Busy-Bee Construction LLC

I can't say enough about John, Gary, and the team at Busy Bee Construction. They took on a big project transforming my horror of an overly-large primary bathroom into a beautiful, new bathroom plus an additional study. They were clear, communicative, and knowledgeable, and they did exceptional work at a very fair price. I would absolutely work with them again (and definitely will!). These guys are the real deal.

I was very pleased with Busy Bee Construction LLC. I selected them because they were close to my location and had a very good Better Business Bureau rating. The owner, John Downy, was very responsive and involved with my project. He kept in touch with me, guided me with the selection of products I needed which resulted in saving me money from my initial quote, showed up on time daily. My house was left neat and clean every evening by his helpful assistant.

We hired John and his crew to refresh/remodel a kitchen and bathroom in our rental unit. Realistic estimates were provided and when unforeseen issues were discovered, sensible solutions were offered. The crew was superb from day one demolition through the final touches at the end of each project. The quality of workmanship was excellent. Details were not an afterthought; they truly put care and skill into the whole project.

We did two projects with John, Gary and the crew. The smaller scale project was for adding a shower to a half bathroom, turned into a full bath. The other big project was for remodeling based on one kitchen + one bathroom, change it to one kitchen + two bathrooms. John and Gary and the crew were awesome and very pleasant to work with. They listened to us, willing to accommodate our ideas, but also give us realistic suggestions based on the budget. John always trying to save money for our project, to control the budget. They are honest, friendly, genuine, respectful, responsive with great remolding experience and knowledge. Like I read from other Busy Bee's customer reviews, John himself handle electric stuff and others. They worked very hard and showed up every day. Even our neighbors made the comment that "your contractor showed up every day!". We became friends during the project. I would recommend busy bee to my friends, to everyone, and will definitely have the crew come back for any future projects. Also, if you are interested in Busy bee's project, check out their Facebook, there are lots of reference, project pictures.

John and his crew were fantastic! They were always on time, easy to work with and willing to listen to our ideas and requests. We purchased all items ourselves (tile, grout, fixtures, counter top, cabinets, etc) and John was able to give us the measurements and quantities for each without batting an eye. The site and hallways were spotless when they left each day (which I know cuts into the time they're able to complete the job) and was greatly appreciated on our part. From start to finish, the job was always on schedule and they were in constant communication with us. We'd hire John and his crew back in a heartbeat!

John and his team just finished up two bathroom remodels for us. One full bath complete gut and one half bath substantial refresh. Working with John and his team, Jimmy, Paul, Stevie, Gary, Joe, Dave was tremendous. This is how remodeling should be. John is beyond attentive. He is patient, will take the time to answer all questions and his pricing is spot on. The work that he and his crew does is meticulous, they are prompt (arriving each day at the exact same time - really), talented and experienced. I could go on and on but you should get the picture by now. If you are thinking about remodeling, invite John to your home to discuss it with him. Have your checkbook ready and get in his queue. There is a reason he is busy. We recommend Busy Bee unconditionally. Thank you Busy Bee!!!

As everyone else has said, Busy-Bee (owned by John Downie) is fantastic-- and we've had them do a lot of work over the last few years. The quality of the work performed is exceptional, and they are very responsive to questions, comments, and concerns. What truly sets Busy-Bee apart is the crew John hires. We've had the chance to work with Gary, Dan, and Jimmy over the years, and each person is amazing. They each go above and beyond, and are extremely polite, respectful, and generally nice guys. They care about the work they are doing, and want do a good job. They are extremely careful of our pets (who double as escape artists). Gary once saw my husband and I struggle to move a fairly large stone in the garden, and he came over, strong-manned it himself, and went back to work with only the minimal amount of poking fun at us. I caught Dan outside this morning helping an elderly neighbor shovel her driveway. I trust John and his crew to do the work they're hired for, and to do it right.

Our journey started at the end of July, finishing just yesterday with the last inspection. I have chronicled the process on Facebook, from the demo to the last bit of paint. There are not enough words to say about Busy Bee, John, Gary or his team that could explain how easy and stress free this was.(as much as a complete kitchen remodel can be....) All the things you expect---showing up every day, cleaning up at the end of the day, having the items to install at the right time, politeness ....they do all that. Its the extras that set them apart. The communication about anything so you never have to guess what is going to happen. The PATIENCE when things take longer or are damaged and making sure it gets done in a timely manner. When problems arise, addressing them immediately and personally. Covering everything so well in plastic there was minimal construction dust. (and I mean very little) Above all, the kindness and patience in answering EVERY one of my questions, sometimes twice, until I understood the process or choices. And then there is the work itself. There is a sense of contentment knowing that every wall board, cabinet, screw, tile and light is installed with the utmost professionalism and care. We stayed within our budget, even when we added things and took things out....and was so very reasonable. I can not recommend them highly enough, and I could not be happier. Until next time..............

I cannot be more pleased with the turnout. The guys at Busy Bee were great, always on time and very contentious of dust. Gary was meticulous, always cleaning up and giving great advise. I am enjoying the kitchen immensely.

The project came out great. John was very accommodating and made resolving minor issues as they came up stress free. All the minor details were executed perfectly.

Very pleased with our new bathroom

Excellent. I can't complain about anything. Dan did the majority of the work on this project and he was always there before the scheduled time. His attention to detail throughout the renovation was to be commended. He made suggestions about some things I wasn't even aware were possible to do making the renovation even better than expected. John provided him with the information to do the job and supplied the materials when they were needed and coordinated the project. It was uneventful and was completed well within the estimated time frame and I'm completely satisfied with the result. I have already scheduled another bathroom renovation with Busy-Bee.

We've hired John and his crew for a lot of projects over the years-- a kitchen remodel, 2 bathroom remodels, and now an addition. As all the other reviewers have said, John and his crew do exceptional work and are very responsive. We've never had a problem with delays or the crew missing in action. When we did have a problem with a kitchen cabinetry place, John became involved and made sure everything was dealt as quickly and satisfactorily as possible. They're also extremely conscientious of our pets (who can be escape artists). What sets Busy-bee above all other contractors, though, is the crew. We've had the pleasure of working with John, Gary, Jimmy, and Dan for long periods of time over the years. These gentlemen are truly wonderful and definitely go above and beyond what's necessary, making sure that the customer has a chance for input when needed and willing to redo something if the customer isn't happy. What's more, they're just generally nice guys-- I caught Dan this morning helping our elderly neighbor shovel snow before starting work. Gary watched my husband and I struggle to move a heavy rock in the garden one time, and came out to help-- without making too much fun of us! I'm happy to know that the Busy-bee crew is working on my home, and can't recommend them highly enough.

Punctual , high quality, true pros

This was the best contractor experience we've ever had. The whole job was great, including the last little things at the end. The demo was as clean as it could be. They showed up when they said they would - which was every day that they weren't waiting for something like inspectors or the floor to dry. They worked with us to get us what we wanted--and we wanted some odd things, like cabinets that came flat-pack & I constructed, so that we could have 27" deep cabinets and drawers that were as deep as possible. They even finished quite close to their 7-8 week time frame, additional time was due to needing a few extra days as the previous owners had hidden electrical junction boxes in the walls & the town inspectors not showing when they said they would. Stuff our contractors couldn't've helped (the subs? They all showed up fine!). They communicated with us clearly the whole way; I knew what trade offs there were to make when those came up, and if something changed while we were at work, it was something turning out better than they had predicted: such as the support for the beam being in the wall instead of jutting out a bit. Dan, John, thanks so much for our fantastic kitchen!

We cannot speak highly enough of John and his crew. They always arrived at the time agreed upon. The quality of the work performed is impeccable. A special shout-out to Gary. He was always there to provide invaluable advice and CLEANED the area each day after work was completed. We did not expect him to do so. They truly exceeded our expectations and delivered a beautiful and functional bathroom.

This is really a great company and we were so happy we found them. John and Gary were great; very skilled, courteous, and professional. They were there when they said they would be and the project was completed in the timeline that was given. I will definitely use them for any future home improvement projects and highly recommend them.

We hit the lottery with John and his team. They were totally professional but also personable. They came every day and, by and large, did not use sub contractors, so that we got to know the folks that were in out house for weeks and weeks. Gary, who was in charge of our project, was beyond amazing. We did a gut to the studs in our 1939 kitchen and in less than 7 weeks from start to finish they transformed it into something the 21st century can be proud of. They were neat and respectful throughout the process. Their work reflected attention to the smallest details. In the beginning, John listened carefully to my plan, disagreeing with some of my ideas and explaining why. I agreed with some of his wise suggestions and held firm to others (Yes, I wanted an island even though the kitchen is small) and he found a way to make it work. He worked within out budget without scrimping on quality or materials. We just simply could not be happier, and are having them back in the spring to replace windows and re-do our front porch. Before, during, and after photos attached. My only reservation is that once more people realize what a gem this company is, it will take forever to book them ;-)

I can't thank John and his team enough for a fantastic job!!! We found John after reading his reviews on Angie's list and bringing him by for an estimate. From the start to the finish John was great. Always kept us in the loop if he found anything odd, was very helpful with his suggestions, stayed on budget and his timeframe that he expected. I love our house 10x more now that the kitchen is done. The craftsmanship was first rate and it came out better than I expected. It was such a pain to not have a kitchen for 7 weeks but we could tell it was going to be worth it and it totally was. Our next project is our upstairs bathroom and we are definitely going to use John again. 

John pointed out that the problem was the second reset button, which I stupidly had not checked.  This did the trick.  The *really* important  things here are:

(1) John came out to check on a job that he finished *2* years ago!

AND

(2) my only complaint is that John wouldn't take any money for his trouble.

Busy Bee just remains the best.

This was the first time we used someone who was not referred to us by a neighbor, friend, or relative.  After reading the reviews from Angie's List, we decided to check out Busy Bee. We are glad we did.
What separated John's proposal from the other proposals we fielded,  was the detail, straight-forwardness and readability.  In addition he was always responsive, readily available to answer questions during all phases of the work , and made suggestions in other areas when needed.  We were also able buy our own items -- for instance, vanity/countertop, toilets, vanity mirror, which was great because we shopped around . The crew arrived promptly every day and the only significant lag time happened because of a shower door order, and building inspector visits. Dan,his major on-site person was a pleasure to work with.
As people who have LOTS of things that need fixing, we will definitely use Busy Bee again.

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Busy Bee Construction is the contractor that, once you have them do one job, you only want to deal with them for all of your future jobs.  In short, I highly recommend them.

John Downie is the owner...he is a straight-shooter and competitive in his pricing. John has his own team....he does not subcontract his work.  Kris was the lead on our kitchen remodel with assistance from Gary and Dan.  All of these guys are top notch.  Kris showed up at 7am every morning (M-F) and wrapped up around 3pm (for those who have kids, this is a great schedule as they were wrapping up right when the kids were getting home from school).  Everyone was polite, courteous, on time and cleaned up at the end of every day.  If they ran into any problems or anything they thought we should know about, it was always brought to our attention promptly.

But the best part is the quality of the work. The kitchen looks fantastic and the craftsmanship shows.  There were no cutting corners or settling.  Everything was done in a meticulous manner.  And the job went quickly (6 weeks in total).  There was very little down time and when there was, it came at the end of the job when we were in a holding pattern waiting for the countertop and appliances to arrive.  I've dealt with other contractors where they will show up for a few days and then they won't be on-site again for days at a time.  This is not John...John make sure that the job continues to move forward.

I can't say enough good things about this company and they will certainly be my "go to" contractor from this job forward.

Working with Busy Bee was a great experience, we would recommend them highly. We have all heard nightmare stories about contractors, and we didn't have even one issue with Busy Bee (including the owner, John, and his whole team). John gave us by far the most complete and straight-forward estimate we received (we got three total), the price was comparable to other offers, and he was great about communicating with us before and during the work. He gave us options to buy our own items -- for instance, vanity/countertop, toilets, shower hardware -- which was great because we shopped around and saved money doing so.
They took 4-5 weeks to complete everything and were there like clockwork every day except for maybe 2-3 times in that whole span - and when they didn't show up it was either because we were waiting on inspections or they at least gave us a heads-up. Our main guy was Gary, who was very friendly, did great work, and diligently cleaned up daily before leaving, including Swiffering the hallway and stairs. The owner, John, was there most days, and always answered our questions without seeming like we were hassling him. The final work is beautiful and we are thrilled with the results.
Hiring a contractor for a big job like this was undertaken with a bit of trepidation since we have never done anything on this scale before, but working with John, Gary and Busy Bee was an excellent experience and we can't recommend them highly enough.

The job was done superbly!!!! We are very satisfied and would use Busy Bee and John again. He was pleasant and easy to work with. He returned all emails and phone calls promptly - something that not all contractors do! He was always amenable to changes in the plans before and during the project. He made excellent suggestions, gave good advice and hunted down the little touches like matching chrome door knob and hinges that made our bathroom special. The small space was a challenge, but his team handled it well. Busy Bee's team arrived every day on time and cleaned up before they left. We really appreciated that! They worked as fast as they could as we had no other shower in the house. We contacted three other contractors and all had estimates that were not only much more than John's, but also included less in the cost. When our bathroom under went it's final inspection the inspector commented that it was a very pretty bathroom. Thanks to Busy Bee!