GET IT IN WRITING BEFORE YOU START!
Frank is completely…read moredisarming and a smooth talker, and unfortunately, I didn't know anything about the paving industry when the team arrived for an estimate. I learned that paving is charged by the square foot, so I made it very clear that I needed certain areas patched or added on to, and calculated in my head what this should cost. Frank agreed, and said with a smile, "If we have any left over, we can cover these areas". I thought this was a great way to gain a positive reputation with a new customer.
An hour later, a truck full of asphalt pulls in, and five different guys completed the areas I had requested; then the truck, which was still half full, starts rolling up the driveway, dumping asphalt. When I saw this, I told Frank that that was an awful lot of asphalt to give away on a driveway that didn't really need it, and he might be able to use the asphalt on his next job. He replied "Well, we're not giving it away".
It suddenly dawned on me, when he said "we can fill in these areas", he meant "at your expense"! He had literally ordered twice as much asphalt as he needed, and fully expected that I was going to pay for it all. My $2,000 job just turned into $3600, and the asphalt was already on the ground!
I later checked with an asphalt company, who told me their minimum order was two tons - Frank told me that there was five tons in the truck.
So here's a guy who should be a paving expert, who had clear instructions on the square footage required, who is not required to order more than was necessary to do the job, who then simply chose to order twice as much and charge ME for his decision. Shame on me for not getting a written agreement in advance. And in the middle of all this, Frank tried to sell me the "Well, why don't you just do the whole driveway?" pitch THREE different times. Annoying.
Having said all that (and to be fair), There was a deep depression in the driveway that required several layers, and Frank only charged me for the actual surface footage of that patch. Hence, the two stars instead of one.
I'm not saying to avoid them, but I absolutely would not agree to anything with this company unless I had a written contract with a dollar number and an authorized signature at the bottom.
