'58 Foundations

We called B Dry to request service on our sump pump which is not working properly. B Dry did the waterproofing and installed this pump about 10 years ago. We also wanted to add a battery backup to the system. The reps answering the phones were very pleasant and helpful, took the info and said it would be passed on to the operations manager who would call. This is when things went down hill. When the operations manager called we were told they did not service sump pumps (wondering why not if waterproofing is their business and they installed the equipment) and they had a set cost for battery backups ($1,295 without even coming to our home to look at what we had or check if the pump was functioning properly). We are very disappointed that B Dry does not stand by their products and their work and will be using a plumber to do the work.

A pleasant experience with the B-Dry inspector. He checked out where the water was coming from in the basement, checked the entrance and other areas. Then he gave a great explanation of what the problem was and how to fix it. Since the water was entering the basement from above ground, it wasn't an issue for B-Dry but with the information given, an easy fix can be done. Thank you B-Dry!

Excellent experience. Sales rep met with us, was agreeable and not at all "pushy". He offered various options, including the moderate-cost one we chose. Workmen showed up and got the job on time.

There was a slight mix-up re. the start time, but once we got past that everything went smoothly. The two employees who did the work were courteous and thorough. They cleaned up after the job was done and ensured I was happy with the work before signing off on the job.

They weren't the cheapest, but they seemed like they had the best product and they offered a lifetime guarantee. Also, they finished the job in one day, so I was happy with that.

One wall of our basement had been getting damp every time it rained. As time went on, it wasn't just damp it was actually wet to the point the water would run down wall and form a small puddle on the floor. B-Dry came out and said, even though the house sits on a hill, we needed a sump pump. He convinced us there was water running under the foundation and backing up the wall which was causing the wall to be wet. I tried to explain that the wetness always started midway up the wall and ran down, but he said in all his experience in the business it was actually running under the foundation. He proposed to trench along the entire wall, install a sump pump and put in their system to direct water away from the house. He said when they opened up the floor and drilled drainage holes in the wall that all this water would run out. They came at the appointed time. However, when they started breaking up the floor and going into the wall, there was no water to drain out. Actually there was an existing drainage system running under the floor. Instead of stopping and taking another look at the situation, they continued to dig up basement. . Of course whole system had no effect on the wet/dampness problem. I called and complained. They sent someone out and they just drilled more holes higher up the wall and covered it with a plastic barrier. That's all he would do. The basement remained damp. The sump pump has never run. Recently, we did some landscaping and found the down spout at the corner of the problem wall was broken which kept rain water from draining away. Since it has been fixed the basement is no longer damp and musty. Now we are out $3,500.00 for a system we did not need, plus a compromised basement floor.

We have a plaster wall (partially below ground) with florescense and a stained rug. John Webster looked at it and also looked at the outside. He found evidence of soil erosion, and pockets where water could accumulate. He recommended regrading the outside, and removing the damaged part of the wall to the floor and the damaged part of the rug to get a better idea of where the water was coming from. If the regrading did not wark, then he was recommending about $4000 worth of work inside the house. Another contracter offered to do the same job for about $8000.

After getting two estimates from other companies, a friend suggested I join Angie's List to check out the reputations of those companies. I was shocked to see they were both lower-rated, so I searched for higher-rated companies and found B-Dry. They were very professional, honest, and reasonably priced. Their solution was simpler, faster, and lower-cost than the other two. We're thrilled.

They were prompt, professional, more reasonable than my other estimates and clearly VERY good at what they do. We have had no problems since the repair and yes, there have been heavy rains since then.

B-Dry was very responsive to my initial call and scheduling, and also when I called back to change the date to a Saturday. They sent information in the mail and called me the day before to confirm the date and time. Then the representative did not show up. I called, and since they are not open on weekends, could only leave a message. To their credit, I got a call first thing in the morning on Monday with an apology. I could only do weekday evenings, which they don't normally do, but they made an exception for me for rescheduling since they messed up with the no show (they said it was because the rep didn't get our info via email, which is how they communicate with their reps in the field -- as an aside, I think this system needs some fail-safes). The estimate itself went well. The estimate was about $8200 ($7000 if we had the work done over the holidays), which was much higher than other estimates. The rep explained that we're paying for their special system, which includes a different kind of tubing under the concrete flooring, which would reduce the amount of clogging and be easier to clean out. It's a top of the line system, so you pay top of line bucks for it. There were also little add ons for the placement of the sump pump in the basement and the out hose in the yard. The rep was really honest about the fact that we may not need a basement system right now, since we don't have water leaking. I appreciated his honest assessment. He was also the first person to go outside and look at the grading outside of our house and tell us how that was helping to prevent water from getting in. B-Dry uses computer models and a lot of good a/v aides to help you understand exactly what you're getting, and they have transparent, itemized pricing estimates, so you know what you're buying (this was not the case with the other 2 companies we met with). While they were expensive, we'd consider using them, because we learned so much more about what we were buying from them than we did from any other company that did an estimate, and we like the materials they use. Also, this was the first company to tell me that we needed to have some electrical work done before we could add the sump pump, since the pump needs an outlet, and the best place for it given our layout is not near an existing outlet. This would have been a serious disappointment if we had gone with another company and found this out at the end.

They were very quick to respond, they were very professional, they had great equipment, and they seemed very knowledgeable. They did a good job.

B-Dry was very honest. They recommended that we consult a landscaping company since our problem was exterior and said that our interior was in very good shape considering we had flooding. I appreciated that they did not try to sell me anything I did not need.

John Webster came by to look at our home's basement, which had experienced water leakage. He was punctual, professional, thorough, and very honest. Rather than wanting to charge us for work that was not necessary, he gave us good advice regarding landscaping practices that would avoid the need to do major work inside. Honesty and punctuality go a long way for us and we were very impressed!

It went very well. They were a little slow in getting back with an appointment, but it was also a very busy time with spring rain. Since then, they have come out to look at the house, and everything has gone well. They start work tomorrow.

It was an overall good experience. The people that came out and did the work were great that were fast and courteous and polite. I would use them again in the future if I needed.

The initial contact was with a B-Dry sales representative who, unlike another company's representative, didn't try to sell me an expensive solution to a non-existent problem. When I called to accept the proposal, I mentioned the Angie's List discount coupon and was immediately given the 10% discount. On the day of the service, the work crew had difficulty finding our home and arrived two hours late. When I made it clear that I wanted the job completed in one day as promised nonetheless, the company supervisor agreed to have the team work into the evening if necessary to complete the job. The job was complicated by the fact that our "soil" is made up of red clay and shale. In order to assure that the commitment to complete the job in one day was made, both the supervisor and the sales representative joined the work team in the late afternoon. The team continued working until nearly 10:00 pm to meet the commitment. The work was completed satisfactorily and I was impressed with the attention given to cleaning up the work site upon completion of the job.

I was impressed by the conscientious and customer-oriented response and the willingness to forgo a sale of services that were not really needed.

Hope this works to keep water out of my basement (some of it has wood floors) because it is a messier, more lengthy and outright damaging process than I contemplated. Although the crew took buckets of debris away I still had a lot of cleanup: scrubbed my deck 3 times to get rid of the mess, and lots of vacuuming and mopping in the house. My hallway needs a paint job thanks to ineradicable black & brown marks and chips they left behind and they took away a custom baseboard (vinyl stripping material which had been put in when I had linoleum put down in the laundry room) A call to the sales rep has produced no response as yet-though we are within 24 hours I admit) Several floors tiles beyond the row I was told they would need to remove were damaged, so it looks like the hallway floor will have to be redone also-good thing it's a very small area. IF it keeps the water out it all will have been worth it I suppose, so I am waiting for a hard rain before I decide whether I would recommend this to others. I would not use them again-if it works I won't need to, if it doesn't they will be hearing from me and I will repost here also.

I chose B-Dry because it has one of the highest ratings on Angie's List. Jason Ruffner came out to give an estimate for fixing a water leak in our basement. He discovered it was simply a hole in a pipe. I had another company come out the day before he did and they gave me an estimate for over $3,000 for work obviously not needed. Jason was very professional and called to let me know he would be 10 minutes late because the previous appt. ran late.

Two teams each with three men, first team broke up and removed existing drain with jackhammers, second team installed new drain. Waited until significant rainfall to submit this report, the basement no longer leaks. Generally, pleased with work, although job supervisor did not speak very good English, and there appeared not to be good communication between him and the company employee who spec'd the job initially.

I am pleased with explanation by Frank Braxton, the Service Manager. "The average life of a sump pump is seven to ten years, but the two main factors that determine that is the head pressure (the vertical run of the discharge) and how frequently it pumps. We have known pumps to activate every half-hour to others that only operate once or twice a year. Your surrounding conditions will determine this, and since I have not seen these site conditions, it is hard to determine what would be the average life of a pump in your residence. Seven to ten is the norm per the manufacturer".

We were very pleased with our overall experience. We were originally told that they would not have to cut the studs that had already been put up (we were in the process of finishing the basement when the leak was found) but they did had to cut the studs in the end. They compensated us for that very fairly. I would recommend them.

Professional, prompt, and effective.

I received quotes from 4 places. B dry quote was the lowest, the other companies were quick to match the price. I really liked that fact that they had a standard price and didn't have to haggle. I felt like I was being hustled by the other companies. They arrived on time for the job, finished it in the time the indicated and did a very good job. We are very satisfied.

We liked the sales rep that had come out to talk to us and look at what was needed to do the waterproofing. He was very knowledgeable and professional. The crew that did the work was fast also knowledgeable about the work.