Should i trust my PM?

Question

Im having lots of drainage/foundation issues at one of my properties in Buffalo, NY.

Recently ive found out that due to water/drainage issues i now have water inside the concrete block that needs to be drained and on top of that the sewer trap needs to be replaced (according to results of a scoping). The scoping job was coordinated by my property manager's contractor. I didnt see any kind of report.

My question is this: should i trust the PM contractor to do the work or should i go around the PM and get quotes from plumbers? I hate doing everything remotely without actually seeing reports or speaking with the person that does the work but at the same time my PM has proven to be pretty trustworthy with decent prices whereas every contractor only has themselves in mind when quoting you. They dont seem to understand that its an investment property and you want to spend the least amount of money, not turn your rental home into some kind of indestructible castle.

When i had 3 "reputable" contractors come do estimates on the foundation work, i got prices ranging from 20k to 70k  (this property is worth around 40k) after which i contacted a structural engineer who basically disputed everything all of them said.

any advice or personal experiences with this greatly appreciated!

Troy Owen · Answer

No, you need to verify what your PM is telling you. They are not getting paid to interview five different people to get to the root of the problem. They are going to call someone to make the problem go away and give you a price. Foundation repair is one of those specialties where they can really take you for a ride! Many of the foundation specialists like to automatically recommend an exterior fix, which is significantly more expensive. In the Milwaukee area they charge about $50/linear foot for interior drain tile work and $250/linear foot for exterior repairs. Be sure to step back and look at this problem from another angle. What is the root cause of this issue? There are instances where the problem can be solved without touching the foundation: 1) gutters/downspouts - if the gutters are plugged and water is pouring over the gutters only inches away from the foundation or if the downspout isn't directing water away from the house and is dumping water right at the corner of the property you will have water in the building. 2) Concrete - Is there concrete pitching toward the house, all the water flows toward the house. 3) Landscaping - depending on how bad your problem is, a thick bed of mulch can help absorb water or if water is flowing toward the house, a drainage solution or diverting water away from the house might help. Good luck!

-Troy

David Niles · Answer

Your PE engineer sounds like hes on the money.  It is very common for block walls to have water infiltration.  They then put drain tile in and each block has holes bored in each cavity at the base allowing them to drain into the drain tile.

Diana K. · Answer

@Troy Owen

absolutely agree with all of your points, thats why i had 3 contractors come out whom i personally met with, followed by a licensed structural engineer.

essentially it sounds like the problem was a combination of drainage issues (yes downspouts, gutters, clogged drains etc) as well as an extra rainy/wet winter.

@Bill S.

i purchased the property in 2012 and none of the issues existed, neither to my blind inexperienced eye nor according to my inspector. there were certainly no holes in the wall due to water damage as there are now. Which leads me to believe that the problem is still manageable and can be resolved with addressing what i listed above as well as possibly repairing the drain (for which i have to get a plumber in there to examine)

According to the PE engineer i hired the walls do not need to be replaced as the other contractors stated to me. He said the water thats in the walls just needs to be drained.

I just wish i could trust contractors that came in there. So far the only person who's opinion I trust is the engineer.

Larry Turowski · Answer

@Diana K. No.  And especially no for large ticket repairs.  Get your quotes and inspections.  Otherwise you'll always be wondering.

Bill S. · Answer

@Diana K. - Not saying the PM doesn't have your best interests in mind but it's also not their money. You should absolutely get a copy of the DVD of the scope of the sewer line. If they didn't do that, then make them furnish you one at not cost to you. There are many ways to address sewer issues and people with a backhoe only have one of the solutions.

With regards to the foundation. A couple of thoughts.

1) $20k-$70 problems don't just happen over night. There should be evidence prior to your purchasing the property. What did your property inspection say? If there was no prior evidence then the issue just happened which means it's likely an easy fix. Read @Troy Owen 's post carefully.

2) If it was me and it's clear the fix won't be easy or cheap, I would hire a licensed engineer that specializes in residential construction to look at the situation. Pay for their time to go and see the problem. Have them call you while onsite and walk you through the issues. Record the conversation or take good notes. Do not hire them to write a report. Most of the cost of an engineer is in preparing the report. The report also creates liability for them. If it turns out you need a report pay them to do that separate and later. By paying for their time and having them communicate to you verbally you are buying their knowledge and experience which will help you make an informed decision. Engineers also work with contractor's that do the work they design so the Engineer will likely know 3-4 contractors that can implement the Engineer's fix, if needed.

Should i trust my PM?

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