TIM PLUTE CEMENT CONTRACTOR

Within 3-4 months following completion, large cracks started to appear in the driveway and then I noticed major sub-grade settlement around the foundation of my house (and underneatht he contrete as I have a small utility access area that was open and without concrete. By spring the entire patio and 2 adjoining driveway sections had 1 large continuous crack (55 ft long) that followed the foundation of the house at a distance of about 2-2.5 ft from the house. My house had a warranty, I contacted my builder and he told me to call the sub-contractor (Tim Plute) to review and address. I called him for over a month, every week and sometimes 2-3X per week, and he wouldn't call me back. I work from a home office most days of the week and I noticed he woudl come down into my coldesac and then drive awway (you get to know the contractors and their trucks in a new construction plan after a year). It would seem he was looking for a time when I wasn't home to come evaluate it. Then, He finally returned my call and message one day and said "I was just out there yesterday and you weren't there". Of course, that one day I had a meeting across town even though I was at home the prior 4 days. He proceed to tell me all the cracking is "normal". Concrete cracks he said. Just one excuse after another. I told him I don't disagree, you can get a random hairline crack here and there from shrinkage. But not multiple LARGE cracks in one section of concrete, or a 55 ft long crack across 5 sections of patio and driveway where you can see there was significant settlement below it and now the crack is getting worse and chunks of concrete are breaking away. No matter the argument he had the same answer and challenged me to find any concrete contractor that would tell me differrent. Fortunately my builder disagreed with him, and said he obviously doesn't stand behidn his work, but he would. He told me to find my own conractor and he'd make it right. I've had other conrete contractors here to evaluate and provide estimates and was consistently told the same thing: - The sections were poured 2 large. Concrete shoudl always be sections such that each section is no large the 10 ft in one direction, otherwise it is highly likely to crack. That section that has 3 cracks? It's 15.5 ft wide. - The sub-grade preparation prior to pouring was done incorrectly and is the reasion for the 55 ft continuous crack and rear side walk sinking. It should have been better backfilled and built up while running a plate compactor over it. - They concrete shoudl have been poured 5" thick, mine appears to be 3.5-4" thick. Clearly these are just their opinions, and I have my own as well. You make your own decision as to what you find important to selecting a contractor.