Firstcall Construction & Restoration

unknown

Our insurance company recommended First Call so Greg came out and assess the basement back on July 22, 2015. Weeks later they had their "siding" guy Jesse come out and he figured out the leak was coming from the window. I told Jesse and Greg we want them to come out and fix the inside and outside of the house. We tore the deck ourselves in preparations. We waited weeks then turned into months before they sent another contractor (David) to come and basically apologize face to face for the delay. This David guy was nice and apologetic but...I still haven't heard back from him since Sept 15, 2015. I know that contractors are busy but I also want to point out that IF First call was too busy to put me in their schedule book then they should say that and we could have used another company and got the job done months ago. Another thing...they don't return phone calls.

He showed up when I expected and didn't waste any time. I appreciated both of those qualities. The bid was literally twice what others charged (received 4 bids). I asked him if it was right or if he wanted to adjust and never heard back. Because he knew that I had an insurance claim and that I was getting insurance money to make the repairs, I fear that he was being opportunistic. He wanted to see the claim details and estimates from insurance and told me he would quote for the whole job instead of the one part that I asked him to focus on... It was all very odd (and expensive!)

FirstCall was very methodical from start to finish. I had a project manager (Larry) who arranged for everything from scheduling the various contractors to figuring out how to get the right bathroom vanity into place (this was, funnily enough, the hardest part of the whole thing. Took three attempts, and what finally worked was Larry coordinating with FirstCall's cabinetry and countertop contractors to build exactly what was needed...at about half the cost of a custom vanity from a local kitchen/bathroom design firm. The project itself was fairly straightforward - I wanted the majority of my unfinished basement done. (I have a home built in 2008.) I wanted a good-sized guest bedroom and a third bathroom, and the rest of the space was designed in open format for a home office, TV den, and craft space. This was done to my specifications, and the craftsmanship was superb. I have a lovely, well-proportioned finished basement. The project stretched on through the summer and fall, owing to difficulties with my work schedule (there were a few weeks that I worked nights, and could not have workers in during the day when I was sleeping) and a couple of unavoidable delays for illness or accident in the FirstCall team. Larry kept everything organized and on-track, in spite of these difficulties and delays. He had as much care and attention to detail for my project on the last day as he did on the first day. I will definitely be calling them back when I start my next remodeling project.

The cement board siding is cracked. Apparently there was a class action lawsuit regarding the product that they recommended. Now we are left to deal with filling out the papers even though they bought and supplied the siding. We paid FirstCall not the subcontractors. The job site was littered with subcontractors' lunch and garbage. Paint job was so-so. The front windows and door trim were not even painted. Really sad considering we have had great service from them in the past.

The project manager made the initial inspection, scheduled the crew and let us know what to expect at every step. The crew was fast clean and very careful to protect all the areas of foot traffic. They were always on time, kept us completely informed, and did no work until they were sure we knew all our options. They also worked closely with our insurance adjuster during the claim process. I was so grateful to the team. A sewer backup is a nasty experience but this company treated us so well, took care of all the dirty work, were always pleasant and professional and left us with a clean and fresh basement. If we ever have a need for cleaning and restoration work, we will call First Call again.

unknown

Scott Cierzan gave us quote & was able to do the job the next morning. Charge was time & half because it happened on a weekend. Seemed expensive at the time but after seeing their work, thought it was totally worth it to get the basement dried out immediately. Very professional; everything explained in detail; excellent follow through to make sure everything was completely dry and that there was no mold.

fire

The worker was on time. He has a timeline when things should be done. He really did a good job!

Their price was reasonable.

My insurance company contacted them and the representative arrived within an hour to estimate the clean up costs. They were very thorough in recognizing all areas that needed attention. The cleanup and painting started the very next day. The supervisor checked with me repeatedly to see that I was satisfied with their work.

Excellent experience. Called and scheduled appt for following week. Came on agreed upon day. Ripped out old chain link and hauled it away. Filled in spots with dirt. Gave me two estimates depending upon how the fence was installed in the ground. Ended up being the cheaper of the two. Would highly recommend and use again in future.

The experience was excellent. The project was finished on time (would have been ahead of schedule if a supplier hadn't been delayed), the final price was the same as the estimate, and Larry (project manager) and Joe (his assistant) were prompt, professional, and did great work. I'd definitely use First Call again.

see above

They would not call me back

I had a small area in the kitchen needing repair from a mold problem caused by my coffeemaker. Because the problem was caused by mold, the company policy required an entire set up as if the house was completely contaminated. The estimate was around $2300. I did find another vendor who was able to tear out the small contaminated area, spray the area with a mold killer and paint over it with a mold-killing paint, and leave an air cleaner on overnight for less than a quarter of that price so we went with that. However, if I had a large mold contamination problem, I would definitely consider this company.

The company started working the very day of the fire. They spent many days cleaning EVERYTHING in the house before starting to paint. The painting included all the ceilings in my house and most of the walls. Everyone that worked in my home was very professional. They always introduced themselves, worked quietly, and cleaned up at the end of each day. The work continued over several weeks and they were very diligent about checking with me to see if I was satisfied with the work.

I had had a positive experience working with them. They had good communication and good feedback. They do what they say they are going to do. I will use them again in the future.