Our experience with SERVPRO of St. Mary's & Calvert Counties included excellent personnel and…read moreworkmanship, along with some frustrating coordination, estimating, and quality-control issues. The finished basement looks fantastic, and we appreciate that SERVPRO ultimately addressed the concerns we raised. Despite the issues noted below, we would use them again.
Frank handled the initial cleanup and damage assessment following our basement leak. He was prompt, friendly, communicative, and offered helpful recommendations without pressuring us to use SERVPRO for reconstruction.
Dylan, our estimator, and Kanyn, our project supervisor, were both personable and knowledgeable. Kanyn was especially responsive throughout the reconstruction process. Casey was also kind and professional, while Robby maintained communication during the contents-handling portion of the project.
The primary flooring installation by Edgar and his crew was spectacular. We upgraded from carpet to LVP throughout the finished basement, including the bedrooms, bathroom, and stairs. The flooring looks fantastic and completely transformed the space. Their hard work deserves recognition.
The project experienced several delays. Some were understandable, such as insurance approvals and personnel availability, while others appeared avoidable. These included delays in submitting estimates, an initial submission missing its attachment, difficulty obtaining updated estimates, and occasional communication breakdowns between departments.
The selected flooring and coordinating stair components also were not thoroughly vetted before estimating. We ultimately researched and located a compatible stair nose ourselves. I also identified a significant quantity error in the initial estimate that could have materially increased the final bill. The error was corrected, but it raised concerns about attention to detail.
The three-person pack-out crew was courteous and treated our belongings respectfully. However, the process seemed somewhat disorganized, with periods of downtime and uncertainty about responsibilities and workflow. The pack-back experience was considerably better. Two gentlemen returned our belongings efficiently, carefully staged everything according to our instructions, and completed the unloading quickly.
Two items were damaged during contents handling. The damage was photographed and documented, but I am still awaiting the outcome. Better coordination between departments would have made this portion of the project smoother.
Although the main flooring installation was excellent, some finishing details initially fell short. Several sections of shoe molding had misaligned miters, exposed or unfinished cuts, and noticeable gaps beneath the trim or around door jambs. Minor debris and paint splatter were also left behind, which I cleaned myself.
Kanyn did offer to perform a final walkthrough. Because of scheduling, I declined and told him I would reach out if I found anything. After inspecting the completed work more closely, I photographed the issues and contacted him.
The final estimate also included a substantial post-construction cleaning charge, even though I still had to sweep and mop small debris and remove paint splatter. SERVPRO reduced the charge after I questioned it, although I still felt the remaining amount was high for the level of cleaning performed.
I initially offered to correct the trim myself in exchange for a workmanship credit to avoid coordinating another visit. SERVPRO instead chose to stand behind its warranty. Kanyn and Casey personally returned to inspect the concerns, and the necessary corrections were completed to our satisfaction.
During the final estimate review, I also identified charges that did not reflect the work performed. These included removal of the original bathroom flooring even though the new LVP was installed over it, vanity toe-kick removal/reset even though I had removed the vanity myself, and painting of door/window trim that was not completed.
After discussing these discrepancies with Kanyn, SERVPRO issued a revised estimate removing the applicable charges and adjusting the cleaning allowance. I appreciated that the concerns were acknowledged and corrected once raised.
Overall, every SERVPRO employee I dealt with was polite and personable, and the primary flooring installation exceeded my expectations. The main areas for improvement are coordination, communication between departments, material verification, and final quality control. The process required more homeowner involvement than expected, but SERVPRO ultimately stood behind its work and addressed the issues brought to its attention.
Our basement looks fantastic, and we appreciate everyone who contributed to the final result.
