Standard Water Control Systems Inc

Very professional and easy to work with. Provided the most comprehensive bid (compared to two other companies) and lots of information on how the system will be installed (even a CD with information). Ended up being slightly more expensive than the company I chose to do the project. I would have been responsible to prep the basement before the project, including removing the kitchen counter, cabinets, dishwasher, and sink. I would have been nice if they were able to do this part and include it in the bid. Overall, very nice and professional.

I contacted Standard for a bid on a project. Randy called back within a couple of hours...the first person to call back of five requests I'd sent out. He asked a few questions about our needs and advised that his services would not be the best route. After gutting and renovating a 5000 sq ft home I know that not all contractors operate with such honesty and integrity. We did not go with Standard for this project but should we need such services in the future they will be our first call.

Sump pump in basement. The work itself was done to satisfaction. However, communication was lacking and coming from several sources. Due to the lack of reliable communication, a job that was supposed to be done around 10 am was done at 630 in the evening.

Estimate and puctuality was very good. Details on the process were sketchy, for example, the individual who gave quote stated that the job would take three days (Start Thursday end on Saturday). As luck would have it, the only opening was on the Thursday before Labor Day and no one planned to work on Saturday to repour the cement until the following Tuesday. Existing heat registers were clearly marked as a template (carpet was being reinstalled), Standard Water placed new transit registers andoff by as much as 6" and used a larger size. Additional cost to replace register covers and to cut and patch carpet. Understandable that it was a sizeable job; the sliding door track and wood trim suffered greatly due to the heavy wheel barrels of dirt and cement acrossing it. They did place plywood but scratched the wood trim on the doors. At the end of the work; the sliding door would no longer close smoothly along track. Project Manager acted as though it was an inconvenience to make any repairs to regain functionality. The white walls and floors were left a mess; with cement and dirt dust. I did not expect perfection but their attention to the detail and finishing details lacked significantly.

They showed up on time, actually early, but called to make sure that was going to be alright. Made sure we understood the service they were going to be providing, took measurements and walked us through the whole process and gave us an estimate of how much it would cost to fix our foundation. It sounded like a great plan but was much more than what we wanted to spend. Ultimately, we decided to look into other less permanent fixes in the short term but if we ever decided to go ahead with that kind of project, we would contact them.

As far as the guys doing the work, they were professional, respectful and worked hard. They also did a good job of protecting the things that we had left in the basement from dust and dirt. When they finished the job they left our basement as clean or cleaner than they found it. If their product performs like the guys installing it, I believe it will be money well spent.

They keep the property clean and did not damage the grass. They had the drain tile, sump pump, vapor barrier and windows done in one day! they came back the next day to pour the cement to cover the drain tile. They are very booked with contracts so they couldn't get to my contract for a couple of months, but they came on the date scheduled and was done as expected. They guarantee a dry basement for the life of the foundation even to new owners.

Pros * When calling in for the first time, the appointment for the request for estimate, the phone call was taken immediately and an appointment setup. * There were 2 teams(demolition/drain tile equipment installation and then Concrete a day later). Both arrived on time and performed the work per the agreement. CONs or room for improvement: * At the time of the estimate, the company was about 2-3 months backlogged with work. My original work date was about 3 months after estimate which was a long wait. However, there was a cancelation so my job was moved up about a month and a half which was considerate thing to do for me. * I was not happy with the team that did the cement work to cover the drain tile. The final job was just ok but not up to a professional standard in my opinion. The corners were not level with the floor (ramped up to the corner). I mentioned this as well as the fact that it may be hard for me to tile 1 or 2 corners but the feeling was that quitting time and getting out of there was more important. I let them go but have been kicking myself for doing that. I am pretty sure that the job was not done using a level to assure all was flat. I had to bring my level down and prove the job was not level in spots. * The teams didn't go over any of the operation of the sump pump. It was simple enough to figure out with the owners manual but that would have been nice. After the 1st team left, I noticed that my clean in line water filter (I have well system), was filled with sediment. I was worried that there was a break in the line that was fixed without me knowing it happed but I was told after calling in the next day that its normal for the jack hammering to jolt lose sediment in the pipes. Bottom line is that for my interface with the teams, the customer attention needed improvement. Final: This company will get the job done for sure. They have the experience and I feel they can be trusted but you may want to watch over them. Pay attention to what your basement looks like before the job and then have questions prepared to ask the teams before they leave. Also have a level ready to make sure the job is level and don't be scared to have them correct things that are not to your liking, I am sure they will respond.

1 person came for the installation. It took most of the day. A "tie" was installed connecting the floor joist to the bottom of the block wall. No holes except to secure top of "tie" to the floor joist above the block wall. Rest was an adhesive to hold the strap to the wall. Installer cleaned up all residue from sanding, etc..

I contracted Standard Water Control to solve an issue with moisture and dampness in the foundation block of my newly purchased home. I expressed my clear goals as wanting to rid the foundation block of dampness, wanting to reduce musty smells pervading from the wet block and to relieve water pressure on the block to help prevent future movement of the block.. A drain tile and sump pump system was proposed as a solution. They finished the job last week and it rained a few days later. The bill was $3800+ and the walls were wet again, the smell of damp mold re-emerged and the pump didn't trigger. I was told that they believed the 1948 block core is solid, instead of hollow. When the holes were drilled, the wall didn't weep... rendering the draintile/sump pump solution useless towards the goals I had specified. I asked why this wasn't noted as a possible issue before or during the project - (for instance, could an infrared inspection have been used before the project to identify this issue? Or could some other testing have been done on the block to assure that the proposed solution was a good fit for the requirements of the project?) Instead of offering to solve the failed job, I was asked for final payment. An expensive upsell of a vapor barrier was posed - which does not fulfill my requirement of relieving water pressure from the middle of the block. The issue is still open as of 9/19/2013 and I still have a damp, musty, mold-growing basement foundation. My hope is that Mike at Standard Water Control will fulfill the expectation of a professional, working solution to meet the requirements that were scoped. I will update this review and rating based on their final performance and results.

Great....decided to use another system, exterior instead of interior. But thought they were a good company.

I called to have somebody come out and bid a sump pump discharge diversion and glass block window being installed and woman with an accent that couldnt listen to and or understand where Des Moines Iowa was caused me to get frustrated to the point where i hung up and called another plumber

Good, quick work. Even added a backflow preventer on our main sump pump pipe - we didn't know we needed one. Gave a B on quality because they had to move a junction box (unavoidable) but did not re-secure it afterwards.

They did a fantastic job. Tod Vreeland was quick to pin-point the problem and find a solution. He had the knowledge and experience to fix the problem. He made sure I understood how and why the water was leaking into the house and how he was going to fix it. Tod was amiable and professional. He did a thorough job from top to bottom. I am very pleased with the results. I'd certainly recommend them for any similar problems.

Standard Water Control System was excellent in installing the battery backup sump pump and second discharge line. While you can hook your back up sump pump to your main discharge line, Standard Water Control takes the extra step in installing a second line. This is and extra $300 charge but it is worth it to prevent a line freeze that might render your main pump and back up pump usless. It can be a little nerve racking when some is going to take a jack hammer to your basement floor or drill holes through the cinder block walls of your basement but Standard Water took the time to walk me throught the process and their installers have years of experience with the process. After the back up pump was installed Standard Water took the time to test the system in front of me and to explain how to maintain the battery backup system. I am satisfied with the work Standard Water Control provided and would recommend them to anyone.

We had water coming up through the concreter into our basement (under our stairs...nowhere else). This was the first time this had happened in our house in 12 years. After contacting Standard via email, a rep called and we scheduled an appointment for the next morning. The field rep was at our house on time the next morning. After examining the situation, he recommended doing some work on our stairs (they were in the concrete rather than sitting on top, and were therefore allowing an entry point for the groundwater). He explicitly said it would NOT likely be worth the ~$2500 to install drain tile/sump pump. The rep did an excellent job explaining the reasoning (he talked me through this over 10-15 minutes) and his honesty and clarity were greatly appreciated. We will definitely call this company in the future should we have water issues!

I've hired Standard before and they were great. I thought I had another water problem related to my foundation. I called Standard immediately. The gentleman (forgot his name) that arrived was very courteous and professional. He did a comprehensive review of the issue and I know if I would have needed to use them, they would have done a good job. However, they failed to recognize that the water issue I was having had nothing to do with water seaping into my foundation. It was due to a water leak in my waterline. This became a job for a plumber.

Their quote was for approximately $8000 plus extras that we needed to do. We have a huge basement so it was not surprising. He was very professional, very knowledgeable, and they warrantied their work. The reason why we did not consider him was because we wanted somebody who would take care of everything. We needed to bring a contractor to do something, we needed to bring a plumber to do something and we felt that the warranty would be a little hazy if one company did not do everything. If something went wrong they could complain it on somebody else not that they would, but that was our concern.

Only provided an estimate for partial tile system and full tile system for basement water problems (partial would tie into existing partial tile system already in place). The provider did a thorough job of explaining the problem in a way that I could understand, answered all of my questions, and explained what they would do. Biggest of all, there was no pressure to sign up on the spot, which is one tactic that always makes me not use a provider. I am still collecting other estimates for my own due diligence, but I am still strongly considering Standard Water Control.

The initial visit for quote was very informational -- better than other potential vendors. The crew arrived on time and performed the work quickly (in 1.5 days). They took the time to mask off the rest of the living space to minimize dust and dirt migration. They covered the wood floor from entry to basement so there were no scratches/excess dirt. The project was cleaned up very well both in the basement and in the yard. The Twin Cities had a lot of snow the past winter and has a very wet spring, but not a drop of water in the basement. We are very happy with our decision to contract the job and to have Standard do the work.

We had water in the unfinished part of our basement. We called Standard Water Control and told them it only happens occasionally and not when it rains. They came out and told us we needed a sump pump and drain tile. This would cost $5,440. Then we would need someone to come out and remove shelves in the closet and all trim where drain will be installed plus take some tile out of the basement bathroom. This cost $500.00. Then this needed to be re-placed - however he could not replace the tile - we still need a tile person to re-tile the bathroom - which will cost approximately $800.00. Then we needed someone to come out and pull up the carpet around area being drain tiled and afterward needed him to come back and put carpet back in place. This cost $350.00. Within 2 weeks of job being finished, we still had water in the same place in the unfinished part of basement. We called Standard Water Control and told them. They said they would come out, but if the problem was not connected to the work they did - we would have to pay $100.00 for them to come out. They came out and immediately told us our problem was from the water softener over-flowing. It took him two minutes to fix. That was all that was ever our problem - we never needed the sump pump and drain tile, and having our basement totally ripped apart, and they knew this all along. Then they said we owed them $100.00 for coming out. We said "no way". We never would have had this work done if you had told us the first time you came out that it was just the water softener overflowing. Since we said we would not pay the $100.00 the owner Michael Hogenson called and said he was taking us to court. We went to court. The Judge told Michael Hogenson that we were "take-in" and really told Michael Hogenson how he felt about the entire case. We did not win because the contract does state that if they come out and the problem in not related to their work - we have to pay the service call. However, we felt no matter what the outcome - we were not willing to keep quiet. We have been home owners for 43 years and this is the first time we have ever had an issue with service we have hired for one of our homes. Also, with all the rain we have had this spring and since the sump pump was put in - the sump pump has never gone off - just more proof that we never needed it.

They gave me two solutions and were diligent in following up with options. The tech met me off site, working around my busy schedule. Their approach to the client is excellent and I actually hired them again to put in a new pump in my other home as well. Excellent service.

Provided good information, competitive bid, on time, very neat and clean. Professional looking job. Followed up to see that everything was ok.

The whole crew was terrific. From the guy who came out to give me a quote to the drain tile installers to the cement guys, everyone was incredibly professional and efficient. The guy who gave me the quote didn't try to pressure me into anything, but gave me all the info and answered my questions. One of the best quote experiences I've had. The installation crew was just great. They were mindful of my property and items in the basement, stayed later to clip rusted, steel framing so the cement crew had an easier time. They cleaned up to the point of sweeping the sidewalk and street. Great guys. The cement crew was in and out like lightening and did an outstanding job. They even patched a couple of crappy spots on the floor with extra cement! I highly recommend them.

Dave was on time, courteous and professional. He suggested that the problem could likely be solved by changing the landscaping and waterproofing the outside of the brick, something that their company does not do. I really appreciated his honesty and the fact that he was still willing to give me advice as to how to solve my problem.