I have a HVAC service company in Dallas, Texas www.hitechhvac.com that performs residential and commercial repair of all types of heating, cooling and refrigeration equipment. I have performed intermittent AC repair work for Ashco Exteriors, Inc for a couple of years. Ashco is a roofing company that derives a lot of business in North Texas from the annual hail storms that pass through. I get a few repair calls a year from Ashco exteriors, Inc when they damage a customer’s AC system by driving a nail through the copper line.
Most of the time, I respond immediately, while the roofing crew is on site, because they have the roof open and I can easily access the damaged area and make a repair. In July of 2013, I was called to make a repair to a damaged line set on a 2 story house in Frisco, Texas because Ashco Exteriors had driven a roofing nail through the customer’s AC line set.
When I arrived both of the home owners AC systems were down, so I repaired the one that Ashco had not damaged at no charge to Ashco or the homeowner. In a hot climate when one system fails it sometimes over stresses the second system and causes it to fail. The over stressed system needed repair and I was already on site at Ashco’s request, so it was repaired. This took the pressure off everyone since the homeowner now had one working system out of two.
I then repaired the system that Ashco had damaged. The next day the customer called and said the AC with the punctured line repair worked for about 5 hours and stopped working again. I returned to the customers home in Frisco, Tx and found that the AC compressor/condenser had failed and called Ashco for Instructions. Ashco’s purchasing department in Minnesota told me to replace the condenser at their expense.
The system was about 14 years old, so I advised the customer if he wanted to upgrade the indoor unit now was a good time because I had to replace the outdoor unit. The customer agreed and I said I would start Monday with the customer paying for the indoor and Ashco supposedly paying for the outdoor condenser. Monday morning my helper and I went to Trane and picked up the new system and returned and began the install. It was summer time/busy time and I had completed the install except for some furnance piping, for which I needed to make a parts run. I told the customer I would be back to finish the job on the furnace and to pay all but $500.00. This would be a reminder to me via my billing system to go back and complete the furnace piping when the summer business slowed down.
Ashco paid for the line repair, but they refused to pay for the condenser replacement. What was interesting is that they waited until the 16th day of the 3rd month to send me an email from their Minnesota office telling me they were not going to pay for the condenser replacement that they had authorized. The significance of this date is that a subcontractor in Texas only has until the 15th day of the third month to file a Lien on a property for unpaid work. Ashco was unaware that I had not completed the job and collected final payment until the following month which extended the lien date. I went over to their branch office in Carrollton, Tx and spoke with one of the principals who runs collections, regarding getting paid. She called the Minnesota office and they denied they ever authorized the replacement and since I did not have a work order in writing, they were not going to pay. I explained to her that majority of the work they called me for was verbal and sometimes I did not get a written work order for weeks, now they were telling me everything needed to be in writing before I proceeded.
Unfortunately, I have placed a lien on the home owners property who is a simply a victim of a roofing company trying to maximize its profit at all cost. Instead of Ashco just paying a standard price for the condenser replaced, they had an attorney call me to ask me what I intended to do. Interestingly they took no action until I filed a lien against the home owner’s property. I notified Ashco and the home owner via a registered letter, as required by law. In commercial construction, it is a standard practice for the sub contractor to place a lien and then remove it after they have been paid.
I have dealt with many roofing companies and this is my advice to both consumers and sub contractors. Be careful, because roofing companies are not regulated in Texas. If a sub contractor is not paid, it is guaranteed they will place a property lien against your property. You should ask yourself some basic questions before hiring a roofing company. Where is the roofing company’s located? Are they coming in from out of state and leaving when the works done? When a company pays me, I spend my money locally and it circulates in the local economy benefiting the people who live here. Before providing the roofing company final payment, have you inspected the work done? Have they picked up all the nails and excess roofing material from around the premises? Is the attic clean or full of debris from the old roof? Have all the flue pipes from water heater and furnaces been properly reconnected? Are the pluming vent stacks properly connected and terminated outside of attic? These pipes vent toxic gases outdoors. Is there at least a one inch clearance between the gas furnace flue or gas water heater flue pipe and any combustible materials?
It is unfortunate that roofing companies and general contractors in Texas are still unregulated, while Plumbers, Electricians, Air Conditioning Contractors and even Barbers are heavily regulated. Make sure that the sub contractors are paid before releasing the final payment. Most roofers are Independent contractors working for the roofing company, if the sub contractors don’t get paid, the home owner is going to pay, because the home owner is the benefactor of the labor and materials.
Ashco Exteriors, Inc Reviews
I have a HVAC service company in Dallas, Texas www.hitechhvac.com that performs residential and commercial repair of all types of heating, cooling and refrigeration equipment. I have performed intermittent AC repair work for Ashco Exteriors, Inc for a couple of years. Ashco is a roofing company that derives a lot of business in North Texas from the annual hail storms that pass through. I get a few repair calls a year from Ashco exteriors, Inc when they damage a customer’s AC system by driving a nail through the copper line.
Most of the time, I respond immediately, while the roofing crew is on site, because they have the roof open and I can easily access the damaged area and make a repair. In July of 2013, I was called to make a repair to a damaged line set on a 2 story house in Frisco, Texas because Ashco Exteriors had driven a roofing nail through the customer’s AC line set.
When I arrived both of the home owners AC systems were down, so I repaired the one that Ashco had not damaged at no charge to Ashco or the homeowner. In a hot climate when one system fails it sometimes over stresses the second system and causes it to fail. The over stressed system needed repair and I was already on site at Ashco’s request, so it was repaired. This took the pressure off everyone since the homeowner now had one working system out of two.
I then repaired the system that Ashco had damaged. The next day the customer called and said the AC with the punctured line repair worked for about 5 hours and stopped working again. I returned to the customers home in Frisco, Tx and found that the AC compressor/condenser had failed and called Ashco for Instructions. Ashco’s purchasing department in Minnesota told me to replace the condenser at their expense.
The system was about 14 years old, so I advised the customer if he wanted to upgrade the indoor unit now was a good time because I had to replace the outdoor unit. The customer agreed and I said I would start Monday with the customer paying for the indoor and Ashco supposedly paying for the outdoor condenser. Monday morning my helper and I went to Trane and picked up the new system and returned and began the install. It was summer time/busy time and I had completed the install except for some furnance piping, for which I needed to make a parts run. I told the customer I would be back to finish the job on the furnace and to pay all but $500.00. This would be a reminder to me via my billing system to go back and complete the furnace piping when the summer business slowed down.
Ashco paid for the line repair, but they refused to pay for the condenser replacement. What was interesting is that they waited until the 16th day of the 3rd month to send me an email from their Minnesota office telling me they were not going to pay for the condenser replacement that they had authorized. The significance of this date is that a subcontractor in Texas only has until the 15th day of the third month to file a Lien on a property for unpaid work. Ashco was unaware that I had not completed the job and collected final payment until the following month which extended the lien date. I went over to their branch office in Carrollton, Tx and spoke with one of the principals who runs collections, regarding getting paid. She called the Minnesota office and they denied they ever authorized the replacement and since I did not have a work order in writing, they were not going to pay. I explained to her that majority of the work they called me for was verbal and sometimes I did not get a written work order for weeks, now they were telling me everything needed to be in writing before I proceeded.
Unfortunately, I have placed a lien on the home owners property who is a simply a victim of a roofing company trying to maximize its profit at all cost. Instead of Ashco just paying a standard price for the condenser replaced, they had an attorney call me to ask me what I intended to do. Interestingly they took no action until I filed a lien against the home owner’s property. I notified Ashco and the home owner via a registered letter, as required by law. In commercial construction, it is a standard practice for the sub contractor to place a lien and then remove it after they have been paid.
I have dealt with many roofing companies and this is my advice to both consumers and sub contractors. Be careful, because roofing companies are not regulated in Texas. If a sub contractor is not paid, it is guaranteed they will place a property lien against your property. You should ask yourself some basic questions before hiring a roofing company. Where is the roofing company’s located? Are they coming in from out of state and leaving when the works done? When a company pays me, I spend my money locally and it circulates in the local economy benefiting the people who live here. Before providing the roofing company final payment, have you inspected the work done? Have they picked up all the nails and excess roofing material from around the premises? Is the attic clean or full of debris from the old roof? Have all the flue pipes from water heater and furnaces been properly reconnected? Are the pluming vent stacks properly connected and terminated outside of attic? These pipes vent toxic gases outdoors. Is there at least a one inch clearance between the gas furnace flue or gas water heater flue pipe and any combustible materials?
It is unfortunate that roofing companies and general contractors in Texas are still unregulated, while Plumbers, Electricians, Air Conditioning Contractors and even Barbers are heavily regulated. Make sure that the sub contractors are paid before releasing the final payment. Most roofers are Independent contractors working for the roofing company, if the sub contractors don’t get paid, the home owner is going to pay, because the home owner is the benefactor of the labor and materials.
David, Dallas, TX"