Dibble plumbing performed a French drain instillation and sewer drain replacement for us about a year ago. We waited this long to make a review to allow time for our facts to be collected and allow all necessary repairs to take place.
Our basement, like most basements in Oklahoma, had frequent flooding problems. The solution recommended included installing a French drain around the house. The job cost more than $6000 and was done with cheap plastic tubing with foam peanuts surrounding the drain (this is a newer and cheaper way for companies to install French drains compared to the gold standard of gravel). The drains were only placed 12 to 16 inches deep when French drains should be placed 5-6 feet deep. There was no sump pump placed. After the job was done, our basement flooded even worse and our sprinkler system had been cut in 15 places (this was repaired by our sprinkler company for a large sum and took 3 days to complete. They stated that it would have been easier to do a new install because the damage was so extensive and obviously there was no consideration to avoid any pipes or wiring. It was also one of the most complicated jobs they have had to do per their report. Granted, the contract with Dibble did state the company held no liability for any damaged tubing or wires but this was complete negligence. All our outdoor lighting will need to be replaced as well because the wiring was completely severed).
When we called the company to report that our basement was flooding worse, they stated they didn't put in French drains and put surface drains in. When we pointed out we paid the amount of French drains, they immediately about-faced and stated they actually did put in French drains. They also stated the increased flooding was not their fault.
Needless to say, we needed to have the French drains redone by a legitimate company with a good reputation. They asked us specifically who did the initial job because you were really screwed over and they wanted to warn anybody else considering using them. The new company hand dug the trenches 6 feet deep, used PVC pipes (and installed almost double the amount) and installed a sump pump. They also re-sodded our lawn (Dibble left our yard a mud pit) and left our yard looking better than they found it. Our basement flooding has now resolved.
The financial impact of this disaster job has been substantial. We only used Dibble in the first place because our contractor vouched for them for the job. The plumbing part of the job was fine (besides cutting our lines) so this is just a warning about hiring them for French drains which they need more experience and knowledge about installing them. This is a lesson learned for us as we need to vet our sources better in the future but the lack of any negative reviews online gives me suspicion there is review filtering taking place. So we'll see how long this review stays online.
