# concrete company destroyed our yard



## allruttedout (Jun 8, 2019)

Please help. My husband and I replaced our concrete patio slab as a preliminary step toward DIYing a patio cover over the slab for shade, that will eventually be walled into an indoor sunroom. We hired an engineer to write the plans, which called for our current patio slab to be demo'ed and replaced with very particular specs. We hired a concrete company to do the work on May 1st-May 4th. Due to weather, the project was delay and the concrete was poured yesterday (6/7). In the process of demolition and pouring, our grass was completely TORE UP. There are 50 foot long tire tracks that are 5" deep, compressing the soil so much that the grass is already dying. They also destroyed two of our garden beds, and made it so that even if our fence panels were replaced, our 75 pound dog can get under the fence. Can someone please tell me that the concrete company is responsible for fixing this damage? No, we did not get a contract with them. I called about 5 places and they all provided estimates, and we went with this concrete company because they seemed fair, honest, and reputable. We called them this morning after they cleaned up the site and said "I know you are writing up the invoice now, so we just wanted to discuss the state of the yard. What can you guys do to help us make our backyard whole again?" The owner was present when the yard was torn up. They replied "Well, we could have waited longer for the group to dry up but I don't think you guys would have wanted to be delayed." For the record, we were never informed that the weather conditions would result in a torn up yard (nor did we push for them to hurry up by any means), and our neighbor who is a retired professional homebuilder said they ignored basic protocol for protecting the yard. Please give me some guidance and we are first time homeowners who have never experienced this before. We got an estimate from a landscaping company saying it would be $1000 to fix the yard damage. The concrete company is charge appx $9000 for the work (including a wrap around sidewalk). Thanks for your help! Trying to figure out what other people would do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :vs_cool:


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## allruttedout (Jun 8, 2019)

The first picture is obviously a before shot. We had a herb garden running along the patio that I assumed would be destroyed by feet and machines. But what do you think about the ruts?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

All of this should have been explained and talked about before the job was started.
The garden area was in the way so expensive plants should have been moved but other than that if it was discussed before, he likely would be paying for the landscaping but it would have been built in the price he was charging for the job. 

I am afraid you just have to chalk it up as experience.


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## allruttedout (Jun 8, 2019)

Unfortunately the ruts are too deep to simply cover with soil and seed. We need a sod cutter and tiller to repair the damage. They never made any mention that our yard would be torn up by their skidster, and we had no idea. I truly believe if they would have waited a few days, it would not have been that bad. We live in Colorado- it is very dry. That was their call to do the work after many days of rain. I should not have trusted their "expert/professional" opinion, I guess.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

allruttedout said:


> Unfortunately the ruts are too deep to simply cover with soil and seed. We need a sod cutter and tiller to repair the damage. They never made any mention that our yard would be torn up by their skidster, and we had no idea. I truly believe if they would have waited a few days, it would not have been that bad. We live in Colorado- it is very dry. That was their call to do the work after many days of rain. I should not have trusted their "expert/professional" opinion, I guess.



I was a framing contractor much like the concrete company, we are usually sub contractors work for a general contractor with a site supervisor. Usually the GC or the supper is responsible for these details and discussing with the home owner, and we don't always think that the home owner does not think of all the details like you have.


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## Let it Snow (Feb 23, 2019)

We had similar work done. They pumped the concrete from the street. No damage. 
Did they ask your permission to drive on the yard?


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## allruttedout (Jun 8, 2019)

Let it Snow said:


> We had similar work done. They pumped the concrete from the street. No damage.
> Did they ask your permission to drive on the yard?



The damage was incurred during demolition- when the skidster carried the broken pieces of the existing concrete away. And it was made worse by their bringing in fill dirt with said skidster, as called for in the plans. The concrete was pumped from the street.


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## Let it Snow (Feb 23, 2019)

allruttedout said:


> The damage was incurred during demolition- when the skidster carried the broken pieces of the existing concrete away. And it was made worse by their bringing in fill dirt with said skidster, as called for in the plans. The concrete was pumped from the street.


Then I think that company is responsible for fixing it. Did they ask your permission or warn you about possible damage?


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

allruttedout said:


> The damage was incurred during demolition- when the skidster carried the broken pieces of the existing concrete away. And it was made worse by their bringing in fill dirt with said skidster, as called for in the plans. The concrete was pumped from the street.


 The alternative would be to break it up by hand and remove it with a wheelbarrow, much more expensive. 



Any way you look at it the cost would have gone back to you if it was discussed.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

I would have expected the damage and planned on fixing it.


Contractors aren't going to demo with a sledge hammer and haul it out in wheelbarrows.


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## allruttedout (Jun 8, 2019)

Colbyt said:


> I would have expected the damage and planned on fixing it.
> 
> 
> Contractors aren't going to demo with a sledge hammer and haul it out in wheelbarrows.





Man I gotta tell you that we collected many estimates and went with one of the most expensive options because we figured the machinery option would be most efficient and least damaging. There were companies whose plans involved simply wheelbarrowing the concrete pieces after demo through our landscaping rock on the side of the house that connects to the driveway (avoiding the grass) and not taking down our back fence panels (thus not destroying our lawn). 



We selected the company that said they would enter through the back gate and get it done quicker (ALTHOUGH they never mentioned destroying our yard)


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## allruttedout (Jun 8, 2019)

Let it Snow said:


> Then I think that company is responsible for fixing it. Did they ask your permission or warn you about possible damage?



They explained that they would go out the back gate (via a greenspace behind our house) to avoid going through landscaping rock (i guess for convenience). It rained heavily for several days in advance. There was NO WARNING about damage to the grass OR the herb garden. We did not push them to hurry up. We simply said "Just calling for an update. Need to know if we need to push the roofers." Aside from the concrete and the roofing, we are doing all construction by ourselves.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I like to put in seeded lawns & even build up dirt, so, it looks like fun to me.

But, since the primary expense was the concrete, you might want to wait & see how it turns out.

There's a saying " Is this the hill you want to die on?" If you start out complaining about smaller things, they might not take you as seriously if there is a problem with the concrete.


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

This is par for the course. As mentioned, this is something a GC plans in advance: how to access the site, where to put spoils, queuing, lawn repair, etc. If you are the GC, chalk it up to on-the-job training. A dry yard wouldn't have kept it from a warzone, but they did lay some plywood down. I would also have protected the siding.

I don't know if you had full engineered plans or for just the structure/foundation, but I hope you have also accounted for the fireplace and other vents down low moving out of the enclosed addition. If you're building the rest yourself don't fix the yard until at least the roofers are done and after all the big deliveries are out of the way.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

allruttedout said:


> Man I gotta tell you that we collected many estimates and went with one of the most expensive options because we figured the machinery option would be most efficient and least damaging. There were companies whose plans involved simply wheelbarrowing the concrete pieces after demo through our landscaping rock on the side of the house that connects to the driveway (avoiding the grass) and not taking down our back fence panels (thus not destroying our lawn).
> 
> We selected the company that said they would enter through the back gate and get it done quicker (ALTHOUGH they never mentioned destroying our yard)





Please take this positively, this is a lack of experience on your part and a failure of the contractor to fully explain the process and potential damages.


It is just ruts and grass. Some dirt, seed and sweat will correct the problems and you know for next time. All of us hard to learn something the hard way at least once.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

In the second photo, it looks like they put sown wood sheets over the areas they planned on travelling. That's about all they can do. They took reasonable precautions.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Colbyt said:


> It is just ruts and grass. Some dirt, seed and sweat will correct the problems and you know for next time.


That depends whether or not you DIY your own landscaping.


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## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

I would rent a tilling machine for a day and then put down grass seed or roll in sod. Not really that big a deal in the overall scheme of things. 



The advantage of a written contract or agreement is that specifics are discussed and any issues resolved before the work begins. I often write the agreement that states exactly what the work will be and the materials to be used and that any damage caused by the contractor, their subs, or others they bring onto the job site, is the contactor's responsibility. Plenty of sample contracts on various websites that you can use for the exact phrases to use. Or you can wing it and then accept you own contribution to the problem(s) and move on.


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## rcpaulsen (Oct 17, 2018)

I think it comes with the territory. Unless you made special arrangements ahead of time, I would expect the kind of damage you see. I've had two additions and three garages built in different cities in two different states, and frankly, your damage is minor. Both of my additions required excavations for basements. All that dirt was piled in my yard for weeks before it was hauled away. I had to level and re-seed my entire back yard after it was removed.


The only valid claim I had was when a concrete truck was backed over the corner of my driveway, causing spider-web cracking throughout the slab, when they could have backed over a twelve-foot-wide strip of lawn next to the driveway instead. (Maybe they were afraid I'd sue them if they tore up my grass!)


I would expect the concrete company to laugh at me if I complained about some tire ruts, no matter how deep they were, especially after lots of rain. You could have told them to come back after the ground had a chance to dry when they showed up to do the work, but you didn't. Did you not know it had rained recently or did you not know that rain makes the ground soft?


Incidentally, I'm not in the building trades, so I have no bias.


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## Diva of DIY (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm so sorry this happened to you, AllRuttedOut! I think a lot of these responders are missing the whole point. One can argue (until the cows come home) that YOU "should've known" this was going to happen. BUT as a homeowner who had never worked with a concrete company before, well, it is CERTAINLY the concrete company's responsibility to have communicated _every_ _aspect_ of the project...period. It's simply unacceptable to blame it on the customer instead of owning up to one's mistake and correcting it. I wonder if anyone who worked on your concrete project would think it's acceptable if that happened to _their_ yard and then was told, "well, you should've known this would happen".


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## FatBear (Jan 14, 2009)

It seems to be the professional duty of a contractor to do the best job they can under the circumstances, regardless of the havoc or destruction they cause to other parts of the work or jobsite. That's why many of us are DIYers here.


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## rcpaulsen (Oct 17, 2018)

DIVA of DIY and I will have to agree to disagree, but I give her kudos for this much: Her whole argument is about 'full disclosure' and I have to say her username fulfills _that_ requirement!


As for the cows coming home . . . if ALL RUTTED OUT got this bent out of shape over tire ruts, she _definitely _does not want cows in her yard!


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## 3onthetree (Dec 7, 2018)

Diva of DIY said:


> I think a lot of these responders are missing the whole point. One can argue (until the cows come home) that YOU "should've known" this was going to happen. BUT as a homeowner who had never worked with a concrete company before, well, it is CERTAINLY the concrete company's responsibility to have communicated _every_ _aspect_ of the project...period.


The point is that the OP took on GC responsibilities, probably to save a buck on an uncomplicated project. If they wanted the concrete sub to repair the yard, put it in the contract. It'll be real expensive, as he won't like paying concrete wages to install sod, so he'll bring in a landscaper and tack on OH&P. And essentially then the OP would be handing over GC duties to the concrete sub, so doesn't that defeat the original purpose of being GC?

There are other ways to minimize impact, like using bobcat tracks instead of tires, using a walk-behind, etc (but even wheelbarrows will leave ruts). Expected knowledge? Not completely, but thinking the process through might lead to questions, which brings up issues so the sub knows what he can offer for the job. 

Imagine if this was a more complicated project, the OP would be _expected_ to know about lien waivers, pay schedules, coordinating deliveries, order of trades/when to inspect, etc etc. Subs aren't gonna hold your hand, and if they're willing, their price rises accordingly. Chalk it up to a learning curve, these ruts in the yard are very minor for construction.

P.S. many threads on this forum are newbies asking for advice on anything to think about before they start a project


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## gthomson (Nov 13, 2016)

For me, I'd chalk it up to experience, and I've gained some experience like this also in the past year. I've started to learn that landscaping is sacrificial if it gets in the way of the project. I had roof/fascia all replaced, and siding/fascia/eaves all painted - they were all very respectful of the landscaping, and nothing destroyed.
Then I had the house tented for termites, and they trampled my herb garden in the process. They also included my blueberry bush under the tent, but luckily the roots survived, and it's making a comeback.
But heck... I have a mow and blow gardener for what little grass I have left out front. And even he and his helper really don't understand the concept of plants grown for food. They pulled out a ginger plant thinking it was a weed, weedwack my oregano, just pulled out a lemon thyme bush last week, and my pineapple plants are looking pretty sorry by them weedwacking around it.
Probably my fault, though. I asked them not to use Roundup, so now they just weedwack everything in site if it's not a tree or grass or a known bush. Also my fault that they're still even around - I pay them online, and mistakenly paid $600 instead of $60 last October, and he wouldn't give me the extra back. Note is going on the door next week (never could get a phone or email for the guy) that my pre-paid time is up, so now just go away please.
So I think that was my best lesson... if my gardener doesn't even value the valid plant life, I probably can't really expect other trades to understand it better.
I've also been trying to think/do things in more of a top-down way now - landscaping being sacrificial and the last focus of my projects, and if something there gets destroyed, oh well - add to the re-do list.
I do also at some point want to re-do my patio - but behind my house it's about a 6-8' drop to the sidewalk/street below, so they aren't driving a truck into the back yard. I may get a little electric jackhammer to try to break it up myself, but after that, there's a 4' cement pathway along the side of the house, so that's the route for them to get back there, and that's really about it unless they can pipe in cement through a tube in some way. Or I may just do something more like pavers and DIY.


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