MERLINO CONSTRUCTION GROUP LLC

The service was fine. It always is. He had to come back and fix a couple of things. But that's normal in pretty much any job. They are fine. I would recommend them for anything. They'll never ever be the cheapest guys but they're the best guys because they send the right number of people to do the job as fast as possible. They do it right the first time. We use him when things break and fall apart or if it involves plumbing or or pipes or tiles or anything. It's not just me, several people in my building used him and occasionally my condo management association will use him. We would definitely use him again to work on building projects. Sometimes cost is the most important factor and it really shouldn't be because I think it will cost you sometimes to go cheap. We get multiple bids on things and he is never the lowest bidder. But we almost always use him for things because he does the job the right way the first time and he sends the right number of people to get it done as fast as possible. When his company rebuilt my bathroom in a one bedroom one bathroom unit, you don't really want to be without a bathroom for too long. They did it in three days and a half. They had to just dig out the shower and install it up to code and lay all new tiles and give me a floor and a sub floor. Everyday he sent a crew of at least two or three to get the things done fast as opposed to one guy who will do one wall one day and then a three day job turns out to be two weeks. Once, they hauled out some bags of discarded materials to the curb to put in in their car and discard it away. Afterwards, there was still debris on the ground. They vacuumed the sidewalks. Really, who does that?

It went well but dont have time to write details

Here is a list of some of the things we have found in our unit and throughout the rest of the building, also remodelled and sold by Merlino:- Constantly leaking skylights in the top floor units- A rickety banister that started falling apart within months of being purchased because it was so cheap and improperly installed- Windows and front door were not approved by the city's Historic Preservation Review Board and would not have been if they had been brought before them because they were not the correct materials or style. - The clothes dryer vent in my unit was not connected to an exterior vent, rather it was just dumping (highly flammable) dryer lint into an empty space behind the bedroom drywall. This was undetectable until we did a major renovation that opened up the walls.- In the unit above ours the owner had to redo the HVAC (which did not connected to the bedrooms) and the plumbing and replaced the windows which didn't open. - A huge, 4x5-foot antique mirror was rested on my fireplace mantel, unattached in anyway to the wall behind it until one day a breeze from a nearby open window caused it to topple over onto the floor and shatter everwhere in the kitchen. Thankfully, no people or pets where standing in the way and no one was hurt. - Overall, every detail and trim item (cabinets, plumbing and electrical fixtures, etc.) were always the cheapest possible materials available at Home Depot

I found Mark Merlino to be enthusiastic about the project and helpful.  He sold me on putting ceramic tile on the floor, and his workers did an excellent job of it, especially given that they had to cut around a couple of pipes and a boiler and a water heater.  I had moved everything but the washer and freezer, they took care of those for me.  The electrician explained all my choices very clearly and did a good job of unravelling some of the mysteries of my electrical panel.  He had to cut through dry wall to get to good wiring, but the patch and paint job after left no hint.  The paint job was quick and clean - just one coat over the same color.  The only disappointment was the stripping of the stairs.  The steps were old planks of wood that looked like they'd been recycled from a barn, but Mark said they were heart of pine, very durable and would look good once the rest of the paint was removed (I had already removed a lot but couldn't remove the rest).  His worker was unable to get all the paint out of the gouges and the wood still looked "rustic" at best.  After some consultation, the paint was colored over with some wood stain and refinished.  He also had to adjust the stringers because the steps were different depths in places.  Altogether I am pleased with the job and his response.  Mark had several choices of tiles that he could get at a good price, and I was able to pick a light-colored one that brightens the basement, and he had good choices on the grouting - I was able to pick a darker one that won't show the dirt and stains inevitable in grouting.

Thanks to neighbors and the availability of showers at work, I survived three days with no bathroom.  (Not fun in a 1BR, 1 BA unit.) That this gutting of my bathroom down to the studs  and total rehab only took three days is a testament to how hard Merlino's crew worked. They show up early, stay late and clean up thoroughly. I saw one crew member vacuum around the trash bag containing the day's detritus - and the bag was on the sidewalk.  I had a simple shower installed. The quality of the tile installation and finishing was very high.  I stayed home for the first day of this job. I had so much confidence in the crew that I went back to work, giving  them a key to my unit for the remaining two days with the instruction not to trip over a cat. (They didn't.)  I not only would hire Merlino again, I did in December when water damage to my unit caused by another problem required drywall repair and repainting.

Merlino Construction treats all jobs, even my comparatively puny ones, as though they were million dollar rehabs. I recommend them highly and without reservation.

Prior to the start of this job, as is my habit, I had done extensive research, in this case regarding repair of severe flood damage.   I did so, in part,  because I had had no experience with this company  or flood repair of this magnitude, and because I needed to be able to assess the quality of the work recommended and performed.  This research was of particular importance because my condominium association selected this company to perform the repair work on all of the affected units at the condominium's expense.

I was very satisfied with all work performed.  Company was punctual and professional, and work performed was of excellent quality and on the agreed-upon schedule.  The work required two full days.  I remained home during day one to supervise, and also to safeguard my companion animals.  I was confident enough in the manner in which the work was performed during day one that I felt comfortable returning to work during day two.  This was the first, and only time, I have felt comfortable enough with a contractor to leave my companion animals at home alone while work was being performed.

I also was very pleased that the workers allowed me to watch the work being formed and to ask questions.  These workers not only answered my questions courteously, they took the time to explain how to properly mud and tape on my own.  I appreciated this because I do a great deal of my home repair and improvement work on my own.

My only area of concern was that I was unable to reach the head of the company by phone on the second day work was being performed.  Altho0ugh I had only a minor question to ask, I was dismayed that voice.mail messages were not returned especially because the head of the company had been readily available by phone before the work had begun.   

Based on the work performed (as described above) and the estimate received regarding a new project, I plan to use this company again, at my personal expense, to assist me in a long overdue repair and/or redesign project involving my kitchen-dining room pass through.  This work will involve largely mudding, taping, and painting.

Went great. Best price quote we received and the work was done well.

They have been doing work for me for about 5 years. They have been very responsive. I am a quality engineer and I don't recommend people that I don't like and I have recommended them to 5 people. They are very good about cleaning up when they are finished. They are very good and very professional.

I hired Mark at the recommendation of the realtor who sold me my apartment. I liked him a great deal upon meeting him; he is a very affable, funny, and seemingly straight-forward guy. He was very enthusiastic about the building, the unit, and the changes I was hoping to make. However, as soon as work began I quickly lost much of my initial enthusiasm. It was very difficult to get in touch with Mark, or his office manager. The "plans" he drew up for the apartment were almost more like cartoons or scribbles; he didn't even appear to have used a straight edge for the lines. The people he recommended me to a plumbing supply and lighting companies were either useless or no-longer worked at the location he gave me. I ended up doing my own research and ordering my sink, vanity, toilets, faucets, bathroom accessories, and all the lighting for the apartment myself. He gave me no direction. During the project I had to re-direct his crew several times because they were given incomplete or incorrect directions. They were generally messy and, I felt, disrespectful of my space. I had to have several conversations about not smoking in the unit and picking up food and drink containers. Throughout the project the price and the time line kept growing. There were "communication errors" between my building manager and Mark that delayed us further. I would often come over to the apartment I was renting nearby and find the unit empty, despite Mark's assurance that they were working hard to meet my deadline. When I asked about the increase in the bathroom estimates I was told that the fixtures I ordered were "much more expensive" than he had budgeted for; I spent less than $200 on a pedestal sink, $250 on faucets, etc. Not super-cheap, but certainly not surprisingly costly. We missed our deadline by 15 days, and what's more, there were no glass enclosures installed in the two showers for another 6 weeks. Basically we had to shower with towels on the floor surrounding the tub. Since the project was "completed" I have had problems with the paint peeling, a door needs to be re-hung, the plumbing in the master bath leaked to the unit below, the sink was improperly caulked, and the glass on a medicine cabinet was chipped at the corner during installation. The saving grace for Merlino is that the core members of his crew are lovely, and very talented. His "tile man" Roy and his assistant did a beautiful job on two complex, intricate, and floor and wall patterns in both bathrooms. Ed, his electrician is excellent in all respects: he is highly skilled, very practical, a good problem-solver, and even gave me his direct cell number when I mentioned how hard it was to get in touch with Mark or the people in his office. His carpenter/framer is also very good (his name escapes me), and is a good guy all around. I'm not sure how they get along with someone who seems so unreliable, but I guess they have something worked out. Disappointing.

VERY PROFESSIONAL AND EXCELLENT QUALITY WORKMANSHIP... IT'S ESPECIALLY NICE HAVING WORKERS IN WHOM MY HUSBAND AND I TRUST COMPLETELY. THEY WERE VERY GOOD IN LISTENING TO OUR DESIGN WANTS AND ENSURING THAT OUR 'WANTS' WERE FEASIBLE IN OUR HOME. THEY ALSO WORKED VERY WELL WITH OUR DESIGNER IN SOURCING MATERIALS AND PRODUCTS WE FOUND...