SafeBasements of Minnesota Inc

I researched basement waterproofing solutions and was considering doing it myself. Then I found Safe Basements and read the literature about their product/process. To me, it seemed better than other similar products. I was surprised that they cover my place -- 2 hours into Wisconsin, or 3 hours from Litchfield. Brad came out to inspect the problems in my basement -- horizontal cracking, bowing, and water intrusion. He was able to explain the causes of those problems as well as others that I hadn't noticed. We agreed to pay for anchors to stabilize one wall that was bowing, and install drain tile and a sump pump. I'll be honest, I didn't shop around. I have no idea what other companies are charging for the same services. I normally get 3 or 4 bids or other opinions. I felt comfortable with the amount of research that I'd done, the knowledge Brad seemed to have, and the information about the products that I decided to hire Safe Basements without talking to other companies. I don't regret that decision. The wall anchor/stabilization crew called me before leaving Litchfield. Their ETA was pretty close to the actual time of arrival. When they arrived, we discussed the work being done. They did the work. They cleaned up. They gave me information about the anchor system and what I needed to do to correct the bowing and cracks. Everything was done as expected. The drain tile/sump crew was stuck at a previous job. They called me the day before (Tuesday) my job was expected to start to let me know there would be a delay starting my job. He then called in the middle of the start day (Wednesday) to let me know, they wouldn't be to my house until the next day. I was expecting a call between 7 and 8 on Thursday to let me know they were leaving Litchfield. Instead, I got a call at about 7:15 to let me know they were 15 minutes from my house. When they arrived, we talked about the work to be done, they cocooned my stuff in plastic, and they went to work. I think they worked until about 7 that day. They returned on Friday at about 8:30, having stopped to dump my concrete and dirt and to pick up gravel and concrete. They worked until about 10:30pm on Friday. I appreciated that they finished on Friday even though it was later than I expected. They cleaned up everything thoroughly, and walked me through the details of the sump pump and battery backup systems. Even though they'd driven a long distance, worked two very long days, and it was very late Friday, I didn't feel they rushed through. The job was complete. I think they would have stayed later if I'd had anymore questions. Unfortunately, one of the workers left his very nice tape measure, and I have not been able to get it back to him.

The work was done very well. The original estimate was developed based on the assurance that drain tile was in place inside the foundation (provided by me). After determining there was no drain tile inside the foundation, we were offered options for proceeding, chose one, and they were back the next day to finish the job. They were fast, efficient, and neat, and the price for the work was fair. If we needed basement waterproofing service again in the future, we'd definitely go to Safe Basements.

They would not come out to look at it in January

The work was done very well, and the workers stayed late to have the job finished within the two days promised.

We hired Safe Basements to fix a problem with water leaching into our basement. One wall of the finished area of our basement doesn't have drywall/sheet rock, but instead has skim-coated mud and then paint directly on top of the cinder block. Since we moved into this house 5 years ago, we'd had water leaching in through that wall almost every year. We asked Safe Basements to come out and take a look, and they said that groundwater was filling up the cinder block, and that installing drain tile and a sump pump would direct the water into a trench and out of the house, thus fixing the problem. So, we hired them to fix it in November 2017, at a cost of about $5000. After they completed their work, we sanded down the previous damage to the wall, re-did the skim-coat, primed it and painted it to complete the repair ourselves. In March 2019, after all of the snow we got in February began to melt, we noticed that the paint on that same wall was completely blistered, with water once again leaching through the cinder block wall and breaking through the paint. It was exactly the same problem we thought was repaired. We called Safe Basements, and they visited twice. The person I spoke to over the phone said that sometimes the drain tile "system gets overwhelmed" and used "Act of God" to describe the heavy snowfall in February (language which is in the warranty and would ostensibly relieve them from any further responsibility). One of their staff who visited the house told us that the placement of our downspout outside of the wall would void the warranty, though the warranty materials do not address a specific distance requirement. They also pointed out that some water had come through our basement window, but that does not explain the water leaching through the cinder block. It seemed to us as if they were reaching for any reason to void their lifetime guarantee. However, regardless of whether the warranty is void or not, the most problematic issue for us is that upon viewing the new water damage, their staff told us that due to the nature of that finished wall, because it was mud over concrete as opposed to drywall with a vapor barrier, the concrete "couldn't breathe" and was therefore soaking up the water so it didn't flow to the trench that they'd installed below. This is exactly how the wall was when we first hired them, so we are at a loss as to why they either 1) didn't realize the construction of that wall in the first place, or 2) advised us to install drain tile that was apparently never going to effectively solve the original problem. We relied on their expert advice about how to address our problem, so we are disappointed that they sold us a solution that they reasonably should have known wouldn't work. Safe Basements has advised us to re-grade the exterior, which we have begun to do, and to either completely expose the cinder block on that wall (effectively unfinishing our basement) or install drywall (which isn't feasible due to the placement of a stairwell). The drain tile system is slowly working to some extent, and indeed, some of the blistering that caused us to call them has receded, but the blistered paint is still noticeable and needs to be fixed. So our original problem remains unsolved and we will incur more costs to repair that wall and try to keep water out of our basement. It seems to us that we could have just addressed the exterior grading in the first place rather than installing the drain tile, spending a fraction of the cost to get likely the same result.

Great! Crew communicated well, did a really nice job every step of the way. I would highly recommend.

Very well. Had multiple people out to evaluate my water issue in the lower level of our home. Hired these guys because they seemed to have the most reasonable solution for my issue. In the end they had to do a core drill to allow the water to drain from my block and install the Safe Edge system to prevent any future water from entering my lower level. Called in October, couldn't actually perform the work until December due to how busy they were.

The team they sent out to us was nothing short of AMAZING!! They cleaned up after a horrible plumber that left a huge mess in our basement and called out that plumber for not having a permit pulled to do the work in our home. If it wasn't for their follow through and attention to detail I might have had illegal plumbing left in my home. Also, the plumber screwed up so bad they had to come out on a Saturday in order to finish the job and they did so at no extra charge because they saw another contractor trying to take advantage of a customer. For me there is no other basement place I would ever trust more!

crew were professional, did a good job cleaning up

They stood me up twice for my appointment. The second time I triple checked with the receptionist that they had my phone number, time, and date all correct, and again I took off work to meet with the engineer and was stood up a second time. The first time I was stood up I thought maybe there was a bad connection. I could hear the receptionist clearly, but when I called the second time it turned out she had both the time and the phone number down incorrectly. I gave her the benefit of the doubt, but the second time it happened again, despite repeating everything three times. No call, no show x2. Time to find somebody else.

We had Jesse Trebil's fix a sagging foundation wall. They came out quickly and provided a thorough and detailed estimate. I waited several weeks before making the appointment to have the work done and they were still able to fit me in quickly. The crew was friendly and professional and even though they were not able to complete the project that day they sent another crew out a few days later to complete it. I am very satisfied with the work and professionalism of this company.

We have not yet elected to have any services performed, but we were given a thorough explanation of what each service entailed and a cost breakdown. The salesman was friendly and punctual and answered all my questions as well as provided estimates for work I had not mentioned prior to our appointment. If we decide to have the work done, I will definitely be calling Jesse Trebil out to perform the work.

Good. Crew showed up on time and completed the work in one day. Kept the work area mostly clean. They even determined less work was required and saved me some money. They were a little careless about walking on existing rugs and I had to move them out of the way after they were walked on. The office staff did not communicate among themselves and were not very friendly.

Although we did not use this company, I would recommend them strongly on the information and manner of the gentleman, Scott Wicklund, who came out to bid the job. He explained what we needed and how it should have been done by the landscaping company we had previously hired to regrade the yard.

The crew that showed up were wonderful. They took the time to explain what they were doing and how it would impact the house. They were very courteous, and I really appreciated it. They did run into an issue, where they had to adjust the method they were using, and took the time to adjust schedule so that the job would be done sooner rather than later, and even stood by their original estimate, despite the fact that the new method would have cost more. I would highly recommend them.

There were hiccups along the way. A couple of things we were told they would do did not get done. Mostly I believe it was miscommunication. Overall, they worked hard to make everything right and to make sure we as the homeowners were happy and satisfied. I gave a B for quality only because of the hiccups. Otherwise it would have been an A. But again, they worked hard to make it as right as could be in the long run.

Jesse happen to be going by our area the same day that I called. He determined that the prior estimate I had for foundation repair and grading the landscape was unnecessary and he saved me approximately $20,000. I would definitely recommend him because he was timely and honest. Thank you for all your help and providing the free estimate which saved me a lot of money!

All the issues are too lengthy to type out again. So here are the emails that have been sent Sent April 15, 2015 To whom it may concern, About a month ago the project in my house was finally completed. I'm writing to let you know how dissatisfied I am with the professionalism and respect of your employees. Everything started great with Shane. Until we had another company come out to give us a bid. They told us we had a monolithic floor and wouldn't recommend doing drain tile. I contacted Shane and let him know what they had said. He told me he was sure our floors were not monolithic but he would come out and check them to make sure he didn't miss something. Great! But after months of sending him emails, some with no response, he still didn't come out. When I received a phone call to see if we could move the installation up a few weeks, I told Jessica the situation and finally got Shane to come out, 3 days before the work was to start. On the day the job was to begin, we got a phone call that the foreman that was scheduled for the job wasn't coming in to work and the crew would be there the next day. I understood, it happens, I too work for a contractor. The next day when the crew showed up they were less than interested in talking to my girlfriend Kelly who was there, also co-owner of the house, and went to work. She tried to explain to them that if there were any parts of a bathroom wall that needed to come down, feel free because it will be coming down eventually, which apparently fell on deaf ears. I will get back to that. After only being there for 4 hours they told her they were done for the day. At that point she called me to let me know. Also let me know that if she had a dollar for every f-word she heard... not acceptable. Not only do we own the house, but it is also our business. That shows a complete lack of respect. That night when I was done working I stopped by the house to see what got done and found that my extension cord was attached to their jackhammer, without being asked if it was ok to use. The next day I got done with work early and stopped at the house. After being there for about 10 minutes I had to go downstairs to tell the crew to watch their language. No respect. The day they "finished" I stopped by after work and found the bathroom section incomplete. this is the wall I mentioned earlier. I guess they considered wainscoting glued to the wall a finished wall. We could see down to the foundation. If they didn't want to take the bottom part of the wall out they should have mentioned it to one of us and I would have done it. We didn't know exactly what was going to be on the walls. Also even though it is an unfinished basement they could have done a better job cleaning the floors and cleaning the mud and concrete off the outside door. I sent a picture of the wall to Shane and got a phone call to get it scheduled for the project manager to come out to fix the problem. I spoke to the project manager and explained my concern about what was done and also asked him to check out the rest of the job because I noticed parts where the edging was bowing away from the wall and I just wanted to make sure everything was sealed. When he got there he told Kelly they shouldn't have done it that way and would have to have someone come back to fix it because he didn't have the parts and wasn't feeling well. Ok. Well another crew came out to fix it. They fixed the wall and proceeded to to put a sealant on the top of the edging. This isn't exactly what I meant to have done. I just wanted it looked at and if there were any parts that weren't sealed to seal that part. I guess your project manager didn't really listen either. And actually I wish they wouldn't have sealed the whole thing because they got sealant on the walls, floor and appliances. I guess they didn't have towels to wipe off their hands? Also they took a Sawzall blade off my workbench and used it for something because it was covered with sealant. I don't care about the Sawzall blade, at this point it's the principle of it. While they were there one of the guys tried talking to Kelly and tried to explain things to her, but the foreman kept telling him to get back to work. After they left Kelly tried to push the appliances back and didn't see some sealant that was on the side of the washer, which resulted in ruining her shirt. After waiting 4 days for the concrete to dry and an hour of chipping out excess concrete I finally got the toilet put back in. The entire week, they were in such a hurry to get things done, saying it was to get our of our way. Kelly is at the house every day, all day, therefore, there was no hurry from our side. Their poor performance on the job was a result of them hurrying to get the job done for themselves, not for the benefit of us. We would rather a company be here longer to do a good, thorough job instead of a hack job done in such a hurry. One last thing your clients should be advised of an extra charge for using a credit card or better yet you could try what my company does, which is to factor in the cc charge on the bid and offer a discount for paying cash. Just a thought. So I think you may have figured out by now that I will not give a good review on Angie's list, Google or your website. Nor will I recommend your company to anyone. Received April 16, 2015 Just a quick note at this point to let you know that I received this email from you and I will need a little bit of time to do some ?investigating? on this end before I contact you to address your concerns. I just like to know which crew (foreman and laborers) that were there, etc. Regardless, at this point, I will offer my apologies to you and Kelly. I am very unhappy to be informed of your concerns. We have been trying diligently to incorporate a whole new Core Strategy, Core Focus and Core Values ? one of which is Professionalism. However, another Core Value that we have implemented is Accountability. With that said, I will start my investigation to figure out who I will be holding accountable. I will be in touch soon and again, I do apologize for this unacceptable behavior and work performance!! Best regards, Scott Scott Wicklund, General Manager Jesse Trebil Foundation Systems It is now the end of July and I have heard nothing back from anyone at Jesse Trebil Foundation Systems

Adam arrived as scheduled and reviewed the foundation and first floor looking for signs of settling or bowing. I was hoping for an honest consultant and that is what we got. Very grateful for his honesty and getting us to understand the true nature of the foundation cracks. In the case where we needed a complex solution I found that the solutions they have are very affordable too. I would definitely recommend them.

The 2 young men arrived before 8am and before 12 noon had installed 8 wall anchors and given me my follow-up instructions on their maintenance. They also shared that the company is now doing "slab-jacking" with a new foam product and I will be contacting the company for that service also, for my sunken patio slab.

We had water in the basement of our wood foundation home. We had Pat from Jesse Trebil to our home to give an estimate for a sump pump. He quoted a price of $2,000 for 24 feet of drain tile, and stated that because of where the water was we would have to remove the water meter and steps to the basement (not included in estimate of $2,000) prior to the work being done. Having the water meter & stairs removed and then reinstalled to the basement didn't seem cost effective or feasible. Imagine our surprise when a different contractor (Gardener Construction) came to estimate for the job & said that we didn't need any drain tile at all since our house had a wood foundation and was already sitting on a bed of gravel. What was needed to complete the job was simply to drill a hole deep enough to get to the gravel and install a deeper basket to the sump pump. This was a far easier & superior solution. Sooo glad we got a second opinion & didn't follow Jesse Trebil's suggestion. That said, other than the bad advice from Pat, I found the company responsive, courteous, and punctual.

Excellent and quick proposal response and scheduling of the work. Excellent work and wonderful staff who did the work.

They seemed to be on time and gave a nice estimate, but it was a $20,000 estimate for something that didn't even really need to be done. They brought in electronic laser equipment. It seemed like they did a nice job mapping out the elevation. The level of the floor was really what they were checking out so he made a detailed map and created a laser line and measured down from the laser line to different points in the floor and took a lot of measurements, and drew it up. They gave us the detailed map that showed the different elevations and I thought that was really professional so that was good. He turned it around in a day or so, and we were just evaluating different options at that time. We had other options explored. We had a concrete guy that proposed to rip out the floor and just redo it. We had a guy in that proposed raising the floor, mudjacking, and we also had guys come in to do some overlay over the concrete. I thought that there was nothing wrong with the foundation that Jesse Trebil was proposing to fix. I just blew off his whole proposal. It was totally unnecessary and going a different route.

Called several basement waterproofing companies after we had water seepage through our block basement walls. The first two sent people who were not knowledgeable about the process, but cold walk themselves through a sales presentation binder. In this case, we actually had Jesse come out himself. He was obviously very knowledgeable and could answer any questions I had. He gave a complete estimate to put in a drain tile system along with a new sump basket, pump and a battery back up. Unfortunately, with the bad winter and then a very, very wet spring, people in this business have more work than they can get to. We decided to go with Jesse Trebil but will need to wait until October until they can do the job. I'll update my post then.

They're really quick in giving me a call back through the detail and that was pretty good. They're thorough.