Britton Homes LLC

This was a very big project, and Britton Homes managed everything with great care, professionalism, attention to every detail. The owner, Jim Britton, was always available and responsive to every question or change of plan. When some problems arose Jim was quick to resolve them efficiently. The entire crew working with him is just as professionaL, The project manager, Jason, is very thorough, thoughtful and responsive. The carpenter ,Ryan, is truly  talented, building bookshelves in my living room from a photo, making them look as if they had always been there. The electricians, plumbers, painters are top notch. My home was left in perfect condition each day, and the final result is more than everything I had hoped.
I would recommend Britton Homes without hesitation!

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Although we eventually contracted with another builder, I would recommend Britton Homes to anyone seeking a reliable, high-quality builder.

Jim followed up with me with this email, and we each wished each other the best:
Wells,
It was a pleasure meeting you the other day.  I have thought long about the project and I don't think it is a good fit form my company.  We are general contractors and our typical project is in excess of $50,000 dollars.  I think you need a smaller company that will do most of the work them selves and they will hire a plumber and an electrician.
I want to thank you for considering our company for this project.  Good luck and I hope you are successful getting it done.
Thanks
-- 
Jim Britton

Britton Homes did a total remodel and renovation of our finished basement. I'll simply say that this organization is exactly what you want when you go looking for a design/build firm. They are consummate professionals, highly responsive, willing to make recommendations, and totally transparent. We are completely satisfied with a 12 week project costing near $200K that completely took over our entire lower level while we were occupying the house. I'm not sure there's much more to say than that. Easily my strongest recommendation of any home service provider I have encountered.

Highlights:

 - easy to get in touch with and highly communicative from the outset (found on Angie's List)

 - provided the most detailed and thorough estimate of any provider I contacted, very competitive price

 - professional and respectful throughout the process

 - operated very close to projected schedule

 - easily reachable and provided good updates throughout the duration

 - maintained flexibility for change items that emerged after work began

 - stayed on budget, provided detailed analysis at project close for variances

 - good workmanship and subcontractor coordination throughout

 - quickly addressed punch list and follow up item after project was complete

The estimate was high and it was not for what I wanted. If they would have asked more questions about the project I anticipate the quote would be more reasonable.

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We underestimated the cost of a major remodel, but feel 100% confident that Britton provided the most accurate estimates and the most realistic expectations of any of the remodel experts we talked to.

They didn't come out to the house, but had a phone interview with me.  The gentleman was very honest about what I could expect in terms of pricing and we both felt that it would not be a good fit for us.  They would not do something for less than $60000.00 which for my neighborhood would be overpriced and we would not recoop our outlay.  Polite and nice about it, but it wasn't going to work.

We had a 30 minute phone call to consult on the nature of my two projects.  Given the scope of the work I was looking to get done and the requirements involved in completing the work, Jim advised me against one of the projects and provided some excellent resources for research into ROI for the other project.  I was able to use those resources to guide my decisions on how to proceed.

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We contracted Britton Homes LLC to renovate our kitchen to specifications created by our architect, Hundred Acre Design of Worcester MA.  Jim Britton (Owner) asked for a copy of the architect's plans ahead and arrived at our first meeting with a very detailed quote sheet.  Jim brought in his subcontractors (electrical/plumbing/carpentry) a few days after our initial meeting to firm up his quote and impressed our architect so much with his detail and knowledge that we hired him a week later.

Jim's crew was very conscientious about dust mitigation, setting up double dust barriers in the stairwell leading to the bedrooms, and they even moved our refrigerator (which was to remain after the renovation) to the dining room so we could continue to "live" during the construction.  Demolition was completed in one day!!!  Carpenters arrived the following week and started framing-out the new foyer wall to create the half bath/wet bar space and the new kitchen layout took shape immediately!!!

We had spec'd out cabinets with a local manufacturer but Jim recommended using Matt Dipilato of Ashland Cabinets in Southborough MA, which he used frequently, and they turned out beautiful!!  Matt worked very well with our architect and her design of the kitchen, he was also able to order cabinets to form a sitting bench in the back entry to the kitchen, and he had sources for the half bath vanity which fit perfectly to our architects specifications!  He even waited to see where a new wall was going to end up before ordering and installing a broom closet cabinet which fit perfectly!  Matt utilized Cabico Cabinets of Canada to construct the cherry cabinetry and they are amazing!!!

Jim also recommended Sudbury Granite and Marble of Mendon MA for our counter tops and they turned out fantastic!!!  Their templater noticed during his laser measuring that the flange of the copper sink in the wet bar was going to be too wide for the depth of the counter and that we had forgotten to include the wraparound back splash of the wet bar in our calculation for back splash tile, so we were able to re-order both in time so that there were no delays in installation!

Part of the construction was also to correct a stair hand railing leading up to the second floor and Jim had a great idea to move it to the opposite wall so that it was a continuous railing from top to bottom!  Jim's carpenter also noticed that the top of the existing wainscoting in the stairwell was going to overlap the new hand railing and recommended redoing the upper half of the wainscoting so that no pinching would occur at the overlap point.

We appreciated that Jim utilized email in most of our later discussions (as we were at work during the day) and that he was able to communicate with his subcontractors via text/email/photos when issues arrived.

All in all, we are very pleased with the renovation and enjoy the kitchen space so much that we eat most of our meals at the peninsula in the kitchen!!

We found the Britton team to be an absolute pleasure to deal with; very professional, with top-notch customer service. The quality of the work is outstanding and we love the final product. Patrick and Dan did a great job communicating with us throughout the entire project. We highly recommend them and would use them again for a future project.

Every day when I get up in the morning and gaze at our yard from our brand new kitchen, I smile and thank Jim, Dan, and Patrick Britton. It?s been almost a year since the end of the project. We could not be happier.
When we first met with Jim in November of 2012, we were more prepared than most homeowners contemplating a major home improvement project. My wife is an architect, and we had a vision and a pretty tight set of plans. We met with three general
contractors with a ton of great reviews on Angie?s list. Based on the same set of plans, these three firms came up with a rough estimate of what our project would cost. Britton Homes? estimate was a bit lower than the second one, and a full 30% lower than the highest estimate we received. On that basis, we paid Jim $2K to generate a solid estimate/budget based on a detailed examination of our plans and actual bids from the main subs: rough carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. I know many homeowners balk at this kind of arrangement and do not want to pay anything up front. Personally, I would not trust any estimate that has been provided ?for free.? From the GC?s point of view, a small financial commitment (small as a proportion of the project cost) sends a strong signal that you are serious, and then they will invest the 15-20 hours that is required to generate a realistic budget.
When Patrick and Jim came back to us with a detailed budget, it was only a bit higher than originally thought, and we spent the next two months refining it. Though we only signed a contract in February 2013, in truth our decision to go with Britton Homes had been taken a few months earlier. We felt we were dealing with a professional firm. Jim is a straight shooter and has an even-keeled demeanor that makes him a great fit for his chosen profession. His sons, Patrick and Dan, are equally creative and resourceful.
And then the project began. Slowly through the excavation and concrete foundation phase, then picking up speed with the rough carpentry (they work with a phenomenal carpenter). We had plenty of drama with our structural engineer, a super knowledgeable guy and a colleague of my wife, who engineered our house to withstand an earthquake of 10 on the Richter scale. And we had plenty of other drama over the course of the project, none of it major, and most of it caused by us, the homeowners. It really helped to have Jim by our side, because he has seen it all and is utterly unflappable.
In a review like this, it is important to ?keep it real.? This was a big project, and there were moments of frustration with some of the subs. But it all got resolved, to our complete satisfaction. A project that was supposed to last six months and a half lasted 8 months. Some of that happened because we changed our mind and there was (moderate) scope creep; Some of that happened because of unforeseen contingencies (e.g., weather); and some of that happened because of imperfect communication between Britton Homes and their subs. But throughout the project, there was no point during which we felt Britton Homes dropped the ball. There was activity on the site almost every day.
In terms of quality, we are also very happy. My architect-wife has very high standards and a very good eye for workmanship. Some subs were more impressive/organized than others. The HVAC sub in particular lost their project manager mid-way
through our project. Continuity was not great, which meant many visits to finish the job. But they did finish it. We are comfortable in the winter, cool in the summer, and despite increasing the square footage of our house by 50%, our utility bill is basically the same as it was before. In my view, the final outcome matters much more than the process. The electricity and plumbing subs
were awesome. So were the guys doing the fine carpentry.
Finally, there is the question of cost. We spent $100K more on this project than we anticipated (a good thing that we did not set the initial budget at our max!). I?d say that 75% of that is because we changed our mind on things and expanded the scope of the project while it was going on. For example, we built a much nicer deck (Ipe wood, metal railing) than initially agreed at the time we contracted out with Britton Homes. The fine carpentry work was also more involved. I would estimate that $20K (or 3% of the final budget) were extras that Britton Homes asked us to pay for. We agreed to pay without grumbling too much because the explanation they gave us was always solid, and they always shared the burden of these extra costs 50/50 with us. Of course, we could have pointed to our contract and refused to pay for these extras. But then how could we expect them to be flexible when we made changes to our design? This kind of give-and-take is essential in a project like this. When these issues arose, enough trust had been established that we managed to move swiftly passed them. At no point did we feel Britton Homes was taking advantage of us.
Any home renovation project always presents unforeseen challenges and drama. What one is looking for in a GC is a partner to help navigate and overcome the inevitable crises. Britton Homes is exactly this kind of partner, and we could not recommend them more highly.

My experience with Britton Homes regarding the basement finishing and remodeling was great. To begin with, Patrick Britton was the first one to respond out of three contractors I had contacted. He was out at the site the next day to understand the project and had even provided me with a detailed estimate and suggested different options to consider even before the others had responded! I did not wait to hear from the others.

My main consideration was to engage someone who would complete the work professionally with minimal inputs and checks from me given my inexperience (being my first project) and the little time I had to devote to this. This is exactly what happened. I was given a day wise schedule, work began promptly and to a large extent ahead of schedule. The crew was extremely punctual and professional.

We had some small issues with the flooring and some ductwork, both of which were managed by third parties. When I discussed this with Patrick, both of these were taken care of promptly. Overall, I felt like being able to complete a substantial project with great peace of mind and with no delays and issues. thanks to Britton Homes!

We live in an 840 sq ft condo in the city and were about to have another baby. We love our house and our neighborhood and didn't want to moved. We needed to make some adjustments to make the house meet our needs more efficiently and open up some space. Patrick was our initial and main contact during the contract/close-out phase, and then worked primarily with his brother Dan during the construction phase. This was the first time we have ever ventured into the world of contractors and home-renovation, so we did a lot of homework to find the right company. Upon meeting Patrick, I felt immediately at ease - he wasn't trying to upsell us out of our budget, but was upfront about which aspects of our plan may put us beyond our budget. He didn't rush us through the preliminary process, but kept us focused and on-task. He coordinated our contact with partners to help with cabinets and countertops (who were also wonderful to work with). Dan was similarly available and responsive during the project.
Because of the layout of our house and type of project, we had to leave our house for the 6 weeks they planned to do the work. They were on time and got us back in our house as soon as possible.
Since returning to our house, the renovations have made all the difference - the changes have significantly opened up the space and made our home much more comfortable. Our guests all remark on the quality of the work and the overall effect of broadening the space without changing the footprint.
I could not be more satisfied, and I know we have made a tremendous investment in our home and will win-out upon resale!

As a couple that both work in a client service industries, we live by the motto, it's not if something goes wrong during your project, it's how it is handled when it does.  Jim Britton runs his business this way and it is very refreshing to work with a contractor that does.  We had our project bid on by 4 different GCs.  Jim's proposal was by far the most timely and included the most detail.  He accounted for everything that we discussed during our meeting which is something that none of the other contractors did.  This was a great first impression.  We did our homework and spoke to several of his clients - former and current - as well as visited multiple projects they had completed or were working on.  After being impressed by the quality of the final product, we decided to award the work to Jim and his team.  We are thrilled that we did.  
Jim and his team have been very accommodating to our schedules and our seemingly overwhelming meticulousness.  Not once has Jim complained about my onsite requirement (me being home when work is performed) or my occasional checking in throughout the day.  Each of his subs has been top notch - plumbing, tile, electrical and custom cabinet maker - all have shown the same level of dedication to mine and my wife's satisfaction that Jim has.  Jim personally has gone above and beyond on several fronts to ensure that the end result was exactly what we wanted.  This includes multiple iterations of stain samples - including ones he mixed custom - for our cabinetry as well as extremely detailed plans for the tile layout.  This proved critical to the success of the project as the bathroom is tiled from floor to ceiling.  We can't thank Jim enough for caring about our project this much.
Back to my opening line, what how are problems handled because any medium-large project inevitably encounters a problem or two.  When a problem did arise Jim was onsite the same day to hear our concerns.  Not once did he get defensive or try to deflect blame.  He acknowledged the problem and committed to fixing it and he did.  We have built 2 homes and have undertaken several medium size improvement projects.  We can tell you from experience that this is a rare trait in the construction industry and one for which we are very thankful.  
In terms of the rating on price, as I said above, Jim's proposal was very detailed and the price was among the higher of the bids we received; however we were more comfortable with the price given the level of detail.  The B rating is not attributed to the higher price point but the overages on some materials that we simply didn't have the experience to know were under-estimated (shower glass for example).  Overall, we are tracking about 5% above the proposal which is a pretty strong performance.  
Overall, we loved having Jim and his team complete our project.  We can't say enough good things about the quality of the work and the attentiveness of the team.  We happily recommend them to anyone.

Fantastic experience! After listening to years of home renovation horror stories from our friends, (endless delays, disappearing contractors and subs, hidden costs, changing specs, cost overruns etc) we  dreaded starting this project. But during the process of interviewing prospective contractors we were impressed immediately by Jim B., and felt that we could rely on his years of experience and knowledge of residential renovation.
Jim was patient during the contract negotiations and helpful answering our questions. When we signed the final agreement it was just a week prior to the agreed on demo start date. I left on a European business trip the day before the date, was out of touch for a week and returned not only with the demo complete and all debris removed from the property, but construction already well underway. One of the really amazing things about Britton is the clockwork precision with which he schedules the subcontractors. And this job had every trade imaginable from tile setters to electricians to plumbers to custom carpentry to marble and glass fabricators. It could have been a nightmare of delays but thanks to Britton it moved at lightning speed.  And absolutely painless. If some dimension was off  or there was a need to confer all it took was an email or a call and they were right on it. No arguing, no "that will cost more", no "this will cause a delay". Just discuss, agree on a solution and implement. 
Don't underestimate the value of that. We were back in using the bathroom within 5 weeks of demo (using some fixtures in less time) with only minor details left to complete. Smooth going every step of the way, no big surprises and no disappointments. We know people who went with friends' companies for auld lang syne and were moaning  months later that they saw no end in sight. I know people who went through a 1 1/2 year kitchen renovation! We saw significant progress every single week of the duration, without any delays that weren't necessary due to the sequence of installation.
And do we like the finished product? We LOVE it. When we show our friends, their jaws drop. The Britton crew's attention to detail, all supervised by Dan B. , was impeccable. The full glass shower with marble walls and stone cut onyx floor and wall accent was especially tricky but they pulled it off like they designed it themselves (which was good because the bath designer neglected to answer our calls or emails immediately after she cashed her check--you might consider making a half upfront, half on completion of the job pay schedule for a designer if you want them to be around to answer questions about how to install what they designed).
The price was fine, no complaints. Its stupid to ante up for a major lifetime project like this and try to cut costs rather than paying for top service and quality. The incremental price is peanuts amortized over the life. But concerning price, Jim was the lowest bidder for the job among the full service contractors. Although that was true I really chose Britton because I liked him and I trusted his long experience. He said we could trust him and normally that alone would make me run the other way, but in this case something about him said that we really could. And it was true!  We did affect certain savings. We elected to purchase our own fixtures and by doing so, chose top of the line everything at the ultimate bargain prices by shopping internet supplier sales. All the info you need about quality recommendations at various price points is right on the internet. For plumbing fixtures check out starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets2.htm. Since I was buying the items rather than the contractor, I began the deal scouting process months before the job was underway and had plenty of time to find the real discounts for the top quality items. Don't believe that you're getting a deal through a contractor---you don't. You can do at least 25% and sometimes 50% better yourself---ALWAYS. On major items that saves you thousands!  I saved $1500 on the freestanding tub alone. And I had the full range of fixtures to choose from, not restricted to the lines carried by the  supplier the contractor has his accounts with. That's just another racket. Everything was delivered (free shipping) on my instructions and Jim or Dan and I coordinated the receipt with their installation schedule. Not one problem.
Workmanship and professionalism were exhibited throughout the project by everyone involved from Jim and Dan B down to every last tradesman. The tile setter cut his hand severely on the wet saw, went to the hospital on his lunch hour to have it bandaged, and finished out the day with one more perfect job. The guy was an artist. The demolition was accomplished in one day and every piece of debris removed. Each day during construction the room was cleaned and set straight. The carpets were covered carefully through the path from front door to bath, and dust panels installed over the doorway. Every effort was made to minimize the disruption to our house. We really appreciated that.
The guys were all fun to be around. It was like having a group of friends in helping on a home improvement project.  They were pleasant and polite and respectful of our home. Very professional group. They were always helpful and liked to comment on  the progress and offer their own suggestions. They cared that much about everything being the best it could be.It was a pleasure to work with them. in fact we came to think of Jim and Dan as our contractors and our friends,  and we came to trust and rely on their advice.
In fact I started saying we dreaded the experience but it turned out to be fantastic. Much better than we anticipated. And all of the above explain why. Classic professionalism, quality workmanship and responsiveness. Those are the traits that Britton brought to make our job a success. We predict that any project he takes on will be handled with the same skill and attention to quality and detail. And you'll be just as happy with the outcome as we are.

We are very pleased with the outcome.  I would question some of our choices with the recommendations from Ferguson bath supplies and especially the Kohler tub heater which was not at all what was expected and does not work in the way described.

It went smooth as these things go but every every time there was a hick-up there was no problem getting hold of anyone and they responded quickly. They do multiple jobs at once but you always felt that yours was a priority of there's, when the job was complete some areas of the job came in under budget and the money was returned to us that was very surprising, we would have never known this. Most contractors not all but most would have viewed this as found money. We are know doing our kitchen over and we didn't have to look for a contractor there is a lot to be said for knowing that you will get everything you paid for and the best job humanly possible. One more thing we didn't meet all the subcontractors but they all seem to conduct them selves in a similar fashion I would recommend then all

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We contacted Jim Britton in late spring 2013, and after two visits, including an expert in the sliding door area, Jim provided a comprehensive written estimate within a week.  Jim was very patient, and went over all of the details with us.  We mutually settled on a start date of September, and he and his team arrived on schedule.  The entire project went off without a hitch, all of the milestones in the contract were made on time, the project did not exceed the estimate, the quality of the work was outstanding.  The team cleaned up after each visit and we were kept apprised if they had any questions, and kept us in the loop on progress.  Communication was excellent,  They completed the job on schedule, and there were two follow up calls to make sure we were satisfied with the job.  I recommend Jim and his team very highly, and we will be engaging them for additional work in the spring.

Jim Britton and his team are truly exceptional -- both in service and quality of work. This is a family business, and indeed it is run with the attentiveness and personal touches that one would expect from family!  Our home went from an ordinary 1960's Cape with virtually no updates, to an exquisite home, still of modest size but with  elegant, airy, modern rooms, new large doorways and French doors, closets and flooring, totally remodeled and amazingly transformed kitchen and upstairs bathroom,  updated finished basement with added bathroom, a lovely 4 season sunroom converted from a screened porch and a backyard deck which beautifully complements the house. Family and friends can't stop raving about the transformation--its really a new home at a fraction of what we would have spent to buy a new one in the affluent town in which we live.  Jim's precision, master craftmanship and excellent planning and coordination culminated in an amazing finished product within a timespan of essentially four months--including some brutally cold days in January.
Each and every worker was professional, prompt, honest, friendly, and went way beyond expectation in what they offered and provided. Their attention to detail was remarkable and they often noticed--even before we did-- the inevitable imperfections that will occur even in the best of jobs. On the occasions that we asked for a change or correction  it was performed promptly and perfectly.  Some examples (among many too numerous to list here) regarding their excellent service: they were extremely patient and gracious about my obsessiveness and changeability regarding choice of paint colors, their painter (Germain Escalante) was extremely helpful in providing suggestions and flawless painting and refinishing; Jim Britton (owner) hired a piano tuner to check and tune the piano after it had been moved (but not damaged); one of the workers (Jack) found a set of valuable antique silver utensils tucked away in an old closet that we had forgotten about and set them neatly aside for us; Jim always went the extra mile to  research and solve problems that they had not created but anticipated might occur. They provided consultation and work on efficient heating and came by recently to review and update some features at no extra charge. The quality of their work was impeccable. The carpentry (moldings on walls and ceilings, window frames) was phenomenal. The kitchen design worked beautifully. The wood flooring, which was not replaced, was beautifully refinished (after 50 years of wear) to being like new. Electrical work and plumbing were flawless. They subcontracted central air conditioning for us at a very reasonable cost. They are not a low-budget operation but not more expensive  than other estimates we had gotten, and their price is truly worth what they deliver. Moreover, they made many suggestions which actually saved us money. Jim was also very careful to stick by his estimates, and gave us fair warning if something further we might want would take us over budget. He also made it his practice to give us credit when an item might -- even unbeknownst to us -- come under budget. On the very few occasions when an error occurred, Jim without any hesitation simply ate the cost and proceeded  to correct the problem.   Britton Homes refers to their clients as "customers for life"--a very good position to be in for anyone who is lucky enough to reap the benefits of their outstanding work and service. I can't say enough good things about them--and am extremely grateful to Angie's List for bringing them to our attention!

I was really impressed with the professionalism shown by Britton in executing this project.  We started and finished on schedule.  If Dan said that an electrician, or framer, or painter, or plumber was going to show up at 8am the next morning, the person would be there before time.  Each activity was planned and executed to the plan.  
The quality of the work was excellent.  
The scope of work was defined really well, so if and when there were additional things I wanted done, there was no ambiguity and I was happy to pay for the changes.  A few things that were related to the scope but needed some tweaking, Britton did without extra cost to me.

Patrick was very responsive to my request for a project quote for a kitchen remodel. He was very professional and gave us an honest assessment. Unfortunately we weren't able to work out with Patrick because of some specific needs we have for our project, but I would certainly recommend him in the future.