Essex River Garage Co

Unlike many horror stories you hear about or are unfortunately involved in when dealing with contractors, our story is 180 degrees opposite with regard to John Carpenter and his Essex River Garage Company (phone/fax 1-978-530-1060). The overall journey took six months whereas the actual construction was nine weeks. To get a sense of how this journey went I have highlighted a number of traits with regard to John Carpenter. Responsiveness: -- Within a couple of days of our initial phone contact we had already met and the ideas, plans and designs were already rapidly being developed. -- He was always available when we had a question or concern. If he was on voice mail, which was seldom, the call would be returned in the shortest time possible. Knowledge: -- It became abundantly clear from the first meeting that John was extremely knowledgeable in his field having constructed garages/houses for over 35 years. -- In addition to his carpentry skills he has demonstrated skill in concrete, foundation work and concrete floors. These skills became invaluable and gave us complete confidence when we ran into a few unexpexted issues on this project. Timeliness: -- John was committed to bringing the garage to completion before winter set in. He and his crew were onsite, when necessary, on Saturdays and even a couple of Sundays. Because of this dedication the garage was completed and useable before winter. -- He was masterful in scheduling the subs and his own crew to minimize any lost time on the job. Involvement: -- Right from the beginning it was obvious that John would be 100% involved in every phase of this project. He was tireless and very instrumental in helping to resolve some unforeseen permitting issues that developed in the very beginning of the project. -- John was onsite every day if any actions were to take place. He did not delegate this function to anyone. Because of his presence and close oversight we never had any issues or problems on the site. Professionalism: -- You could not find a more professional person than John. It is obvious that he takes great pride in his work and reputation. His ultimate goal is to provide a quality completed project that the customer is 100% happy with. -- He ensured that the work site was cleaned and maintained on a daily basis. The driveway was swept constantly to ensure that we did not track mud and and dirt into the house. In addition, he ensured all mud and dirt tracked into the steet from the numerous construction vehicles was immediately cleaned up to ensure this project had no negative impact on the neighborhood. Problem Solving: -- When we ran into some unforeseen problems because of a high water table and poor soil conditions, John came up with some very good, cost saving solutions. These solutions however did not compromise at all the integrity or quality of the project. -- John was very instrumental in helping us with decisions based on his ingenuity. An example is seen with his constructing temporary colonial corners at the garage openings. This visualization helped us make an informed decision. Research: -- John went out of his way and even to New Hampshire to research questions and provide background information on a number of issues that came up, such as transom windows and a driveway drain diverter system. -- Once we made our preliminary decision on the color of the vinyl siding from a small color sample John went to the distributor and procured a full length of the siding for our review. After seeing the full sheet it was obvious the color was wrong. John again procured another full sheet representing our subsequent selection. Because of his assistance we are 100% satisfied with the color selection. Quality: -- I had the opportunity to be onsite and observe the entire construction of the garage. It was evident from the very beginning that John shared my perfectionist attitude and that he would spend as much time as needed to ensure only a quality project would be completed. Only quality materials and products were used. Additional quality initiatives were employed throughout the project such as additional nailing or above standard thickness of materials used. -- The numerous visits by the building inspector went extremely smooth because of the quality of the workmanship he was reviewing. He was effusive in his praise of the project. In conclusion, even though we had extremely high expectations regarding the quality of the completed garage, the results far exceeded these expectations. The garage has received numerous praise and compliments from our neighbors and visitors to our home. We are 110% happy customers who look forward to using this beautiful garage for many, many years.