Concrete Replacement Experts Inc.

We deeply regret hiring Concrete Replacement Experts (CRE) for our driveway in July/2024, and whats frustrating is the reasons largely contradict their founders company statement: Approximately 75-85% of all concrete failures are a man-made problem created by the contractor who did the original work, and with the material they used or used incorrectly.

Below describes their failed work due to poor workmanship, poor planning and execution from lack of experience, and finally a lack of accountability.

New driveway & apron (charged c/w taxes: $21,814 for 1014 ft2) (Paid in full the day of the concrete pour.)

1. Cracks formed in the driveway WITHIN 2 WEEKS. After some research it appears this is due to insufficient compaction. Contract says 4 of road crush, compacted in layers, will be completed; however, no layered compaction was performed, no water applied during it for improved compaction, and areas where required depth wasnt even reached, NOR was it compacted properly.

2. There is a large swale in the driveway. During their installation of rebar, many of the supports were knocked over and not fixed. This was causing the rebar to visually sag, so I confronted the foreman and was met with anger because they are the experts. Sure enough, there is now a greater than 1 swale in the exact spot I had pointed out.

3. When CRE placed expansion joints between concrete structures, they failed to comply with the contract standards. Not only were they not properly fastened per their installation guidelines, but theyre required to be 4 tall, and they didnt properly plan that out, forcing them to be cut in half and only install them 2 tall. Additionally, ALL expansion joints were required to be foam, but it seems when they ran out, they just switched to fibre, against what was agreed upon. All of this to end up with uneven expansion joints.

4. The apron of the driveway was poured during 30C temperatures with only 1 experienced worker and 1 helper. You could tell they were rushing way too fast because the work was sloppy damaging the city sidewalk and leaving unfinished edges because the concrete was setting too quickly in the heat.

5. The concrete sealant was done terribly and left stains all over the driveway. Water-based Uniseal was sprayed on lightly and hastily. I personally read the directions, and it says to use 2 coats, but not only did they skip the 2nd coat, the first one was only partial. After contacting the vendor of the product, they said it should NOT have been used on an exterior driveway and that this must have been an inexperienced crew. On exterior surfaces it only lasts a short time.

6. During cleanup they simply washed the debris / dirt towards the neighbours and left it there. Our neighbours let us know they had to clean everything up.

7. Communication nightmare. Not only was it clear the crew had no direction or experience in their work, but after mistakes were made, they were not corrected, and when contacting the owner to discuss damage, cracking, etc. he ignored us. No returned calls, no explanations, nothing. Out of pure chance I bumped into him at a local store later and he blamed his crew! He not only took no responsibility but became volatile to the point I had to ask him to calm down. He stormed off in his vehicle and it was an awful experience.

8. Though the owner did not do any of the work himself, he is ultimately responsible for the crew he sent out and for the work they performed.

9. As of todays date, his business and equipment is for sale on Marketplace.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND HIRING THIS CONTRACTOR FOR YOUR CONCRETE WORK.

My experience with Concrete Replacement Experts was incredibly disappointing. While everything seemed promising at first, a series of issues quickly unraveled the project.

To start, their worksite was a mess: equipment scattered everywhere, and a pile of reclaimed gravel and concrete left on the street throughout the job. As someone with some concrete experience, I was baffled by their lack of planning and organization. For instance, breaking out the apron before the driveway and pouring the apron first seemed completely backwards. There was also a last-minute rush on the days before the concrete arrived.

During the driveway pour, it was evident that corners were cut. Some fiberglass rebar hadnt even been tied, and a section of the crushed gravel still needed grading and compacting. Unsurprisingly, this was the same section that developed a significant crack almost immediately after the pour. While some cracking is normal, this seemed to be a result of poor ground preparation on the day of the pour.

The final product looks unfinished and rushed. Given the disorganization, lack of attention to detail, and overpricing, I would strongly advise against hiring Concrete Replacement Experts.

While we were originally happy with the completed work, multiple cracks developed within only 8 - 9 months after job completion. Any attempts to contact the owner failed very similar to what other unhappy customers are describing. While the main job was completed on time, to get finishing touches completed requited reminders, phone calls, asking nicely, requesting completion, etc. Communication with the owner was an extremely negative experience after full payment exchanged hands four days into starting the job. Perhaps it would have been better experience if payment was not completed before job was finished, but owner insisted on full payment on day three. There was a definite rash to complete work and move workers and equipment to a new location/contract which resulted in damages to our property. The owner committed to fixing one at his expense, but it took weeks to fix it after multiple reminders. Materials used were from other locations with old, used parts discarded by other people. For the other damage done to the house requited hiring another contractor and paying extra to fix it. So, after this experience we will not be recommending this company to anyone and cracks on the driveway will serve as a loud advertisement to anyone who is looking for a concrete job. So far, many driveways and sidewalks were replaced in our neighborhood by other companies, but only ours developed cracks.
The owner is NOT a Concrete Replacement Expert, but a skilled Salesperson who knows what to say at the right time, read your facial expressions and responses to get contract signed. Most people leave reviews shortly after work is done and no problems have developed yet but give it a year and cracks may develop. The company also does not provide any warranty. We sincerely regret choosing this company to complete the required job.

Uneven driveway was causing the grandchildren troubles. After a couple of trips we decided to have it fixed. Called Wade (owner) and he was there the next day. The explanation of concrete and how it works was excellent! The crew that did the work were great! Very respectful and they worked when at the house. No loitering or wasting time. The final result was fantastic!

It was time for our Rio Terrace home to get an upgrade, we needed a large section of our driveway removed along with a brick wall. We had numerous contractors pop by with their ideas, cost estimates, etc. and decided on Concrete Replacement Experts. Wade (Owner) stood out from all others, his ideas, experience, attitude and cost estimate surpassed all of the others by 1000%.
Concrete Replacement Experts arrived on time, worked very hard with such a great crew that it actually took us by surprise. Everyone had such a positive attitude and work ethic, always cleaning up after themselves & even helped our neighbours moving some furniture.
I could not be more happy with the finished project !
If you need concrete work done, use Concrete Replacement Experts, you will be pleasantly impressed as will your neighbours.
Captain Alex Herriot
Edmonton Fire Rescue Service

I wanted to have my concrete driveway resurfaced because it is aged and spalling. I considered various options, including concrete and rubber. I tried to read up on articles on the internet to help determine the best option for my driveway, but was still uncertain. I contacted Wade, from Concrete Replacement Experts, to get a quote for concrete resurfacing. Wade was kind enough to not only message me his thoughts on this, but called to fully explain the mechanics involved in resurfacing using different options. He was able to help me determine my best option and in doing so, he helped me save money and a lot of frustration and regret in the future. Thank you Wade.

Walk looks great. Crew was friendly. Got the work done quickly, even with a rain day in between. A couple of issues along the way, but they were addressed professionally.

Work done August 2023. Reached out to Wade (owner) regarding cracks, one is width wise from sidewalk to end of driveway. Many text msgs with pictures. Several msgs with answering service. Owner never responded. Msgs started January 2024. Involve BBB who tried to contact for resolution. Owner didn't respond to them either. I asked Wade to send someone to reattach the railing they removed to pour the cement. No response. My husband said he would reattach, but that area is cracked, so he didn't want to make it worse.
This is BOB
We make all decisions in this household jointly and my wife has just as much right to speak about the work as I do, its her money too that paid. They did do all the work specified in the contract and we were pleased until 4 months later when the first snow left and she spotted a line completely across the width of the driveway. My wife reached out with a phone call and left a message, then followed up with 3 more phone calls and 2 sets of text message with pictures. No reply was ever received by any means phone, text, email even if just to say sorry cement cracks.
Then to say that my wife is a miserable person is not acceptable, they have not even spoke 5 words.
Everything in our review has been the truth and the issue is that Wade refused to speak to my wife after many attempt to contact.
We will never recommend or use this company again!!!
All this over his lack of any communication from Company Owner

In June 2023, I had my 85-foot driveway replaced by Concrete Replacement Experts Inc. The work crew were extremely professional and worked diligently to complete the work. Unfortunately, 5 months after the concrete was poured, there was substantial cracking. Some cracks span over 30 feet and 50% of my driveway is affected. Once I noticed the cracks, I tried to contact the owner of Concrete Replacement Experts Inc. However, it took several months and numerous attempts before the owner responded. The owner did not apologize for the numerous cracks, nor did he did provide me with a date he would inspect my driveway.

In early May 2024, after numerous attempts to contact the owner and schedule an inspection, he sent me a picture of snow on his lawn, which also showed no snow on his sidewalk and said he would inspect my driveway when the snow was cleared. I told him my driveway was clear, but I got no response. Again, on numerous occasions, I tried to contact the owner to schedule a date for inspection. When he finally responded, he blew up at me and stated he would inspect my "damn driveway" in May when he was in my location. May has come and gone and the owner has not contacted me nor inspected my driveway. You need to read the other negative ratings, because you will notice - a pattern. Whenever issues arise the owner becomes elusive and does not reply when when contacted. Seemingly, the owner had no problem giving me an estimate the day after I called him. Yet now, he states he will show up then doesn't. In addition the company planted lawn seed but the concrete spray killed the seedlings plus the company splashed concrete on my garage.

To date, I have tried to work with the owner without success. Think twice before hiring!! While the work crew was professional, at this point, I would not recommend this company based on poor customer service.
Driveway Cost: $30,000.

We hired Wade and his crew to replace our large residential concrete driveway, front walkway and in front of our house. This was not a small job! The crews worked efficiently, were professional and pleasant. We had to wait several weeks to have a spray coating and landscaping completed, which was in our contract. Wade asked to be paid after the concrete work was completed, assuring us the landscaping and coating would be done. A week or so, we noticed a couple of large cracks in the concrete running from the house to the property line. We texted him several times and received no reply. A couple of texts had to be sent to get landscaping down (new topsoil and seeding), and the coating done. The landscaping was done well with attention to detail. The guy doing the concreate coating was very apologetic that the job wasn't completed earlier and would inform Wade of our concerns about the cracks, which he looked at. After the coating was completed, and a couple of weeks later, the house siding was stained by the spray, which can't be cleaned. All the grass seedlings died due to spraying at the edge of the concrete, which we ended having to replace ourselves. With this amount spent on the project, we expected better customer service from this company and at least a courtesy call back from Wade, regarding the cracks in the concrete. I broke my own rule and paid before the work was fully completed. Buyer beware!