
Don Thomas Construction Inc
About us
I built my first house when I was just 18 years old. Since then, my passion for building and remodeling is the single most competitive advantage I have. Passion and dedication for excellence is what makes Don Thomas Construction stand out. I have been in business for over 20 years and specialize in residential construction. Your home is your castle, your safe haven, your place to rest, relax and refresh. It not only provides you with shelter and security, but is also a representation of who you are. That is why it is important to hire the best man for the job.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Complete Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Disability Services, Fire Restoration, Garages & Breezeways, Install New Field lines, Install Septic Tanks, Multi-level Additions, Pump Septic Tanks, Roofing, Sunrooms & Patios
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 79% | ||
| 13% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 0% |
"Thank you so much for the kind words. Was glad that we were able to help! Don't hesitate to contact us again."
"Thank you for the kind words. Glad we were able to get it repaired for you !"
"Glad you were happy ! Let us know if we can be of further assistance."
Don was the only contractor I called that was willing to work with my insurance company when my pipes froze. When he came to my house and found out that I had been without water for 5 days he called his crew right then and there and they fixed the leaks and I had water.
Two weeks later the insurance adjuster showed up and that night pipes burst again and Don came to the rescue the next day.
We had to wait a few more weeks until insurance paid the claim and Don's crew came out and replaced the bad pipes and siding. It looks great.
The only complaint I have is that he was so busy trying to help all the folks that had pipes burst that sometimes I was lost in the shuffle and he had to put me off a few days.
I would hire him again in a minute.
Don Thomas also did the plumbing, electrical repairs, to include rebuild of main house shower, rebuild toilet parts, rebuild washer box, rewire water heater, etc. on my late mother's house to get it ready to sell. He and his crew did an excellent job there. The total cost was $2185...this was very reasonable for all that he did.
2. At first, we were very pleased. Don seemed very knowledgeable, and eager to help us plan the project. He said we should get plenty of electrical outlets because they wouldn't affect the cost at all. We wanted the stairway outside, so at the contract-signing Don suggested putting in a dormer for the doorway, which was done. As the work progressed, when a worker said we couldn't have two windows in the back of the upper room (one for an air-conditioner) because of lack of height, Don told him to put the two windows right together, which solved the problem.
3. The people who laid the slab were very professional and did a good job. The men who did the framing of the building did a good job, too, as far as I could tell. For the first few weeks there were workers at our house every weekday, and the job was going along at a good clip. We figured it would surely be done by December 15 at the latest.
4. After Thanksgiving, it seemed that our job was put on the back burner. (I'm guessing that happens with Don Thomas Construction because of the pay schedule the contract calls for: 60%, 20%, 20%. Once Don gets the first big payment (60% of the total), I'm guessing he transfers his work to other customers just beginning, so that he can get their 60% payments...and those jobs take presidence over the 'older' jobs.) At any rate, throughout December people only worked on our garage two times per week....and after New Years Day, only one day a week (sometimes only a half-day). The job wasn't actually completed until February 15, 2013....a far cry from "three or four weeks"!
5. The outside stairway looks good...its 'layout' is very nice...but I doubt the 'framing' wood they used was at all 'treated'. It's been in place for only four months, and already my husband has had to replace two of the top rails because of excessive splintering. The diagonal rail that the stairs attach to now has a huge (one foot long) badly cracked/gouged/splintered area. Nails caused more cracks by being pounded in incorrectly. The 4-by-4s holding the stairway up already have cracks and knotholes are opening up into black pits. The vertical slats are also splintering rapidly, though some worse than others. Treated, decent wood should last at least a year, right? Here the first summer hasn't even begun, and we are rushing to treat all the wood ourselves to save it from further deterioration. (In fairness...the steps themselves do seem to be of much better quality wood, although their appearance is marred somewhat because the workers often laid it with the wood-stamps facing up/out instead of down/under.)
6. The ceiling of the upper room was painted nicely; the walls were painted so-so...but why did one of the workers apparently 'clean' his paint brush by making two wide purple strokes across the middle of our new door?
7. Although our contract called for one garage door to be both motorized and insulated, and the other (back) garage door to be motorized, what was installed was one motorized non-insulated door with a motor too small to lift an insulated door, and the back door without a motor at all. We dealt with the ommisions through negotiation; but because of what was actually installed I really don't think Don ever intended to give us what the contract called for. (He actually said his wife 'shouldn't have written it down that way.)
8. As the job lingered on and on, and my husband would call to find out the status, Don would assure him workers would be there the next day; the next day would dawn bright and sunny; no workers. Over and over again. He always had an excuse. At first we were sympathetic because we believed his excuses...but after a while it got old. We just stopped believing him. We tried paying before the contract called for payment, hoping that would hurry things up. Big mistake...if anything, our quick payment likely slowed things down! Toward the end, Don wanted almost all of the final payment before the work was completed; we figured (correctly, I believe) that if we lost the only leverage we had, of not paying any more before the payment was actually due, we would have waited even longer than we did for the job to get done.
9. At the time of the contract-signing, we were told that there would be a final walk-through before the final payment was made. Didn't happen. I think we were just so sick of dealing with excuses, and anxious to be able to actually use our garage...we just wanted to have it over with...(although we did insist--and we had to insist--on having windowsills put in and screens installed).
10. It's a shame, really. I started out thinking I'd be giving him all As. And I waited to write my review because hate to say negative things. The garage really does look nice from the street. But we paid a lot of money, and we still have to 'patch things up'.
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.