WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Norman Bourassa was looking forward to some cooler nights so he could sit outside in his backyard under his gazebo and have an afternoon or evening drink.
Bourassa had a large cement pad put down so he could put the gazebo up in the backyard.
Along with the bigger cement area, Bourassa had the contractor build a smaller cement pad on the side of the house for the garbage bins.
“It’s shoddy workmanship,” Bourassa said.
The cement pad for the garbage bins wasn't flush against the house and there are chunks or gaps in some spots. The cement pad in the backyard is already cracking and the pad he built around the existing concrete is lower and a different shade.
“I’ve tripped a couple times, even knowing it’s raised,” Bourassa said.
After reaching out to the contractor on numerous occasions to come fix the cement, Bourassa was about to give up. He then decided to call WFMY News 2 to see if we could help.
“If he doesn’t come fix it, I’m going to say I want my money back,” Bourassa said.
After Bourassa emailed us all the information, we contacted the contractor. This case took some time as the contractor wasn’t quick to respond or resolve the issue. Eventually, he agreed to come out to the home and make the necessary repairs.
“I want to thank you guys for waking him up,” Bourassa said. “I’m glad he came back and finished the job; it looks pretty good.”
Whenever you hire a contractor or handyman to do any work on your property, make sure you research them first. In most cases contractors will only ask for 50% upfront, so if they ask for more that might be a red flag.
You should also ask about paying with a credit card so you are a bit more protected if the contractor does a bad job or fails to show up to do any work.