Old World Craftsmen LLC

Scott and team were fantastic. From beginning to end, very easy to work with and professional. Excellent communication in all aspects including cost, changes, timing, thoughts/ideas. There were no surprises and the quality of work was top notch. I would absolutely recommend Old World Craftsmen and look forward to working with them again on my next project. Such a breath of fresh air to work with such a professional outfit.

This was the third significant project I have used Scott and his team. Scott is fantastic at what he does and provides the rare blend of a knowledgeable contractor with someone who knows how to understand and communicate with his customers. All of my projects with Scott, he has been very punctual, transparent on all progress and hurdles encountered (since they always do on an old house) and innovative at the same time. Scott was a one stop solution providing a reference to an architect with whom he works closely with and who I ultimately went with also. Our bathroom now has a huge walk in shower with a bench and new double vanity. Scott coordinated with his reputable plumber seamlessly for me and I never had to worry about who was in my house and that the work was being properly supervised. I am witting this review on a bit of a delayed basis relative to the work, so I can even say in hindsight that we have been nothing but pleased with everything and enjoying our new space and master suite. I just recently invited Scott back to my house for an additional bathroom renovation and some other odds and ends which I know I can trust him with. I plan to continue to work with Scott as my provider of choice going forward.

After having read the many positive evaluations on Angie's List, I contacted the provider this morning via email. To my surprise, I was called back within only 2 hours which I found was very encouraging. The provider also offered to stop by the same afternoon and discuss the project we had in mind - so far, so good. Having said all of this, the provider was then asking on the phone for a "consulting fee" of $55 for his visit which I find unacceptable, and I did also not find this respective disclaimer on his profile. I thought you should be aware of this practice before reaching out. Given the positive feedback on Angie's List I'd be happy to consider them in the future but without this highly questionable fee.

Scott was extremely patient with us as we were in touch with him for over a year before we began our kitchen renovation. He recommended all the players that we needed for our renovation and we used almost all of them: architect, kitchen cabinet retailer, counter-top fabricator, and a lumberyard for our deck. This was our first home renovation and Scott helped us through the process. He is professional, knows his business and goes above and beyond to address questions and concerns. He is meticulous which is exactly what you want in your contractor. He was flexible with us when we asked him to start our deck in December before the kitchen renovation. (I need a kitchen for the holidays). Flexibility is also a key trait in a contractor. During the renovation Scott came over almost everyday and kept us informed on where we were with the project and what was coming next. The two guys on his team that worked on the carpentry, Freddie and Rudy, were expert craftsmen. They included me in the decision making when the plans were not crystal clear. They were friendly towards me and my small children and they always cleaned up the space at the end of the day and let me know when the space was not safe for the kids. We were impressed and pleased with everyone under Scott except for the electrician. He had to redo two of my light switches. One was almost 12 inches from the doorway and it was behind the opening of a pantry door. Second, he did not line up the light switch with my thermostat in the living room. I had to pay to have both moved and that bothered me because I think it was his mistake. And my electrical outlets are at three different levels on my back splash. Many of my friends have terrible renovation stories and I have nothing to add as ours was a pleasant experience from start to end. I do wish we had a 3-D version of our plans as that would have made things easier for the guys when installing some of the cabinets. Scott estimated that our new kitchen would be ready in 5-6 weeks. We started in January and even though we lost a day or two due to blizzards and added more days due to some new molding and trim he finished in 6 weeks. I wholeheartedly recommend Scott and his team.

We found Old World Craftsmen on Angie's List when looking for a good local contractor, and were immediately impressed with the excellent reviews by previous clients. When we started, Scott came over to the house to advise us on the multiple renovations we had in mind, and gave us a lot of smart practical advice - in fact, he counseled us not to over-do the job and saved us from overspending to achieve our goals. He brought together an excellent team of sub-contractors who undertook a range of work, including carpentry, plumbing, marble restoration, laying a tile floor on an uneven concrete surface, removing hard-to-remove wallpaper, replacing a custom wrought iron railing, and repainting some interior walls that required careful prep work. His team of subcontractors was reliable, hard-working, easy to communicate with, and spent the time to do the work right. Their pricing was fair; we had priced out one of the jobs separately (the crafting of a new wrought iron railing for an outdoor entrance) and his person charged significantly less than what we'd been quoted by another firm. We ended up expanding the scope of the job to include the replacement of several original casement windows with new custom-sized Marvin windows, and Scott coordinated the installation of those so that all went seamlessly and on schedule. We'd feared this would create a big mess, but the install was done primarily from the outside, and the interior stucco walls and related carpentry and painting repairs were accomplished with little fuss. Scott was hands-on throughout, and came by frequently to check on progress and monitor needs. His training as a structural engineer came in handy, as he was able to point out and address certain things that needed to be modified to keep an older home in compliance with plumbing codes and other local regulations. We are delighted with the improvements throughout out house. We will certainly call on and refer Old World Craftsmen in the future!

This is the second large project I hired Scott and the team to perform at one of my homes. Scott was very involved from the very beginning in all aspects of the project including the design, selection of materials, and even helping to dispose of a large hot tub to a willing and able buyer who came to pick it up which saved me the headache of trying to figure out what to do with it. Scott is always around on a daily basis to check in on his workers and the progress made so as to make sure your getting the value of hiring a GC.The end product came out great and we are extremely happy with the new patio. The development of any outdoor project naturally presents additional challenges that working indoors does not and could clearly affect a timeline. Although we encountered some rain along the way Scott made sure the team worked hard to keep on pace and deliver on his proposed timeline initially. In addition, certain discoveries were made relative to the structure under the original deck which needed to be refitted and additional support added where needed. Scott was able to quickly mobilize a masonry crew which was not originally anticipated and got what needed to be done complete in a timely manner. Scott and his office help are also extremely organized and on top of billings which include clear and concise details regarding any payments and billings needed for any additional hurdles that arise along the way. It is a pleasure to work with Scott and his team and I just hired them to renovate an entire master suite and bathroom which I hope to write a similar great review on upon completion.

Scott helped us through choosing the style and type of door and hardware. Installation went really well and there was no construction mess. The painter who stained and finished the door and the trim did an outstanding job and it looks absolutely beautiful. Scott was very attentive to all the details and was very responsive to all my emails. He took great care to take care of all my questions. We are very happy with the result.

This is our second project with Old World Craftsmen, and we would highly recommend them and whenever we need reliability, punctuality and quality we will use them without hesitation.

I contacted Old World Craftsmen because we needed some minor repairs right now at the house. We are looking for a contractor to use in multiple projects throughout the house (bathroom remodels, additions, patio work, kitchen remodel...) in the future but after some bad experiences with other contractors we wanted to start with little repairs which are pressing to see if we like the work and to get a sense how professional the work is performed. I was told that smaller repairs are not a big enough job of them right now and was given a phone number for a subcontractor without asking what exactly the work we would need would be. Very disappointing.

We started off checking the reviews on Angie's List, specifically looking for someone local. After contacting a few contractors, we met with Scott. While I can understand that people might be put off by a consulting fee, I feel that it was necessary for both Scott and myself since it meant that we were both taking the process seriously. Scott was very friendly and understanding since this is the first time that we've done anything like this. After years of apartment living, a whole house rehab was daunting. He took the time to explain everything to us, especially our concerns and how to address them. Modern schedules being what they are, Scott and his team were excellent in communicating with us even though our schedules didn't mesh well. He was always available on the phone or via email or text. His proposals were itemized and well laid out, and he double-checked any concerns we had while going over them. With his connections in the area, we were able to use vendors that were well established and reasonable. His sub-contractors were professional and efficient. In fact, his fantastic painter Vito had him double check with us regarding the yellow paint for the living room. Thank goodness he did as the color on the wall did not match the chip (it was like being inside a highlighter)! We were able to quickly choose another color and the walls were quickly repainted. Working with Scott was a pleasure, truly. Looking into the future, we know we will have additional projects, and Scott and his team will be our first call!

I did not have any connections or personal references upon contacting Scott and his team prior to finding his stellar track record on Angie's List. I had Scott come into my home and provide estimates based on the scope of work which I defined, as well as the thoughts/ideas Scott came up with on the spot. Scott provided his very detailed estimate of the work in a timely manner by the day he said I would have it and I subsequently elected to work with him. I was satisfied with all of the work performed by Scott's team and greatly appreciated the detailed attention he paid to the agreed upon timeline. Scottt is very engaged directly in the work and is on site everyday overseeing projects as needed. He is also extremely timely on communicating any additional tasks and related costs which come up during the course of any remodel on an older home. Scott was very helpful identifying means of saving costs via alternative means of getting me what I wanted complete. Scott's team also operates very cleanly and on schedule which was greatly appreciated for someone who lives alone and likes a clean house when I get home at night. I will definitely be hiring Scott in the future to perform additional services. I could go on an on in great details here on the great job but most importantly Scott has my information if you would like a reference.

Other than the surprises that old houses bring--no fault of the contractor--it was perfect. The work is beautiful and Scott has an especially good sense of aesthetics; he made great suggestions on how to improve this or that along the way. I inadvertently caused a delay by approving back-ordered plumbing fixtures, but excluding this, the project was completed in five weeks.

While Old World Craftsman was not our initial first choice, when our original contractor went unresponsive we turned to OWC for a quote based on the company's Angie's List review. It turned out to be the best possible move! Scott Simonsen and his team were attentive, provided us with insight based on regional remodeling trends and helped us resolve all the challenges that surface when remodeling an older home. They recommended local tile, glass and other venders who offered quality product at reasonable (Westchester) pricing.The project was completed on time and within budget. Scott and Dulce ensured that all proper paperwork was filed and all permits secured. We could pay invoices online and invoices, payment confirmations and receipts were easy to file in e-folders for future reference. As an added bonus they were a delight to work with throughout the process. Scott's the kind of guy you would want to have a beer with on a Friday after work if he wasn't your contractor and Dulce can offer fantastic free fashion footwear advice if you're interested. Furthermore, the various site workers did their best to keep the dust under control each day and the rooms tidy even while under construction. While not the most inexpensive quote we received, the value for service and quality of workmanship was well worth the investment. We recommend OWC without any reservations and have done so already,

Scott and his team were professional, did great work, and finished the job on time! Many of my friends & work colleagues have had work done by other contractors, and were left feeling very dissatisfied. We wanted a contractor that would get the job done right, and respect the integrity of our 1928 tudor home. We were very satisfied with our selection. Scott treated us as partners, made great suggestions, and supported our decisions. Well done and thank you!

Scott is an amazing partner. This was not our first construction project by any stretch of the imagination. Owning a nearly 100 year old house means you are knowledgeable of the construction process. Of all the projects we have done, from small to large ( a total kitchen remodel and extension) the experience with Old World Craftsmen has been head and shoulders superior. Scott's attention to detail and well performed process is exceptional. Certainly not the least expensive choice, we would still choose to work with him again on this project and future projects. He is worth the cost.

The process with Old World Craftsmen was easy and professional. - The first meeting was efficient and Scott listened to what we wanted for the bathrooms and drew up a scope of work and quote which accurately detailed the discussion and broke down the costings. - The main work was carried out by Old World Craftsmen who were always professional and produced a high standard of work. In addition when scope changes occurred these were carried out with quiet acceptance and any additional costs were notified beforehand. - All the sub-contractors, plumbers, tilers and electricians produced a high standard of work which was supervised by either Scott or his team to ensure it met customer requirements. In summary, Old World Craftsmen have produced 2 great bathrooms to a high standard. They were always considerate of what the customer wanted and ensured the minimum of disruption to the household. I would definitely use them again for similar projects as they were always keen, professional and listened to what we wanted. Thanks Old World Craftsmen.

Old World Craftsmen were highly recommended on Angie's list. I am not sure of the quality of work that he does. However, when we asked him to come out, at the time we did not own our home and he charged us a $100 fee that would be credited to our invoice if we decided to move forward with Old World Craftsmen. When we got his estimates we decided to move forward with Old World Craftsmen based on the Angie's List Recommendations. He seemed somewhat competitively priced, but definitely higher than all the other proposals we had received. The unfortunate thing is his estimate or what he calls a budget is essentially a low ball estimate in order to get in the door. He even stated this in a conversation we had with him over the phone. He essentially said, "well if i did not provide a lower price in our budgets, I would not get any calls back." We had several phases worth of work for our home renovation. The first phase was strictly cosmetic. He estimated it at around $35,000. However, when his proposal/agreement came back, the total was $42,000. This was a 22% increase over his original estimate and nothing had changed within the scope of work that needed to be done. It was painfully obvious that moving forward with Old World Craftsmen would be too expensive and the total renovation cost, if done by them would have exceeded our budget. Even if we had a way of coming up with the additional funds, a $170,000 project would have cost $210,000 and I'm guessing even more with change orders and material upgrades. Oh and by the way. He marks up all material costs by 20%. When I asked why he did that. He simply stated that it would not be a good business model if he didn't. When we asked him why it was costing so much more to do the initial phase within the scope of work. He likened it to going to a car dealership, his "budget" (estimate) was like the base model cost of a car and everything we discussed were options or add on costs. I'll state this one more time to be clear. We did not change anything from estimate to proposal. The only thing that changed was his pricing. One of the reasons why this changed was that he made a $3,000 mistake on estimating floor refinishing. His original estimate was for $4,000. When we got his proposal/agreement, it totaled $7,000. He kept going back to his car analogy. The estimate clearly stated first and second floors were to be refinished. When we finally pressed him enough, he admitted to making a mistake on the estimate by not including the second floor. Unfortunately he did not offer us a credit or discount for his mistake. Here is the best part. When he sent us our proposals, we had purchased the home. He did as he said he would do and credit one of the invoices $100 if we were going to move forward with Old World Craftsmen. When we decided to part ways, he never offered us to give back the $100. He has every right to keep that money. However, since we owned the home, even if it was after the fact, he should have done the right thing and returned us our money. It Just speaks as to how he operates his business. We are in the second phase of our contract with another contractor. Although we have had made some changes and upgrades and we are above our original proposal/agreement from our current contractor, we are well below Old World Craftsman's original estimate. Like all home renovation projects, it's never going to go completely according to plan and there will no doubt be some sort of disagreement with hired contractors. But in the end, it always gets worked out. If you can afford Old World Craftsman's pricing, you may want to work with Scott. However, if you are money conscious, whether you can afford them or not. You will want to find another contractor.

Chris came over to do a free estimate on several things we needed done....he completed each one in a timely basis and charged a very fair price for all of his work.

The project took approximately 5 weeks from start to finish. Scott Simonsen and Old World Craftsmen were very detailed in their project plan. They arrived on appointed date and set to remove everything from the bathroom with the least disruption to the rest of the house and proceeded to restore to its complete new image. Each day the team would arrive and set up their tarps and room dividers so dust and debris would be limited to only the work area. The crew is professional, diligent, and curtious. Scott Simonsen was always on top of the needs of the project and communicated well to his work force as well as to us, the homeowner. All concerns were easily addressed and changes implemented if necessary. Scott's electrical engineering mind usually leaves no detail unexamined. The completed bathroom is wonderful and meets all of our expectations. I highly recommend this company!

All of the projects with Scott and Old World Craftsmen have gone smoothly from meeting him and discussing the projects to the final day. He made one promise to me that he always fulfilled and that is that he would never leave the project until it was completely done. And what has astounded us is that all of his projections in time for the building/renovations have been totally accurate. There have been no "mistakes" or "unfortunate occurences" with Scott and his men at all. Plus he recommended a wonderful architect that we would use again. I can't say enough good about the whole experience!

Old World Craftsmen have become our contractor of choice. We have tried many contractors over the years and have not had much luck. We have actually put off a great deal of work because we could not find someone we could trust. We hired Scott and his company for one project and have since retained him for 5 more and have 2 others being planned. The good experience starts with his planning. Scott treats each project as if it involved his own home and his own money. He suggests lower cost alternatives when appropriate and makes great recommendations for materials and aesthetics. Finally, he has a great network of skilled people/firms who carry through on his plans. The end result is a very satisfying experience. You really feel comfortable leaving everything in Scott?s hands and then you enjoy the results. This is contracting the way it was meant to be.

The project went very smoothly. Scott understood that we didn't want to start until all the items we needed were ordered. Once everything arrived and we started demolition, the work proceeded at a great pace. I particularly appreciated the input I received from him and subcontractors on certain questions that arose in the process (like what type of epoxy to use for the kitchen tile). I am also pleased with the level of service that we are currently receiving on certain items that need fine tuning (such as cabinet hinges that need adjusting, etc). The crew was very respectful of our living space and keeping areas of the house clean and protected. We intend to use OWC again in the future.

We purchased an older home and had the interior painted. The painters uncovered moisture behind the walls. We found that there had been a very old leak in the roof which over many years caused the beams in the house to rot away. Scott and his crew came in and gave us a great estimate of what he would do and how long it would take. They were incredible! He actually quickly got his crew in (during the busy summer time) and got the problem resolved prior to us moving in which was a short time frame. His crew was fantastic. They were very good and cleaned up very well. The work they did turned out great. After, Scott even called the roofer we used to make sure he resolved the problem so we wouldn't have the same issue all over again. They were very professional and had a great attention to detail and seemed to be very much a perfectionist. He has a background in structural engineering which was just what I wanted.

Old World Craftsmen and our experience with them has been exceptional in every way. We found them on Angie's List and interviewed them along with 3 others. During our initial meeting, Scott Simonsen listened carefully to our need to upgrade rooms without the investment of full renovations. He immediately became a partner and collaborated with us on where our dollars would best be spent to get the results we wanted. He followed up with a very detailed written proposal that included options for us to make the best decision. In fact, he provided two proposals because we were somewhat conflicted between a full renovation and an upgrade. The proposals were thoughtfully created and included not only the price, and timeline, but a clear breakdown of everything we discussed, which educated and helped us make our decision. Once the proposal was signed, Scott and his team arrived at the appointed time and Scott began with introductions of his team. It was instantly apparent that the team was an extension of the professionalism and knowledge we first experienced with Scott, and his style of leadership was also made clear. He led by example and with extreme respect for the work, the quality, and for the team. The work was exceptional and the quality exceeded our expectations (e.g. our laundry room was once a room full of exposed concrete and pipes and is now one of our favorite rooms in the house!) Scott remained engaged and responsible for all aspects of the work and orchestrated the multiple projects that were often being conducted simultaneously. He stayed true to his initial proposals, relative to the work effort and timeline. In truth, my husband and I were the guilty parties because we kept adding more to be done. Through it all, Scott and his team remained gracious and responsive. As an example, the gutters were an add on that he included by seamlessly re-assigning work and resources so that multiple efforts were underway. At all times, he was aware and respectful of our time and of completing the work efficiently. My husband and I have actually enjoyed the process and fully trust and respect Scott and the exceptional services he provides. In summary, we are now loyal clients of Old World Craftsmen and Scott Simonsen, specifically. Here's why:- Integrity and leadership- Knowledge and professionalism- True partnership in the outcome- Pride in the quality of work- One stop access to full services - True Old World Craftsmen

We recommend Scott of Old World Craftsmen and his painter, Vito, without reservation! They were fantastic to work with - from the beginning of the project as we discussed various options for paint color/texture and our recessed niches (in other words, boxes recessed into the wall, with lighting and custom-stained wood shelves in each) to the finale - which we are now thoroughly enjoying! They installed crown molding and baseboard molding and patiently assisted us in choosing paint colors (we ended up choosing a color for the halls recommended by Scott and we love it!) and Scott worked closely with us to design the niches. Vito and his crew patched the walls expertly and painted around all of the nails and hooks we left in so that we didn't have to re-measure and re-hang our existing artwork and shelves (a fantastic idea, by the way). We left the house in their capable, trustworthy hands while we were at work and they cleaned up each night so well that, other than the obvious painting gear and moved furniture, no one would have known anyone had been working. They were timely (accommodating a later start-time in the morning to match our schedule) and professional and completed the job on-time and on-budget! When does that ever happen these days?! Scott is a real craftsman - definitely in the Old World Style as his company name says. We are grateful for their services and expertise and - best of all - we love the finished "product!!!"