Allan came on site and we had a very specific review of the job requirements. At installation time, Gary was not briefed and they placed the heads on locations decided at the time. Once the job was finished, it was raining so the system was never tested. They were too busy to correct the issue prior to the winter season and they came back to visit in the spring the following year. Jeff was great at correcting the issues and testing everything. Then I get a bill for spring startup. The office manager: Joanne is extremely rude when it comes to customer service but very nice when it comes to pulling money out of you. We also since have found out that the lines are not even at the minimum 6" depth... Terrible company that will charge you an arm and a leg and end up doing an extremely poor job.
*EDIT: as we had another contractor doing work, we have uncovered that the pipes are not at the minimum 6" depth and the wires re laid bare without shielding in the ground. See attached pictures
*EDIT2: As we are going through the garden, the depth of those water pipes and electrical they ran for the valve box is nowhere close to the minimum requirements. The first time I aerate the lawn, it will puncture the pipes or cut the cables... At this point Alan has still not contacted me and the office manager Joanne, has not answered. Stay away from this company! They will charge you an arm and a leg with false guarantee promises that you will never receive.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $7,500.00
- Company Response
Mr. Kahriz has chosen to express his views with the Better Business Bureau and social media. This response will apply to both.
My recollection, those of the crew, and our records of events is very different than his.
The original meeting was held on June 16, 2017 to discuss a proposal for a lawn sprinkler system.
Because of the time of year and the number of plants they had, it was recommended that the installation be delayed to the end of the growing season, such as Oct.A second meeting was held 28 Sept. to discuss proceeding.
The installation was discussed at the first two meetings. A picture of how pipe is installed and how deep it is installed, is part of the proposal and shown to the customer. Rockwood is an area where the front of glaciers left many rocks behind. We refer to this as bony material. The machine has the capability of installing pipe 12” deep but we try to install it at 8”, the height of heads. I tell potential clients when reviewing the proposal, we attempt to put pipe and wire 8” deep, but if we hit obstructions like construction rubble or tree roots, the pipe and wire will be shallower.
It was also made very clear that the irrigation is a non-regulated industry. This is written in the proposal. There are no rules or regulations as to how sprinkler systems get installed. There is no minimum depth required as Amir states. Bell Canada and Cable TV companies are under the same umbrella.
The installation was done on 10-11 Oct 2017 and tested. When this installation date was scheduled, we requested Amir to be there. He was unable. What we like to do is review the installation with the owner, layout the system and valve boxes, and then proceed. He was absent.
The foreman was advised of Amir’s requests. However, as sometimes happens when communicating through a third party, human error may occur and something got lost in the translation. If Amir had been there, as is our preference, there would not have been any misinterpretation.
Amir was present the following morning Oct 11. He requested changes which were complied with.
He has referred to pipes and wires being shallow, and wires damaged. Without seeing the actual situation, I would suggest that pipes and wires may have scratches, etc. on them due to the installation in bony material. Both the pipe and wires are designed for rugged installation. The wires are installed with an outer jacket. Once they are installed, it is unknown if the wires were damaged. Regardless, they were working on 1 May.
Amir is incorrect in saying the system was never tested. It was operational at the end of 11 Oct.
We would normally review the system with the owner when we are finished. However, he did not get home until 6 pm or later and sunset was 6:00 to 6:30. Unfortunately, in the fall there was not enough daylight with Amir getting home at or after 6 pm. to do a show & tell.The foreman does not remember rain when he finished the job which inhibited any progress.
We were concerned about an early frost. We winterized the system on or about Nov 1. He was not charged for winterization.
Amir has referred to the office manager as being rude. If one reads other reviews on Homestars, there are numerous comments about how pleasant and courteous all the office staff is. Frequently, I receive verbal comments from others saying the same.
We returned on May 1 to review the system with Amir and do a show and tell. He requested additional changes and these were complied with.
He has referred to pipes and wires being shallow, and wires damaged. Without seeing the actual situation, I would suggest that pipes and wires may have scratches, etc. on them due to the installation in bony material. Both the pipe and wires are designed for rugged installation. The wires are installed with an outer jacket. Once they are installed, it is unknown if the wires were damaged. Regardless, they were working on 1 May.
Had Amir contacted us when the wires were dug up, we would have been there to correct deficiencies if they were our problem. Instead of giving us the chance to correct the situation, he chooses to write negative comments.
Did the landscaper digging around the wires damage the wires ?
We attempted to do a “Show & Tell” in 2017 when the system was finished, but we were unable to co-ordinate with Amir’s schedule.
The system was winterized at no cost , with the “Show and Tell” to be done in the spring.
When we arrived to review the system with him on 1 May, he had not done the spring start-up. In order to do the show and tell, we did the start-up. Work was required in 3 categories: changes customer requested, warranty, and non-warranty. Amir was not charged for the non-warranty issues. Additional heads were re-located
Amir has verbally objected to valve boxes being installed in the grass area. Valve boxes are part of the backbone of the system. We require access to them for service. Best practice (there are no rules or regulations for the installation of sprinkler systems) dictates that valve boxes not be placed in beds. When access is required, plants would get trampled. Consequently they are put in the lawn area. Amir has apparently covered a valve box with grass. It is no longer visible to a service technician. This is definitely not a good practice.
I am not in agreement with cancelling the start-up charge. For customer relations, I will not pursue collection.