Renaissance Development LLC

JJ from Renaissance came and did review. Said that most (>90%)of the mortar was in good shape and not in need of repair. He pointed out some areas at the top of the SE exterior corner of our bay window where the mortar was a different color and texture and looked like a patch job done incorrectly with some sort of caulk or other material. He said they do not do patch jobs and recommended I find a handyman to fix that corner. He also noted that we do not have a gutter system anywhere on the front of the house. None of the houses on our block built by the same builder have gutters either. He said we may want to consider having them added to control water. He also examined the front steps and said that they would be able to repair them and have repaired steps of this brownstone material before and that they have a source for them (quarry in potomac). He took pics and said he would have the company's owner Dr. C Wilson contact us with an estimate. A few weeks later I received the following email: Per your request, I have evaluated your front steps and front exterior façade for tuckpointing. I stopped by your house briefly earlier this week to get a better sense of the work in person. As JJ mentioned during your meeting, your most immediate problem on the front façade is the built in gutter and metal flashing around your turret. Although the damage on the brick walls is obvious, it doesn?t make sense to address it until you have a roofing company evaluate the roofing/metalwork. It will most certainly need to be repaired or replaced. Although I believe that you expressed interest in obtaining an estimate just for tuckpointing this immediate area, we do not do what I call ?spot tuckpointing? on select or isolated portions of brick facades. The entire front façade is in need of tuckpointing in its entirety. If you?d like an estimate for this scope of work, please let me know. Your front steps are tricky because they were constructed of extremely soft stone that does not wear well after decades of foot traffic. Your best bet is to contact a company that specializes in restoring stone exclusively. I would start with Rugo Stone or Cathedral Stone and go from there.I hope this information is useful. Good luck and thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to help you with your wonderful historic rowhouse. Dr. Christina K. Wilson Renaissance Development LLC My main disappointment was that I was initially told they could address the steps, but later found out they couldn't. At least they came out on a "small job," which I have not been able to get any other contractors to do. Here's a hint, contractors of DC: if you do a "small" job, worth a few thousand, I will know who to call when I need a "big" job done on the rest of my 110-year-old, 5,000 sq-ft. building. Just sayin'.

They wasted six weeks of our time without finalizing a simple estimate. If this is how they behave trying to bid for the job, then I can only assume the worst about Renaissance once they have a deposit and a contract.

After an initially rocky start (I wrote the bad review on 10/28/2010 after internal confusion prevented a timely quote), Christina contacted me to make things right. I decided to go with Renaissance Masonry and am glad I did. It took the crew (typically four to eight friendly guys) just six work days to get everything done, and they had a good attitude about listening to how details should be handled. The house looks very sharp and my minor water leakage should be a thing of the past. Tip 1: If you have garden plants near the worksite you don't want crushed, remove them, because all the foot traffic, materials, and dust can be destructive -- it goes with the territory. Tip 2: Ensure everyone knows what must be done: the owner, production manager, and foreman don't always tell each other what's needed beyond bare-bones tuckpointing, e-mails may be overlooked, and you need to ensure the foreman understands the scope of work. Dr. Christina Wilson is serious about getting the job done right. She ensured that everything in the scope of work was properly completed. Renaissance Masonry understands the importance of a lasting polished result, and did a great job.

I left a message looking for driveway repair and got a quick call back. Turns out they no longer do driveway repair. Nonetheless the owner called up my house on google earth, looked at the driveway and the yard and gave me about 15 minutes worth of free advice about what I should do and what kind of contractor I needed. That kind of professionalism and passion for your work is so rare, I just had to report it. I wish I could have worked with her!

Dr. Wilson did the estimate and was clearly extremely knowledgeable and educated about this type of work. The workmen did a great job and were very responsive to us. My only caution is to be very clear about what you expect will be done (this was our first adventure into pointing and so we weren't totally clear on the process, this was really on us not them, but I wanted to make the point)--but I would definitely use them again and their work was outstanding.

Dr. Wilson did the initial inspection herself and we were so impressed that we decided to go with her. The team of Dr. Wilson came in on time and worked on exposing the brick wall in our dining room, they were efficient, skilled, knowledgeable and extremely careful not to dirty the house. The final product was amazing and the result well worth it. Great job well done and will definitely use them again. I recommend anyone who has a tough job of painting, masonery etc to use the services of Renaissance Development LLC.

Renaissance Development was very helpful over the phone. They were prompt in calling me back and checking on how the project went. I needed someone to come repair the wall on short notice and the were very helpful in meeting the immediate need. Everyone I talked to was extremely friendly and professional. Their rate ($150 per hour, 2hr minimum) was a bit high, but I think worth it in the end, as they did excellent work and were available on short notice. The crew was careful to minimize dust in the rest of the house by taping off the area to be fixed and they removed all the debris, even some construction debris that wasn't theirs! I will definitely call them if I ever have future tuckpointing or other masonry needs.

Christina pledged that her employee check out my wall's condition, and that Renaissance would provide a repointing quote the next week. I never received a quote, and a my status request weeks later was ignored -- not so much as an explanation or excuse. A more responsive masonry contractor personally visited the house, quickly followed up with a helpful quote, and communicated with me -- not that hard. This experience as a potential customer paints an unfavorable picture of Renaissance Development's reliability and service.

They called the day of (when I was already at home waiting) and rescheduled with me twice - then simply tried to get me to email a digital photo of the request to them to get my estimate. The lady (Geneveve - AKA Jenna) was really polite and all (and I'm not at all complaining about her professionalism) but the bottom line is that I don't think my project had a high enough dollar value for them so they kept pushing me at the bottom of their to-do list. If you have a high dollar, high margin project they might treat you better but my experience has not been great...

We consulted with several masonry firms to point up our 1925 Wardman-style rowhouse on Capitol Hill. Unless brick and mortar is kept in good repair, water can leak in and then freeze and thaw which accelerates deterioration. We knew we had some loose bricks and some rotting masonry joints in several areas. The market seems to divide into those whose bids come in cheap and fast and possibly not very good and those that come in probably very good and fast but not very cheap. Another divide in the market were those firms who take on patch or partial repairs and those who only do the full house. Renaissance Construction is in the latter camp. We chose the latter and were very happy with Renaissance Construction. They are experts in DC brick renovation and know their bricks and mortars and when and how they were used from the District's earliest days. Christina Wilson is the involved owner-manager who has assembled a crack management team and skilled and very hard working craftsmen. They started when they said they would and finished well before they said they would. They were very professional and courteous and solicitous of our neighbors who had to put up with noise and dust. As we discussed the contract, Christina was intent on making sure that our neighbors, would be minimally inconvenienced. They were as were we. The one major glitch was that the workers left piece of plywood on the outside air-conditioner unit (placed there to keep the dust out of the condenser) overnight. A thermal safety switch in the unit tripped to prevent overheating. On site manager JJ immediately took responsibility and said that Renaissance would pay for the HVAC service call. No checking with the boss; the on-site guy had authority. In the end, we liked the clean and exposed look so well that we decided not to spend several thousand more dollars painting.

I'm very pleased with their work. They did a careful job. It looks great.

There were come communications misfires in the begining and it took a while to get the project scheduled, but the owner contacted me personally and gave me a discount for my inconvenience. The actual masons were very professional, did a great job, and cleaned everything up nicely. I defintely recommend this company, but advise anyone using them to excercise patience.

My wife and I were extremely pleased by our experience with this company, whose performance fully lived up to the high praise cited by previous customers on Angie's List. The company's president, Dr. Wilson, came personally to our house to discuss options for repair and help us develop solutions that were aesthetically pleasing and reasonably priced. The crews used were highly skilled, efficient, well mannered and exceptionally neat. The crew chief was not only an excellent bricklayer and stone cutter but also demonstrated an exceptional eye for pattern and design. As a result, our front steps and walkway have been transformed from one of the most unsightly on our block of 14 similar townhouses to the envy of the neighborhood. Our rear parking places are of similar high quality. The only downside to our experience was that the company was several days late in getting started with the project, apparently due to a combination of heavy demand for its services and the apparent illness of at least one key worker. However, Dr. Wilson, was prompt in responding personally to our concerns and went out of her way to reassure us that we would not be disappointed. Her hands on attitude from start to finish was greatly appreciated. My wife and I heartily recommend this company to anyone need restorative masonry work. While the pictures of the results on the company's website were quite helpful in visualizing the company's capabilities, in our case the actual results look even better than the pictures.

Renaissance Development?s contractor, Christina Wilson, was very knowledgeable, timely in her response, and came up with some great ideas concerning our retaining and fence. Her crew was professional and kept the worksite and our place clean. Our project only took four days since the crew was on site every day until the job was done.

The finished product is outstanding. You cannot even tell which bricks were replaced. The window wells look fantastic too. They do meticulous work, arrive promptly, clean up after themselves and are very pleasant to work with. A misunderstanding about the scope of the work at the beginning of the job was quickly rectified. I also like the fact that once they start a job, they stay to finish it and do not bounce around to different jobs. They were very organized. The owner, Christina, kept on top of everything.

Working with Renaissance was a wonderful experience. They were extremely professional, checking in with me to see if I had additional questions, letting me know when there were delays due to rain, etc. They also met specific requests regarding the appearance and type of brick I wanted to use. The results look fabulous. I did a lot of research by interviewing several companies and Renaissance was easily the best. The crew was always on-time and courteous. I would highly recommend them, and plan to use them for the back of the house. The best part was that I was contacted directly by Dr. Wilson (the company owner) regarding any concerns, even though she had several staff members that could have easily done this.

Initially contacted early Feb for an estimate for retaining wall only. Promptly received call back that same day and received estimate Feb 10 with the recommendation that I also have the driveway redone as well. To do both was my original plan, so I was pleased to receive the revised proposal for both and signed contract Mar 10. Project to started Mar 16 with a "pre-production" meeting for JJ and Nelson and crew. Work continued up to concrete poured for driveway on May 19. No work done over weekend to allow the driveway to cure. Work resumed following week and completed Mar 24. Throughout the project, JJ, Nelson and crew were courteous, neat and efficient.

This was a very good experience -- the owner came out to look at the job and gave an accurate estimate of the scope and cost of the work. The workmen arrived on time and they were friendly, efficient and clean. They also did beautiful work and cleaned up afterward. This is a first-rate company who's owner and employees understand historic construction and historic preservation standards of Capitol Hill. I would hire them again.

It took a week or so for my initial calls to be returned but eventually I made an appointment with Dr. Wilson for an estimate. She was pleasant, professional and very knowledgeable. She provided detailed information of what needed to be done. The written estimate was well written and thorough. The workers were polite and hard working. Clean up was good. The most important thing is the bricks came out looking really good. I am very happy with the work and would surely use the company again-BP

I had a very unnatractive exposed brick wall. The joints needed to be tuckpointed for appearance and dust abatement purposes. I contacted Renaissance Development from Angies List given the very high marks from past customers. I was also acquainted with the company from an experience some years past. I have hired masons in the past and had absolutely terrible experiences. Old brick rowhouses can only be tuck pointed with special mortar mixes that do not contain any portland cement. This fact is lost on most masons. The owner of Renaissance Development is well aware of this condition and only uses appropriate mixes. The team that came in was very professional, worked quickly and was extemely careful to be very clean. Again, their attention to detail and cleanliness was wonderful. It took the team less than a day to tuck point and the follow up with a coat of sealer. I would highly recommend this company. They are well worth the money.

I expected them to be good because I?ve seen their work around town. We were surprised on top of excellent. Their mason went above and beyond to make the cinder blocks on the back of the garage match an older type of block; he did something with concrete on top of the cinder blocks to change the look of them. I would absolutely use them again.

They showed up after I called them and gave me an estimate. We went back and forth on a few of the fine tuning. They showed up on time for the work and did an excellent job. Their price was very competitive.

First of all, I have to say that my experience with Renaissance Development, its owner Dr. Christina Wilson and her crew, headed by Nelson and J.J. was truly phenomenal. I have had work done on various residences for several decades now. Without reservation, RD was the finest company that I have ever hired. Hire these folks and you'll never be sorry, period I canvassed several masons/renovation companies over several days. While none of them would turn down a job, Christina appeared particularly straightforward. That she also has her Ph.D., does renovation of older homes and is an architect impressed me, too. Anyway, the day following my call, she came to my residence for a free estimate. Right off, she began saving us money: I had thought that a large retaining wall had to be replaced. "No, " said Christina, we would be unable to match the brick and tuck pointing would do the job. This advice cost her $10,000. She could just as easily agreed to do the work at my expense, literally. I like honesty. Next, we walked the job. She pointed out a number of items that I hadn't noticed, together with the work that I wanted done. When it came time to price the job, done at the time of her visit, it was suddenly "you get a discount for this, a discount for that." It was hard to believe. Her price for the job was more than reasonable. And, she wanted to start right away! I hired her/RD on the spot. Her crew, headed by Nelson, and her construction manager, J.J. showed up on time and with a full complement on the appointed day, five days after the estimate. These guys really worked hard. They started in immediately. Incidentally, Christina informed me that she vets her crew members. To us, this was also an important consideration as we are leery of strangers tromping through our home. As only one an example of their desire to complete a first rate job and one to our satisfaction, there was a minor misunderstanding over the area for the stone garbage area. Despite their having already excavated nearby, when I pointed out that it was meant to be in another area, they accepted this without complaint and did the extra work involved, no charge. In fact, Christina checked in by email and phone daily to ensure that there were no issues. The crew's masonry work was exceptional. Not only did they give a whole new look to the house, by filling in settling cracks, but the color of the mortar blended perfectly. The retaining wall now looks new. RD paid particularly attention to their stone work. We had a stone platform constructed for a fire pit in our garden. This required a good deal of stonecutting, leveling, a proper porous base for the stone, etc. It's beautiful. The crew (J.J. and Nelson) even asked me for the pattern for the stone; they matched it to our patio perfectly. The punchlist was diminimus. I could go on, and on, and on, but you get the idea. In sum, we had a wildly successful experience with Christina and RD. For quality, speed and service, RD was unsurpassed. Incidentally, it's worth noting that we were given a previous estimate of $25,000 for the same work but including the retaining wall prior to our closing this year. Even if one adds in the (unnecessary) rebuilding of the retaining wall, we still saved approximately $7000. And, the honest costing of the work actually saved us around $17,000. I simply don't see a way that one can beat that.

I recalled meeting Christina Wilson in our neighborhood about a year and a half ago, and found her through Angie's List -- and desperately called for advice. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and definitely sympathetic to how I was (literally) digging a deeper hole with every effort in this simple task. She surmised that the wall problem was from the construction made of old-style lime and sand composite. As a Capitol Hill neighbor, she's aware of the late 19th Century construction methods and sent one of her supervisory workmen to take a look since he was a few streets away and finishing up a project. He was very courteous and offered advice as well as assurance that if I wasn't successful at my do-it-myself effort, I should call on Christina, knowing that they could schedule work for Monday (I had called and received their help late on a Friday afternoon, so this was very responsive). After more than a dozen years in this house, with off-and-on avoidance of hanging anything on the lime-composite walls, they came up with a fix that worked !

Great job. They responded promptly to the original inquiry, gave us reference sites to visit to inspect in-progress and completed work, did the work quickly and professionally and on schedule, and cleaned up neatly during the job and afterward. The wall looks great - it's too bad that it's in a private alley and not at the front of our house where we can show it off. On their way out on the last day, they also did an impromptu fill-in of a gap that had formed between our brick front steps and the brick front wall of the house. That last bit was completely outside the scope and they easily could have declined to help or charged us for it. Again, great job all around.