Fortis Ground Works

2.7(
24
)

About us

Since 1994, Fortis has provided service excellence in the general construction industry throughout the Chicagoland area. Fortis specializes in concrete services, both commercial and residential applications. We understand that your construction project is more than just bricks and mortar, it’s your image. We pride ourselves on building your image and your company’s future. Our commitment to craftsmanship, budget-controlled pricing, and on-time delivery ensures a quality construction project as well as a satisfied owner.

Business highlights

30 years of experience

Services we offer

Residential Concrete, Brick Pavers, Doors & Siding , Stamped Concrete, Windows

Amenities

Free Estimates

Yes

Reviews
2.724 Reviews
Write a review
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
33%
4
4%
3
4%
2
17%
1
42%
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Showing 1-24 of 24 reviews
MJ G.
Sep 2020
1.0
$1,600
This is a follow up to our original Grade of 'F'. It needs to be FFFFF. We are going on yet another year almost. and the work still hasn't been corrected. Someone came out early summer to re inspect, said the work was poorly done, and we never heard from them again. We have hired an attorney, and the company still has not responded. We want our money back or a full replacement of the driveway. There has been so much shedding of asphalt pebbles the work can no longer be repaired; it must be replaced. Do not ever call on this company. Also, I see the negative reviews this company receives gets buried. People such as ourselves are being taken advantage of and are being treated no better than the shoddy work that went into the job in the first place. How can they continue to be in business?
Douglas W.
Oct 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,500
very good!
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi, Thank you so very much for your kind words and positive feedback. We strive to reach every single one of our customer's expectations. From your initial phone call to your final walk-thru and everything in between, it makes what we do worth while. Please let us know if you are in need of any future services we may offer, and if you have any questions please contact us at our office 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWorks Team"

Kenneth K.
Oct 2017
1.0
$4,000
I am still having problems with them so you might say I'm still dealing with them. I let them know there is an issue and so did the village of Bartlett because they didn't do it to code. They did a horrible job. The sidewalk was supposed to be 4 inches of gravel and they didn't do that. The village came out and looked at it. They actually flunked the initial inspection and they were supposed to fix it. They never did. They went ahead and put the brick in without the 4 inches of gravel. I would never recommend them even to my worst enemies. They ignore you as much as they can.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi [Member Name Removed]- First, we would like to extend our apologies on your negative experience with our company. We thank you for your feedback and take every single review we receive seriously and if and when changes are needed in certain areas we take those steps to ensure situations like the one you experienced does not happen again as we want anyone work with Fortis to have a pleasant , honest and professional experience. If you have any questions, concerns or additional feedback please contact Rebecca in our office 630-213-9540 as she would be more than willing to speak with and see if your project has been fixed and if not what options there are to get the repairs needed done. We would love an opportunity to earn your satisfaction. Kind Regards, The Fortis Team"

Eric S.
Jun 2017
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
Joe and his team were fast, friendly and efficient. They worked through all of the challenges and we have exactly what we need. FORTIS provides a folder with information on what is required and what to expect. I made a recommendation to my employer to use FORTIS for a large repair job. Joe came through again.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi [Member Name Removed], We are so pleased to hear your experience with Fortis was a positive one. We strive to provide excellent service to every single homeowner we work with, from the initial call and consultation to the work being completed. We always want to make sure that you as homeowner while having the renovation to your home done have as much information so you are in the loop with the work being done and the requirements that are expected while performing the work needed. Thank you for your A rating and your feedback, we truly appreciate you taking the time to do that. If you are ever in need of any service we provide (asphalt-concrete-stamped/decorative concrete-landscaping) please do not hesitate to contact us 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWerks Team"

DAVID B.
Jan 2016
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi [Member Name Removed]- Thank you so much for your feedback, we are pleased to hear you are happy and satisfied with the work that was completed at your residence. We do want to extend our apologies on not performing a thorough clean-up after the work was done, as we strive to bring excellent service to everyone we work with and if we fall short in any part of the process we want to know so we can fix that certain area. Again, we truly thank you for your "B" rating and feedback. If your ever in need of any services we provide (asphalt - concrete - stamped/decorative concrete - landscaping) please don't hesitate to contact us 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Forts GroundWerks"

Jennifer B.
Jun 2014
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$10,000
Fortis was wonderful! They came when they said they were going to. Took apart my old deck, which was not an easy task. Concrete work is dependent on the weather, but they basically stuck to the estimated timeframe. They took care of the permits, too. We love the larger drive and the beautiful ramped walkway to the front porch - needed for my mom's wheelchair. We're very pleased!
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you for your "A" rating and your kind words. I know this response is a little late, we are going through all of our sites and reviews and definitely wanted to thank customers/homeowners such as yourself and let you know we truly appreciate you taking the time to review your experience with our team at Fortis. We are also so very happy to hear that you love your bigger driveway and ramp-walkway to the front porch making the access easier for both you and your mom. If you are ever in need of any future services we provide (asphalt- concrete - stamped/decorative concrete - landscaping) please do not hesitate to contact us 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWerks Team"

Gene H.
Feb 2014
1.0
$8,500

All "F"s! They replaced our drive way and patio with concrete. I will never use them again. The introduction to the company and the product was very misleading. We used them because someone else in the family use them. I detected a lot of instances in their installation where there was a lot of indirect supervision by the company owner or representative. He showed up on the job site once and left and basically it was an all Mexican crew. My wife does speak Spanish  but that was not enough. One guy who was doing some of the work was more professional than the others. Basically the product has deteriorated and I talked to them about it and they said there was nothing they could do. I even made phone calls for them to come out, they did not respond so I used a tactic where I was looking for an estimate for concrete work and when the guy showed up all enthused about it and when I told him that this company did it, he immediately changed his disposition. Since the time has passed- I did talk to an attorney about it and he said that it was in line with the contract. There was a lot of dissatisfaction with the crew that they used and the fact that the driveway deteriorated within a year. The only thing that would satisfy me would be them laying a new driveway. It would probably cost them too much and I would not want it to be patched. I did see their sign in a yard of a client that was going to have the concrete work done, so I went up to the person and told them not to use them before they looked at mine. The price was attractive and sometime you get what you pay for.

Karen G.
Sep 2013
1.0
It didn't
R M.
Sep 2013
1.0
$9,500
Made them aware of issues next day that puddling - they sent people out twice who actually agreed it could not be repaired as the grading was wrong. Came out added some coating to three sections which started peeling in a week. Worst experience ever I have a lake in my driveway every rain and ice skating rink in winter. They are the worst company I have ever dealt with.
Gene H.
Jul 2013
1.0
$8,500
This was a very poor experience.  Basically I received a sales pitch up front that promised the world but resulted in poor work and a shoddy installation.  The laborers used were in an excessive number.  Most of them stood around and didn't work.  The concrete they poured has since presented numerous issues that should not have occurred from a professionally completed job.  I do not recommend this company.
Art S.
Jan 2013
1.0
$5,000
My concrete driveway and service walk was demolished and removed on 10/25/2010. New concrete was poured on 10/28/2010 and 10/29/2010. Temperatures dropped to the low 30s but owner Joe Larario decided not to cover the new concrete to protect it from the cold. There were numerous holes in the concrete and there was a noticeable coloration problem with the finish. On 11/9/2010, Fortis patched and sealed the concrete.
In December 2010, I emailed Fortis owners, Joe Lerario and Marcello Lerario, to advise them that the new concrete was showing signs of deteroriation. This should not be happening 3 months after installation. No response from Fortis.
In March of 2011, I made phone calls to the Fortis office in Bartlett, IL and emailed both Joe Lerario and Marcello Lerario as follow-up to my stated concerns about issues with the new concrete. I received a response back that the office would get in touch with me to set up an appointment. An appointment was made and on April 2, 2011, Andro Lerario, owner/brother to Joe and Marcello Lerario, came to my house to view and discuss the issues with my concrete. Andro stated that he did not know what caused the deterioration and discoloration in the concrete driveway, the service walk, and the public sidewalk. The concrete slab located outside the garage service door had split the entire width of the slab. Andro's response was that concrete cracks and I advised that this kind of crack should not happen within 3 months of installation. Mr. Lerario stated that he would have Meyer Materials, who supplied the concrete, do a ping hammer test and he would check the mix ticket since I asked how much fiberglass was in the concrete. The ping hammer test was done and I was told that the concrete tested at 5,000 PSI(pounds per square inch) but did not explain what happened to my concrete. I followed up several times by calling the Fortis office attempting to reach Andro. After several attempts, I was advised that Andro would be meeting with Meyer Materials to discuss our mix ticket. I did not hear back with the results of the mix ticket. Two different colored concrete mixer trucks(red trucks and white trucks) delivered the concrete to our residence. The red trucks were Meyer's trucks. I asked Andro whose trucks were the white unmarked concrete mixer trucks. He replied that he did not know the owners of the white trucks.
I had a follow-up visit with Marcello Lerario on 6/29/2011. Marcello stated that the unmarked white mixer trucks were in fact Fortis trucks and that the sealing of the concrete should have been done 30 days after the concrete was poured not 10 days later. Marcello was to determine which sealer was used. No response back. 
Further follow-ups were made to Fortis. An appointment was made for both Meyer Materials and Fortis to visit my house together to review and discuss the problems with my concrete. On September 27, 2011 Meyer and Fortis met with me regarding the concrete issues. Meyer comments were that Fortis put too much water into the concrete. Fortis countered that they did not put too much water into the concrete and went on to blame the sealer. It is interesting to note that I paid Joe Lerario/Fortis to seal my concrete. So if the sealer is at fault or if the concrete was sealed to soon, Joe Lerario and Fortis need to answer for the faulty sealer. The contract called for 5 inches of concrete to be poured in this project. Not all portions of the project were poured to the 5 inch concrete specifications.
Further calls and emails to Fortis and the Lerarios have gone without a response back. This is particularly frustrating in that Fortis has not been very responsive or made any attempt to make things right with the issues on their concrete work.  

Elizabeth T.
Nov 2012
3.0
$6,500
It took a week from start to finish with several days of no activity due to quoting add costs and waiting for the inspector. I am not sur why they even scheduled the inspector to come the first time, because they clearly were not tready for the pre-pave inspection. Glad it Is over.
Brian L.
Mar 2011
2.0
$8,000
There is now scaling on the concrete. It has deep cracks. They did not rebar the porch correctly so it is breaking off. It was all inefficient. They were rude.
Kathryn R.
Feb 2011
2.0
$4,000
Everything seemed to go smoothly enough until two squares on the driveway pitted and scaled after the winter of 2008-2009. Two cracks also developed, which I understand is a common occurrence due to the freeze/thaw cycle. Once the weather was good enough for them to being repairing, they sent their guy out to do some repairs. He epoxy'd the cracks, which he said may or may not hold, and then 'patched' the spots of pitting/scaling. There were many, and those two squares looked goofy from all the patch material. I pursued it, and they sent the guy back out to re-coat. He used the wrong material, which was quite a bit darker (I knew it wouldn't match completely, but this was way off; even the salesperson who came out to check it said it was too dark due to being the wrong material). Additionally, the repairman attempted to replicated by hand the 'California' style of the squares, which is the 5-6' frame around the perimeter of each square. It was crooked and really unfinished looking. Again, I pursued it and they re-did the coating. This improved the color issue, but again, it looked like a child had done the framing. It still does. What rankles me most, more than the shoddy workmanship, was what happened after I posted a Yahoo review detailing my experience. I was contacted by someone who claimed to be taking on all previous customers' concerns, addressing them, and making them right. I was kind of thrilled after having had a long conversation with him and really feeling as if he was truly interested in making things right. Short story--after a bunch of follow-up phone calls from me, each of which resulted in promises and excuses, nothing happened. Frankly, the guy probably quit after realizing the magnitude of the service and quality issues that Fortis had racked up. I chose Fortis in part because my neighbor (with whom I share a driveway) got their name from a vendor list that the Village of Arlington Heights uses. I wish I had not had the confidence that if AH uses them, they must be good. Call someone else--Fortis is an exercise in bad service, frustration, and poor quality. Spare yourself, as I wish I had.
Carol D.
May 2010
1.0
$3,000
I?ve tried to contact them and no one will return my call. It was not a good experience at all.
Marcello L.
Apr 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,500
The Job itself a year ago went fantastic. Simple for me cause they handled everything. What is impressive is that a year later and they stood behind their work. That is something you don't find much these days.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi, Thank you for your high rating and positive feedback. We aim to reach customer satisfaction, from your initial phone call to your final walk-thru and everything in between. Please let us know if you are in need of any future services we may offer, and if you have any questions please contact us at our office 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWorks Team"

GLORIA L.
Aug 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They were very professional, experienced and knew what they were doing. Their pricing was reasonable and the quality of their work was good. I was extremely pleased with the end result.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hello, Thank you for your kind words. Our main goal at Fortis is to reach customer satisfaction, and we are pleased to see that our goal was met with you. Please let us know if you are in need of any future services we may offer, and if you have any questions please contact us at our office 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWorks Team"

Veronica R.
Mar 2009
1.0
$4,400
Terrible from start to finish. I obtained 3 estimates and Fortis was the lowest price and the salesman seemed reputable. They left lots of nice marketing materials with their estimate. We gave them the OK to do the job and after waiting 3 weeks called to follow up on the status. At that time we were told we needed to obtain a permit which we did and advised them the permit was obtained. It took them 2 months from the time the permit was obtained until they performed the job. We couldn't seal the concrete because it had to cure for 6 weeks before we could apply the sealant and at that time we were in to late Fall and the temperature was too cold. Last Spring we noticed that the stones were popping out of the concrete and called Fortis. They said they would have someone come by and take a look and call us back. They never called back. Now it's Spring again and there are more stones popping out of the concrete.
Peter S.
Nov 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,700
They came out & gave us a very fair estimate. We scheduled the work to be done several weeks later. They showed up as planned & a hard-working crew broke up the old garage floor and hauled it away. Clean-up was excellent. The pour was scheduled for the following week. Rain delayed the work 2-3 days, but we were well-informed. The day of the pour went smoothly. Four weeks later they returned to seal the floor as scheduled. Everyone we dealt with was very professional & we have a beautiful gargage floor.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi, Thank you for your positive feedback. From your initial phone call to your final walk-thru and everything in between, our main goal was to satisfy you. Please let us know if you are in need of any future services we may offer, and if you have any questions please contact us at our office 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWorks Team"

Christopher S.
Oct 2008
2.0
$9,000
The estimate was fine and fair. Everything was fine until the work started. Their attention to the details of the job was terrible. Part of the contract was to bury drains for two downspouts. I pointed it out to the crew and it still did not get done the day the concrete was framed. After a call from me, they had to make a special trip back to put in the drains before the concrete was poured. Same exact story for cutting my curb to make a smooth transition from the driveway to the street. Concrete work was OK. In one section where the sidewalk flared out to each side of my front porch. The sides of the sidewalk were not symmetrical as they should have been. The worst thing was the retaining wall. They started it but never finished. I am having another contractor finish building the wall.
Dan J.
Oct 2008
1.0
$8,000
One word, HORRIBLE! Weeks behind schedule, never met their time commitments as to when they would arrive. Initially the concrete looked good however they would not resod the one foot edge running the length of my lawn on either side of the drive and the walkway. After arguing with them for several days and stating I would withhold payment, they brought over 3rd grade sod and laid it down. Since then I've had my drive and apron crack and crumble. I just had a contractor come out and give me an estimate as to how much it would be to repair and he gave me an estimate of $900.00. FORTIS WILL NOT STAND BY THEIR WORK PAST 1 YEAR.
Celeste K.
Oct 2008
2.0
$1,500
This was the worst experience I've had with a contractor. Work was started but not completed, because their framing of the sidewalk and patio did not meet Village specs. The old patio was removed but additional excavation was needed. Instead, it was framed in such a way that the height of the finished pouring would not have met Village requirements. In fact, the finished height would have covered the bottom piece of siding and a downspout. The framing did not pass inspection and the foreman crumpled the rejection slip and said he would get an inspector that would pass it. It was at that point that we decided not to have Fortis complete the project.
Roger K.
Jul 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$8,500
It went fine. They were able to straighten out complications with permits with the city; it was great because I didn't have to get involved. They were very polite and professional. They cleaned up well when they finished.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi, Thank you for your positive feedback. We are pleased to hear that you had a positive experience with our company, as our one goal is to satisfy our customers. Please let us know if you are in need of any future services we may offer, and if you have any questions please contact us at our office 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWorks Team"

JOE L.
May 2008
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
Excellent.
Response from Fortis Ground Works

"Hi, Thank you for your high rating. We strive to reach every single one of our customer's expectations, and are glad to see we were able to complete our goal with you. Please let us know if you are in need of any future services we may offer, and if you have any questions please contact us at our office 630-213-9540. Kind Regards, The Fortis GroundWorks Team"

MARK H.
Nov 2007
1.0
$8,900
Bad, Bad, Bad.

Licensing

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FAQ

Fortis Ground Works is currently rated 2.7 overall out of 5.
Yes, Fortis Ground Works offers free project estimates.
No, Fortis Ground Works does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Fortis Ground Works does not offer a senior discount.
No, Fortis Ground Works does not offer emergency services.
No, Fortis Ground Works does not offer warranties.