Warning to those building with Coventry Homes - finished basement flooded due to negligence of the company.
My wife and I moved into our newly built home around 2 ½ years ago. When the last heavy rainfall hit Edmonton in May, our entire basement flooded. We contacted an independent plumber to investigate the cause and was told that when the sump pump was installed, the builder failed to remove a cut-out from the weeping tile. This cut-out, which likely has been floating around in that sump pit since the builder installed it, wedged itself between the sump pump float and the pump itself, resulting in the pump not activating, causing the flood.
While we do check the sump pump bypass outlet monthly, we don’t open up the cover and stick our arm in the sump pit to check for debris. With the cut-out being black, the pipe itself being the same colour, we may never have seen it even if we had visually checked it.
Upon contacting Coventry Homes to report the issue and hopefully receive some assistance or acknowledgement of their error, they did not admit fault and even had the audacity to say, “this has not happened previously with many high rain seasons over the past 2 ½ years”. We felt it was very dismissive and they were brushing us off as if it's not their fault.
The bottom line is, the sump-pump did not break or fail on its own accord. It was due to this piece not being removed by the builder or thoroughly inspected before possession, which caused the flood. We are now stuck paying a deductible to our home insurance, plus potentially increased premiums for an issue that is not our fault. In addition, Alberta Home Warranty only covers plumbing issues within 2 years of possession. It was unlucky that this debris in the sump pump caused the flood in our basement 2 ½ years after we took possession - as Alberta Home Warranty may have been considered.
We decided to build a new home with Coventry Homes to start a family and avoid any issues/costs like this, which may have come up with an older home. With the amount of money and trust we put into this new home and builder, we are very disappointed with how this situation was handled. We are very upset that Coventry Homes didn't offer an apology or work with us on any sort of solution - something would have been better than nothing at all.
We are hoping this will serve as a warning to all individuals considering a house with Coventry Homes or those who have recently purchased with them. Coventry Homes does not stand by the homes they build and do not take accountability for their mistakes. Please also make sure you are (more than visually) checking your sump pit, and sump pump for any debris left behind when you take possession, or if you’ve built with Coventry in the past.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $625,000.00