Paving a driveway may lead to different quotes from contractors. Steve Park, a resident of Markham, regrets accepting the service of a company that offered a half-price “discount.”
Park told CTV that he received a quote from a paving company for $7,000. Subsequently, another company approached him, claiming to be working nearby and willing to provide their services at half price, $3,500, with completion promised the next day.
“I think I’ve been played by them. They know what to say and how to say it,” Park said. The company left behind a lot of issues, such as asphalt covering the water pipe opening on the driveway, forcing them to redo the work.
Due to the lack of equipment to locate the water pipe opening, they had to guess, and although they found the water pipe opening, Park’s new driveway became uneven, with highs and lows, resulting in huge puddles forming on the driveway when it rains; even the stone-edged driveway was smeared with asphalt.
What frustrates Park the most is that now there is a pile of asphalt and debris on their lawn, which the company promised to remove but never fulfilled.
When Park searched the company online, he discovered that the company’s name was similar to a well-known paving company in Toronto and New Jersey.
“A 15-year warranty?” Park said, “that’s worthless; it might not even last for 15 minutes.”
The Ministry of Government and Consumer Services of Ontario recommends that when choosing a paving company, consumers should compare quotes from at least three companies, sign a written contract, check the contractor’s reputation, ask for recommendations from friends and family, and avoid making advance payments.
Park mentioned that now he has to clean up the mess on the lawn; next time, he would rather spend more money to hire a reputable company.
Moreover, residents should be cautious of companies offering doorstep sales services to avoid falling victim to prepayment scams. There have been incidents where scammers disappeared after receiving deposits.