Get matched with top foundation drain installation pros in Lockport, IL

"I met with crew boss of said company (Cesar Garcia) for an initial consultation and to get estimate price for it. He emailed me saying that they would be putting a top coat on the next day & all would look great after. He project on 10/19/24. We discussed work I wanted done & my expectation that the cement used in the project would be matched to the existing color of rest of concrete as much as possible. He told me he could get the project done in 2 days & that the finished work would have my porch looking brand new. His estimate that day came to $2500. I wrote him a check for $1250 that date as down payment. The work was started on 10/24/24 after Garcia told me that additional material was needed to uplift the concrete at the top of the steps. He told me "This will just cost you just a little more than we discussed". Later that evening he emailed me saying that I would be charged another $600, which to me was way more than a little more. I replied with a request that we negotiate a smaller price once the work was done but got no reply.On 10/25/24 I viewed the 1st part of the job & emailed Garcia of my concern that the cement was discolored and looked like small pebbles were on it & he sent me a picture of another project he did with the top coat on and told me my project would look smooth and professional as in the picture after the top coat dried. On 10/26/24 his crew put the top coat on as I was at work. Once it was dry I emailed Garcia on 10/28/24 informing him that the top coat was too dark and that it also had scrape marks, discolorations & areas where the top coat did not take & you could see the lighter color of the older cement showing through. He ended up coming to my home and agreed to have his main crew guy come to my home again so the top coat could be changed from charcoal to a grey color to better match the existing concrete & to also ensure that the finished project would be free of scrape marks, cracks and discolorations, again telling me it would look brand new. His crew guy came out and told me he was only going to fill in some cracks and would not be changing the color. He became argumentative when I told him this was not what was agreed upon between Garcia & I and he told me not to talk to him further. He stated that he was leaving & he called Garcia at my request. Garcia talked with him & after it was agreed that a redo on the cement work would be done. The main crew guy came to my home on 11/2/24 to change the color of the topcoat and to get the finished project with the cement to look evenly colored, smooth and free of cracks or swirl marks as Garcia told me would occur. I asked the crew guy to put protectant down so the cement would not get on my freshly painted porch. He looked at me and rolled his eyes. As he worked I told him that I thought the pressure of the machine he used had loosened some of the cement around the brick under the porch. He said this was not caused from his work. I emailed Garcia so as to have him come out and take a look. I The main crew guy then became irate and he stated to me "There is something very wrong with you". "You are crazy". "You don't know what the **** you want or are talking about." Do not talk to me anymore". He left my home shortly after.spraying sealant on the porch. I informed Garcia via phone of the event. He arrived at my home about 10 minutes later. He apologized for the crew guy's behavior and requested rest of the payment which ended up amounting to $1750.00 I told him I preferred to wait until the sealant was totally dry before paying the balance due. He stated I did not have anything to worry about as the cement would dry and look brand new as previously mentioned. He stated he wanted his payment that date as he would be leaving town for 2 weeks to work on other projects. He stated he would come and check on the final result at my home later that evening. I wrote him a check for the $1750. and he left. I was doing yard work until near dark & he failed to return. Once the sealant had dried the next day there are clearly visible bubbles, cracks, discolorations and pock marks on the surface along with some cement that got on parts of the brick around the porch that has dried. It looks unfinished and unprofessional-not like the picture I was sent. The work done on the settled part of the porch and the empty area between the top step was done well though I emailed Garcia evening of 11/2/24 and told him about the problem & that if I did not hear from him by 11/5/24 I would be filing a complaint with Angi, the Better Business bureau and possibly seek an attorney but he failed to respond. I want the cement to be worked on so that the surfaces are even in terms of coloration and with a smooth surface, free of cracks, swirl and brushmarks- like new as Garcia told me it would appear. Time frame: Before the weather gets too cold or winter sets in. Alternatives: I am not asking for a refund. I prefer that Angi send another cement specialist company to my home to complete the project with the cost to be payed by Exclusive Masonry & Construction since they have not been able to complete the job without leaving the cement with the problems mentioned above after 2 attempts and the main crew guy has been so disrespectful to me. Very stressful to me having to deal with this situation as I want my home to look great and saved up for a while to pay for this project. 2nd choice alternative: To have Angi send another cement specialist company to my home so as to give me a cost to have the project finished and for me to receive a refund from my payment to Exclusive Masonry and Construction only for the amount to cover the costs of getting the job done by that company."

"After spending a good amount with a different contractor to remodel our main floor, we had to settle with the fact that a basement remodel was likely not in our short term plans. However, after taking a meeting with Matrix, we were pleasantly surprised that a substantial remodel was not out of the question after all. We were honestly so focused on the fact that something could get done that we didn’t nit pick on the finishes and some of the details, but wow were we impressed by the quality and workmanship of the end product. The project managers (we had Ben) do everything that’s needed to keep on schedule, but rest assured this does not mean that any shortcuts of any kind are taken. The sub-contractors used are simply amazing, and seem motivated to do whatever is needed to keep Matrix and the customers happy. Overall, we couldn’t be more pleased with how everything turned out!"

"Dean and his team were great to work with. They understood our vision with our basement reno from the beginning and made it a realty. Their crew was very professional, always communicated well and does really good work. They also were the lowest quote out of the three I received! Great quality and value."

"Eli and Louis and Pinto raised the walks to the suitable level, caulked cracks, joints, and seams, cleaned up nicely, explained work done as I was watching...and all looks great!"

"Installers were very thorough in Replacing water heater and cleanup"

"Larry and his team were absolutely the best. We had some repair work that needed to be done as well as electrical and installation of a bathroom with tiling and plumbing. Larry is VERY good with communication before, during, and after the work was completed. He and Dave went over and above what we expected and were extremely competitive with pricing for us. They even went so far as to fix some issues that only added to our enjoyment of our new basement and bathroom. We had a terrible experience with a former contractor and were a bit shy about hiring another but I am so glad we did! From top to bottom, they performed like professionals and completed the project in exactly the time they specified. I will hire these guys any day of the week and would recommend them to others in a heartbeat."

"Good work in general; our basement no longer sees water for over 3 years now, which is the most important thing. But there were some real issues: The biggest issue is that USW did not adhere to local electrical codes, and did not arrange for a final inspection of the project. So we didn't find out that it wasn't to code until years later, and now it's a big hassle and minor cost to fix and get the permits. Ask your local gov yourself what you need to do for permits and inspections; don't rely on USW! USW said they would seal any foundation cracks found along the way; they didn't do this until I bugged the warranty dept about it (but they did do it eventually). USW sent someone out for the "annual checkup"... over 2 years after the install. It's a good thing they (eventually) did, because they discovered the backup battery wasn't charging. Now I know to check this stuff better myself. Prices also vary wildly and are kind of negotiable (I'd give more detail but I'm out of space)"

"Absolutely fantastic company will definitely recommend and use again if needed"

"Real Seal are very professional. Came out when they said, sent estimate and set up to have work done in a timely matter. The technician sealed two cracks in our foundation crawl space. Did a excellent job and was very friendly and knowledgable. I will be using them again for another crack."

"Fantastic experience. They did a great job. From initial contact to completion was under 2 weeks. Highly recommend."