NICK PORTNOY BUILDERS

We would use their services again if we needed to.

This provider has worked on our house before, and has gotten to know the house and its quirks.  We told him that we did not expect a finished basement, we just wanted one that would not be "scary" .  The floor was uneven and the pipe from the old and unused oil tank was showing through the concrete.   There were a few rooms with walls barely still standing.  We wanted to preserve the heart pine raised wood floor room, even though we didn't know its intended purpose.  Our neighbor has since told us his 85 year old relative remembers playing in it as a play room, and was hoping that we didn't get rid of it.
As usual, Nick came daily, even when sub-contractors were working.  He always knew what they were suppose to be doing, and made sure it was done.  He kept us informed of any problems or concerns he had. He was willing to use some old tiles we had for the basement sink and back splash.  He even went along with my idea of tiling  the wide window sill above the basement sink.
Nick had the asbestos removed and sill insulated.  He, and his crew, removed scary rooms, water proofed the exterior walls, put up a wall to section off the furnace from the laundry area, and put up dry wall for the laundry area.  and all the other things mentioned above.  Previously, both the hot water header and the dryer were vented through basement windows.  This not only made the windows unusable as windows, but also caused concerns whenever the snow might cover the vents.   The new vents are higher and will not be an issue with snow.  
We had recently begun to see some water on the basement floor.  One of our neighbors had a leak in the water  main to his house and we thought this might be the cause.  Then the town and the neighbor's plumber came by to check out our situation and decided that the problems were with the our drains.   We also had a drain specialist out to check the drains, and found that we had a whole house drain (the house is old) which needed to be changed.  Even with all this done, the water issue was still there.  Nick came to wait for the plumber to see what else could be the cause.  He looked under the built in wooded storage benches and found that the problem was with an old pipe under the raised wood flooring going to the radiator in the play room. He had a new pipe install which circumvents around the out side  of the room; so any problems will not be hidden.
The new stained  concrete floors look very nice and are easy to keep clean.  The walls are freshly painted, and the heart pine floors and benches in the play room were sanded and stained and look great! The laundry  sink and tile are perfect for the area.   Going down to the basement is no longer an unpleasant experience.

We had used this contractor before, so we were fairly confident that all would go well.  We were not disappointed.  The bathroom is off the central hallway.  We needed access to the hallway to get upstairs to the other bathroom, and this was done with no problem.  A plastic zipper  wall was put up to contain the dust.  
Nick came daily to see how the job was going, often doing some of the work himself. When he felt that the framing for the medicine cabinet was a bit too high, he had it lowered.  He was able to find us more storage space as part of the shower structure.  It is almost like a hidden closet .  They also did a beautiful job on the woodwork and wainscoting.
Nick always comes when a subcontractor is working to make sure the job is done right.   He lets us know when there is any issue and the proposed solution to the issue.
We have had many compliments on the bathroom, and we are very pleased with it.
Nick always listens to our ideas and manages to accommodate.   He has great ideas and solutions himself which have worked very well for us.   

He is excellent and he did a really beautiful job. He had a good price and the work was beautiful. He is a very good carpenter. The people that work for him are very responsible and respectful. They showed up every day and they were a pleasure to have around. He is very busy but we would hire him again.

Nick was the general contractor and used very responsible subcontractors.  He and his crew were very punctual and the project finished on time and within budget, considering the extras we added.
He and his crew were very pleasant and extremely considerate,  They even installed a make shift door in one of the windows they were replacing, so they would be able to access the work area via scaffolding without bothering us.  We were amazed at how clean they left the work area  every day.  They blocked off the work area so well, we hardly had any extra dust.
We are very pleased with the new bath, the renovated powder room, the expansion of the landing and the window seat, and, we are thrilled with how the dormer looks outside.  Our neighbors has given us many compliments on it.  One of them remarked that it looks as if it was always part of the original house.
We had  projects done by others in the past, but we have never had such a positive experience as we had doing this project with Nick Portnoy.   We have a lot of trust in Nick, and  we would not hesitate to have Nick work with us again on future projects.

I have nothing but great things to say about Nick and his team.  After having interviewed a few contractors, I picked Nick because of the clear attention to detail he would bring to the job.  He took copious notes and asked a lot of questions during the initial conversation.  The budget and contract he drew up were clear and detailed. Nick completed things on time, and the budget was what Nick said it was going to be at the beginning.   This is important to keep in mind, as some contractors might give you a low-ball estimate just to get the job, with some costly surprises later. 

Nick responded to communications promptly, and whenever we hit the inevitable snag, Nick took the burden upon himself and left me stress-free.  I felt entirely confident leaving the project in their hands, knowing that they would always do the job right.   They also left things nice and tidy at the end of each day. 

They were very comfortable working with the parking and space restrictions within central Boston, and they communicated respectfully with my neighbors (some of whom can be tough).

 Last, but not least, the work they did was beautiful.  They clearly take a great deal of pride in a job done well.   I look forward to working with Nick and his team again.

They have been wonderful! they always do a great job and are very reliable. They have been very easy to work with.

It was all good.  The price and quality were good.  He was professional and on time.

Nick's company started the work for us in the summer of 2010 and continued to do additional walls as our 7-unit condo had funds for the work. He was affordable, professional, and our basement was never cleaner than after the crew cleaned up for the day. Our Town Inspector told me he wished more people in town used Portnoy Builders because of the quality of his work and the ease of working with Nick. Nick also worked seamlessly with our structural engineer who had only praise for the work Nick's group did. He is trustworthy, fair in price, prompt, reliable - a gem of a company.

It's hard to describe just how very satisfied we are with our new kitchen and with the entire experience working with Nick Portnoy and his team. We unequivocally and enthusiastically recommend him to anyone considering a remodel or renovation. We could write a lot about our experience, but we'll highlight a few notable aspects of our experience with Nick that we appreciated the most: - We received 3 firm bids, all from Design-Build firms. Nick's was right in the middle in terms of price, but his bid was FAR more detailed than the others which gave us a lot of confidence going into the job that we were on the same page. - Nick was very good about letting us know exactly what decisions were on our plate and when he needed materials/fixtures to be available on-site to stay on schedule. Great communicator. - Dust containment was literally perfect. Our cleaners said they had never seen a better job of containing dust. This was really important for us with a small child. - The quality of Nick's work is top notch. He is extremely detailed oriented and its obvious he takes great pride in his work. He noticed details in the trim in the rest of the house and he matched them. He called his subs back in if he noticed a small imperfection in their work. These are small things, but they were very much appreciated and contributed to a great final product. - Nick's subs were all top-notch. His guys (Paul and Jim) are also great. They are both very personable, considerate, and do great work. - Nick has the perfect attitude for this kind of work. He never shows stress, is always approachable and responsive, and he communicates very well. He is also very flexible. Schedules got thrown off a little in the middle with some additional work that needed to get done outside of the scope of the project, but he didn't let that derail the whole project. He still brought it in right on time. - Nick bought into our vision from the very beginning and it became his vision for the project. When we were stumped or had questions he would make suggestions that weren't necessarily the easiest for him to implement, but that would work the best with the rest of the project. All in all an A+ experience and an A+ result. We will absolutely call Nick the next time we're looking to do a project.

I was happy with his work. I was also happy with the interaction with him. I was very satisfied with the price and quality.

Fabulous job. Nick does exactly what he says he will do. His work is top notch and is done with care and expertise by him and his friendly, talented crew. The three of them (and all sub-contractors he hired) are all people you want to have working for you. They seemed to care as much about this place as we do! Whenever something came up (as things always do) Nick and his guys were eager to make it right. My husband and I had several bad experiences with contractors over the years and Nick has convinced us that some contractors really ARE fantastic. He is a gem and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a talented contractor who can design/build/remodel. This has been an absolutely fantastic experience and I will refer him to friends and family without hesitation.

Nick Portnoy and his team were really a pleasure to work with. They showed up every day to work on the project and cleaned up the space at the end of the day. Nick was always available to go over the progress of the project and he was accessible either face-to-face or via phone or email. The project took a little longer than we projected because we had issues with the cabinet supplier that ended up going out of business during the project. (We really wished we went with the cabinet supplier Nick had recommended!). Nick was very understanding of our situation and came back when the new cabinets were finally delivered to complete the project. He also came back to fix a couple of issues we discovered a few months later. Nick was really meticulous and patient. I would hire him for other projects in a heartbeat!

I selected Nick Portnoy Builders to do my kitchen renovation after reading his outstanding reviews on Angie's List. Nick responded promptly to my email. He listened carefully to my ideas and suggested many of his own. He works with a kitchen designer, Bob Baker of Wayland Kitchens. Bob was easy to work with and knowledgeable. The project went smoothly. Nick estimated that it would take 6 weeks to complete and he was right on target. He and his crew worked every day, even holidays, from 8AM until 430-5PM. They cleaned up at the end of each day and kept dust at a minimum. They took down walls,removed a door and made a new wall, replaced molding,redirected plumbing and updated electricity. They installed cabinets, recessed lighting and appliances, including a washer and dryer in what used to be the back hall. They carefully removed then replaced floor tile that had been taken up.The carpentry work was excellent. After the refrigerator was installed there was an open space between the fridge and the upper cabinets. It looked OK to me but bothered Nick. He filled in the space with a board and it made all the difference. Nick pays attention to all the small details. Nick suggested David Ferrini of Earthworks for the granite countertops. David suggested a granite that I hadn't seen in any store , found the granite for me and installed it. It was the perfect selection and made all the difference in the kitchen. I added a few additional jobs to this project. I had a banister installed in the front hall and the back hall was plastered, painted and a banister installed. I was very pleased with both. I had never done a project of such magnitude before and Nick was very patient with me, answering all my questions clearly. He was easy to work with, knowledgeable, very accessible by phone or email and kept me informed of any changes in plans or schedules. Nick gave me my dream kitchen. The final product is beautiful and met all my expectations and more.Outstanding job! I highly recommend Nick Portnoy Builders.

I found him on Angie's List and liked him the best out of the others I estimated. The price was good and the work was excellent. His whole team was wonderful. I purchased the materials myself and he performed the labor as well as ordering some things for the jobs. I love him and would use him again!

Nick gave a very detailed and realistic estimate and gave good advice on which aspects of the designers plans would have maximum impact. His quote was reasonably priced but not the cheapest. He has an unusual approach whereby a confirmed estimate is only given after verbally agreeing to proceed with his original estimate. However, the confirmed estimate was very close to the original estimate so this wasn't a problem. Nick and his employees (Jim, Paul) were extremely professional. Every day without fail they turned up on time and cleaned up as far as possible before finishing for the day. They were a pleasure to have around (important gven the job lasted 4 months!). A detailed project plan was provided, so I always knew what was happening. He has been very responsive, always returning calls and emails. This extends to after the job was completed (I asked him to repair a couple of minor items some months after the job was completed and this was done quickly and with no fuss). They took real pride in their work. The carpentry was excellent, and Stephen the plumber did a great job with the bathrooms. All in all, the end result was an excellent job, completed on time and within budget. My only call out would be that even minor items that weren't included in the original estimate were deemed "extras" and charged accordingly, so I would recommend taking time to include full details in the original estimate (eg: extra was charged for installing a dual flush toilet instead of the regular flush per the estimate). I have renovated 2 properties in the past and worked with many different buiilders, and Nick and his team are by far the most professional I have encountered. I would certainly use them again and highly recommend them.

The experience was excellent. Nick works with an excellent crew, most notably Paul and Jim who spent the most time on the jobsite. The job started on May 14th and ended June 19th, which was on schedule. The job was also on budget, with only a couple change orders based on our conversations as the job progressed. In general, the work would start at 7am and end at 5pm. In some cases, NPB stayed later in order to finish up a critical piece of the job, or prep for arrival of a sub-contractor the next day (ie. so that tile could be installed or appliances delivered). The work area was nicely sealed off from the rest of the house, and cleaned up every evening to our satisfaction. Overall, we are VERY pleased with our new kitchen! It was a pleasure coming home every night and seeing the demo work progress into renovation...our kitchen was taking shape each day. Nick, Paul, and Jim were always patient with our (many, many) questions and also provided some suggestions that we incorporated into the overall plan (such as a shelf above the fridge for our Ipod speakers and cookbooks). In addition, the work done by Carlos (electrician), Stephen (plumber), Dennis (painter), Marcelle (plastering), and Ed (floor finishing) was excellent. High quality crew, high quality work...

After a fire destroyed a portion of our home, we had three contractors in a bid process. Nick Portnoy provided the most detailed, well-organized and comprehensive proposal and plan for the cost and schedule, and we commissioned Nick for the restoration of our home. The project was complex because of the nature of the damage from the fire, and the unusual architecture and materials used in our home, which is a deck style house built in 1960. As we wanted to restore and keep or match materials to be consistent to the original design, this required close collaboration between Nick and ourselves, as well as his expertise to help us achieve the results we were striving for. Nick was the General Contractor and in charge of all the sub-contractors. He managed the schedule, oversaw all the work to the smallest detail, and has excellent communication and follow up procedures. I worked closely with him and appreciated his careful and diligent attention, and under his stewardship, the project was completed on time, under budget and with the highest quality of craftsmanship. His team is experienced, pleasant, responsible and full of innovative problem solving skills that proved invaluable when the scope of work changed or was expanded. It was the best experience we have ever had working with a contractor because we knew we could trust his judgment and there wasn't any stress due to the schedule, or unexpected expenses. He just made it all happen.

After a fire destroyed a portion of our home, we had three contractors in a bid process. Nick Portnoy provided the most detailed, well-organized and comprehensive proposal and plan for the cost and schedule, and we commissioned Nick for the restoration of our home. The project was complex because of the nature of the damage from the fire, and the unusual architecture and materials used in our home which is a deck style house built in 1960. As we wanted to restore and keep or match materials to be consistent to the original design, this required close collaboration between Nick and ourselves, as well as his expertise to help us achieve the results we were striving for. Nick was the General Contractor and in charge of all the sub-contractors. He managed the schedule, oversaw all the work to the smallest detail, and has excellent communication and follow up procedures. I worked closely with him and appreciated his careful and diligent attention, and under his stewardship, the project was completed on time, under budget and with the highest quality of craftsmanship. His team is experienced, pleasant, responsible and full of innovative problem solving skills that proved invaluable when the scope of work changed or was expanded. It was the best experience we have ever had working with a contractor because we knew we could trust his judgment and there wasn't any stress due to the schedule, or unexpected expenses. He just made it all happen.

The project was a complete success. Nick managed the project with precision from start to finish. His detailed project plan and itemized budget were indicative of the level of professionalism that was to follow. Despite the obstacles presented by the building and my choice of non-standard bathroom fixtures, Nick provided a workable solution for every situation. In addition, Nick and his crew were meticulous. Nick took extreme care to protect both my unit and the building's common areas from construction and demolition debris. Not only am I thrilled with the job performed by Nick and his crew, but Nick was also highly esteemed by the condominium's management company. In addition, I was impressed with Nick's availability before, during and after the project. Nick always answers his phone, I don't think I ever needed to leave him a voicemail or wait for a call back.

Nick impressed me right away with a comprehensive quote and an obvious technical understanding of what the project would entail. Of course no project of this scale goes 100% smoothly, and there were surprises along the way, but Nick and his crew took them in stride, and rose to every occasion. For example, in the bathroom, we had planned to raise the ceiling height from 8 to 10 , but during the demo of the ceiling, Nick encountered plumbing above the toilet that wouldn t allow the ceiling height there to be raised. Nick promptly called me at work to discuss, and we ultimately decided to raise the ceiling wherever possible (using a coffer), and leaving it lower above the toilet. This was the first unforeseen circumstance we encountered, but at every turn or bump in the road, Nick was forthright and communicative, laying out every option, and which could be accommodated according to the current contract/budget. As for pricing, Nick is fair and honest. Overall, every project we undertook stayed on-budget. That being said, at least amongst the contractors I interviewed, Nick was not the cheapest. HOWEVER, you get what you pay for, and Nick used the finest of materials and excellent sub-contractors throughout the course of the work. You re also paying for Nick s project management skills and design input, both of which are superior. And an intangible, almost priceless thing you get with NPB is a headache-free experience. Only when something rises to the level of needing the homeowner s input does Nick contact you about it. And if you have any items of concern, Nick is very receptive and addresses them promptly. As the homeowner, what you get are results, not excuses. Nick and his crew are punctual, clean, and trustworthy. They always arrived at the same time every morning, and we always found the apartment clean and tidy upon our return at the end of the day. For example, during the demo stage of our ceiling renovation, Nick and crew not only swept-up before leaving, but they also vacuumed and ran a HEPA air filter. Nick was also respectful of the fact that we had a cat in the apartment, and we felt totally comfortable leaving her alone there while they worked. Nick and crew worked every day, diligently, until the job was done. Oftentimes this involved creative scheduling amongst all parties involved, but with Nick s excellent communication and organizational skills, this wasn t painful at all. As a final note, Nick was also working in a building with a relatively strict Condo Association, in a part of the city where parking is limited, and it s tough to load and unload materials. No headaches on that front either Nick and crew handled the circumstances with ease. If you re concerned about a strict Condo Association, parking in the Back Bay, dealing with trash disposal, building permits, and the other complications involved with working in Boston: DON T Nick s got it all under control.

Nick and his crew were terrific. They showed up as scheduled and did exactly what we asked them to do with expertise. They were polite and communicative. His plumber and electrician were very nice. The electrician didn't do something exactly right, but Nick realized it and got him to come back to fix it. We had expected the regrouting job to be larger, but Nick pointed out that they really didn't need to do that much and adjusted his final price accordingly. We specified a certain exhaust fan that we wanted and he got it for us with no problem. The window he selected was perfect and the installation is tight. He had to cut a hole in a room underneath in order to access the clogged pipe, but he patched it up so we can hardly tell it was there. The faucet we bought for the sink was missing a part, so his plumber went out to get the missing piece without any fuss. It was a great experience to have Nick work for us.

Far exceeded my expectations. Time and cost estimates were accurate, the work was high quality, the design was creative, and Nick is a really nice guy. I have two young children and he kept a completely hassle-free, clean, and safe environment from start to finish. He coordinated everything well and kept me completely informed. He was totally conscientious and a pleasure to work with and I have a beautiful new bathroom too!

Nick came over for the estimate and I was expecting another contractor to not show up and not call. But he did show up and he was on time. He was on time every day for the project and easy to contact. We hired him because he had excellent references. There was also a photo of a kitchen he worked on that was beautiful. Only thing was we had to wait a few months to fit into the schedule. Nick discussed the plans in the mornings before they started. He is a good communicator and easy going. They did a good job with dust control. The floor was refinished and that was a nice surprise. It was previously a disaster because it had sticky vinyl covering it. (I spent weeks scraping this glue off.) They also did a nice job installing the bead board and my cabinets. It took two weeks to finish their work in my kitchen, then a few more days for plumbing, etc. once the granite was installed. It was within the estimate and quality work. Very reasonable.

Nick did high quality work from start to finish. He was both patient and extremely helpful in the design process. He scheduled the work quickly, and began the project on the day we agreed to. He used high quality materials, did excellent structural and finish work, and completed the project consistent with the specs and on time and on budget. He was extremely pleasant to deal with throughout the process, and minimized the disruption to our home during the project. He also did a complete clean-up and disposal of trash at the end of the job, and helped us to find a painting subcontractor to do the paint work when the construction phase was completed.