This builder broke the contract in that he took a year to put in our driveway. When pushed he then hired an unlicensed contractor to do the work. The driveway failed almost immediately and required replacement at a cost of almost $15,000 which we paid for due to numerous hazardous potholes, etc. The builder refused any warranty and he wanted to only "top-coat" the driveway - something that two paving contractors stated would have no affect on the failure problems. Two engineering reports (one from a professional engineering group) both stated the driveway was improperly installed and needed to be replaced which the builder steadfastly refused all warranty. The engineering reports stated that the driveway pavement was too thin (only 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick!) and placed over the wrong base stone. The angular base stone was what the builder had originally put in when he originally planned to have a gravel driveway but according to the reports it should have been removed and proper supportive stone (#21-A with stone dust) should have been placed on the base. The improper stone was one cause of failure. The second cause of failure was the use of an intermediate mix of asphalt which had stone in the asphalt mix actually larger than the pavement thickness resulting in the driveway asphalt stone popping loose. Also, the engineering report stated that there was much mat separation. After paying the build almost $10,000 for the driveway we have now paid an additional $15,000 for removal and replacement and an additional $7,500 in our attorneys fees Hopefully Karma is real and there is a special place in Hell for this Builder.
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