Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Two weeks ago, Markham resident Steve Park said a paving company told him it was doing jobs in the area and could pave his driveway the next day for $3,500.
"I think I was played by them. They knew what to say and how to say it. A handshake used to mean something, but now it does not seem to anymore,” said Park.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
The crew showed up but said there were problems including paving over the watermain in his driveway so the driveway had to be ripped up.
"You can see where they ripped it up and the patches because when they couldn't find the watermain they didn't know where it was so they were just guessing,” Park said.
Park said his driveway was left uneven with highs and lows so when it rains there are huge pools of water and asphalt is splattered on his stonework.
Most frustrating, he said, there is now a huge pile of asphalt and debris on his lawn which they promised to come back and take away but they never did.
“I contacted them with messages, calls and they haven't got back to me so I guess I’m stuck cleaning up this mess,” he said.
CTV News Toronto also phoned the company and they hung up on us and our emails were not returned.
When Park researched the company he found it was using a similar sounding name to reputable paving companies working in Toronto and New Jersey.
“At first, I felt good when I got a 15-year warranty, but it's more like 15 minutes,” Park said.
We’ve done several stories with homeowners in the past who were also left with sub-par jobs and a mess on their property.
When choosing a driveway paving company, according to the Ontario Consumer Ministry, get three estimates, have a written contract, inspect prior paving jobs, ask friends and family for recommendations and never pay in advance.
Park said he now has to get rid of the rubble left on his lawn and said next time he’d rather pay a higher price to get a better job.
"You pay more, but you've always got coverage and someone you can contact if there is a problem,” he said.
You should also watch out for companies going door-to-door saying they'll be in your area soon and they're collecting deposits for paving jobs. There have been cases where after they get the money they don't come back.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Too close to call: Nail-biting results in B.C.'s 43rd provincial election
Our special coverage of B.C.'s 43rd general election has ended, with the results too close to call.
Metro Vancouver hit with massive flooding, road closures on the day of B.C. provincial election
A powerful atmospheric river caused street flooding in parts of Metro Vancouver Saturday, closing some roads and soaking voters headed to the polls in B.C.'s provincial election.
Trump kicks off a Pennsylvania rally by talking about Arnold Palmer's genitalia
Donald Trump's campaign suggested he would begin previewing his closing argument Saturday night with Election Day barely two weeks away. But the former U.S. president kicked off his rally with a detailed story about Arnold Palmer, at one point even praising the late, legendary golfer's genitalia.
Leaked documents show U.S. intelligence on Israel's plans to attack Iran: CNN sources
The U.S is investigating a leak of highly classified U.S. intelligence about Israel’s plans for retaliation against Iran, according to three people familiar with the matter. One of the people familiar confirmed the documents' authenticity.
Parents pull children from class over presentation at Halifax area school
A number of parents at Oyster Pond Academy pulled their children from class Friday after learning about a gender identity presentation.
'Absolutely force us to close': Saskatoon business seeking donations to pay $18K in fines
Julianna Tan says her world was turned upside down when she got a letter this summer summoning her to court.
Cher inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Dua Lipa and Zendaya paying tribute
Dua Lipa and Cher opened the Rock and Roll Hall Fame induction ceremony on Saturday night singing 'Believe' before giving way to a medley of rump shakers by funk masters Kool & the Gang and a powerhouse performance by Dionne Warwick, bringing the house down at 83.
Hurricane Oscar forms off the coast of the Bahamas
Hurricane Oscar formed Saturday off the coast of the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It characterized the storm as 'tiny.'
Ontario man told to 'go back to India' explains why he shared video of the encounter online
A Waterloo, Ont. man is sharing video of a recent encounter with a stranger to give others an idea of the hate he experiences in the community.