Solid Concrete and Masonry

This was my second time using Solid Concrete and Masonry for my primary home and I'll use a third time. Dave and team are responsive via text, email, phone before, during, and after the work. Kept to timelines with little variation even because of weather. I'm very happy with quality of work and have received many compliments from the neighbors and passersby. Thanks!

'Solid Concrete and Masonry' was very professional and very easy to work with. I felt secure in them using a good quality product, and most certainly would use them again. THANK YOU DAVID !!

Overall Dave is great to work with. He is honest, straightforward, and the quality of the work is very good. In particular for my job, he helped walk me through getting a Curb Cut permit with the City of Pittsburgh, which in itself says a ton (I had a few contractors while getting estimates not even want to give me a quote once they heard I needed to obtain this permit); he did the travel to physically go to the office downtown which otherwise I would have had to take time off work to do, and he just added a charge for this into the total bill. He subcontracts some of the work out so sometimes we had a half to a full day delay in work due to issues beyond his control, but overall this was a very good experience and the actual job went smoothly. I would highly recommend going with Dave and Solid Concrete.

Never contacted me I have 2 big jobs that need done

All three jobs went great. There was a mistake made during the patio job but Dave fixed it at his cost. I can't recommend these guys enough.

.

unknown

Based on 10 good AL reviews (both from members and non-members), I called him last week Wednesday mid-afternoon for public sidewalk replacement & front porch/stoop addition. He returned my call the next day (Thursday) at noon asking if he could come by later in the afternoon at 2:30 PM. He showed up only 4 minutes late, but spent 30 minutes with me as I asked numerous questions and proposed additional work he might have expertise with. He was forthcoming about how adding an enclosed front porch might give me major zoning problems (which is true, as my later research turned up). He also looked at some brick pointing areas, and the entry doors and door jambs I am hoping to get repaired. He said he has owned rental property since the age of 22 years old, and that he has worked in various construction jobs for years. When he showed up on-site at my home, (1) he didn't give me his business card, (2) couldn't give his PA contractor HIC number, and said to e-mail him requesting quotes and he'd respond with the price and his HIC#. But, I didn't have time before the day ended to send that e-mail. The next morning, he called with a price quote. When I asked him again what his HIC# is, he again said he'd have to get back to me. Why does he keep avoiding answering the question?! Major red flag! Other contractors have it printed right on their business cards and can rattle it off by memory. After he gave me the price quote, he told me (3) he won't write up a bid unless/until I hire him for the job. His reason? If he had to write up a quote for every visit, he'd be doing that all day! Funny, none of the other concrete contractors I've been interviewing have had trouble performing these three actions. Well, I can't hire him unless the grant approval board looks at his bid and gives me grant money: it's a "chicken-and-egg" situation. But I have several other concrete contractors willing to write a bid without his peculiar condition, so I guess he's out of he running as a contender. Other concerns I have include: (a) he did not automatically include the use of wire mesh under the 4 inches of concrete he would pour. Hesaid if I wanted that option, it would cost upwards of $150.00 extra. (b) requiring half of the payment upfront and paying the remainder upon completion. At first when I asked him his payment schedule, he said he required one-third upfront, but then changed it to one-half. All the other contractors expect full payment upon completion after they have sent the invoice. (c) when I asked whether he gives any discounts for Angie's List members, he answered with one word: "maybe". I don't base my hiring solely on discounts, but I would rather be told a definitive "yes" or "no" or even, "under certain conditions which are..." That he seemed unsure whether he offered them or not is also puzzling. The absolute first thing I look at when considering a contractor is to make sure their PA (state mandated) contractor HIC # is current, their registration hasn't expired, and they are insured. His Angie's List page shows no HIC number, and when I went to the state database website ( http://hicsearch.attorneygeneral.gov/default.aspx) to do a search, I could not find him by business name (Solid Concrete and Masonry), nor by phone number (412- 354-7501), nor by keyword (concrete) + location (15206). I even "Googled" his company's name and found no matching search results. However, when I "Googled" him personally I found his name (first and last) connected with a business called "LeDonne Construction" on the Linked In website. Did a search from the State Attorney General's website, and found that company listed under a "Tony LeDonne" and with a different street address and zip (15101 instead of 15206). David is not listed as a shareholder in the company. Worst of all, an expired registration! It wasn't renewed after the 07/16/2011 expiration date! That was a good 2.5 years ago! If this "LeDonne Construction" company is in fact "Solid Concrete and Masonry", then this is a big red flag! If, however, "Solid Concrete and Masonry" is a totally different company that has NO HIC registration, then all bets are off and there is no way I would hire anyone who isn't law-abiding. Is this why he has been avoiding answering the question? Because the registration is expired or non-existent? AND, THAT is why I always take the time to check! My thinking is, if it is state law that all contractors have to be registered, and he owns a company that doesn't follow the law, what other corners is he cutting? How can I believe anything he says when he's trying to impress and pursue me as a customer? How much of a fool would I turn out to be if I didn't do my due diligence in checking him out, then hired him, paying half of the money upfront, then maybe he disappears and I'm stuck with a job not completed and out a thousand dollars? Then I'd have to pay MORE money to hire someone reputable to do the work! Uh, no thank you. I've already spent more time searching for his PA HIC# and registration status than I had to spend on all the other contractors' registration checks -- combined. My hope is that he will read this review and realize the areas which need more improvement...and get, then memorize, a valid PA HIC#!!

After searching Craigslist for contractors in addition to receiving quotes from local service providers, I met with David for an estimate. I found him to be honest and forthcoming with details about the work he would perform for the cost he estimated. Although I didn't know him prior to this, after meeting and discussing the scope of the work, I felt comfortable that he would do a good job at the reasonable price he quoted. We settled on the price, scope, and some of the details and David was very responsive with follow-up questions I had prior to commencement of the work. He and his co-worker showed up when they were scheduled to do so and the entire job was completed within a week or so - no unnecessary delays on their part. David did everthing he said he was going to do with no additional costs or hitches. They hauled away all of the debris and were respectful of the property. He and the finishers he employed to complete the work on the day they poured the concrete did an excellent job. I am very satisfied with the final product. It's good to find a trustworthy contractor I will be able to rely upon when the need arises in the future. Highly recommended.

I could not have asked for better work. The rock wall blends beautifully with the landscape, appearing as though it has been there for ages. The sidewalk and patio is lovely, adding "curb appeal" to our house. We enjoy the addition to our outdoor space immensely. The provider was professional, knowledgeable, skilled and detail oriented. He communicated well with us and the job was done in an efficient and timely matter. The work was completed to our specifications and the work area was left tidy. The results are wonderful -- I wish all the contractors we have used were this good.

We contacted the company and a mason came to the house to inspect the work we needed done. As we discussed the problem, he admitted that it hurt his pride to turn down the project, but that in taking the project, he could endanger the structure. He concluded that the work was beyond his capabilities and we should contact a structural engineer. We were very impressed with his honesty and professionalism.

I was having problems getting people who were able to do the fireplace and near to actually show up to quote me. I have a few people come and they did not seem to want the job. On a Saturday I reached out through Angie's list list to David and he replied within an hour we went back-and-forth a couple times and email and We set up a time to meet". He was late that day but had called ahead to let me know he was running behind. Very personable professional knows what he's doing and was very straightforward when he can't pricing. Gave me a time as to when they would be able to do it we decided to cut ahead with it he called ahead before he started to work and was here first thing in the morning that day. The job ended up being larger Then he first gave you credit for and it ended up taking additional day. The price for the additional day was very breezy oh and he had to source a couple of pieces going to project and just added onto the bill. Overall I was very satisfied throughout the project he was sending me text messages asking but I thought asking questions and a time there was a problem or concern he would call me and make sure I was okay with it before they made any moves.

The work exceeded my expectations, they are very reliable, professional and meticulous in the level of detail work they did to finish the concrete.

Overall, David was wonderful. He created an organized list of the work that we requested and systematically completed the tasks. He kept us up to date on progress and reported issues in a timely fashion. His quality work, reliability, follow-through, and attention to detail are unlike that of my other contractor we've ever worked with. I can't imagine entrusting any of our future projects to anyone else!!!

Our home was new construction built in 2002. We retained Solid Concrete and Masonry to pour the concrete and install the retaining walls. The concrete has held-up extremely well over the years; there are no cracks due to commercial vehicles or heavy equipment driving on the cement and no holes or erosion caused by winter rock salt. In fact, we had two tractor trailers drive on our cement to dump 100 tons of gravel / fill -- the cement had no issues with the extreme weight. With respect to the retaining walls, Solid Concrete and Masonry installed two walls. The first wall is 120 feet long by 5 feet high and the second wall is about 15 feet long by 5 feet high. Both walls are beautiful and changed the landscape of the home. As for handyman services, I retained David LeDonne (the owner of Solid Concrete and Masonry) early spring 2013 to help fix some minor issues listed in a prospective buyer's home inspection report. As expected, he fixed all issues (e.g., repairing vinyl siding, leveling A/C unit, connecting vent in attic, fixing outdoor electrical outlets, repairing window, and fastening loose rail posts in foyer) in about 4 hours The owner of this company (David LeDonne) is a perfectionist and provides good counsel on all concrete and hardscaping matters. Work was always performed on-time, on budget., and met or exceeded my expectations. We have lived in the home for almost 11 years and never had any issues with the work performed by David's company.

The walkway and entry stairs to our front door had deteriorated and detracted from the curb appeal of our home. LeDonne Construction, a locally run company, with years of experience in concrete as well as home construction, responded quickly to my call. They evaluated our situation and presented a solid plan to modify the width of the walkway as well as the number of stairs up to the front porch to enhance the safety and pleasure of walking up to our front door. Aside from being extremely friendly and professional, their work ethic was impeccable. I had just completed a major landscaping job that was adjacent to the area where the concrete work was to be done. David LeDonne and his crew took extreme care to protect our newly planted sod and plants so that no damage would be done. I also appreciated the effort to leave the work area neat, tidy and cleaned up after each days work. I highly recommend LeDonne Construction for anybody needing a reliable company for concrete and home construction needs.