the ceiling to a track light generated an electrical charge in the copper pipe (directly above it but invisible) and altered the metallurgy of the soldered joints, which decomposed and leaked. From then, Belfor added tasks and inflated the estimate above my deductible so that now USAA was involved. Belfor now blamed added tasks on USAA, who were involved solely because Belfor had added tasks. The costliest task was a pair of blowers to accelerate the drying of the rafter, barely damp, although I did not request acceleration. In my desert region, the rafter would have dried quickly anyway. Belfor sent strange men daily to check the rafter until, after the third unwanted visitor damaged the wall that Rolando had protected, I canceled the next visit. Although Belfor had no deadline from me for drying the rafter, Belfor estimated $630 for that make-work content. That $630 pushed the entire estimate above my deductible and thereby involved my insurance company (USAA), which Belfor cited as wanting the daily make-work visits. I cannot substantiate that Belfor's "water extraction from hard surface floor" actually occurred since water never dripped through the ceiling plasterboard but my wife and I were not in the room. I would at that point have hired a different firm to restore and repaint the damaged ceiling. Belfor's "project manager" expected that and told me, "I can see we're not going to get this job," instead of correcting Belfor's problems. But USAA then presumptuously paid Belfor. Belfor's restoration estimate again included activities that I forbade: moving furniture, repainting the entire ceiling, reconnecting(!) the problematical track light that I removed, etc. Those activities were correctly omitted but USAA paid for them. The painter (Brian) was very good. Although he smudged the same wall that Rolando had protected during rip-out, he repainted that wall, without asking me to authorize the work but apparently he was within a four-hour minimum charge anyway and did not exceed that. Belfor's "project manager" said that he and I could adjust the invoices. He already knows about the variously unperformed or unrequested invoiced work items so why does he need me? I have reported Belfor to USAA, who recommended them, and requested for USAA to have Belfor assign another project manager. A fundamental principle in project management is that when a judgment call is needed, the project manager should resolve the issue in favor of the customer. Readers may judge whether that is Belfor's practice.

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I took the time to write a review for Belfor because I was so impressed by their excellent customer service. Belfor was recommended to us by our Insurance adjuster for a water damage claim as a reputable company that he had enjoyed good results from in the past. In our case, the initial remediation was done by another company, and Belfor came aboard to do the actual drying and rebuild of the space. Tim Warters was the Belfor rep and I could not be happier with his coordination of the process or the end result. I honestly hope I don't have a need for Belfor's restoration services any time soon, but I would without hesitation call them if necessary. Strongly recommended!

It was frustrating doing business with them.