Get matched with top energy efficiency auditors in Chesapeake City, MD

"Excellent work!"

"I’m still planning and haven’t installed anything yet but Emily at MSS has been terrific. She talked me through the entire process with an admirable combination of knowledge, patience, and candor. We discussed the pros and cons of installing panels at my place, designed a system using satellite images of my home that’s appropriately sized to offset my electricity consumption, estimated the cost of my install, reviewed federal, state, and local tax breaks along with anticipated SRECs, and determined my likely payback period. I highly recommend."

"In 2017, I contracted with them via Pepco because the 2nd floor rooms were hotter than the rest of the house, costing me greater A/C expenses. I worked with them on an energy audit to the upstairs bedrooms, removal of the acoustic ceiling tile in one room, addition/improvement of insulation, sealing in kneewalls, installation of new ceiling, insulation in the basement, and a follow-up energy audit. The auditor was very prompt and friendly but the workers didn't do an good job. The contractor was flaky. The HVAC crew were sloppy. The drywall installer/carpenter did a low-grade job by using low grade wood for the knee wall doors, and he set the ceiling inappropriately for house settling (now there are cracks between ceiling and walls). The energy audit following the work showed improvement but I'll need additional solutions to get the house to a more efficient state. I shared my disappointment with them and in 2018 they refinished cracking drywall ceiling without charge and replaced the doors - still not quality. They were bought by Minnick's, with whom in 2019 I scheduled an estimate for additional HVAC solutions for the upstairs. Minnick's jerked me around, never gave a complete estimate (I had to keep asking if it included what we discussed) and the estimate was exponentially more pricey than others and they proposed a solution that wouldn't solve the problem. I wouldn't recommend them at all."

"Kevin and his team are the best. they call back right away and come out when they say they will . Price is always fair and the guys are true pros."

"We just finished a spectacular custom home project in McLean, VA and we are so very grateful to Seth Ballard and his team! If you are considering hiring his firm, look no further. There can be no better architect in the DC/VA/MD area – and his pricing is more than fair. We first picked Seth because we loved his architectural style and heard that he had a reputation for ensuring that his plans are executed with impeccable precision and attention to quality. Also, his references were stellar….without exception, his former clients offered glowing praise for his talent, diligence, and follow-through. And now that we are former clients, we understand why. We always knew we were going to have a gem of a home with Seth at the helm. What we did not fully appreciate at the beginning was his proven ability to help us STAY ON BUDGET and his deep bench of connections with first-rate contractors and subcontractors who were prepared to bend over backward to meet Seth’s exacting standards. Here are just a few highlights from our experience: CONCEPT PHASE: During the initial meetings at our home, Seth went the extra mile to learn all about our lifestyle, future needs, architectural likes/dislikes, and budget. During this stage of the process, he would effortlessly make freehand drawings to help us visualize potential styles and layouts. We ultimately elected to go with a craftsman design, with lots of wood features inside and out. PICKING THE RIGHT PROPERTY: Seth joined us for car rides through the local neighborhoods, helping us to scout out the property that was best suited for our construction plans – free of any potential HOA or permitting snafus. DESIGN: With Seth’s guidance, we iterated on different design options. The design phase was high-tech and highly visual. Lots of 2D and 3D elevations, plus 360-degree videos. At each step, Seth clearly identified the estimated construction cost, and we would make decisions about what to dial-up and what to dial-down. For example, we elected to go with a cheaper asphalt roof (rather than slate), but with a more premium window. There were literally dozens of choices like that, and Seth did a superb job of helping us to make the right trade-offs and to “value engineer” the house. PICKING THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR AND SUBS: One of the things that distinguishes Seth from the competition is that he works closely with a handful of contractors and subcontractors who have already been “pre-screened” for excellence. Seth connected us with a general contractor who was not only honest and diligent, but whose carpentry was truly “artisan grade.” Seth also drew upon a stable of outstanding subcontractors – in areas such as HVAC/plumbing, electrical/lighting, structural engineering, cabinetry, tile, drywall/paint, countertops, hardwood flooring, landscaping, etc. It was perfectly clear that these subs were striving to deliver the highest quality and exemplary service. Why? Because Seth was an important source of repeat business for them. This made them extremely responsive. BUDGETING: Seth developed detailed spreadsheets estimating costs for every aspect of the project, as well as options for “enhancements.” Once we made our choices, he was instrumental in securing a FLAT FEE CONTRACT with the builder (inclusive of subs) for everything we wanted. To provide even more control over the cost, the agreement specified that certain items would be “owner provided, contractor installed.” This meant that, regardless of whether we bought pricey appliances or tile or flooring, it would have no impact of the builder’s fees. To his credit, Seth’s estimates were quite accurate, and the project stayed on budget. ARCHITECT FEES: We negotiated a flat fee for Seth’s architectural services, and got way more than we bargained for. We had no idea Seth would stay so engaged throughout the project -- micromanaging every detail, and even offering interior design suggestions (e.g., stains and paints, cabinet and window designs, furniture layouts, etc.). It became clear that, regardless of how much we had agreed to pay in fees, Seth was “all in,” and was committed to ensuring that the end result was perfection. To be sure, in any large construction project, there will be some hiccups. But this was yet another area where Seth shined. Rather than being indifferent, or pointing the finger at those who were actually at fault, he would step up to “own the problem” and take charge until the issue was resolved. In one such case, he developed a design tweak that saved us money and produced a more beautiful result in the process. We never had to stress too much, because we knew Seth was 100% engaged and we could trust that the final work product would be a treasure of a home. One final thought. While Seth’s tremendous talent is obviously perfect for large custom projects, we have no doubt that he can deliver outstanding value for smaller home renovations too. When we did kitchen/bath renovations in our prior home, we naively thought that a “design-and-build” firm would deliver the best solution. With the benefit of hindsight, we could have done so much better hiring Seth as the independent architect and separately hiring a builder who would be accountable to the architect. The result would have been better quality construction, a better value, and far less stress. So whether you are about to embark on a modest remodel or getting ready to “dream big” with a new custom home, look no further than Ballard Mensua Architecture."

"We contracted Burns and McBride to replace our home AC/Heating Unit when we switched to gas. We had trouble with the unit in the first year following installation and after much back and forth we learned it was a lemon with rusting of major interior parts (maybe from sitting on a ship somewhere I’m port). Their technician that found this showed us and was horrified and apologetic this unit had been installed in our home by the installation team. The company had to replace the entire unit; thankfully it was under warranty as the company still gave us a hard time trying to fix the parts first to no avail. Now, less than five years later our second installed unit/air conditioning, in the heatwave of early September, stopped working. We had a technician out only to have it breakdown again less than 24 hours later. Now a weekend, we had a technician out again who offered a different diagnosis suggesting there was an issue with a major part of the unit. Burns and McBide wanted an extreme amount to cover the cost of the technician coming out on the weekend evening. They will cover the cost of the parts but expected a steep price for labor to diagnose and fix the unit. We believe that the unit shouldn’t have major issues in only 4-5 years time and worry that we have another lemon which will continue to have issues. We have tried repeatedly over the last month to communicate work with Burns and McBride on a solution or compromise to the financial hit we are concerned about in addition to getting a working unit which we fully paid for. The employees taking our calls gave us Tom McBride’s direct phone number. He however will not pick up and has not called back. It has been miserable for over a month without a working air conditioning unit. While o am hoping to still find a resolution to our issue in the immediate future, I would not recommend this company. They have been negligent in providing the services we paid for and the ghosting of customers in need when their products installed don’t work is criminal."