A $52,000 driveway project for Atlanta homeowners Skip and Maria Mason was supposed to echo the roof color of their Mediterranean-style house, but the result was light pink concrete.
Here's what to know
According to Atlanta News First, Skip Mason said the fresh pour appeared to match the approved template.
The couple said the shade shifted as the concrete cured, getting progressively lighter until it turned pink. Because the company that did the work, Madewell Concrete (operating as Concrete Driveway Co) blended the color directly into the cement to make it permanent, the Masons expected the driveway to be the right color.
Mason said that the confidence made the outcome even more surprising.
"As it dried, it kept getting lighter and lighter," Mason said. "They just told me to wait until it was completely cured."
Five months later, the driveway is still pink, and Mason said the company was no longer responding.
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The Masons' complaint isn't the only dispute involving the company's owner, who faces multiple judgments tied to homeowners and lenders.
Atlanta News First reported that lender 4 Pillar Funding won a $339,963 judgment against the owner in New York State Supreme Court. Another lender received a $91,000 mediation award, and both are trying to collect.
A federal judge also approved a mediated settlement requiring the owner to pay $64,000 to Chamblee homeowner Maureen Starnes, her husband, and their next-door neighbors over a shared driveway project that started in 2022.
More background
The Masons said one of the most frustrating parts is that the driveway shows the terracotta color they paid for only when it is wet.
They told Atlanta News First that rain, or even a quick hose spray, briefly brings back the expected color before it fades again.
Starnes said her family has dealt with a similar emotional toll from its own driveway dispute.
"He's costing us years of anguish," Starnes said.
A mediator said the only remedy for the driveway is replacement.
Despite the $64,000 judgment, the homeowners said the owner has paid just $6,000, which they said barely covered legal fees. Looking back, Starnes said she wishes she had stopped the project sooner.
On its website, the company says it has expanded beyond the Southeast into the Midwest, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado. Several subcontractors, meanwhile, say they were not paid for their work.
What can be done?
Atlanta News First outlined several steps homeowners can take before hiring a contractor, especially if the company works across several states or uses subcontracted labor.
One recommendation is to confirm that the business has a real physical address. The outlet said homeowners can use Google Maps to check whether the listed location appears to be an actual operating site rather than relying only on a polished website or sales pitch.
Homeowners should also ask who will actually do the work: company employees or subcontractors. Another step is to inspect the company's latest jobs in person. Ask for the names and locations of the company's three most recent customers, then visit those properties and speak with the homeowners before committing tens of thousands of dollars to a project.
"We talk about it almost every day," Mrs. Mason said, with her husband adding, "It's a constant source of pain."
Where can I learn more?
Big outdoor projects can bring other headaches, too, as these stories show.
• A homeowner said heavy rain left avoidable damage after a concrete patio job scarred the lawn.
• Frustrated gardeners say landscaping fabric creates more work instead of stopping weeds around the home.
• Backyard cleanup soured after dangerous rubber mulch leftovers left one homeowner exhausted.
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