Baxters Rooter and Drain

Dimitra G.

My husband and I had a drain pipe collapse, causing our basement to flood. We were visiting family 3,000 miles away, and needed an emergency repair. Midway through, the project manager abruptly left the company. Sensing a red flag, we asked Baxter's to wait until we returned to Oregon, but they insisted upon completing the project as soon as possible.

We paid for the work, despite our misgivings. After our return, we learned the situation was worse than we thought. Among the many issues:

· Our contract called for the installation of a solid, ABS sewer-grade pipe. Instead, Baxter's put in a soft, flexible French drain pipe.
· The new pipe lacks a slope, proper depth, and sufficient gravel bedding (another violation of contract). As a result, water cannot flow downward onto the street and out of our foundation.
· The contract also called for saw cuts to remove the concrete above the old pipe. Instead, Baxter's jackhammered without saw cuts, stressing the surrounding floor and causing jagged edges. New concrete wasn't smoothed or blended properly. We can't install new flooring on the uneven surface.
· Baxter's connected the new pipe to a clogged stormwater drain in the right-of-way outside, telling us our municipality needed to unplug it. Both the City and the County have since told us that everything in the right-of-way is the homeowner's responsibility - and therefore the contractor's job to unclog.
· Baxter's failed to pull a permit and call for an inspection. The City and the County require a backflow valve and ground-level surface access to the drain -which were not installed.
· Workers used our kitchen and bathroom towels as cleaning rags, and our basement vacuum cleaner to mop up water. All are ruined. Our neighbor also reported he saw one person throw his lunch in our front yard.
· No dust mitigation took place. Concrete dust coated everything in the basement, the garage, the stairs...and filtered out of ceiling vents into our living room and hallway.
· Baxter's abandoned trash, equipment, and supplies in our garage, where they still sit today.

The only thing keeping our basement from flooding again is a sump pump removing water on wet days. Meanwhile, Baxter's still owes us a refund for a $2,200 down payment for a separate PEX Pipe project that we cancelled before any work started.
We've tried to communicate, but Baxter continues to stall, delay, and stonewall us. With no resolution in sight, we are now forced to take our complaint to the state licensing board, their bond, the Better Business Bureau, and the City.

Homeowner - Beware!

Dimitra G.

My husband and I had a drain pipe collapse, causing our basement to flood. We were visiting family 3,000 miles away, and needed an emergency repair. Midway through, the project manager abruptly left the company. Sensing a red flag, we asked Baxter's to wait until we returned to Oregon, but they insisted upon completing the project as soon as possible.

We paid for the work, despite our misgivings. After our return, we learned the situation was worse than we thought. Among the many issues:

· Our contract called for the installation of a solid, ABS sewer-grade pipe. Instead, Baxter's put in a soft, flexible French drain pipe.
· The new pipe lacks a slope, proper depth, and sufficient gravel bedding (another violation of contract). As a result, water cannot flow downward onto the street and out of our foundation.
· The contract also called for saw cuts to remove the concrete above the old pipe. Instead, Baxter's jackhammered without saw cuts, stressing the surrounding floor and causing jagged edges. New concrete wasn't smoothed or blended properly. We can't install new flooring on the uneven surface.
· Baxter's connected the new pipe to a clogged stormwater drain in the right-of-way outside, telling us our municipality needed to unplug it. Both the City and the County have since told us that everything in the right-of-way is the homeowner's responsibility - and therefore the contractor's job to unclog.
· Baxter's failed to pull a permit and call for an inspection. The City and the County require a backflow valve and ground-level surface access to the drain -which were not installed.
· Workers used our kitchen and bathroom towels as cleaning rags, and our basement vacuum cleaner to mop up water. All are ruined. Our neighbor also reported he saw one person throw his lunch in our front yard.
· No dust mitigation took place. Concrete dust coated everything in the basement, the garage, the stairs...and filtered out of ceiling vents into our living room and hallway.
· Baxter's abandoned trash, equipment, and supplies in our garage, where they still sit today.

The only thing keeping our basement from flooding again is a sump pump removing water on wet days. Meanwhile, Baxter's still owes us a refund for a $2,200 down payment for a separate PEX Pipe project that we cancelled before any work started.
We've tried to communicate, but Baxter continues to stall, delay, and stonewall us. With no resolution in sight, we are now forced to take our complaint to the state licensing board, their bond, the Better Business Bureau, and the City.

Homeowner - Beware!