Delaware County Restoration

They were horrible to deal with from the start. They never contacted us with updates; we always had to call them, and often calls went unreturned for days. We were told we had to pay our insurance deductible upfront, and then the work on our roof would be scheduled within 2-3 weeks after they received it. They cashed our check and never scheduled the work. Every time we called to find out what was going on, we were told they were waiting on a schedule from the roofer. In the meantime, I was three months pregnant and our bedroom was full of mold from the leaky roof (I know this to be fact, as the contractor we eventually hired privately confirmed that there was a ton of mold in the wall from all of the water damage). So we had to sleep in our guest room while awaiting the repairs. Finally, in mid-June (the leak was on May 1), we were told a roofer came to our house on a Saturday. We were home all day and never saw a roofer. We did not leave our house until almost 5 that afternoon, and the response from Delaware County was, "He must have come after you left." I don't know any roofers that work at 5 on Saturday. Meanwhile, no one ever called us to say that the roofer had been out. I called the following Monday to find out what was going on, and they said the roofer had been there, we now needed a whole new roof instead of just a section replaced (which was their contractor's original estimate), and they were waiting for a response from our insurance company to approve the additional costs. I called the insurance company and was told that they had had no contact from Delaware County with a revised estimate. They then contacted Delaware County for me, and were told they needed to first get satellite pictures of our roof for measurements before they could revise the estimate, and that would take 1-2 additional business days. Red flag: If the roofer had supposedly been at my home the previous week, why didn't he take measurements then? Ultimately, we told our insurance company we preferred to hire our own roofer and contractor and have them submit an estimate. That is what we did, and our insurance company recovered our deductible from Delaware County for us. Overall, it was a nightmare and the worst customer service I have ever experienced. The roofer I went with had our job scheduled within a week and a half of the estimate being approved, as did the contractor who repaired our bedroom. We wasted so much time dealing with Delaware County that it was three months from the time our roof started leaking before it was repaired. I would never, ever deal with that company again.

We suffered a frozen pipe burst and were referred to Delaware County Restoration by our insurance company to repair the damage. We were unhappy with their work. Our last e-mail exchange with Delaware Valley is illustrative. From Delaware Valley’s Steven Sandone, Esq. Delaware County Restoration Office Manager, June 5, 2014: “The relevant issue is whether or not we completed the line item services being charged to you on our invoice. The next issue is whether or not the completed line items were performed to your satisfaction. I would ask that you speak to either Phil Kearsley or Angie Baker on these issues to resolve the balance.” Our Reply, June 5, 2014: “With respect to the line item services for which we were improperly charged, I believe we have more than amply explained our rationale. The services with respect to 140 SF of drywall were simply not performed, nor could they have been performed without covering the existing garage door opening. We accept that Phil could have made an error with regard to the initial estimate. Nonetheless, now that the error has been identified, we do not understand the insistence that the charges are "representative of the work completed..." “As for whether the completed line items were performed to our satisfaction, they were not, as Phil and Angie well know. The deficiencies in timeliness, execution, and end product (filthy house, damaged furniture, construction debris, unpainted floor molding, curtains and unfinished spots in the floor finish, uninsulated wall spaces) have been brought to … Angie and Phil's attention on multiple occasions, by phone and by e-mail. We have received apologies, promises and excuses, but little of substance. As a result, we expressed our lack of confidence in Phil's ability (and that of Delaware County Restoration) to complete the job - hence work to be "Done by Other." We have yet to receive a response from Delaware County. The charges which we deemed improper relating to a wall that simply does not exist (drywall removal, drywall hanging, taping and floating, sealing and painting of 140 sq ft of space that is occupied by a garage door - not a wall), totaling over $600, remain outstanding. There was so much dirt and debris in our HVAC ductwork from floor sanding and drywall dust that it collapsed the air filter to the furnace, requiring the entire duct system be cleaned at a cost of $700. We engaged other contractors to complete work that Delaware County was contractually obligated to perform, but simply failed to do.

I was worried about the cost of the invoice due to the amount of work and drying days involved. However, the charges were reasonable and the guys were respectful of the house. They responded quickly and the service was very pleasant under the circumstances.

They were very punctual, professional and reasonable.

All repairs made were completed on time and done in a professional manner. Water damage to ceiling meant that sheet rock had to be replaced, and ceilings painted. The floor in the laundry room was replaced with a laminate that was installed - great installation job. Painters were quick - all existing colors were matched. The final step was a carpet cleaning (after all the other work was completed). Overall experience was very favorable.

They did a really good job. I would use them again in the future if needed.