CITYWIDE BUILDERS INC

Citywide did an excellent job in adding a steam shower and sauna to our bathroom as well as enlarging our master closet. Bill spent a lot of time in the beginning listening to our thoughts and ideas, then he was able to develop a plan that met our expectations. Brian, our Superintendent was also very helpful in executing the whole process from beginning to end. Citywide also works with very qualified sub contractors who were all very respectful and efficient in their work. We are thrilled with the addition to our home and know that it has only added value to the property because of the quality of workmanship from Citywide Builders. We definitely recommend them as well and will use them again for another project.

Initial consultation In July 2014 went smoothly and in a timely manner.  However, construction did not begin until January 2015.
Due to a window reorder and delays its the manufacture of the wrought iron deck railing, construction was not completed until early May 2015, longer than the original estimate of 3 months.
A huge plus was that the surroundings were completely cleaned up every evening, Debris was removed, surfaces swept.  That was very important to me.  Inside, zippered plastic hangings were installed and taped to the ceiling, the walls and the floor to reduce drywall dust when installing the 2 sets of French doors.
 
Any constructions issues were immediately addressed because there was a supervisor on site every day, usually the entire day. Both supervisors' owned' the job, they were immediately aware of any issues and were constantly inspecting and checking that things were being installed properly.  There is nothing sloppy or second-rate in the quality of work performed.  At one point, I wasn't too happy with some of the painting. As soon as I discussed the issue with the supervisors, they had the painters return and re-do the work.
The supers also kept us informed of timelines and what was causing any delays.
As with anything new, it's extremely helpful to understand the vocabulary and language. Construction language is no exception. Ask lots of questions and keep asking for explanations if you are not completely clear of what is meant.
Review the spec sheets as carefully as possible; mark them up with your questions.  Go to the suppliers to see the products being installed.
We were very fortunate in our choice of Bill Dougherty, owner of Citywide Builders.  We received extensive and detailed spec sheets of everything being installed plus pricing for all aspects of the construction.  We met several times with Bill prior to construction to finalize all the plans.  During construction Bill would periodically stop by to inspect progress and ask us if we had any issues.
The couple of glitches that occurred were quickly and professionally resolved.  It seems that one of Bill's mottos is "Let's make it right for you".  And he does.
The end product has been an absolute delight! Gorgeous windows with no need for sunscreens, incredibly easy-to-slide huge patio doors, a beautiful balcony with a charming wrought iron railing.  French doors from the dining room to the outside. Wonderful!

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Citywide worked closely with my interior designer to make sure that the design plan was accurately reflected in the construction contract and the scope.  They devoted a lot of time and energy to pre-planning and familiarizing themselves and their subs with the project and my house.  Construction started in May and continued without interruption until early August.

There is no way to do a major remodel without a lot of inconvenience and disruption, but Citywide's attention to detail and concern for quality made the end result well worth the aggravation.

The design process started in February and began
in late March. It started slow, but picked up considerable speed and was
completed by July 9. Bill and his crew were wonderful to work with. They found
solutions to every problem I brought to them. Bill?s ideas were great and he
referred us to a great interior designer, Jeni of, Dettaglio Design in
Scottsdale. Her input was invaluable as she kept us on budget and interpreted
our style perfectly. Bill came by when I brought my mother and brother from
Maryland to make sure they liked their rooms. We have all settled in nicely, I
believe in large part to the design and execution of Citywide Builders and
Dettaglio Interior Design, as it is never easy to bring new people into your
home.    

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  The job went extremely well the workmanship was very professional. Bill the owner was very easy to work with. Jerry, Dave, and Mike who are the front line men were very well qualified in their respective positions, design,project manager and finish carpenter and all around finish man. there was never a problem with the workmanship or communications. We would highly recommend City Wide Builders to any one that needs any remodeling done. Great Job

The planning process involved several iterations to finalize the final scope. A separate interior designer recommended by Citywide was helpful in choosing materials. A supervisior was assigned to coordinate the workers and sequence the project. Unfortunately, that person eventually had to leave due to a family crisis, and, to Citywide's credit, another coordinator doing double-duty with another project was able to take up the job with admirable effort.
As usual with building projects, there were some unforeseen changes along the way but these were handled professionally by the Citywide crew.
Citywide was always very cognizant of our comfort in having to endure living with demolition and were always careful to clean-up daily after work was completed.
The original project was to have completed within 2 months but didn't make it. Unforseen things always happen on large remodeling projects so don't expect your project to be any different.

We first spoke with Bill, the owner, almost a full year before we committed to having the work done.  We made the rounds talking
with several other remodelers, most of whom did not even follow through with bids. When we came back to Citywide we picked up where we left off in the discussion of what we wanted to accomplish and in what budget.  Each time the scope of work was adjusted and refined according to those discussions.   We never felt any pressure to speed things along, commit before we were ready, or have work done that we didn't ask for. When we asked for guidance on plans and products we got it. We called many of the references provided and each one of them enthusiastically spoke of their experience with Citywide.
The work we had done included removing a wall, installing a fireplace, replacing carpet and tile with new tile, installing a new kitchen island, and replacing kitchen counter tops. There was a job captain on site who did quite a bit of work himself and coordinated the work of all of the subs.  Each day I knew what and who to expect. Everyone who worked on this project took excellent care to protect everything around them and clean up afterwards. We had many questions along the way, all answered in detail and with patience.
The work was accomplished in the time frame planned and we are absolutely thrilled with the results.  Many thanks to Bill and Dave for your professionalism, patience, and a job wonderfully done!

Bill has done several jobs for me. He is incredibly patient and knowledgable. Every job has a captain responsible for the day to day activities. I was extremely impressed with the quality of all the work done. Several people in my neighborhood had work done at the same time by a different contractor and more impressed by the quality of work done by Citywide. If any problems arise, in construction there is always something, Bill was always easy to contact and handled everything professionally and promptly. The only reason I gave a B for the price is that there are less expensive contractors out there and you can be sucked in by them. The reality is you get what you pay for. You will pay more for Citywide but that is because they know what they are doing and they are accountable not just at the time but also down the road. I know I drove Bill crazy with all my second-guessing about price but, in the end, my house looks beautiful and is solidly built.
The first project was designing a room to accommodate an heirloom dining table my parents had given me which was huge. Eventually, that gave way to  a new bedroom, bathroom, pantry, and laundry room added on to the east side of my house. As circumstances changed (my mother became ill with Alzheimers disease) Bill patiently redesigned the plans to accommodate needs as they came up and never once complained about the time I took to decide things and the ENDLESS variations on design I wanted to consider. We finally started the project and it was done very quickly. There were a few problems that arose such as the adequacy of the partitions where the work was being performed (we had to lay a new sewage pipe underneath our living room for the new bath). They were not completely sealed off and mosquitoes got into the house. Bill was horrified and responded promptly. If I had an issue with anything that was being done, I had Bill's cell number and he would often pop over to review things and straighten things out if necessary.
There have been times when I was not pleased with procedures or how things operated but I always felt welcome to call Bill and tell him. Construction is very personal and can be extremely intrusive. Bill is extremely sensitive to that and was always open to what I had to say and to accommodate any requests I had.
I also have two children and was completely comfortable with each and every person he sent over or that we used on the jobs.
I would not hesitate to use Citywide again and recommend them to anyone I know is looking for a contractor. If you want excellent quality, call them. The painting and tile work are exquisite. Be very specific about what you want and don't be afraid to ask questions about options. Be proactive. A contractor should not intimidate you or make you feel left out of the process. Bill wants you to love your house and the job he does so he takes the time to find out what you really want and what will work for the way you live, not just replicating something you see in a magazine.

They were very professional, honest, and reliable. I liked the way they did things: each job had a "Captain".