28-07-2025
A family hired a contractor to repair the driveway for their special needs child. They say the repairs quickly faltered.
A local family says they're out thousands of dollars after hiring a contractor to repair their driveway and build a wheelchair-accessible ramp for their special needs son.
A new path meant to include Devin Roberts now leaves him behind, stuck watching from above.
"The whole project is disappointing," said Casey Roberts, Devin's mother.
"Obviously, with limited mobility, you have limited options where you can go, and we wanted to even go to family gatherings we were going to have in the backyard," Devin's father, Shawn Roberts, said.
Devin has special needs. He's in a wheelchair and can't get around without help from his parents or brother, Nick, but that doesn't stop them from making sure he's always part of the world around him.
"We started to plan for this 11 years ago after we had the patio and a front walk done," said Shawn.
Finally, this year, the Roberts came up with enough money to get it done.
It cost an estimated $37,000 to repair the driveway and build a wheelchair ramp to the backyard.
They hired AB Concrete and Excavating to get the job done. Work began June 2, with the Roberts paying half of the total cost up front.
"So, a significant investment, but we wanted to do it for our family," said Shawn.
Bah: How does it feel knowing this is what you've been left with?
Casey: It's disheartening.
The Roberts say the project quickly went downhill.
"This is way steeper than it's supposed to be. It's also too narrow, and there's also no ramp," Shawn explained. "Really, from the beginning, it didn't start off well, and it didn't end well."
An industry expert met with KDKA-TV at the Roberts household to explain what, if anything, is wrong with the work that was done.
"This part here you can tell was poured hot," said Brian Tomasits, as he described the errors he saw at the house.
Tomasits owns Tomasits Landscaping, working in the field for over 30 years, and he even built the walkway to the Roberts' home and patio 11 years ago.
"It's obviously a bad job, bad installation by the contractor," he said.
Tomasits said the driveway and backyard walkway are already falling apart.
"This is just two concrete trucks poured up against each other," Tomasits explained.
Tomasits agrees that the path to the backyard is not wide enough for a wheelchair and is also way too steep.
All told, the Roberts wrote three different checks to AB Concrete and Excavating during the project's construction, which was only expected to last three days.
Those checks totaled $34,250, short $2,750 of the balance owed.
Shawn said he was going to pay the rest until he saw the quality of the work and asked them to stop.
"I just wish, if we would have known when he started it was going to end up this way, we wouldn't have had him start," explained Casey.
"It was supposed to be a two-to-three-day job that turned into a month," Shawn added.
On July 7, Shawn sent an email to the owner of AB Concrete and Excavating asking them to address the issues. On July 15, the owner responded, admitting there were inconsistencies in the finish, but said it was only because he wasn't allowed to complete the job.
"We've tried over and over to get a resolution, and each time, his proposed solution is not what he delivers as a solution," Shawn said.
"Absolutely, I think that would be the fair thing to do," said Shawn when asked if the family wanted their money back.
KDKA-TV reached out to the owner of AB Concrete and Excavating.
After multiple attempts to contact the owner, when asked if he was willing to meet and discuss the issues presented by the Roberts family or issue a refund, the owner claimed that he was still owed money for the job.
"I believe [the question of a refund] is for Shawn Roberts and I to discuss or our attorneys to discuss," the owner said when contacted by KDKA-TV.
When asked how much it would take to make more repairs to the home following the job, Tomasits said it would be between $50,000 and $60,000.
With the nearly $40,000 the Roberts have already spent, that would leave them at nearly $100,000 all in.
"Any money we have to pay additional out of pocket, that's less time or money that we have to save for Nicholas' education or Devin's future."
A high price to pay, both literally and figuratively, for quality time as a family.
