Lester Building Systems
reviews and complaints

We built our Lester Pole Building indoor arena in 2002 finishing around Christmas time and were told it was warranted for against fading for 20 years and red rust for 25 years. We were told they would keep the warranty paperwork on file in case it was needed to call. We were never told anything about a prorated fade or edge rust creep conditions in the warranty! Nor does it say anything in our copy of this!

In January 2012 after ice dam damage we were shown the rust and fading starting by the roofer repairing it ( the new local Lester builder) he believed we had a problem starting then. Lester Buildings sent out an inspector who said nothing was bad enough to be under warranty at that time.

In April 2017 we had another major leak and I contacted the same fellow (the new local Lester builder) for repairs. He came and told me the roof was much worse and the rust should at least be corrected along with the leaks. He felt the rust should be under warranty. I asked that he contact Lester buildings for us. He contacted Lester, sent pictures of the rust and asked for a copy of our warranty papers. They said they would look for the warranty papers and get back to us. After he contacted them again via email, they sent out their NE area manager who took more pictures and said he would get back to us on the warranty as Corporate could not find it. During this period we got a forwarded email from the local Lester builder that came from Lester Buildings VP of sales saying that the rust was all "rust creep" or cut edge corrosion. In emails from Lester Buildings VP of sales they said that the panels are cut to size exposing bare metal and then installed never retreating the exposed metal. Still no warranty paperwork from Lester.

We definitely would not have had agreed to putting bare exposed metal on our roof or anywhere on our building. These cut edges should have been treated at the factory before installation!

In June 2017 after I contacted the NE area manager directly once again he said he contacted Lester Buildings VP of sales who said he had requested a search for our warranty.

In July 2017 after much prodding from me, the NE area manager returned and did a paint fade test.

In August 2017 the NE area manager got back to me and told me that the paint fade is in warranty and I was told then that the cut edge rust was only covered for 10 years. We should of been covered in 2012. Still no warranty papers. I asked again for paperwork as they must of found something as they were denying any warranty work. The NE area manager said he would look into it again.

In September 2017 I got tired of waiting and sent a return receipt letter to the President of Lester Buildings. I received no response of any kind, so I emailed him a copy of the letter and cc Lester Buildings VP of sales and the NE area manager. the NE area manager finally got back to me with a copy of "Our Warranty" that they supposedly had just found. It is from Wheeling Corrugating Company not Lester Building. I responded saying I did not buy a building from Wheeling Corrugating Company I bought from Lester Buildings and attached copies of my warranties that I had found. Ours are a bit different then what they sent. Lester Buildings VP of sales responded to me informing me I had been misinformed on my warranty in a long email. Basically saying they wouldn't do anything. Late in September I contacted the AGs office and asked for help sending them copies of all the paperwork I have.

In October 2017 The AGs Consumer Aid Division got back to me with Lester Buildings response basically saying Lester Buildings would do nothing.

It is the same answer all the time that we have misunderstood the warranty and we are not covered! From what we read we should be!

One other note when you buy a Lester Building you don't buy it from Lester Buildings you buy it from a local builder thus insulating them further. We realized this after the fact as we had to repair/fix bad workmanship on the original construction. From missing fasteners to missing bracing. That Lester Buildings would not help with after the local Lester builder left our building unfinished in 2002.

I've attached a few pictures of only some of the rust on our 150' x 108' building! There are many more!

I would advise anyone thinking of buying a Lester Building to not buy it they won't stand behind their product!

We are still contemplating our next steps.

I don't recommend buying a Lester Building at all, I bought one and just weeks ago had to pay an Amish Crew to come in and fix the mistakes and poor workmanship on it. I paid Lester Bldgs. extra for them to install roof Dripstop on the house portion of my bldg., but they shorted me on that, I also paid them extra for 3/4" plywood to be installed on all exterior walls, but again I was shorted and Lester incorrectly engineered the exterior of my bldg. I dealt mainly with the Lester Regional Manager who provided me with one of their Lester Dealer/Builders from out of state telling me he did "Good Work", which turned out to be a lie. It took this Lester Dealer less than ten days to build my building and then he left town, but before he left town he told me that if he had to come back for any reason it would be a $500 minimum. Just weeks later we had our first rain, at which time I noticed that I had 25 leaks in my roof, I had puddles all over inside my bldg., so I got up on the roof only to find that this Lester Dealer had installed the roof screws missing the roof purlins and some screws were too short. Well, I wasn't going to pay this Lester Dealer to come back and fix his screw ups, so I fixed them myself, it took me two days to do it, but I did it myself. I found out later that he was supposed to come back for free on repairs like that up to a one year period.

It took me two years to finish and move into my Lester Bldg., at which time we started noticing more serious problems, to the point where I had an Amish Crew from Graber Bldgs. come in and check out my Lester Bldgs., who found several problems, but before I paid them to fix my bldg., I first called the Lester Buildings Regional Manager out and asked him for help. This Manager was shocked at my bldg. problems, but after he spoke with Lester Bldgs. Upper Management he told me that Lester Bldgs. doesn't feel any responsibility for what they called "My Building Issues" and I'm out of my one year warranty period so they won't be helping me. I at that point asked him if Lester Bldgs. could at least give me a discount on the soffit materials for the repairs, which totalled around $2, 500, and he said no to that too. So, I at that point paid the Amish Crew to come in and fix my Lester Building and the following is what they found:

8 Roof Purlins not nailed at all, they actually pulled one up and out to show me, which would explain why on windy nights it sounded like my roof was going to blow off. A lot of the soffit only had one staple holding it on, and when the staples tried going thru the steel they bent only allowing 3/8" to go into the facia board, which would explain the rattling we were hearing. Lester also used vented soffit on the gable ends, which should have been solid soffit. Gaps/Openings in the roof valleys where wind was blowing in and had blown my attic insulation away in those areas, cold wind was finding its way into my furnace plentum/duct work, rain had to be coming in too. Facia boards barely on the truss and nails missing the truss, we had to sister nailers on the sides of some trusses. Facia cover not cut to fit properly causing the ends to dip down an inch.

After I turned Lester Buildings into the Better Business Bureau they responded to the complaint by putting most of the blame on their Lester Dealer, you know, the one they recommended to me as doing "Good Work". This Lester Dealer/Builders name is C&C Construction, Willis Childress is the owner and he definately did poor workmanship on my bldg., but Lester Bldgs provided him to me and Lester Bldgs. shorted me on roof dropstop and incorrecly engineered the exterior of my building, but they feel no responsibility for my "Building Issues". With that in mind, I would not recommend buying a Lester Building at all.