Crap landscaping job. What do I do next?

[mattmatt300]

So I hired a landscaper to to a little grading, lay new sod and build a dry creek bed in our very small back yard. We’d had drainage issues from day one and it was time to fix it 100%. Fast forward to now the job is “done” and we still have places on the new sod where water stands, the drain pipe he birdied is full of mud and won’t drain and the dry creek bed is about 2/3 finished. He offered no solution when I brought up the issues and won’t make time to come see the problems while my wife or I are home. I haven’t heard from him since trying to have him meet at the house and today he resent me the original invoice expecting payment. I tried to call after getting the invoice and got no answer or return call. What do I do?? Most of what he did will need to be redone!

 

[Deleted member 79987]

Don't pay. Take pictures of the shoddy work he did so you have evidence as a backup, document all attempts to contact him and when you do talk. If it's a landscaping company, not just him working by himself, send a certified letter to them with your complaints.

 

[mattmatt300]

Don't pay. Take pictures of the shoddy work he did so you have evidence as a backup, document all attempts to contact him and when you do talk. If it's a landscaping company, not just him working by himself, send a certified letter to them with your complaints.

I honestly want to pay him something because he did do a job. Just not the right job or a quality one. A friend of mine recommended I send a letter with partial payment and go on with finding someone to redo at least part of the work to make it passable.

 

[Lionheart]

Post up some pics...

And tell him to complete job to your satisfaction before you discuss payment.

 

[mattmatt300]

Post up some pics...

And tell him to complete job to your satisfaction before you discuss payment.

Here’s the part that is most obvious in a picture. This is what he is calling the finished product. Also, the gate won’t close without being forced closed and the basement dehumidifier won’t drain now because he tied the drain line into the yard drain that’s clogged with mud.

 

[Plinker66]

Take plenty of good photos. Withhold enough of the payment to cover the cost of the fix. Pay whatever partial payment is reasonable. Send the letter.

In the letter, politely explain everything that is wrong, and demand that he fix it within a reasonable time. Assume the letter will eventually be read by a judge.

Don’t demand work that wasn’t in the original agreed scope of work.

Give him plenty of time to fix his work.

If you fail to demand that he fix it, or fail to give him plenty of time to fix it, you might end up paying twice.

 

[Megawolf]

Do you have a written contract?
Is it a ligitimate company?
Do they have a business license and insurance?
Was you an additional insured if they do?

 

[Lionheart]

Here’s the part that is most obvious in a picture. This is what he is calling the finished product. Also, the gate won’t close without being forced closed and the basement dehumidifier won’t drain now because he tied the drain line into the yard drain that’s clogged with mud.
View attachment 1801291

uhhhh no. That's not landscaping....that is a pile of rocks.

No fix, no pay.

 

[mattmatt300]

uhhhh no. That's not landscaping....that is a pile of rocks.

No fix, no pay.

Yep. The part from the gate up looks marginally better. Still not what we talked about originally but at least it looks kinda semi okay. That part inside the gate is just obviously unfinished.

 

[mattmatt300]

Do you have a written contract?
Is it a ligitimate company?
Do they have a business license and insurance?

I have this invoice that’s all we’ve ever done on paper.