SCHNEIDER CONTRACTING CORP

Readers of this should know that there are many ways to cheat on concrete driveways- it is a bad mistake to go with the cheapest contractor! I am a retired engineer and know how things should be done. I was impressed from the outset by Todd and Stan (his foreman). They even aesthetically improved my design! The crew showed up on time and, under Stan's direction, proceeded to execute one of the smoothest operations I have ever seen everything done all in accordance with good engineering practice. Finished quality (after cleaning) is still excellent three years later. Price was reasonable for quality of job.

Work completed 8/13/2012. Summary: I was initially happy with the delivered product and would have graded it a solid ?B?. Unfortunately, extensive fading after 3 years leaves me with a $13,400 job that now looks unprofessional. My firm belief is that Todd got a bad batch of concrete and is unwilling or unable to correct the problem. His efforts to remedy the situation left the finish looking worse- worn, blotchy, and very dark gray\brown. Granted, my one year warranty has expired but there is no way I could have foreseen such a latent defect until I undertook resealing at year three. See attached picture. The color should be pewter. From the Schneider Contracting FAQ: http://www.schneidercontracting.com/faqs/index.html I?ve heard that the colors just fade out over time. Is this true? "Although you can lose some surface color in extreme wearing situations, all of the iron oxide pigments used in these processes are UV resistant and should not fade. Additionally, the color hardeners that are used to color the surface create a finished surface that is substantially harder than normal concrete and will not wear as quickly. Depending on the coloring techniques used, the concrete color may change slightly over the concrete curing period but, if maintained properly, those colors are there to stay. When the decorative project is complete, it has been treated with a sealer that protects the surface from staining and also brings out the richer colors of the surface. If you notice that the colors are fading, it?s just an indication that the sealer is wearing and the light is no longer reflecting the colors as it once did. A new seal coat, if desired, will bring back the original rich colors." Detail: Alerted Todd via email on 7/23/2015 of my failed resealing attempt. I should have been able to easily reseal the stamped concrete and regain the original luster. His reply- "Goodness, that's not a good look! Maybe I should drive by and check it out. Don't worry that you've done something terribly wrong, though. It can be fixed. Was the sealer clear (no rust or anything in the can)?" Todd came out the week of the 7/26 and reproduced my failure at resealing. He stated that he had never seen this problem before and would have to refer back to his documentation. I emailed Todd on 8/7 asking- "What did you discover after review of your documentation?" No reply. I emailed Todd on 8/19 with a high importance flag and asked that he call me. He did. His documentation revealed nothing he cared to reveal to me. Todd stopped by with his foreman and did additional tests with colorants and\or sealers in late August or early September. I have no accurate record of these events as visits were unannounced and testing was not explained to me. I emailed Todd on 9/24 and alerted him that 60 days had passed. His reply- "I didn't realize you were marking the days. I've not been in the area since the last sample area we did was sealed (to see how it looked after drying). I would hope to see how it looks within a few days. Is there a big hurry here?" Called Todd on 10/15 after he had not stopped by "in a few days". He was clearly upset that I was not sufficiently patient. I explained that I expected a full resolution for what I considered product failure. Todd advised me that my one year warranty had expired and suggested the driveway looked like I had "power washed it a couple of hundred times". For the record, I have never power washed the driveway nor have I applied ice melt or subjected it to fertilizer overspray. Todd said he was "willing to help" and we agreed that remediation would be completed before the holidays. 10/20 Crew arrived unannounced. Todd's crew pressure washed the step and driveway. Unfortunately, after pressure washing, many areas of the stamped concrete took on a rough\pitted finish and the driveway "broom\brushed finish" was scoured away leaving the whole project looking like it had seen many years of wear and tear. 10/21 Crew member said team would return on 11/21 but no show. 10/22 Crew arrived unannounced. Increte color hardener was applied and sealed. All of the stamped areas are now a much darker brown\gray and have lost much, if not all, of the multi-hued antique effect. Brush strokes in the final product further distract from what little attractiveness remains in the stamped driveway border. 10/24 I emailed Todd and expressed my dissatisfaction. 10/29 Todd emailed and said a crew would be out tomorrow to "try a different method". I asked- "What is the plan for tomorrow so I know what to expect?" and received no answer. 10/30 The crew showed up and planned on power washing the areas recolored last week and would recolor them again with a lighter gray. I declined the offer. The aggressive power washing on 10/20 resulted in a material degradation of the surface finish and doing it again would only make matters worse. I encourage anyone considering using Schneider Contracting to inspect my disappointing project at 1910 Ingram Pl. in Alexandria.

Todd was prompt for site survey meeting. Work was started when promised and completed sooner than expected. End price was exactly as quoted. Site was left clean each night and when work was completed. Todd and staff were pleasant, respectful and professional. Todd even did extra work that he felt would look better that was not part of the contract. They basically exceeded expectations.

unknown

Todd was referred to us by a landscaping company and was very professional, creative, knowledgeable and easy to work with - someone to trust. The process was very quick and easy. Todd came on site, provide a quote immediately, then we scheduled a time for the project. His team was friendly, efficient and wanted to ensure that we loved our patio - and they accomplished their objective. I would strongly recommend Todd and his team to anyone and would easily work with him again.

The owner, Todd, provided a very timely estimate for the patio. We decided to use Schneider based off of their Angie's List rating and how professional Todd was. The team showed up on time, if not early, every day. One thing that impressed me was that there was a site foreman, and Todd came to the worksite to inspect what his workers were doing. When they finished, they cleaned up the worksite well. The result is a wonderful stamped concrete patio that has already gotten many compliments from our neighbors. Throughout the entire process Todd was professional and very responsive to our questions/concerns. Schneider was more expensive than most of the quotes that we received, however, the quality of the materials that they used, and the professionalism, made it worth the extra cost.

unknown

Todd Schneider was responsive by phone and e-mail and worked with us to find a product that would suit our needs aesthetically and functionally. His crew was clean, friendly and professional. The result is elegant and durable and was more cost effective and practical than the sport court/slate stone combination originally proposed by our landscape designer.

Last October when I decided to pave my driveway and add a parking pad, I looked at all the driveway technologies available from asphalt to laid brick. I chose stamped concrete because it has the maintenance advantage of concrete with the look of laid stone. Once I made this decison, I learned all I could about the process. It is a specialty that takes extra work and an eye for detail. I interviewed six contractors and drove all over Northern Virginia looking at work samples. Some were good; some were bad, for various reasons, but the only outstanding work was done by Schneider Construction Corporation. Todd's work shows a craftsmanship and care that is hard to find in any construction work. He gave a quick and accurate estimate based his measurments and the design I wanted. It came in the middle of the six estimates I received. When he was hired, he showed up when he said he would.He did the work efficiently, correctly and quickly. His crew is well-trained and he oversees everything. The added bonus is that he is really smart and honest guy. I have been recommending him to everyone I know because I want to encourage his level of workmanship which seems so hard to find these days.

He was very good. He solved a terrible damage that a designer started to do a job for me. He did them on mantle stone entrance in my house and my house is very simple and it was ridiculous. We lost a lot if money with that company, so I called this company and told them that they have to help me. He said he can but I would have to wait for him because he was very busy in the spring and that he can destroy this wall and entrance. He came in June of last year and did a very good job. He was very nice, professional and the foreman was very good. I was very pleased and everyone knows my driveway and path. I spent $18,000 because they did a lot of work, so I don’t think they were expensive.

I went on to the company's web site and requested an estimate based on my description of our project area. Mr. Schneider then met with me, explained the process, discussed options and offered a substantial list of local properties where his company completed work for review. He emailed his proposal and formal estimate. When we were ready to start, he promptly scheduled the starting date, gave us a fixed completion date and sent out his crew to do the work as promised. The crew was professional and pleasant. They worked efficiently, neatly and created a driveway that has already earned many compliments. We are very pleased with the company and the job that they performed.

First, my compliments to Angie's List for their help. After spending a month unsuccessfully trying to find a contractor through coupons in the mail, the internet, etc. we heard about Angie's List, joined, and soon found 3 good candidates. We chose Schneider Contracting because their work specialty fit our needs, their price was excellent, they were very responsive in communicating information, and we were VERY impressed with the owner, Todd Schneider. We worked together with Todd on the design, and his crew implemented our ideas amazingly well. The work was excellent, and was done quickly but carefully. The work was begun the day after we signed the contract. Stan, the foreman, is a hard worker and very dedicated to his work and the quality of the final product. Todd also worked with the crew at times. The whole experience was a pleasure, Todd stayed in close communication throughout. The final product actually far exceeded our expectations.

The whole job took about a week and a half. The job looks great, and we seem to be the talk of the street. Great company to work with.