On April 24, 2026, we discovered water on the floor of our utility room, which had partially spread…read moreinto the carpeted family room. After checking for plumbing leaks and finding none, we pulled back sections of the carpet to allow the area to dry. The water appeared to be originating in the utility room and spreading into the family room and adjacent bedroom. Over the next several days, the problem continued to worsen.
On April 26, 2026, we contacted Standard Water Control Systems (SWCS), a company we understood to be highly experienced in basement water issues. We explained our situation and scheduled an appointment with Nate Amdall, a Sales Specialist for SWCS.
During his visit, Nate inspected the affected areas and examined our sump basket, which was dry. He quickly concluded that because our home was built in 2001, the builder had installed a deficient drain tile system that was now failing. We specifically asked whether the water problem could be caused by something else. Nate indicated that he did not believe so and stated that he had seen this same issue many times before.
On April 30, 2026, Nate provided a proposal recommending installation of a new drain tile system. Trusting his expertise and diagnosis, we signed a contract with SWCS to perform the work.
Between May 1 and June 1, 2026, I prepared the basement for the project by removing and disposing of all carpet, removing baseboards and cabinets where necessary, and relocating personal belongings. Throughout this period, standing water continued to appear every other day and then dry up. I repeatedly sent photographs to Nate documenting the ongoing water intrusion.
On June 5 and June 8, 2026, SWCS installed the new drain tile system. The installation crew was professional and performed the work well. However, on June 7 and June 9, we again observed standing water in the exact same locations in the basement. We immediately contacted Nate, who advised that a member of the Service Department would need to inspect the issue.
On June 10, 2026, Todd from the SWCS Service Department visited our home. After reviewing the history of the problem and inspecting the affected areas, he asked to test our floor drain. He observed our water softener discharging into the utility room floor drain during its normal regeneration cycle. Todd then manually initiated a regeneration cycle, and the floor drain immediately overflowed onto the basement floor.
We watched the water travel across the basement and into all of the areas where moisture had previously appeared. Within approximately five minutes, Todd identified the actual cause of the problem: a clogged floor drain. The issue was unrelated to the drain tile system and did not require installation of a new one.
Given Nate's confidence in his diagnosis and his representation of extensive experience with similar situations, we believe this simple test should have been performed before recommending a $10,400 drain tile replacement. Had it been conducted, the true cause of the problem would likely have been identified immediately.
Later that same day, June 10, 2026, we contacted Roto-Rooter to clean the floor drain. The drain was cleared at a cost of $420, and the water problem was resolved.
As a result of the incorrect diagnosis, we have incurred substantial costs and damages. We paid approximately $10,400 to SWCS for a drain tile system that did not address the actual problem. In addition, we estimate approximately $10,000 in costs to replace flooring and restore the basement after removing materials and preparing for the project based on SWCS's recommendations.
