New England Paving & Construction

Varied Experience with New England Paving: Inconsistencies in Craftsmanship and Payment Process I recently engaged the services of New England Paving for a driveway extension and roughly 40 feet of walkway. Angelo, the contractor's son, was highly responsive and ready to start the project promptly. Angelo and his father, Tom, demonstrated punctuality and engaged in multiple project reviews, giving me confidence that we were on the same page. Initially, things progressed smoothly, and I provided a 50% down payment to secure the project. However, communication became a significant challenge, making it difficult to get the project back on schedule after the down payment. This lack of responsiveness was concerning, especially considering the sizable upfront payment. Once the work commenced, the driveway extension met my expectations and progressed well. However, concerns arose during the construction of the walkway. The crew assigned (day laborers) to this part of the project seemed inexperienced and lacked the necessary masonry skills. Despite my attempts to address the issue and my reservations, the crew continued their work for three days. Eventually, I had to terminate their involvement and requested Tom to bring in a skilled mason. Unfortunately, this resulted in a compromise in the quality, poor joints, poor cuts and details of the walkway, as the new mason had to rectify the subpar foundation set by the initial crew. Another major disappointment was the payment structure. The initial agreement was a 50% upfront payment and the remaining 50% upon completion. However, during the final stages, I was unexpectedly asked for an additional 1/3 payment due to alleged financial mismanagement on other projects. Despite my reservations, I made the payment to ensure the project's completion. In summary, the driveway extension was completed satisfactorily. However, the patio work was subpar and lacked the desired attention to detail, warranting a C+ rating. The customer service provided by New England Paving fluctuated throughout the project and considering the aggravating experience, incomplete work (at my discretion), and payment challenges, I would rate the overall experience as a C at best. Pictures posted is the work completed (the scope of work was not to provide top soil/seed, build much bests, install irrigation). Final reflections 1 week after the project was completed: -Looks good from far, but far from good (specifically the walkway) -Driveway seems to be fine (and Belgian blocks) -Will the driveway and patio hold up over time? Only time will tell. -Aggravating experience with communication and scheduling. -Walkway workmanship was substandard due to inexperience. -Payment process and unexpected additional charges were disappointing. -Project was left incomplete, requiring myself to fix parts of the project. Belgium blocks were supposed to be installed tight up against the walkways) -Polymeric sand applied on the walkway was not fully penetrated into the gaps in pavers. -Cuts on the patio were not A+ work. -Irrigation line was punctured, necessitating removal of the patio to be fixed (there was a root next to the line, and the workers mistakenly punctured the line). -I asked Angelo to stop by to constructively review the project, but he did not follow through.