Rain One Irrigation & Drainage Systems

It went fantastic. They are great.

I had a tremendously good experience with this company. Out of all the companies that I've ever used, I'd say they were number one! The crew came out on Wednesday and got right to work and continued working through this morning even when it was pouring down rain.  When they were finisheed with the job they did an excellent job cleaning up after themselves as well.  They were extremely professional and courteous and they were focused on their work. I am extremely satisfied with the work that they did and I would highly recommend them to others.

If you need exterior drain service, this company is top notch.  I called on a Monday and had  a call back then an appointment on Friday March 20.  Jeff walked with me to see all 9 drains plus sump pump exit.  I was concerned that the pipe from the sump bump to the drain location was broken.  Another company had already said it probably needed to be replaced for $3,000.  Jeff suggested we get all the drains inspected and cleaned out then consider an estimate for any recommended repair work.  He gave me a verbal estimate of $400.
Jeff gave me the name of the work crew member Dave Varga who would call Monday or later the following week.  Monday March 23 I had a call from Dave who scheduled to arrive between 2-4pm on Wednesday March 25.  He arrived about 3:20pm and went right to work.  With the help of just one crew member, he discovered the exit of exterior front drains that were buried after years of erosion.  All nine drains were cleared plus the sump pump pipe.  To discover the buried drain outlets he needed to dig wholes in the front yard.  He requested permission first.  Once the outlets were discovered and pipe cleared, water flowed freely. 
Dave also repaired a connection between one gutter and a newly cleared drain pipe and suggested 2 solutions for the front area drainage, one more permanent than the other with  less maintenance but more costly which is to run 96 feet of pipe connection all front house drains to the drainage ditch.  I approved the latter for it's long lasted ramification.
The back pipe was cleared.  He did say it would have been better if the back pipe was 4" in diameter.  But it was not broken, and before replacing try building up an exit cage that could keep the end pipe from being crushed with normal lawn care and see if that is enough.  He even explained how I could watch for problems by checking the connections in a rain storm to see if water is bubbling back up.
He also suggested some improvement to the grading of a garden that might further reduce water issues in the basement.
So I agreed with his recommendations and will have the additional work estimate shortly.  Dave also asked if they could leave the drain ends exposed for when the return work would address, and I agreed if they would be flagged which he completed. 
Thursday it poured down rain.  I was never so glad to see the rain coming hard and the water just exiting all the freed up drains.

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It was a fantastic experience. The crew was very knowledge, informative and professional. They came out and installed the back flow one day and installed the rest another day. The whole experience was very positive!

The process to purchase the deal and schedule the estimate was smooth however at some point during the scheduling process things went wrong.
I had received an estimate (which was going to add $2600+) on to the ?Deal?.  After reviewing, I requested when the work could be scheduled.  The response from Jeff was on Wednesday morning: ?I'll call you by end of day with the schedule.?  
I didn?t hear anything Wednesday or Thursday and on Friday morning, sent what I thought was a relatively drama free note via Angie?s list messaging: 
?Hi,
Jeff was out on Tuesday to do an estimate for my drain tile replacement. He was quick to schedule the estimate time and quick to return the completed estimate, and also exchanged email quickly to answer a few questions but he indicated he would call me by end of day Wednesday about scheduling. I haven't heard anything so just checking in since everything else had been so prompt didn't know if there was now a problem??
To which I received a reply from Jeff via email:  ?not sure what I missed, call my cell when you get time?
I work and can review emails between meetings, waiting on elevators, etc... But it?s harder to call, so I simply emailed, "did we talk about scheduling and I have forgotten????
To which he replied ?Weather depending we are 7 to 10 days out, if you have any questions please call my cell, thanks again?
To which I replied, ?So are you telling me you're just going to randomly show up in 7-10 days??  This wasn?t going to work because someone needs to be home to unlock the gate to the back area.  I realize things can alter the schedule (weather) but did anticipate having a target date that I could begin to plan around.
Then things got unexpectedly terse with his response being, ?Liz you have not called me and still haven?t, unfortunately our job is weather related and the rain has screwed things up. If you would like to pick up a phone and talk about when we can be there I?m at #########, thanks Jeff.?  Not sure when this turned from his promising to call to it being me who failed to call.
I responded I would call him shortly, after work.  The conversation went from bad to worse with:   A. his lying that he had called several times (caller ID proves this incorrect), B. he accused me of thinking my work was more important than others (again, not at all what was going on, I was simply trying to understand WHEN the work would be done, not pressure anyone for a certain time).  I let him know that I was no longer comfortable with his company and would be requesting a refund and he hung up on me.
Bottom line, in my opinion, is that Angie?s List seems to have interaction with their system to monitor the estimate within two days of the big deal purchase?and all that was smooth.  But after that, I was basically ?prepaid? for the company and would be worked in after people who might take a higher priority with "new" money.  This quite honestly, might have still been fine, if that had just been explained.  Setting expectations first lays all the ground work with meeting expectations!
If you have experience with this type of work (I don't and was shocked by the tone and tenor of the conversations!) and you don?t have any scheduling constraints to care about, this might be a perfectly good situation for you, but if you have any expectations for professional interactions and at least some sense of schedule, save yourself the hassle of requesting the refund and don?t purchase this ?big deal.?

Jeff that I dealt with unresponsive, condescending, and rude. I tried to schedule an appointment in which he informed me there was other people waiting in front of me. He told me he would call me to schedule an appointment. When I hadn't heard from him I emailed him asking why I hadn't heard from him and he said what's your problem, call me. In which he was very defensive when I called and I just wanted to schedule an appointment.

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Several other companies wanted to replace all the drain lines from the house to the street which was an estimated cost of more than $3000.00.  The other companies indicated that we would probably lose some of our shrubbery since they had to excavate through the yard.  We were extremely pleased when Rain One spent time with the camera on all the drain lines and repaired only the small problem area instead of replacing everything.

I have never seen two service men work so synergistically and efficient. When the installation was complete, they left the area neat and orderly.

I made an appointment for today the 21st of August at 10am.  Jeff Schmidt the salesman shows up at 8:45 am and states that he is a little early.  A little early!!!   I organize my day around appointments and there is no way to organize around an appointment that begins an hour and a quarter early.  I was of course flustered when he arrived but he wanted me to go ahead and show him the issue, which I started to do ( although not happy about it).  He stopped me and asked if I would like him to leave, and to that I said yes and come back at 10.  He never showed back up and didn't return my call to his cell phone.  How ridiculous is that!!


To answer your rude response....An appointment was setup for you to come to my house and give me an estimate.  Whether you were going to be an hour and a quarter early or were going to be late you owed me the common courtesy of calling beforehand to let me know your intentions.  Just to show up that early and expect that that was okay is wrong.  Your cocky attitude didn't help matters either.  Maybe you need to learn what an appointment is and how they work.  There are plenty of other companies out there that do what you do.  I luckily don't have to deal with people like you if I choose not to.

My husband and I were so pleased with the work Rain One did in our yard. Rain One surpassed our expectations! They were fast (they'd told us a day of labor was all they needed; they actually finished in just five hours) and courteous and cleaned up after themselves. There were about six guys and boy the work went quickly. They offered to put the excess topsoil that they dug from the drainage ditch onto a large patch of our yard that needed it and filled holes for us.
Best of all, we were really happy that they used a sod tool (sorry, don't know the right term!) and completely preserved the grass that they dug up to install the drains and sump pump and then replaced the grass. Our neighbors all commented that they couldn't believe the yard had been dug up just hours earlier because it looked undisturbed at the end of the day! Jeff also advised us that an underground drain at the side of our house had been damaged during a previous owner's cable installation, and they fixed that. We're really glad everything turned out so well. Many thanks, Rain One! We would recommend this company to anyone.

I recently purchased a home that had an existing irrigation system.  I had no clue of the overall status of the system.  All I knew was there were sprinkler heads in the yard and they never came on.  The tech, Jesus, arrived at the house promptly.  Jesus is by far the nicest and friendliest tech I have had the pleasure of dealing with.  He listened to my concerns and began his detective work to see what shape the system was in.  He and his assistant reconnected the system and tested it.  They discovered several issues and were able to resolve all of them right then, on site.  Jesus was even able to remove one sprinkler that would no longer be needed due to our change of landscaping of the property.  After everything was up and running he took the time to walk me through how to set up and control the system.  Rain One will be the company that I call anytime I have an issue or need with the system. A+++++++++

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I spoke with Jeff initially who got me in contact with Dave Vargos. They both were very professional and courteous. Dave was able to come out the same week that I called. I got two other estimates that were $500 and up so I was quite nervous about the repair and the use of their cameras to check out the drain pipes for clogs or breaks. Dave showed up on time and completely the job in a timely manner. The end cost was well below $500 so I was quite impressed. The drain pipe just needed to be re-attached to the downspout. They also jet-washed the drain pipe to get rid of any debris and fixed another downspout connection. I would highly recommend Jeff and Dave.

Have been using the company for about 2 years now and have always been very pleased with their service.
Thank you Rain One

The service person showed up and was extremely courteous.  He fixed a broken sprinkler head.  What impressed me the most though is that when I had to leave before he was done, he somehow managed to close my garage door without me even asking him to!

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The workers were very efficient and professional.  They offered to move the sprinkler head because it was not spreading the water to where it should have been sprinkling.

Rain One (www.rain1.com) is the one for me!  
Appreciate being connected through 'Angie's List'.  My thanks to the Rain One Team; Missi, Dave, Jeff, Tommy, Bobby, Daniel and Margie for a great buying experience!  In my view: Quality People, Quality Process, Quality Materials, Quality Work, Quality Operation and a Quality Guarantee.

It all began with my plan to just replace the basement sump pump
It all started in April 2014, with my neighbors telling me 'what company not to hire' to replace my sump pump as a result of their bad experiences with certain contractors.  My search for a contractor took me to Angie's List and several recommended companies (none of which were mentioned by my neighbors).  I narrowed my search to three, one of which was Rain One.

Decided to replace the basement sump pump with a battery backup sump pump
My call to their office on April 21st connected me with Missi.  She listened to my request to replace my existing eight year old basement sump pump with a new one with a battery backup system.  Said she would contact Dave who specializes in sump pumps and would have him contact me.  Within 30 minutes Dave called me, gave me an estimate over the phone and set an appointment for May 1st at 8:00 AM.  I elected to go with Rain One instead of one of the other companies I contacted because of Missi?s helpfulness, responsiveness and urgency and Dave?s willingness to listen, insistence on quality (didn?t try to sell me something I thought I needed) provide an estimate and set an appointment so quickly.  Needless-to-say I wouldn?t be/wasn?t disappointed.

Decided to install sprinkler system too
Later that same day on April 21st I called back to Missi at Rain One to discuss installing a much-needed sprinkler system
for the lawn and flower beds.  (I again got neighbor advice on what companies not to contract with to install lawn sprinkler systems)  Within 30 minutes, Jeff who specializes in sprinkler systems, called me and set an appointment to come to our house the next day April 22nd at 1:00 PM and provide an estimate. 
Jeff arrived right at 1:00 PM on April 22nd, listened to my request and answered all my questions.  Said he?d email an estimate within two hours that would include the entire lawn and flower beds.  Estimate arrived within Jeff?s two hour promise.  I reviewed and approved the same afternoon.  Jeff?s estimate was a bit higher than the other two I?d received, however, my decision was based on the same reasons as my battery backup sump pump decision and neighbors? comments regarding other companies (not to use).

Battery Backup Sump Pump Installed
Dave and Team arrived right-on-time May 1st 8:00 AM to install the sump pump with battery backup.  I was impressed by the cleanliness of his truck/trailer and tools/equipment.  He also presented himself in a very professional manner in uniform, was very
polite and demonstrated great care for our home.  He performed the sump pump replacement (in my view) quickly and efficiently.  Was very considerate and informative.  The new pump works so quietly (the existing pump was very noisy in operation) I couldn?t hear it operate so I made several trips over the next few days to the basement to be sure all was okay?and of course it was.

Sprinkler System Plumbing Installed
Sprinkler system was scheduled by Jeff to begin installation on May 7th with Tommy who specializes in installing plumbing to include an Auxiliary No Fee Sewage Meter and Backflow Preventer.  He arrived at 10:00 AM and right on schedule.  He too was very professional in his appearance and demeanor.  I was also impressed by the cleanliness/maintenance of his truck/tools/equipment.  He was considerate to explain what he was going to do and listened to my questions.  Suggested the ?best way? to install the plumbing to include having all outside-the-house hose bibs on the Auxiliary No Fee Sewage Meter and locating the Backflow Preventer in an aesthetically pleasing location on the outside of our house. Tommy completed his work as promised by 2:00 PM.  He also explained how he would follow-up with the City of Columbus to have his work inspected/approved to insure proper water usage billing going forward.

Automatic/Remote Controlled Sprinkler System Installed
Jeff, Bobby & Team arrived May 8th at 7:30 AM as promised to install the sprinkler system.  Again, all presented themselves very professionally wearing uniforms and with well maintained trucks, tools and equipment to the point of posting ?beautification of the neighborhood in-progress? signs for all the neighbors to see.  In my view, they worked quickly and efficiently.  It still amazes me that
they installed the entire system to include a ¼ mile+ of PVC pipe in one day!  Bobby was gracious to listen to my questions and keep me informed of what they were doing.  The entire team displayed great care for our property.  By day?s end I had a fully
automatic sprinkler system complimented by a hand-held remote control?amazing!

Lawn Aeration completed
Daniel and the Lawn Aeration Team arrived May 10th as part of Jeff?s sprinkler installation project.  They were professional in appearance as was their equipment.  Daniel walked my property listening and answering my questions and noting ?flags? left by
Bobby?s Team that identified sprinkler heads and equipment.  He also noted outdoor lighting wiring, my neighbor?s electric dog fence and cable wiring so as not to sever with his machinery. Thoroughly cleaned-up before leaving.

Columbus City Water Department Inspection
Ken, a representative from the City of Columbus came to inspect the plumbing installation for the sprinkler system June 5th.  He was also very professional in appearance, maintenance of his vehicle, tools and equipment.  He was in my view very efficient and
knowledgeable.  Cared for our property.  Arrived on schedule even calling in advance.  Unsolicited, he told me that the plumbing installation (by Tommy) was one of the best he?d ever seen.  Really appreciated that the backflow preventer had been checked/certified by Tommy and that proper seals had been attached.  He said it was obvious that only the best equipment had been used which I appreciated hearing but because of my experience with Rain One was hardly a surprise.  Ken approved Tommy?s installation and said that ?credit? would be given for water used already for ?outside? and that future billings would properly reflect that with no sewer charges.

Neighbor referrals
My neighbor has already asked/received from me Jeff?s card for a possible sprinkler installation.  I?m impressed with the Rain One Team and will definitely utilize their services in the future.

I hope this review is helpful in your decision.

This is a busy time of year for these guys, I realize.  The bid process took longer than I expected, but they did a thorough job on the proposal and negotiated price a bit.  They answered all of my questions.  Once I said yes, they asked for a reasonable $2k deposit.
My only complaints have to do with the installation itself. They sheduled it for a date about two weeks after I said yes, which seemed long, but again, busy season.  They told me the install would take 2 full days, so I scheduled time off work to be there at the end of the second day to review the system.  On the first day of the install, I was called and told they were going to do it all in one day, no matter how late.  I was actually out of town, so had to reschedule and come back early. 
Bottom line is they rushed the job.  They finished up about 8:00 PM and left a bit of a mess, which is I guess normal for this type of installation.   I asked them to do two things:  rake out my dry creek bed of mud they had placed there, and fix my gate.  They did not do either.  When I let my dogs out later that night, I had to chase them down and fix the gate in the mud in the dark, myself.  They had covered up the pipe in the ground to which my gate attaches.  They were in such a rush to leave, they lost their load off of their trailer in the street when they took off.   To be fair, I did get a review of the system, but I didn't feel like I had time to formulate the second set of questions I would have if they had been less rushed.
The installation itself seems to be working perfectly.  They did a good job covering the entire yard, and my pots on my deck.  I am going to use them for maintenance, but wish they could be better in their project management.

replaced some heads and re-directed other heads so they didn`t hit the house. Tom is always on time and very efficient. we use them to open and close our system every year.

Rain One representative - Jeff - was supposed to arrive at our house for a service appointment at 12:00 noon.  Jeff called my wife and asked if he could come early.  She told him that we were both at work and could not be at the house until the scheduled time.
I arrived at the house at 11:50.  Dropped off my work materials and went out to see if the service rep was here at 12:00 and he was gone.
I got his number from my wife and Jeff said he knocked on the door multiple times and since no one answered, he left.
I never heard any knocking and he did not attempt to call my wife back on her cell before he left even though she had just spoken to hiim 15 minutes prior.
Bottom line when I called him, he was confrontational and rude.  It definetely appeared that since we were unable to accommodate Jeff's schedule, that we were not going to be able to get adequate service or respect.
I definitely cannot recommend Rain One due to extremely poor customer service.