I don't think it gets any better than this. The job was in a condo with a lot of rules that Chesapeake Kitchens scrupulously followed. The workmanship was excellent, and the quality of the materials used was very high. I was a first-time remodeler, and I needed lots of guidance about what would work and what wouldn't. The only mistake they made was in occasionally assuming I knew something I didn't know, but the results were always beautiful, and within budget.

OUR DREAM OF A NEW KITCHEN CAME TRUE! If you are looking for a contractor or a company to renovate your kitchen, look no further: “CHESAPEAKE KITCHEN DESIGN” is your destination. We renovated our kitchen with this company, and we are very pleased with the results. The entire process was a pleasant experience. Fernando Alban, the president and designer, was very patient and helpful: he listened, explained all the steps, and offered his expertise and suggestions. He worked closely with us to make sure that the final design was exactly what we wanted. He provided us with detailed calculations of costs and options. The craftsmen who did the installation had many different skills, and the quality of their work was superb. They were courteous, punctual, friendly and considerate. The preparation work was impressive: the work area was sealed off, the floors were protected with hard cover, and there was minimal dust in the other rooms. They helped us to set up a small kitchenette in the living room. They left the work area very clean after each day’s work. The entire process took two months, which included Christmas and New Year holidays (it was our choice to renovate in that period). To sum up, we highly recommend “CHESAPEAKE KITCHEN DESIGN” to everybody. Nadia and Erik Hoffmann Georgetown, Washington, DC

It was a great experience. I was really surprise. It was really great. The budget was really it is. They followed through the timeline. Nothing was broken. High quality. I liked the fact that they were helping me making choices.

It was very good. If I called about a problem they fixed it in the other day. I have the same team lead coming. I have the consistency of them.

Overall, we were very happy with the entire process and the end results. This includes the time negotiating before the remodel, the time during the remodel, and any of the work that needed to be done after the remodel was complete. One of the things we were looking for when picking someone out was to help us design the kitchen since we didn't have a good idea of what matched and what would work together. This is exactly what we got when we went to visit their store. This was really helpful in terms of both getting an idea of what things would look like and receiving suggestions based on the tastes we had. We were able to take samples home and also go to the various stores around the area to pick out some of the finishes once we picked out the cabinets. When signing the agreement, they estimated the amount of work would take four weeks. When we asked for a more granular breakdown of how long each phase would take, they were able to do that on a day-to-day basis, allowing for some flexibility when contractors run late or are working on other projects. While this was longer than some of the other estimates we got, we decided we felt more comfortable with this schedule because of how well they knew what they wanted to do and when. There was a hand-off between the design person at the store and the person overseeing the contractors coming in the unit to gut and install. We found that there was minimal communication from the new person which was a little disheartening for us given the previous communication we had. Simple updates such as how far they had progressed and whether they were on time, behind, or ahead of schedule at the end of the week would have been helpful, but we had to follow up multiple times before getting a better understanding of the schedule. To reiterate, they keep in mind both the schedule slipping and when contractors are on other projects when they plan the entire project. As a result, there were several days during the four weeks that they planned that no one showed up. In fact, it appeared as though only a little over half of the days were worked, while the other half were days waiting for items to come in or people working at other sites that needed to come in (such as the electrician, plumber, etc.). Despite this, they finished on time which pleased us greatly. The only thing we would have liked to do is have a final walk-through on the final day but we were unable to do that. Not being able to do the walk-through was not a big deal because they provide a limited warranty on the installation which we've already used more than once. The dishwasher was installed improperly and they were able to come out within 24h and fix it. Also, one of the cabinet doors was not installed straight and started rubbing on the side of the next panel; they came out shortly thereafter to inspect it and knew what parts they would have to order. They plan on fixing it when the parts come in the following week. At the conclusion of the job, we love our kitchen and are really happy that we went with them. While they were not the cheapest of the people we surveyed nor the shortest in time, we believe we made the best decision because they were realistic and met the budget (in fact, due to the appliances and back-splash we ended up picking, they came under budget!).

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The construction portion started two weeks later than originally planned. This was caused by the manufacturer of the cabinets and really not much of a problem. The project lasted two weeks longer than originally estimated or stated in the contract. While the quality of all the work was good to very good, there were long periods of time when there was no work being done. This was a problem because we made very modest plans for an alternative kitchen. The major issue they had to deal with was a floor that was slightly not level but that should have been expected in a home that is nearly 60 years old and was readily apparent when they removed the old floor on the second day of the project. That issue was resolved in one day but seemed to be at the head of the list of excuses at a post completion meeting about reasons for delays. We had a natural gas line installed in order to replace the electric stove with a gas stove. The installation and inspection process went reasonably well but some of the issues created during the installation were not corrected immediately upon completion.
Dos for others: Insist on walking the space with the project coordinator on a regular basis and understand the next steps and work to be done. Don't expect the workers for the various phases of the work to know much about the overall schedule or be able to make any commitments.

We purchased our cabinets and countertops from Chesapeake, but had them installed by our contractor as part of a home remodel.  The cabinets themselves are fantastic, and Fernando was responsive to all our questions.  There were some problems with delivery--oddly, we ended up with a cabinet piece from a different order--but they took care of it.

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It was an extremely difficult decision to not choose Chesapeake Kitchen Design after getting 5 estimates for our kitchen remodel/renovation. We were incredibly impressed with Fernando and his ability to "think outside the box" and be creative with his approach to our renovation. He and an assistance come to our house as scheduled and did an extensive evaluation our our existing space. We then met with him at his office and showroom to go over his estimate and recommendations. He took his time to explain his reasoning behind the proposed design which was quite extensive. It involved completely changing the footprint of our kitchen to factor in the dining room space. He proposed more practical placement of a doorway that went out to our 3-season porch, adding skylights, and removing a wall that would open the entire area and make it more functional and social. As I mentioned, we really labored at making a selection between Chesapeake and another group which we ultimately went only because they were more local to us and had come up with a slightly less extensive design that will work well for us for the money. Everything else was equal between Chesapeake and the company we selected - quality, professionalism, responsiveness, etc. We can't say enough good things about Fernando and Chesapeake. We even thought Fernando's estimate was reasonable for the scope of work and materials included. Our recommendation is to give Chesapeake an opportunity to compete for your business. You'll be impressed with his extensive experience, creativity, and confidence.

I was pleased with the work as it was being done. Fernando and his team are responsive and helpful. He guided me through all the decisions, providing his suggestions when I asked for them, and provided updates on the progress. There were a few hiccups along the way but Fernando was quick to let me know of the problems and provided alternatives. The work took slightly longer than expected but it was functional for the holidays last year which was my drop dead deadline. The outcome is wonderful and I'm enjoying the new kitchen immensely.

Finished on budget and on time and looks beautiful. Extremely pleased.

It went incredibly well.  Fernando and his team were professional, responsive, courteous and on time.  The quality of the work is why we chose them - and we were very pleased.

I think they are listed on Angie’s List. They do bathroom work as well. The overall experience is very good and things are coming along. They are neat as a pin. It’s one flat fee and we have a whole contract. It’s what we chose because we have a pretty expensive project; part of it depended on what we chose. In terms of quality, they have knocked everything down and they are building rough ends and now they are working on the plumbing. They did some lighting work. It seemed to be going well. Everything so far is fine. They are very good. They are taking control of everything. I think they have certain things that the plumbers do and then the electricians come. In terms of punctuality, they sort of come at their own schedule. Sometimes they first go and get supplies. Some of them are sub-contractors. Sometimes they are on different jobs and they come here.  One can’t do certain work until the other thing is finished; they are all intertwined. They are just sort of on their own schedule. Their professionalism is very nice.

One hears so many horror stories when it comes to major home renovations. Rest assured you can forget those stories when you work with Fernando's company. I'm sure I could have found someone cheaper, but the price didn't seem outrageous given the all I wanted done.  Besides, I'd rather pay more for the peace of mind of dealing with professionals who take the work seriously.  They did an outstanding job.  There were no unexpected surprises that added to the cost, and they got done on time.  I would highly recommend Chesapeake Kitchen Design to anyone.

They did 100% great job. The only problem, I would say, that I would have to call them for daily updates. The quality of the work was good. Anytime I called them, they called me back. They also threw in free dishwasher for me, since I was an Angie's List member and I spent a certain amount of money. I did not need to use any other providers for this job, or even have to look. They were able to do it all.

Wonderful design. Finished product is excellent. Fernando is very professional and pleasant.
Some of the subcontractors had poor English which led to communications problems. Work took longer to complete than expected.
The negatives mentioned above were relatively minor compared with positives. Would favorably recommend Chesapeake Kitchen Design.

Job went very well, very responsive, priced way below other estimates, excellent quality work, good team of skilled crafts people, good design and advice.  I'm very pleased with the result.

My wife and I worked with Fernando at Chesapeake Kitchen Design (I'll call them CKD from now on) on several projects that ended up spanning the greater part of six months.  Initially, we hired them to remodel and expand our 1940s-era kitchen which would require the knock-out of two walls, building of a pass-through/eat-at bar area, and installation of structural supports where the load-bearing wall used to be.  We selected CKD because Fernando was very responsive on providing us an estimate, came out in person to discuss our ideas, and seemed very knowledgeable and professional.  He was forthcoming about telling us where things would be absolutely necessary while at the same time cutting out unnecessary features that would save us some money. The estimate we received from CKD was slightly higher than other estimates we received but we figured it would be worth it to have a communicative and honest project manager.
    In March 2011 we visited the CKD showroom in NW DC and Fernando helped us select countertops, new cabinetry, etc.  We were glad to hear that CKD works with the same set of contractors for carpentry, electrical, plumbing, etc, so there's some consistency in the project workers.  Once the project started, we were very happy with the set-up of the contractors and how courteous they were.  We did have a few complaints at times due to trash (cigarettes, empty soda cans, other non-construction garbage) being dumped in the front and backyard, but the workers were generally considerate when we mentioned these things. One time a glass panel in our front entry way was cracked due to equipment being moved in and out of the house, and Fernando worked with the contractors to promptly have it replaced, no hassle there.     
    There were some delays in the middle of the project--right around the 3-month mark--that were a bit frustrating, particularly when we noticed that there hadn't been any changes over the course of a week or more and hadn't received any explanation for the delays.  We were having trouble getting in touch with Fernando or anyone who could answer our questions.  In all fairness, we later learned he was out for personal reasons once and understandably busy catching up on projects.  However, there were several instances in which we were very patient with the inactivity and tried to just wait for CKD to contac tus, but would not hear anything until we pinged with several emails and phone calls.  We are very patient folks and this was frustrating for us, particularly given how much money we funneled into projects with CKD by the time everything was done.
    About 2/3 through the kitchen renovation, the plumber for the project discovered that the shower pan in our master bath was leaking water onto the ceiling in our kitchen, and had been doing so for some time.  The fix would require ripping out the tile in the bottom of the shower to replace the shower pan.  Knowing that our bathroom badly needed an update anyway, we ultimately decided to have CKD completely replace the bathroom tile and renovate the shower area, install a new shower door, and a new toilet.  As a result of starting this new project with CKD while the kitchen was still being worked on, everything was delayed.  Ultimately CKD did a great job installing the new bathroom tile and it looks fantastic.  That being said, there were several glaring issues that, had I not spoken up, would have been left faulty since (as far as I know) Fernando never came out to double check the plumbing work.  We are not handy folks and don't know a ton when it comes to plumbing, but I knew enough to say that the shower only had one temperature--hot---and the handle was not securely installed such that the entire backing moved when the handle was turned.  And there were some gaps in the sealant/caulking the shower tile.  These problems were eventually fixed but again I don't feel confident that they would have been noticed/fixed if we hadn't called them out on it.  There didn't seem to be a whole lot of oversight on the project toward the tail end.
    The kitchen and master bathroom were both ultimately completed by early October 2011.  Overall, we had a good experience with CKD and I would recommend them to other folks, as long as you plan on being around/available enough to give them a hip-check every now and then as far as communication and reviewing the quality of the contractor work that's been done.  Desipite the issues we had with communication and lags in the work, no one is perfect, particularly over the course of six months.  They provided us with quality products and we're extremely happy with the end results of the kitchen and bath. 

A-1!! On schedule, on cost. Nothing went terribly wrong. The came in and spent a couple of days in preparation, putting plastic and cloth coverings over the carpet. They erected a plastic wall to separate the living space from the construction space. They were always careful with how they worked. All the work was very, very good. The carpentry was awesome. The pace was steady, they had to work one weekend because of a delay in receiving the counter tops. We had purchased all of the appliances so gave them the model numbers when we started and they did the final design around what we'd picked.

They brought a dumpster in to hold all the trash, and there was lots. Everything in the kitchen was ripped out down to the studs. Some new wall "extensions" had to be built to fit the new look and functions. They cleaned up after each day and the construction room was "zipped" up to keep the dust down in the rest of the house. But, there was dust--I don't know how you can avoid it.

They worked regular hours, typically from 8:30-4:00 so were not disruptive to the family. There were seldom more than 2 people at a time in the house.

Overall, it was a great experience although expensive. It did transform the house so was worth it. My advice when you do something like this--if you want it to stay on time, on cost, make sure that EVERYTHING you want is listed in the contract and understood by both parties. Fernando was good at trying to anticipate the things we hadn't thought of and helping us through the final design. The reason they can stay on schedule and budget is because of few changes. We had two that we added to the contract. 

Again: Awesome!

The people who came to do the work were extremely skilled.  They were punctual and efficient.  It was not a big job for them.  The carpenters were very meticulous.  They cleaned up after they finished the work.  The plumber was pleasant.  They were just excellent.  The craftsman always used to ask me before doing anything.  I would say if you don't know anything about remodeling to go to Chesapeake Kitchen Design.

Everything went well from design work to the end.  Of course the project took longer than first predicted.

Overall, the experience was excellent.  The workmen arrived on time and kept the work areas clean (as possible).  The were very good at their jobs.  My husband was retired and home during the day which was helpful if they had any questions.  Amazingly, one of the subcontractors had a workman who was able to spot that the new oak for the kitchen was not going to match the wood in the family room and refused to lay it until his supervisor came out to verify the wood species.  The workman was right!  Bravo! One glitch was the backsplash tile.  It did not arrive timely and nearly delayed the project.  Not really a big deal, though.  And one cabinet was ordered in the wrong size.  I caught it early as I measured every cabinet when they arrived and Fernando got the replacement very quickly.  No delay. The carpentry work was good but not exceptional.  I had purchased some beautiful Italian pulls for the pocket doors, but I was told they were too difficult to install.  So we settled for the "C-clamps".  This happened near the end of the project and I didn't press the point.  Had I brought it up to Fernando, he would have probably done something about it, but we were ready for the job to be finished.  That is probably my biggest disappointment with the work that was done.  The pantry racks were also hard to install and my husband had to figure out how to get the "blum" motion to work.  Believe me, in the scheme of things, these were not major issues. To have a successful installation requires a lot of communication between all parties involved.  It was easy to communicate with Fernando and the guys who did the work.  No one wants surprises. Everyone who sees our kitchen loves it and thinks the work is excellent.  (Too bad I can't attach a picture.)  But the results didn't happen by magic.  We worked very closely with Fernando throughout the process.  I did a ton of research on every aspect of that kitchen/bath remodeling myself and had previously done a large commerical office renovation as part of my job.  So I knew that it would be important to stay on top of everything at all times and I also knew where things could potentially require my input.  Chesapeake Kitchen is a very good and reliable company and I would recommend them.