Madewell Concrete

I paid Madewell Concrete $20,000 to install a driveway in my new home in Maggie Valley, NC in March 2022. It only took a few days for cracks to appear and parts of the driveway are just sloppy. I've submitted countless claims on their websites with pictures since last year and not one response from the Company. I think I have submitted at least 7 uploads with pictures of the cracks and no response. It is hard to believe that a Company would be this tone deaf to a customer who only wants the cracks repaired. Is it too much to ask for a Company to care about their customers receiving what they expected when they paid the agreed upon price for a driveway? Pictures of the poor driveway installation attached.

I paid Madewell Concrete $6700 to install a new stamped concrete patio. I hired them because their sales presentation was very professional and their sales rep was very good at follow up. That suggested to me that I could expect the same results in the job. Sadly, it seems their focus is taking advantage of the ignorance of the consumer to get your money, and then take no responsibility for the end result.

They required a 50% deposit, and final payment when the job was done.

The job was finished after dark. When we saw the result in the daylight the next day, there were numerous issues with the job, and when we reached out to Madewell, they made no serious effort to resolve the issues:

- The biggest issue is that the crew allowed the concrete to set too long before applying the stamp design. As a result, the impression was not deep enough, leaving the scrape marks from the leveling tool still visible and leaving an completely inconsistent finish throughout the patio. Additionally, while applying the stamp, the crew was lightly spraying a liquid onto areas before setting the stamp down. On many areas, the liquid "sucked" up when the pulled up the stamp, leaving a "puckered" texture. They also did not use proper protection on the existing pad to keep the new concrete from splashing over where they would come together in order to keep a clean and neat transition (similar to using painters tape for clean lines when you paint a wall). As a result, the transition is very sloppy. Further, once fully dry, the color was not nearly as dark as the color template we chose. - We have had several concrete experts look at the finished job and all agreed with the cause of the poor result, and all agreed Madewell should have redone the job at no further cost to us. - When we reached out to Madewell there seemed to be no sense of urgency to come take a look and come to resolution. It felt like they would 'fit us in' when they could. Through persistence, I got the Project Mgr out a week later. After looking at it, he spent his time trying to convince me that it was 'good' enough, there was nothing that could be done, and that I was really doing this because I didn't like the stamp design (not true if it had been done right). He then offered me $250 & seal the patio or $500 (basically nothing on a $6700 job I have to look at for the next 25+ years). I escalated it to management, and it took more than another week for the General Mgr to find time. He took the same approach and offer. - I have since tried to get the contact info for the people at the next level, and had no response.

OTHER ISSUES:
As I have reached out to experts to determine my options and how to pursue Madewell for appropriate resolution (complete redo or full refund), I have learned a lot of things I wish I had known before they came out, and that further show the lack of integrity of this company:
- They charged me for 7 yards of concrete when the job only needed 4. (So the amount they overcharged me is more than the measly amount of refund they offered.)
- I asked up front if they could put colored highlights to give more "texture" to the final look. They said there was no way to do that. I have since found out there is a very easy way using a process called "antiquing". - Other contractors have since told me that offering that process is part of their normal quote.
- They did not offer to seal the concrete as part of the quote. Other contractors have said that is part of their normal quote process.
- They did not fill the soil back in around the finished patio, leaving a trench around it that we now have to fill in, and they left my yard looking like a construction zone, including chunks of concrete, trash, and roots laying around. - Other contractors I have spoken to said it is a standard part of finishing the job to fill in around the patio and clean up the area. Other concrete contractors have also said it is their standard practice to put down straw and grass seed on areas of the yard that were damaged by the equipment. Madewell's policy is to let you know they will damage your yard and its up to the customer to deal with it.

I am a business owner myself, and I generally consider myself a good judge of character and professionalism, but clearly I was suckered by their professional sales pitch and the apparent strength of multiple locations. - I will continue to pursue this until appropriate resolution is achieved.

I hired Madewell Concrete, to replace my concrete driveway. I paid Madewell Concrete $50,000. I thought Madewell was a reputable, reliable company. I was wrong!

I chose them because they offered a 10-year warranty. What good is a warranty if no one returns your calls?

Since Madewell completed the driveway, my garage continues to flood every time it rains. The water comes in from three of four downspout locations. The project manager, Jonathan L, attempted to repair it with some glue. The water also comes in from a corner where the concrete channels the water flows back toward the garage.

After the Madewell crew left, I started working on my irrigation system and noticed one side of the driveway is no longer working. Another area has a broken pipe and a missing piece of pipe that was broken off.

The concrete started cracking 2 days after the crew left.

The project manager, Jonathan L has become unresponsive. I attempted to have the sales representative, Michael R, get involved but he also has not returned my emails.

During the process of hiring Madewell Concrete, I walked everyone through issues and requirements I wanted to be covered by the quote and handled during the job. This list was created so there would be no surprises during the job and was given to Madewell employees (and other contractors) during this process.

During these discussions, we talked about having all the downspouts put into piping under the concrete. I also wanted some electrical low voltage wires put into piping. During the pouring of the concrete, I keep asking where the piping was. One was put in at the last minute, and some had to be retrofitted into my flower bed after the fact. And some never made it into the project.

I would not hire this company ever again.

Madewell concrete did a driveway replacement on 4/1/2020. We have major concerns throughout the entire process beginning with the day of work and afterwards. I will list them, as their are many.

1. Slope is not graded properly (rain water washes into landscaping beside driveway instead of down the center and to the road, which I was told verbally would happen) - violation of contract
2. Didn't finish job well - sloppy edges, crooked lines, dips, humps multiple please.
3. Didn't clean up - violation of contract (Individual overseeing job had me initial that they had cleaned up before they were done and didn't even tell me what I was initialing, then they left cement trash and mess in front of yard, by driveway, on the street, and whatever they used made a white stain going down the road in front of our neighbors' house for about a 10th of a mile. Also, crew left and didn't block the driveway with anything to make sure no one else drove on it and messed it up. And finally, they left the framing in for almost two weeks for the last part of the driveway before someone came and borrowed my hammer and took out the framing material.)
4. When I complained in a written letter someone called me back the same day and said they would work with me, but the next thing I hear is through an email they say they will not work with me to correct the sloping/drainage problem (in fact they didn't even mention this in their email) and just said to pay the $1,100 or they would pursue legal action.

I've tried to contact them for a couple weeks now, but they are now not returning my emails or phone messages and it appears as if they don't care at all.

This is by far the worst customer service I have ever received from a company that began promising that they would do a great job and take care of everything for us with a "10 year warranty". Oh, btw I asked for document showing this warranty they mentioned and they never responded. Also, I never saw any liability insurance coverage for them as well.

Stay away from this company at all costs!

New double driveway installed and paid for. Looked great until it rained and driveway flooded. Madewell denies any responsibility, stating that it is the fault of my yard which they said I should landscape (cost $2500 to $1500) to solve the problem. The old driveway was 42 years old and did not flood. They claim that it did flood, but the gallons of heavy rain water went through the few cracks before it could pool. They had multiple excuses and reasons for the driveway flooding. None of them was credible, in my opinion, and they refuse to do anything else to remedy the situation. I paid them $8700 and I, along with many others can see the depression in the new concrete where the flooding takes place.

I hired your company this company to install two concrete patios in my backyard last Monday, February 17th. The project has several issues and we havent come to a resolution.

a) Concrete project hasn't been finished
- Powder from the concrete stamp is not coming off
- Rock and stone from my old patio has not been removed
- The wood used to frame the patio is still attached to half of of of the patios

b) One of the patios is not level
- The ground is on a slope and I was told the patio would be higher on one side than the other to account for the slope. The sales manager even told me that there would be a step-off and I can put a few bags of dirt and flowers to make it look right after the install.
e) My yard is completely destroyed
- I was told by the sales manager that the bobcat would leave minimal marks on my lawn and they would flatten them out before they left. The damage that was actually left is appalling and unacceptable.
f) Wrong stamp on the concrete caused my husband to hang over our deck and draw the rest of the stamp with the edge of a pencil.
g)Chase that the concrete truck would not go on my driveway and that the workers would use tubes from the concrete truck to bring the concrete in the backyard. On the day of the project, they told us that they actually would be using a bobcat to bring the concrete to the backyard and that concrete would get all over our driveway. We had no choice to let the concrete truck on the driveway

On May 28, 2019, Madewell Concrete installed two driveways leading to the garage. The installation was to meet industry standards of four inches thick. We asked that rebar be also be installed to prevent cracking and provide a more substantial structure. The salesperson, Alex D, advised that current concrete for driveways did not require rebar, as the current composition of the concrete took that into consideration. We ultimately agreed that mesh would be installed. The next day, May 29, we noticed a crack across the width of the driveway. This was immediately reported the Madewell Concrete, Alex D, who, returned to our home only to say "all concrete cracks". Further examination indicated that at the point where the crack starts, the concrete is only 2 1/2 inches, not meeting industry standards. A more closely examination indicated that the entire two driveways had not been completed to a smooth finish, but rather was left in a rough condition. Lastly, we arranged to have brink impressions (stamps) imbedded at the two entrances ways. Like the workmanship of smoothing the driveways, the brick impressions were ragged and not finished. I also was advised that Madewell Concrete provided a ten year warranty on the quality of workmanship and product. I would like to note that the reason for the delay in filing the complaint was due health issues that were more important to address at the time that this issue.

I contract made well concrete in April of 2018 to replace existing driveway and add on and extension work. the main driveway was suppose to be seventeen feet wide on the main driveway replacement I only got a little over a foot less on width on the main driveway replacement.. the workmanship is bad. I have a four foot crack on the new addition. surfaces has high and low places not smooth. I have pictures if needed .

There are sections of concrete that was chipped immediately after pouring. The walkway grading is off, the sides are pitted and has holes in them. There are concrete debris chunks scattered throughout my yard left for me to clean up. The salesman came back out after my initial complaint and apologized stating " this should have been such an easy job". He said he was going to send the owner out to house to see how they can make it right. It has been 2 plus weeks, I have made calls to them that remain unanswered along with several emails.