Need advice…new shop…bad concrete

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chickencoupe16
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In reply to 91AggieLawyer • 9:08a, 1/27/26
AG
91AggieLawyer said:
jt2hunt said:
Tango.Mike said:
AgEngr16 said:
Seems like I'm pretty much screwed…I don't have much faith in the contractor to right the wrong at this point. Just curious but is this something small claims court could handle? I'm guessing I'm in the $7-10k range for concrete resurfacing (grinding and resealing) for a 2000sf area

I had a concrete guy mention you could frame out a perimeter inside the building and do a couple inch leveling pour to resolve. Anybody ever heard of that being done?


Don't waste your time and $100 in filing fees for small claims court. There is no mechanism to ensure payment from the judgment. If you win, the contractor can just refuse to pay you. And then the only way to force payment is to sue him in real court.


Even in real court you end up with a judgment and that doesn't mean you're gonna get them to pay it just means you have a judgment that you have to renew every so often I have a judgment against my ex-wife for over $100,000 and I doubt I'll ever see a dime of it


Both of these statements are untrue. While collecting a judgment isn't necessarily easy and requires SOME work (at least attempts at post-judgment discovery), you can hire a receiver to take and collect the judgment for you. It will require a petition with the same court and the receiver has tools to collect that most people don't or are unaware of.

Don't let judgments linger. You can also sell them, though you'll get pennies, not even nickels, on the dollar.

Having watched the process as a kid between my parents and a contractor, bankruptcy can, and in our case did, nullify it.
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Dr. Doctor
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11:03a, 1/27/26
AG
Not that I am in concrete, but I was going to wait for daytime photos. Thought some of the things were mud from people walking in on it.

New photo: holy hell, I'd be raising all kinds of crap with the dude. Definitely get it fixed, but I'd dog that contractor for the rest of his life just because that is THAT bad.

Does he think you're going to put down tile and can cover over it?

Does the contract state the slope or grade of the concrete? Can you measure soemthing independantly that is doesn't meet the contract? For example, 2% slope on concrete or no more than 1/4" deflection in one direction over X feet span? Something like that?

~egon
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ABATTBQ11
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In reply to AgEngr16 • 2:30p, 1/27/26
AG
That looks like Lizzo's dimpled ass.
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OnlyForNow
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In reply to Dr. Doctor • 8:20p, 1/27/26
AG
Or do a core cutting and have it tested for spec ratings.

Where my PEs… schelmbs?
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schmellba99
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8:52a, 1/28/26
AG
Jesus Christ, who did you hire to do that garbage? Hellen Keller?

That is worse than some of the concrete work I've seen done in the middle of nowhere in Mexico where the work was done with pallets of concrete sacks from Home Depot and 5 gallon buckets of well water.

1. That contractor absolutely sucks and was in way, way, way over their head.
2. In no world outside of somewhere in and African villiage where they still crap in their drinking water would that be considered quality work or even close to meeting the specifications.
3. Did you have specifications?
4. I'd be sending official certified letters demanding remedy.
5. You should not have put the building up as it makes it much more difficult to get any sort of real fix.

In all honesty, the only real fix is to tear it out and do it over again. There isn't anything that can realistically be done to fix that abortion of a slab placement. You could get it ground down but I can 100% guarantee you that there are cold joints galore in that slab and it is going to fail and give you all kinds of problems in the near future.

Do not pay him, and please tell us you haven't given him any money so far.
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schmellba99
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In reply to OnlyForNow • 8:55a, 1/28/26
AG
OnlyForNow said:
Or do a core cutting and have it tested for spec ratings.

Where my PEs… schelmbs?

I wouldn't waste my time with a core sample, that slab is pure garbage and doesn't need a core to tell me that. Plus a core will probably just fall apart anyway and depress the OP even more.

And kudos to the unique spelling that I"m assuming was for me. I can honestly say I haven't seen that spelling before, so you get a gold star for creativity.
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tx4guns
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9:21a, 1/28/26
AG
Can you please post who did this job so I can share with my Victoria family members so they avoid him for future jobs? TIA
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500,000ags
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9:54a, 1/28/26
AG
Yeah, I'll reiterate. Lambaste them online, and send a demand letter with what you want and threaten further action. I bought a house that was renovated by people that acted more knowledgeable and honest than they were. Ended up with almost $50k in repairs and work to get the city off my back (work done wasn't up to code). I left reviews everywhere, and places that pick up on search along with their website (here and local subreddit). Their website on Page 1 was eventually surrounded by my reviews. Lawyer charged a small retainer for a demand letter and a petition in small claims. They eventually wanted to seek out arbitration so we would likely remove everything for a small settlement. I ended up saying no to keep everything up, and they've removed their name from all existing market materials tied to their most recent homes. Latest house on the market for almost 5 months. Sometimes you have to be *******, just to help protect others from the same nonsense.
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OnlyForNow
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In reply to schmellba99 • 2:08p, 1/28/26
AG
You're welcome!
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warrington
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2:45p, 1/28/26
Only way would be to pour a 3" slab on top of it on your dime I bet.

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AgEngr16
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3:19p, 1/28/26
AG
Contractor was "DNP Solutions" out of Port Lavaca. I would avoid like the plague for anyone in the area.

Also learned the "self-leveler" he used is an underlayment product and not a finished floor product thanks to Chris98. Hopefully I can chip all that off and get a professional to get this floor fixed correctly.
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Corps_Ag12
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3:29p, 1/28/26
AG
Just echoing what's already been said.

Chip off the underlayment leveler and grind the slab relatively smooth. If you still have low spots, they make a structural floor leveler that you could pour over the entire area if you'd like.

https://www.daytonsuperior.com/products/chemicals?name=LEVELTOPEXTERIOR#/collapse-1b40baa6-2fe0-4b0c-b56c-1843399f6518

Lastly, I'd still want a core sample to confirm strength is at least 3,000 psi. It doesn't sound like you're going to entertain taking it down and ripping up the slab.
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P.H. Dexippus
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In reply to 91AggieLawyer • 4:06p, 1/28/26
AG
91AggieLawyer said:
jt2hunt said:
Tango.Mike said:
AgEngr16 said:
Seems like I'm pretty much screwed…I don't have much faith in the contractor to right the wrong at this point. Just curious but is this something small claims court could handle? I'm guessing I'm in the $7-10k range for concrete resurfacing (grinding and resealing) for a 2000sf area

I had a concrete guy mention you could frame out a perimeter inside the building and do a couple inch leveling pour to resolve. Anybody ever heard of that being done?


Don't waste your time and $100 in filing fees for small claims court. There is no mechanism to ensure payment from the judgment. If you win, the contractor can just refuse to pay you. And then the only way to force payment is to sue him in real court.


Even in real court you end up with a judgment and that doesn't mean you're gonna get them to pay it just means you have a judgment that you have to renew every so often I have a judgment against my ex-wife for over $100,000 and I doubt I'll ever see a dime of it


Both of these statements are untrue. While collecting a judgment isn't necessarily easy and requires SOME work (at least attempts at post-judgment discovery), you can hire a receiver to take and collect the judgment for you. It will require a petition with the same court and the receiver has tools to collect that most people don't or are unaware of.

Ditto. I collected on a judgment (plus interest) out of small claims using a receiver taxed to the judgment debtor. They are real courts, though there is an automatic right of appeal for the loser.
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Whoop Delecto
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5:09p, 1/28/26
AG
dnp

DNP Solutions is featuring this project with about 30 photos on their Facebook Page

At DNP Solutions, we take turnkey construction seriously. Our customer had a vision, and with our skilled craftsmen and equipment, we brought it to life.

From working with the banks to help get you approved, down to the dirt work, concrete, electrical, framing, sheetrocking and standing the building from the ground up.

DNP Solutions is your one-stop shop.

Allow us to Deliver New Possibilities into your family's home and enjoy the beautiful transformation we can create together!

Contact us for your next project
Se habla español!

David N. Pina
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Whoop Delecto
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5:17p, 1/28/26
AG
He has a $30,000 judgement filed against him May 2024 and awarded Dec 17 2025 in Calhoun County

Was there an engineer involved? Grade beam photos on Facebook make me wonder.
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AgEngr16
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In reply to Whoop Delecto • 5:48p, 1/28/26
AG
I've seen it. Not sure he will continue to be proud of his work after my honest review
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AgEngr16
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In reply to Whoop Delecto • 5:51p, 1/28/26
AG
I had engineered build plans stamped through mueller. I have taken some measurements and been checking the build each day to confirm it conforms to the build plans. I'm not an expert so may have missed something but it seemed to follow the plans and specs
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500,000ags
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In reply to Whoop Delecto • 8:10p, 1/28/26
AG
Damn, so he's lost a 30k judgment in just the last month. Wtf.
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JP76
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In reply to tgivaughn • 9:24p, 1/28/26
"Hi-IQ retired fighter pilot engineer offered "

Was this house in woodcreek ?
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Whoop Delecto
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In reply to 500,000ags • 10:38p, 1/28/26
AG
500,000ags said:
Damn, so he's lost a 30k judgment in just the last month. Wtf.

It was a $28,000 bank loan default from June 23 that was filed in 2024
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tgivaughn
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In reply to JP76 • 9:22a, 1/29/26
AG
Indeed you have guessed the one.
What a mess.
Gotta draw since me got no grammar MasterArch '76
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500,000ags
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In reply to Whoop Delecto • 11:44a, 1/29/26
AG
That could be a truck/car note. Still not a great sign. I swear some contractors just run their own Ponzi scheme trying to determine who gets what they paid for / keeps them covered for the next 3 months.
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BlueHeeler
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9:36p, 1/29/26
AG
Man, I thought this sort of stuff just happened to me. My advice is don't let this son of a ***** step foot back on your property. He doesn't have the know-how to repair this properly. Pay out of pocket to have this fixed. Send him a demand letter asking for payment for the repair (certified mail). If no response, hire a lawyer and sue him for damages.
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ABATTBQ11
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In reply to Whoop Delecto • 9:48p, 1/29/26
AG
Wow... Dude just put some base over unexcavated ground. Didn't even remove the grass or anything. And he put down like maybe an inch? That whole thing screams, "I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know enough to **** up everything I touch."
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ABATTBQ11
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In reply to AgEngr16 • 9:58p, 1/29/26
AG
AgEngr16 said:
I had engineered build plans stamped through mueller. I have taken some measurements and been checking the build each day to confirm it conforms to the build plans. I'm not an expert so may have missed something but it seemed to follow the plans and specs


More about plans/specs on foundation. A slab on grade foundation isn't just concrete dumped on the ground and smoothed out. Like all things, preparation is key. He should have excavated down about 6"-8" and compacted base on top of that to get to the bottom level of the slab, depending on thickness. He should've also overbuilt that compacted layer a bit. Then he should've excavated grade beams from the compacted base, put down a barrier, rebar, and ordered enough concrete to actually do the pour.

From his Facebook pictures, it looks like he formed up with 0 prep, threw a little base down, and called it good before putting down a barrier. All that organic matter is going to decompose and settle, and the ground beneath the base will eventually settle God only knows how. Not sure if the grade beams are even adequate. He may have skimped on depth to save on concrete.
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Luckass96
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11:31p, 1/29/26
I agree. You need enough concrete to anchor bolts for structure. He used 2x6 for forms looks like so you got 5 1/2" plus maybe he dug out 3" more form looking at pictures. I would have like said above excavated 2' and brought in compacted select fill 5' larger than slab and then installed 18" deep beams. One
thing I am real worried about is the 2 free standing post. I bet they only have 8" of concrete under them also. They should have a pier or at least 2' of concrete under them

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RoyVal
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7:48a, 1/30/26
AG
not trying to kick a man when he's down, but this contractor has hardly any reviews and the few reviews he as are for some mini split installations and a few other handy man type jobs. I'm going to guess he was the 'cheapest bid' by far. Due diligence should have been key, especially a large new shop build out like this.

sorry this is happening to you OP.
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docb
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In reply to AgEngr16 • 7:59a, 1/30/26
AG
That is not a good job at all. I would at minimum not pay him whatever amount it takes to fix that. Unfortunately the slab should have been fixed before the barn was built but you are past that now. I honestly hate contractors a lot of times. A friend of mine is fighting a similar situation with his metal building build and shoddy work by the contractor. They have to be held accountable.
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BlueHeeler
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9:03a, 1/30/26
AG
Quote:
Wow... Dude just put some base over unexcavated ground. Didn't even remove the grass or anything. And he put down like maybe an inch? That whole thing screams, "I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know enough to **** up everything I touch."

I really am not trying to put even more concern on the OP. However, unless I am mis-interpreting something in the pictures, the grade beams seem to be inset about a foot or more from the outside edge of the building. There also appear to be voids under the flat work portion "lip" that is between the grade beam and the edge. It appears like the structure steel is bolted, at least partially, to that flat work "lip" because they touch the edge. The structural steel should be anchor bolted into a grade beam, not 4-5" flat work. I am not a structural engineer, but I think that's going to fail under load.
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500,000ags
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9:55a, 1/30/26
AG
I mean damn, if that's true, at what point does the contractor putting up the structure not be like, yeah, call me in a month when this is fixed.
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Sweet Kitten Feet
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12:34p, 1/30/26
S
Did same contractor build the structure too?
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OlRock
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1:32p, 1/30/26
AG
Man, I'm sorry this happen to you. You can pursue money all you want, but the outcome will mostly be predicated on your signed agreement language, and how much time and money you're willing to spend. I would absolutely see if the plant has a QA/QC guy to at least verify the mix that day. I have been pouring concrete on a large scale for most of my career and plants do make mistakes. You may even have to have a core taken for testing. There are engineering firms that will do this for you.

You can get a Sika Products Rep to help you feel good about a recommended "fix" based on the topping products they provide by sending photos, explaining everything, etc.

However, I think your best bet is to find companies that do concrete repairs/overlays and start gathering quotes, saving money and start the repair process to ultimately get the desired result. Think of contractors that do pool decks. Even call the suppliers of these sika and pool decking/concrete overlay products and they'll give you recommendations for contractors to fit your needs.

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BlueHeeler
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1:49p, 1/30/26
AG
I think you need to have a structural engineer review the pictures of the forms and such. If there are structural components bolted down anything other than the grade beams, that's not good.
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one MEEN Ag
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7:23p, 1/30/26
AG
One of the things that got me was when he was short, he was short up on top of the slab. Thats not how big pours go. You go in sections and get it leveled as you go. If you're short you wind up with a square patch that has no concrete at all, not being short a whole inch across the slab. That way at worst you just have a cold joint with some rebar drilled in you can pour again and say oopsie.

The contractor was technically correct that A) the adhesive for a bond on self leveling is temperature dependent. And that technically self leveling could help. But B) that is way too big of a job for self leveling. Even if you were going to do self leveling you'd need to cover the whole dang surface and I don't think he's got the height remaining for that.

I think the best bet is surface grinding and getting a good finish that way.

I actually don't think he's going to have structural issues with the concrete per se as long as he didn't try to save the pour by cutting it with water. Which even if you're a terrible concrete finisher (guilty as charged) that doesn't make you stupid enough to cut with water to try to stretch it. Cut some section and get it tested though.
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BlueHeeler
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In reply to one MEEN Ag • 8:01p, 1/30/26
AG
Just curious, did you take a look at the pictures before the concrete was poured? Anchor bolting structural steel to flat work is not a normal practice.
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