I engaged five companies in an effort to gain quotes and define the scope of work. Upon using City Wide Excavating, also known as City Wide Services Ltd., I expected the work to be completed as per contract. The contract stated, "All areas backfilled and compacted with a Hoe Pak".
City Wide Excavating started the work and everything seemed to go according to plan, until a couple of weeks went by after the work was completed and a sink hole developed. I called out City Wide Excavating to ask what happened and if they compacted the soil. The owner, Trymer Morrow stated compaction wasn't required and the ground wouldn't sink anymore, as this would be the end of the settling.
I started to do some research and engaged an Engineering firm that specializes in geotechnical and materials engineering and site investigations. Their assessment validated my concerns, that excavated soil needs to be compacted by layering, that is backfill then compact every few feet. This was never done by City Wide Excavating and over the next several months I would experience further sink holes and unsettling of soil and ground movement up to 20 feet in diameter. After further discussions with City Wide Excavating, they finally came out to assess the situation, they refused to rectify the situation, and stated that they were willing to add some clean fill to the area, which still doesn't resolve the root cause. The following week City Wide Excavating came back and unloaded a dump truck full of contaminated soil on my yard, there was even garbage in soil and a foul odor coming from these contaminated soil. I immediately contacted City Wide Excavating on this incident to express my concern with their solution. City Wide Excavating also made a mess of the backalley, which my neigbhours complained to me about, which I was forced to addressed, a simple call to the City of Calgary aided my concern, but only on the alley.
Over the next several months I contacted City Wide Excavating, however they ignored me since they already received payment. The engineering firm that I engaged advised me to wait three years for the ground to stop settling before I build on top of it. Good advice, as the ground continued to shift and settle for nearly the next three years.
I would never recommend City Wide Excavating to anyone, unless they want a contractor who cuts corners, provides low quality work, with an end result of future problems!
- Approximate cost of services:
- $3,000.00
