Cost for a quote was likely to cost more than $1000
Based on HomeStars’ ratings and reviews, we contacted 2 very highly rated companies for a quote to remove an existing wood deck and replace it with a stone patio. Alan said that they don’t do free quotes and charge $100 for a consultation, which we agreed to. Although the project is very straight-forward, I removed 2 boards from the deck so that Alan would be able to see the sub-structure of the deck, ground level, etc but he did not look at them. Alan seemed more interested in increasing the scope of the job rather than discussing the stone patio. When Alan was ready to leave, I asked about the quote. He said that they would need to do a design in order to prepare the quote, and that would cost approximately $1000 with the cost would be credited to the job if we worked with him. When pressed for a quote, he provided an estimate of $40-50,000 without doing any measurements. We live in an older house and have had extensive work done over the years. This is the first time we were asked for a consultation fee, and we were remiss in assuming that it included a proper quote.
The 2nd company contacted was very professional, understood the project, did not try to increase scope, took measurements and provided a detailed quote that was roughly half of the low end of Alan’s estimate.
Based on the reviews in HomeStar, it looks like AlMac does good work. However, be aware that a quote will cost over $1000 (for a straight-forward design) because a design will be required, they will charge significantly more than their competitors, and they will try to increase the scope of the project.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $20,000.00
- Company Response
Dear Joe & Joanne Morin,
We are sorry to read about your experience. Your stone patio request could not have been determined by a simple onsite estimate. Our high standards and warranty could not be guaranteed with your stone patio request. The technical nature of this elevated patio required additional structure (retaining wall) to the project. Therefore, a design was recommended to establish an accurate and firm price. This design fee benefits the client and the contractor. Those costs are refunded back during construction.
We wish you both the best in your new project.