Betke Contracting

Long story short: With the job unfinished, I needed to hire an attorney, structural engineer and a new contractor. The absolute worst experience!!!!

I hired Mike Betke of Betke Contracting, Inc to remove a decaying wood rooftop deck and replace with it a new deck built with Trex composite materials. The total cost of this project was $8,780. Our contract specified that the new deck will be constructed with Trex materials and he would ensure a “Manufacturer’s warranty on all materials.” However, when I saw that Betke had essentially just laid 40 composite deck boards on rubber padding, screwed a board at either end to hold it tight, and left massive gaps between the edges of the deck and the walls of the roof (6 inches on two sides and 13 inches on one side), I contacted Trex to inquire about roof deck specs and their warranty. A representative from Trex came to the job site. The Trex representative gave Betke a printed copy of how the deck needed to be installed. The rep informed both me and Betke that the “installation” performed by Betke did not meet the manufacturer’s specifications. He said that Betke’s choice to lay the Trex composite decking on the rubber mat would warp the product, and so there would be no warranty on the Trex material I had paid for. Betke was not persuaded to revise his work. So, I also consulted with a structural engineer and two certified Trex installers about Betke’s construction decisions. In light of their responses to his work, I asked that Betke fix his installation of the roof deck to match the specifications of the Trex representative and structural engineer (which were in agreement with each other). Betke informed me that these experts were all wrong about the material and how it should be installed on my deck. He then also told me we should not have chosen this material for our deck. But, please note that Betke had committed to a contract with me to construct my deck using Trex and guaranteeing a manufacture warranty on all materials. Because Betke refused to correct his work, I consulted with an attorney before paying Betke the final installment of his fee. Despite the obvious fact that Betke’s work was in direct defiance of our contract (Trex representatives said we could not receive the manufacturer’s warranty Betke had promised in the contract), the lawyer said I would be likely to spend more money on lawyer’s fees to argue this clear point than I would spend by simply paying Betke the remaining balance. I paid Betke and received a conditional waiver of lien from him at that time. Betke cashed the check immediately, but two weeks later, I still had not received the final waiver of lien. (The “condition” of his waiver was just that my check would clear. It did.) Instead of sending me the final waiver of lien, however, after being paid in full for a job he did not perform correctly or completely, Betke attempted to contact me multiple times to amend our contract. I still do not have the final waiver of lien despite him having all $8,780 because he sent me an email stating that, by signing for a certified letter that would contain the final waiver of lien, I would be accepting and agreeing to an amended version of our original contract. That is something that I will not do. I am sharing my experience because I would not use Betke Contracting for any work at any time for any reason, based on Betke Contracting, Inc’s performance in his failed attempt to produce an aesthetically pleasing, structurally sound, and long lasting roof deck. If anyone is considering using Betke Contracting, Inc, I hope you will read my review and continue your search.