Couple paid $52,000 for a terracotta driveway. Five months later, it’s still pink unless it gets wet
'It’s not even close to the color it’s supposed to be!'
Imagine spending $52,000 on a custom concrete driveway designed to showcase a rich terracotta shade, only to watch it fade into a soft petal rose pink as it cures. That nightmare became a daily reality for Skip and Maria Mason after contracting Madewell Concrete (doing business as Concrete Driveway Co.) to match the vibrant roof of their Mediterranean-style home. This ongoing dilemma was highlighted by Atlanta News First on October 7, 2026, which has 141,000 views in just 2 days.
Paved with broken promises
Five months have passed with no sign of the promised terracotta, leaving the Masons with a pink driveway and complete radio silence from the contractor. Skip recalled that the color matched perfectly when poured, but as it dried, "it kept getting lighter and lighter," while workers reassured him to simply wait out the curing process. He expressed his frustration over the unfulfilled job, stating, "I can understand if it’s a shade off a little bit here, a little bit there... That’s not the point. It’s not even close to the color it’s supposed to be."
Behind the scenes, Concrete Driveway Co. owner Kevin Johnston faces severe financial and legal troubles, including a Supreme Court of the State of New York judgment for nearly $340,000 won by 4 Pillar Funding, alongside a separate $64,000 mediated settlement approved by a federal judge, of which the homeowners say Johnston paid only $6,000.
Just add water
The absurd truth behind the driveway's hue is that the Masons only get to see the vibrant terracotta they originally paid for when the surface gets wet. Whenever it rains or when they manually spray the concrete down with a hose, the true shade reappears before drying back into a pale pink. With the contractor MIA, the daily sight serves as a constant reminder of an unfinished project. Reflecting on the emotional toll of the situation, Skip added, "It’s a constant source of pain."
There is more
The Masons aren't the only ones suffering from Johnston's botched projects. Neighboring Chamblee homeowners Maureen Starns and her family paid $75,000 for a shared driveway connecting to a new bridge, only for it to be built so improperly that even a UPS delivery truck couldn't navigate it. According to Atlanta News First, a mediator concluded the entire bridge driveway must be torn out and replaced, with Starns lamenting, "He's costing us years of anguish," after Johnston paid a mere $6,000 of their $64,000 court judgment before ghosting them.
The cost of home improvement complaints
Contractor disputes and botched home projects are a growing issue. According to official data from the Federal Trade Commission, consumer fraud losses are reported at $12.5 billion in a single year, with total reported consumer complaints topping 6.5 million in the U.S. Furthermore, in 2024, the Federal Trade Commission received 81,925 reports of home improvement scams. These cost a high price to homeowners. The average cost of each scam is $1,800, according to research by the Better Business Bureau.
'Ugh, that does look horrible'
Underneath the viral report, viewers quickly chimed in with their own diagnoses and reactions to the hefty $52,000 price tag. Several commenters suggested that sealing the concrete might address the color issue, although the report did not establish that as the cause or solution, with user @nadasurf9009 stating, "They didn't seal it", while @ianbolah5873 added, "The driveway should have been sealed to lock in the color." Meanwhile, other commenter @Rose41640 wrote, "Paying $52k for a driveway is insane."
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