WAYS TO IDENTIFY AN ASPHALT PAVING SCAM BEFORE IT HAPPENS

There has been a recent rise in Asphalt paving scams here in the Brantford and the Brant County area, in 2023 and now in early 2024 we have seen the same thing starting. Bell City Paving Inc has decided to release this Blog to cover several of the top ways to spot a paving scam BEFORE it happens, in order to protect the residents of Brantford and Brant County.  We just saw WAY to Many Brantford and Brant County Residents that we taken advantage of by these out of town or "FLY BY NIGHT" paving companies. 
Last year alone Bell City paving responded to over a dozen instances where these out of town contractors ripped out driveway's, collected deposits and left the owners without a paved driveway or they were given stop work orders for working without permits and insurance, or employees who were working in Canada illegally. It was verry sad to see a number of these residents having to pay to have their driveway paved properly after they had already these companies but could no longer get a hold of them to rectify their mistakes after payment was made. Whether  you decide to use Bell City Paving to pave your driveway or decide to use another contractor we sincerely  want to help to educate the residences of Brantford and Brant County on how to spot a scam and not loose your hard earned money to these terrible contractors. Below you will find some points to help you to spot these scammers and how to properly select a credible paving Contractor.

The Tactics of The Paving Scam:
Paving scams have been around for years. Generally, they begin with an in-person interaction. Most often with a crew showing up at your door. The "CONTRACTOR" claims that he has a truckload of leftover asphalt from a job they were doing just up the street. He just needs a place to dump it, so he offers to pave your driveway for a deal that seems too good to be true. (that's because it is)
Once a price is agreed upon the crew will get underway paving your driveway. Generally, once they are nearing completion you will receive another knock on your door. This one is always bringing bad news. Some new development in the paving of your driveway has caused the price of the job to increase, often more than doubling the total cost. After getting you to agree to the new price and even signing a contract the crew will hurriedly finish the job, accept payment, and disappear into thin air. 
Any phone numbers or contact info they provided will turn out to be fake, making the crew completely unreachable, and untraceable. 

WAYS TO IDENTIFY AN ASPHALT PAVING SCAM BEFORE IT HAPPENS

• The Contractor Shows Up at Your Door:

The number one most obvious sign that you are going to be scammed is that the contractor shows up at your door. Most, if not all reputable contractors will NOT perform door to door sales. Be very wary of any contractor that shows up on your door offering paving services. 

• They claim to have asphalt from a previous job: 

Paving contractors just by the nature of the job are very good at estimating how much material they will need to complete a job. This is a must because once the hot asphalt is at a location, it must be laid and compacted in a very short window depending on temperatures. Many people think asphalt cures or dries like concrete but this is incorrect.  Asphalt is set up and finished through a compaction process. If it is not compacted while at optimal temperature it will not achieve the proper compaction and will become a loose aggregate that will ravel apart and deteriorate. Although your driveway may not look to bad just after they are done due to the fact that the asphalt was laid cold and did not get compacted within the proper temperature it will fail with in the first few years and wear much faster than a properly laid asphalt driveway. 
Due to the price and temperature constraints of the material no reputable paving company would have a substantial amount of asphalt left over nor would it be usable after coming from another job.

•  Written Contract: 

Although they may present you with a written contract the important part is if they do what they say they are going to do in the contract. Contracts are in place for the protection of both the business, and the customer. Contracts outline expectations for the contractor and the client, without the contract the terms of the deal are subject to change.

• Permits

Unlike the out of town contractors, local contractors get permits in order to perform the work on your property with in the By-Laws of the City or County you live in. Although the permit cost is essentially passed down to the client or if you live in the County of Brant the client is required to uptrained the permit, it is in the clients best interest.
Permits protect you that the work you have paid the contractor for is being done according to the your city or counties By-Laws. Make sure that you talk to the company that is bidding your project about getting a permit. A contractor that can apply for a permit is insured with the City of Brantford or the County of Brant and is a very good sign that you are dealing with a credible and professional company. 

• Insurance:   

Many customers are not aware that if the contractor does not have proper or adequate insurance in place then the liability will fall on the home owner. This could potentially be a huge problem if there was and accident or injury on your property while the work is being done. Question: How do i Know if the contractor I am choosing has the proper insurance?. Answer: Only Companies with the proper insurance that has been submitted and approved by the City of Brantford or Brant County can get permits.

• The contractor may be driving unmarked vehicles and crew may be working in Canada illegally. 

Contractors running around in unmarked trucks, and phone numbers from out of city are another good indication that this crew is a traveling paving company and is probably looking to scam you. Some times the crew members are working in Canada illegally .The first question you should ask yourself is why does a company have to work 1 to 2 hours away from where they claim their office to be??. ( asking them for referrals will answer this question for you). 

• Get Referrals from Previous Customers:

If all else fails, take the time to check Google’s Business reviews. A quick google search will turn up if the business’s information is credible and if their are any reviews. A quick read through of the reviews will let you know the kind of company you are dealing with.
another way to get referrals is through social media. Social media groups like "Ask Anything in Brantford" or "Ask Paris" have been used to ask for recommendations for asphalt paving contractors. You will get a number of local residents responding with local paving companies that they would recommend.

•  How to Tell If You Have Been Scammed:

Maybe you’re reading this article just a bit too late, or maybe you’re just not sure that your paving job is holding up like it should be. Whatever the case, it’s easy to spot a shoddy contractor or paving  job if you check for these traits. if the contract has not done what they have quoted or stated in your contract you may b=be in a position to refuse to pay them. please see the next 2 points "The prep Work" and "Compaction" to see if their workmanship is  correct.

• The Prep Work

Just like any other work where finish is an important aspect, the preparation work involved in paving is imperative. Without proper grading work and base preparation, the pavement will not drain properly. last year Bell City Paving corrected, and at  times completely redoing everything on numerus driveways that were completed by these types of contractors. In one case in particular the driveway had been graded towards the house thus making the water flow into the clients window well and flooding their basement. This unfortunate client had paid these contractor's and then had to deal with an insurance claim to fix their problem. Asphalt is only as good as the stone base it’s laid on, if pavement is applied to a wet or moving sub-base it will flex and move under the weight of a vehicle and ultimately fail long before its proposed lifespan.
Installing pavement gives traveling water a smoother surface to move across and causes drainage water to move at faster speeds. The base must be graded to allow water to flow away from the house, as well as to prevent pooling on the driveway itself. Water pooling up on the surface in several locations is a clear sign of the contractor not properly preparing the base of the new driveway.
Another form of preparation work to watch out for is a crowned grading. This is where the center of the driveway sits up higher than either of the edges much like residential roads. The reason this is not a recommended tactic is not because it is less effective at draining water, but because this kind of preparation work is a great way for scammers to give the appearance of a quality job with thick asphalt on either of the visible edges, but the center of the driveway is often paved too thin, resulting in premature failures of the pavement down the center.

• Compaction

When asphalt is laid down it may look like a completed road or driveway, but in order to create a driveway that lasts for decades the pavement must be compacted right after having being laid. The use of a roller on the freshly laid asphalt ensures that the pavement is properly compacted, as well as smoothed into a tightly knit surface strong enough to support your vehicles.  Without compaction the asphalt will not properly bind as it cools, resulting in a loose, crumbling driveway.
Shoddy paving contractors will sometimes try to save money by laying asphalt at the agreed thickness prior to the roller compacting the material.  Depending on the mix design, asphalt generally compacts ¼’’ for every inch of loose material put down, if you are paying for a 2” driveway then the contractor should be putting down 2.5’’ of loose material prior to rolling.

• Just Be Careful

In the end, it all comes down to being careful, doing your homework, and trusting your gut. There are a number of credible local Paving businesses located in Brantford & Brant County that will pave a driveway that will last for decades, but unfortunately, there are those who will take your money, and disappear, leaving you with a failing driveway just months or in a couple of years down the road. If you are in need of a new driveway, “leave it to the professionals”, let Bell City Paving Inc, the most trusted paving company in Brantford & Brant County since 1990, come give you a free, honest estimate on a driveway that will last for years to come.
If you do decide to go with another company please use another local company who has served Brantford and Brant County residents well.

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