B & B AFFORDABLE RENOVATIONS INC

B&B did a great job on the addition from start to finish. Bill and I met several times to talk through design and ensure we were on the same page prior before starting the project. Bill started the job when he said he would and finished on time and on budget. Bill and his crew were always very professional and respectful to my family. Bill did a great job managing all the subs and ensured everything ran smoothly. Bill is a true professional. B&B's prices were very fair, but he never sacrificed quality to save a dollar on his end. B&B did excellent work and made sure I was very happy every step of the way. Bill builds relationships with his clients and really cares on how his client views the outcome of the project. I would definitely use B&B again and highly recommend him.

Bill Germaine from B&B Affordable Renovations was fantastic to work with for this project. It wasn't a huge project so I wasn't sure if Bill would have the availability to help me. He organized a crew and did an amazing job within my budget. My house looks updated and beautiful. I would highly recommend B&B Affordable Renovations

Great. B&B did a great job. The workers were friendly and professional. The new steps look geat.

It should also be stated from the beginning: Mr. Germaine's company demonstrated at later times the ability and potential to do good work. This was especially true when his "regular" workers/subcontractors were finally assigned to the job after several months following prior and slow-paced work done with a different set of questionable subcontractors. We officially hired B&B Renovations in early February to complete some remodeling on our newly purchased home in West Roxbury. Concurrently, we were also in the process of selling our house with a closing date of mid-April. Mr. Germaine's company was chosen after interviewing several contractors in January; the decision to hire him was principally made on the basis of this timeline AND with a verbal assurance by Mr. Germaine that the completion of work was very much achievable in this 6-8 week timeframe, barring any unforeseeable delays due to materials. He also assured us that his company was available to commence immediately upon obtaining the necessary building permits. For full disclosure, however, the contract that was signed did stipulate a completion date of May 31. Work was initiated in late February with 66% payment (33% at signing of contract and 33% following initiation of the demolition work). The contract stipulated for the "demolition" of the kitchen IN ADDITION to removal of a wall, removal of existing cabinets, replacement of old floor and installation of hardwood floor, relocation of steam radiator, installation of new cabinets, move existing plumbing, electric, etc. to suit this new kitchen design, and installation of new lights and electrical outlets. One can debate what it means to demo a kitchen. In my opinion, most contractors would generally interpret this term to describe work synonymously with the term “gutting” the kitchen. Our house was built in 1934. The kitchen walls were in generally good shape. The original wiring and plumbing, however, were in need of updating. The decision not to gut the walls and the ceiling only added to the challenges of completing the new electrical and plumbing work on an older home in a timely and effective fashion. This point was made by at least two of his own subcontractors. During this initial phase, we completed the design for the kitchen and ordered all of the necessary appliances. Upon request, a third substantial payment was made on March 7th prior to actual completion of any electrical work or rough inspections. Mr. Germaine again personally assured us upon receipt of check that the work would proceed on schedule. He also then informed me that he was going on vacation and gave me the number of his electrician to work out a schedule to complete the rough electrical work. I made several unsuccessful attempts to contact this electrician. After two weeks, he asked me again to contact a few alternative electrical subcontractors. Electrical work initiated sometime in early April. The electrician attempted to complete rough wiring work in the kitchen but was running into challenges due to the fact that the walls were not gutted. This attempt led to several large holes in the walls exposing the obvious fact that the kitchen walls were not insulated. The rough electrical inspection occurred on April 19th; rough plumbing inspection occurred on March 29th. Cabinet delivery was scheduled by Mr. Germaine for April 6th. In the approximately 7 intervening weeks between initiation of work and our moving in mid-April, Mr. Germaine’s subcontractors did refinish the floors and completed most of the painting. The painting was not 100% completed prior to our moving in our household belongings, however. To our surprise, the stair bannisters and balusters were painted white along with rest of the trim. We discovered this oversight in early March and was told that the paint would be stripped immediately to avoid difficulties in doing so at a later date. This paint stripping did not occur until August. The painters also painted the glass window panes, including the one on the front door. They splashed paint on the brick work in front of the fireplace, on the downstairs bathroom floor and on the sink faucets. They painted over radiators and walls without cleaning them first. They splashed paint on our antique bookcase. Most disturbingly, they also painted shut the windows and the ropes used to open the windows. Finally, they dumped the paint down the bathroom sink. I had to hire a plumber to snake the sink and unclog it. Moreover, none of the cabinet fixtures were put back in place. The painting supplies and other materials are still being stored in our basement. We moved in on April 22. No kitchen, no bathroom. There were cigarette butts and a few soda cans all over our front lawn and near the front steps. Mr. Germaine, upon my request, did send someone to pick up this debris. In the meantime, we resolved to shower at the local YMCA and eat out of a microwave set up in our dining room. This would go on until early September. In early May, I reminded Mr. Germaine of the pending May 31 deadline. At this time, he also asked for additional payment. In further good (if not misguided) faith, we provided him with the next installment (now totaling now 90% of payment!). At this point, the kitchen walls were partially exposed, especially on the lower half, several active electrical/junction boxes were noted, the floor was still incomplete, and no plans for replumbing and relocating the radiator had been made. No insulation in bathroom or kitchen. Mr. Germaine, sent his subcontractor out to resume work on the kitchen and parts of the bathroom. We came home on day to find to our shock the upper cabinets installed over holes in the walls and over pre-existing junction boxes. Moreover, the cabinets were installed with carpenter’s nails and grey drywall screws. No insulation was placed in the walls. In the bathroom, the bathroom tiles quickly went up in less than a day; we were very much worried about their workmanship. The cement board subflooring was laid down without what I believed to be the proper use of adhesive and adequate number of screws as per the manufacturer’s instructions. I brought in two other independent contractors who shared this concern. I had no other choice but to officially enumerate my concerns in writing (as requested in the contract) and request a temporary cessation of all work The chief building inspector for our particular district of the City of Boston was brought in to re-inspect the work. He informed Mr. Germaine of the building code violations and improper practices, including failure to insulate the kitchen walls, obstruction of electrical boxes, improper use of blueboard in the bathroom, and need to install firestop in the floor of the exposed walls. The building inspector insisted that the cabinets come down, walls properly insulated, sealed up correctly. Mr. Germaine’s subcontractor hurriedly stuffed insulation up the walls on the same day prior to the third inspection but did not include all of the upper sections, prompting a return of the building inspector. In an attempt to circumvent the electrical box issue, Mr. Germaine sent his electrical subcontractor out to move the electrical box (rather than simply deactivating it). This attempt only led to a hole being punched in the adjoining dining room wall. I ended up hiring my own electrical contractor to decommission the original electrical boxes (all while still having Mr. Germaine as my principal contractor). It took 4 visits from the building inspector between May and mid-June to finally get compliance. In the process of putting up the cabinets, Mr. Germaine’s subcontractor incorrectly cut an opening in the back for the electrical outlet. The rough inspection finally passed and further work resumed at the end of the June. Mr. Germaine finally brought in his “regular” workers to complete the work. The work in the kitchen was mostly completed in August (nearly 6 months after work was initiated). The tiling of the bathroom tub and floor was installed. Francisco the tiler is a very hard worker and an excellent one. He ended up replacing the floor because he could not accept the shoddy work done by his predecessor. The original electrical work was not straightforward and required some rectification. The electrical outlets in the kitchen were installed too close to the countertops and had to be relocated, necessitating a third round of plastering and painting in the kitchen. The electrical wiring for the bathroom vanity light was too low and likewise needed to be relocated for a third time. The ceiling fan was installed in September after much delay and it turns out to be of inadequate velocity to remove the moisture. This fact has led to streaking of the bathroom walls. In spite of all of this, and after some very persistent demands from Mr. Germaine for additional payments, I did pay him the balance of the original contract in early September in hopes of getting to the final inspection after more than seven months. Unfortunately, the final inspection which finally took place in October (!) did not pass for reasons that Mr. Germaine never installed heat in the kitchen or completed additional work stipulated in contract (e.g., installing attic railing). Following this disappointment, I met with Mr. Germaine and, by mutual agreement, we decided to terminate his work at our home. I have removed Mr. Germaine’s name from the building permit and have hired additional contractors to complete final work. We now have a bathroom door that does not shut and the tiling is separating at the corner of the bathtub. The floor underneath the bathtub creaks and moves. We still do not have many windows that can be opened. No heat in kitchen. Further damage to our stairs in a late attempt to strip off the paint. Several thousand dollars in expenses to rectify these defects.

B&B competitively bid the job with other contractors to win the contract. I, the owner, am an architect. My scrutiny over all aspects of the project, down to the smallest detail, were very extreme. We went slightly over budget, due to structural issues with the roof and some old insect damage to other areas of the framing. B&B worked with us to fairly add cost to cover any extras on the job. Overall, the final product, our home, is absolutely wonderful. Walking through each room, the details I designed are quite clearly visible and beautifully executed. My job as an architect is to see any problems in the construction. I am happy to say, that when I walk through my home, there is almost no issue to point out. That is an extremely difficult outcome to get. B&B’s stated goal was to make sure all work was well done and exactly what we wanted. The owner’s exact words were that he wanted us to be happy in our home. During construction the skill of the site foreman was quite evident. He built the majority of our home and we quickly became confident in the quality of his work. His demeanor throughout the project was professional and accommodating of our involvement on site. B&B’s owner said he always makes sure the home owners are involved throughout the process to ensure their needs are met. As the homeowner you should be involved. We worked directly with each of the trades as well to make sure everything was done per our drawings and direction. Locating each light fixture and switch were done together. If a switch was installed out of place they made sure to correct it. Sometimes a switch needed to be located differently because of stud placement. This was not always communicated well to us, but when discussed, if we desired an alternate location from their suggestion, we were always accommodated. Anything out of place to the design was always adjusted to our direction. The tile work is very well done. The installer was very particular and has great skill. He worked very hard to make the floors flat and level in all areas. We have ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone tile done for floors and walls. They all came out beautiful. The amount of tile work was initially not fully understood, so it did take more time than anticipated. However the quality of the work is top notch, and worth the minor delay. The finishing of the walls (plaster and paint) and woodwork came out excellent. After each inspection of the work, if we found anything we were not completely satisfied with; the crew would come back and correct it to our satisfaction. We have several custom designed and built pieces of casework. This includes living room built-ins on both sides of the fireplace with lighting, mudroom bench, and bedroom window seat-bench. Again, the end result is our beautiful home.

They kept coming back. Very courteous and always ontime. Worked within my budget. Delightful to work with. They also repaired a chimney flashing for me at no addtional cost. They were wonderful to work with

We are very happy with the final product. It was a large project, with a unique design and not the usual cookie cutter house. Everything is custom and the contractor has done a fantastic job. The overall character of the design was understood by the contractor and the 'contemporary' theme was carried out as per our wishes. The finishes are neat, clean, and top class- showroom quality! Moreover, the contractor, Bill, provided extremely valuable input and recommendations which improved the existing plans, resulting in an astounding state of the art dwelling. The entire project consisted of a large two story addition with full foundation, a large picture window with a window seat, roof, skylights, grand open foyer, cathedral ceilings in living room, dining room, gym, master bedroom suite with custom bathroom and dual walk-in closets, kitchenette with laundry, and custom office. The open plan kitchen has custom cabinets and quartz countertops. In fact, the custom office area was originally wasted space and thanks to Bill’s foresight and recommendations, the wasted space was transformed into a unique office area, overlooking the first floor living room. Bill is a very nice guy and easy to work with. He was always asking to make sure that we are happy with the work done. He ensured that the final product was to our liking and satisfaction. Bill was also considerate when we wanted some changes in the design and we worked it out with relevant and appropriate 'change orders'. Bill is extremely knowledgeable and professional and he is also flexible to accommodate your perspective. Bill and his company is the best choice for any construction project. In fact, we are hiring Bill for our next project, the basement.

We had a chat through the message board on the sight, gave my contact info and we talked on the phone to arrange a consultation! He was very polite and professional over the phone!

B&B did a great job on the addition from start to finish. Bill and I met several times to talk through design and ensure we were on the same page prior before starting the project. Bill started the job when he said he would and finished on time and on budget. Bill and his crew were always very professional and respectful to my family. Bill did a great job managing all the subs and ensured everything ran smoothly. Bill is a true professional. B&B's prices were very fair, but he never sacrificed quality to save a dollar on his end. B&B did excellent work and made sure I was very happy every step of the way. Bill builds relationships with his clients and really cares on how his client views the outcome of the project. I would definitely use B&B again and highly recommend him.

I hhired Bill for a full kitchen and bath remodel. Throughout the lengthy renovation process, Bill and his crew were very pleasant, and the end result of the renovation was wonderful; A stark contrast to the dated kitchen that we began with. Both the new kitchen and bath look fantastic, particularly the tile. Bill’s tile guys are second to none with their focus and attention to detail. Additionally, Bill makes the extra effort to ensure that all work done is up to code and has the appropriate inspections. Overall, we were very happy with the end result, especially when considering the reasonable price we paid to accomplish it.

.The carpentry, sheetrock, plaster, cielings, electrical, tile and painting/staining were first rate and finished in a timely fashion. There was a glitch with the plumbing but it was corrected in reasonable time. Bill's crew is skilled, friendly and very personable. Bill is an excellent communicator and I would contract with him again in the future. If all contracors were like Bill, the world would be a happier place.

We chose B&B "Affordable renovations" because of "word of mouth" and were very happy that we chose this company as we had five other estimates from other companies. It was a lot of money for the project so at first we were very nervous as we consider ourselves "hard to please people", B&B offered us the best rate .Bill Germaine and his crew did outstanding job - the basement is beautiful and we enjoying it every day. High quality, responsibility and great advice are only few qualities of this company. B&B did a lot of extra work for us at no change when we decided to change things around after part of the basement was already framed and several other times during the project. We would highly recommend this company for their outstanding quality, responsibility to customers, upfront approach, fair pricing and guarantees. Very professional crew. Natalya and Samir

Bill came on time to take a look at the project, and spent a generous amount of time giving me ideas to think about. When I had additional questions, he came over again, to spend more time to answer all of my questions. He was great with follow up and providing me with a quote. The project was above my budget and I am holding off right now. I would strongly recommend Bill for your upcoming project. You can tell he truly cares about the customer, and best of all, he is truly communicative and available for questions, which is rare in this industry.

We selected B&B Affordable Renovations to renovate our unfinished basement, master bathroom and create a laundry room on our 2nd floor. We contacted him after reading several positive reviews on Angie’s List. When we met, he was very genuine and polite. You could tell that he cared about trying to give us what we wanted while respecting a budget. He also invited us over to take a look at some houses he was in the middle of working on. The renovations turned out great. Any time something came up that had to be addressed or fixed, Bill was responsive and got his guys over as soon as possible to take care of it. Vinny and Paul, who work directly for Bill, went ABOVE and BEYOND what they were expected to do. They were a pleasure to have in the house. I never felt uncomfortable or annoyed while they were working at the house. They were very polite and took care to clean up well behind themselves. We were very happy with the finished results and anytime we have a question or concern Bill has gotten back to us.

Overall, this company was extremely punctual in their communication with me. I was speaking 5 different general contractors at the same time to compare prices, reviews, and referees. This company was very quick to pick up my phone calls and emails, and was extremely helpful in when I asked him to break down the costs so I can better compare the costs to other contractors. All in all, I did not go with this contractor because he was a bit pricier than anticipated (it could have been the scope of the work that quantified the price), but I would definitely contact this person in the future for possible projects. Also, they were extremely flexible with the start-date.

First, Bill is the type of person you can trust. That helped a lot to make the project easier on me. He accommodated my budget. He did a fantastic job. He was always on the top of the project and helped me to get the most that i can without going over the budget. I would definitely recommend him.

We are currently in the beginning stages of the project but bill has been so helpful going through the two above issues that we wanted to share this with others who may be looking for a great contractor. So stay tuned for the final review....

Everything was completed as agreed.

Right now it is costing me an additional $7000. to fix the many issues We have had. First and foremost the floor tiles were cracking. i was told by the person who is currently redoing the entire floor that the tiles were installed right on top of plywood. Besides the plywood the sub floor was not in good shape. That should have been addressed before the plywood and tiles were originally set in place. Next the shower stall was not water-proofed properly. The marble threshold to the shower cracked and water was getting into it. Then the water came through the kitchen ceiling.

After seeing Bill's excellent reviews on Angie's list, I contacted him about the renovation I wanted to do on my house. Bill was very quick in responding to me and after coming out to the house to assess the scope, gave me a quote the next day. His prices were very reasonable so he got the job.During the job, we had to change some things to accommodate the budget and he was easy to work with and was accommodating to my additional requests. His guys were also able to modify one of the kitchen cabinets due to a measurement mistake on my part, which I greatly appreciate. To meet my absolute move-in date, he also had his guys come in on the weekends to do some work which was much appreciated too.All in all, Bill completed the job to my satisfaction and met the needs of my project, he's a good guy to work with and should be in your consideration for your project.

I contacted Bill in June and asked him to assess my home. My house had flooded out and I had lost my first floor and basement to water. He was quick to respond, and scheduled time to review the project later in the week. He turned around a comprehensive proposal, at a very fair price within a week. Bill was a joy to talk to and to work with. Always professional and hard working, Bill truly is the essence of a straight shooter. He laid out the timetable for the project, and like a seasoned professional, executed the job on time and on budget. Unlike other contractors I've worked with, Bill did not make excuses for anything. He delivered a quality job done right! Thank you! I would absolutely recommend Bill to anyone without hesitation.

Never came out so no idea how they would have done.

We purchased a small "good bones" house that was built in 1953, had never been updated, and had suffered some serious neglect and abuse in the last decade or so. We had never needed a contractor before and no one we know had any good recommendations for us, so we were pretty much reliant on reading reviews. B&B had a lot of good reviews and no negatives, and the owner, Bill Germaine was the most prompt, responsive, detailed contractor we interviewed. His pricing was very reasonable, so we signed on. I know you won't believe this, but Bill's team finished our initial scope of work before the date specified in the contract. We were so happy with the work on the exterior and the main level of the house, and Bill had done such a great job of helping us keep costs in check, that we had him extend the scope to putting a new floor and ceiling in the finished basement. That work was also done in reasonable time. Bill communicated with us throughout the project, always returned phone calls the same day or the next day, and checked in frequently to make sure we were happy with the work. There were no major errors, and the few little things that went wrong--a minor mixup in paint colors, a missed detail here or there--were taken care of quickly and cheerfully. The careful work from Bill and his team made everything we were able to do with a modest budget look amazing. We love our beautiful little house and we're already planning to have Bill tackle our back porch soon.

The work went well. It took a bit longer than anticipated, but then again, the scope of work grew a bit also. Bill Germaine, the owner, was always accessible. If I had to leave a message, he always got back to me the same day. We communicated just about daily, either by email or phone. Bill's two main workers, Vinny and Paul, are talented, skilled craftsmen, and did an excellent job on the framing, interior and exterior. Bill's subs, the roofer, the sider, the electrician, the plumber, the tile man, the sheet-rockers, and the painter all did excellent jobs. The bottom line is this: We're very happy with the way the house turned out.

Called back to discuss estimate within a reasonable time frame.