Get matched with top home builders in Friendly, MD

"We have used The North Star Companies for several jobs in the past, with the most recent being the largest. We hired them do a complete renovation of our home in Severn. The job grew larger as demo began and turned into a job requiring the rebuild of exterior walls, demo of concrete slabs - basically the house had to be rebuilt from the ground up. All new plumbing, electric, framing, windows, siding, roof, etc. I have known Chris for 20+ years and was confident that our forever home would be solid and done right. We had a few hiccups throughout the process - as this was done during Covid, so there were supply issues, delays and so forth, but Chris and his guys did an amazing job. We couldn't be happier and are continuously getting compliments on our beautiful home. Chris has been and will continue to be our go-to for any construction needs for us and our family and friends."

"The whole experience was wonderful! Calvin Lee came to our home to measure the space and provided exactly what we asked for as our remodel design. Jason and his crew worked very hard to complete our kitchen as quickly as possible while doing excellent work. Christian always answered question and addressed concerns as the process went on. Jason followed up each evening to let us know what would happen next. They arrived on time each day worked full days. We got all new cabinets, flooring, countertops, lighting and paint. We couldn’t be happier with our new beautiful kitchen!"

My name is Robert Congedo president of KMA Associates, Inc, I have the following licenses: Class A Virginia, Maryland contractors, Maryland home improvement, Montgomery contracting, PG county contracting, Calvert Co contracting, District of Columbia contracting, land disturber certified from Virginia. I have over thirty years of experience from building houses in all price ranges, in all of these areas. I spend a lot of time on every job to make sure things are done right. All of my homes have appraised for 10 to 30 percent higher than the cost to build. I can offer you competitive pricing as I have low overhead and years of experience with all my subs. I build one at a time. All my estimates are free and depending on the detail are exact prices. I have never increased price on any project without the owner's approval in writing.I also carry over two million in liability insurance . I can find lots in any area and have available architects to help design your home.

"One day I walked past a GS Builders sign in front of a house in our neighborhood where they were putting a second story onto a house that used to be a lot like ours. We spoke to Chris Papadopoulos, the owner and architect for GS Builders, and he explained their process. We paid less than we had previously paid an architect for one design, and received three preliminary designs. We worked with Chris for a couple of months on getting the design to a point where we really liked it while staying within our budget. The design was a collaboration in a way that it had not been with any of the other professionals with whom we worked on this project. Chris and his wife Nicoleta, who served as our project manager and interior designer, helped us to find a bank and assisted with the process of qualifying for a construction loan, without which we would not have been able to do the project. We started work on our project more than a year after our first discussion with GS Builders, in February of 2016. Although we had initially considered staying in the house during the construction, we ultimately decided against it, renting a smaller house nearby. The construction mostly went smoothly, although there were occasional blips in communication. We did appreciate that they kept surprises to a minimum. We had time to look at all the framing work including custom bay windows. It is solidly built and expertly done. While the builders were working on the house, my wife and I were working to find plumbing and lighting fixtures, kitchen appliances, cabinetry and countertops, paint and flooring combinations, and roofing and siding materials. Nicoleta was a fantastic resource, helping us to find vendors and websites, working with us to figure out what we liked and how to create the new space. The tilework, painting and other finishes that the crew from GSB put together is absolutely first-rate. They worked exceptionally hard and took great pride in their craftsmanship. We moved back in almost exactly six months after we moved out. We are in love with our new house. This kind of renovation creates stress in ways that I couldn't have imagined before I went through it and I think that GS Builders could help themselves by improving their communications and planning processes. We feel lucky that we chose to work with GS Builders. If we had to do the whole thing over we would choose them again. And when we save up enough to screen in the back porch, we will go back to them without hesitation. On-Time, High-Quality, and Reasonable Cost. We got all three."

"Debbie, the AC&R salesperson, was very knowledgeable and confident. They were the 2nd quote I got for work and came in even lower than I expected (which gave me pause as a low bid is a red flag). But true to her word, they did the work professionally (mostly...see below) and promptly. While I had another company do the energy audit for the Pepco rebate, AC&R took over the work, did the blown fiberglass one day and the spray foam the next.



For the blown fiberglass in the attics above our additions, they added spray foam (from a can) around any gaps per the contract and foam board baffles at the soffits. The installer noted that all our soffits were blocked and the batting insulation was too wide for the rafter channels, so he leveled it out as best he could to ensure an even coating of blown insulation. At the end, he sealed up the gaps between the attic and our to-be-finished upstairs (cape cod style, so all one room).



For the spray foam insulation, the team came in the next day, and I had to be out of the house due to fumes. I did come back around noon as they expected to be done well before then. They didn't know I came in and I went to the back of the house to watch TV on my work break. The one annoyance was during their cleanup, one of the installers came down into our kitchen and then saw me. He said he was looking for a vacuum cleaner to clean the stairs. I told him don't worry about the carpet as it was getting pulled up, but this was the one piece of unprofessionalism I noted above. Contractors should NEVER use the homeowner's property; they should bring their own tools, including vacuums!



While the spray foam can get very messy, they kept the splatter mostly contained to inside the crawlspace, not the finished flooring. However, I was surprised that they didn't tape off the outlet covers or light switched. since the particles are so small, we're going to have to replace the switches/receptacles at our cost. Also, there was a storm door screen that wasn't covered and now needs cleaned. Basically, I think they should have taken more care in covering the very few items we left upstairs and the outlets/switches.



They didn't spray around the window frames (large gaps where window weights used to be) because the open cell foam would expand too much. If I wasn't there, I think they would have just left, but it was clear in our contract discussions they needed to insulate those spaces too. They used a few cans of "Good Stuff" equivalent, but didn't fill in the gaps entirely. It did the job well enough, but it's a ding against them as I expected more preparation.



Lastly, I thought that AC&R would walk me through all the scheduling and final "test out" (for the Pepco rebate), but I had to contact them and schedule with someone different each time. They were always prompt, but I expect the experts to know to do this for/with me rather than expect me to know the process. I go through it once in a lifetime while they do it weekly.



While the end of the review sounds more negative than positive, I would definitely recommend AC&R out to others as they're priced right, they have been in business for over a century, and like any contractor, you just need to follow up to be sure everything is done to your satisfaction.
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"The roof work was great. The crew arrived on time, began working immediately. On putting on the new roof. They cleaned up everything afterwards, and there was no sign of work materials. Good price for great work!"

"Excellent. He diagnosis the problem I did not see and provided recommendations to properly align the new slides."

"WONDERFUL! The team was meticulous, prompt, polite and did a fantastic job. Our walls are old with many imperfections and they made them look like new. They covered everything and did not get any paint on the new floors, appliances, cabinets or countertops. They were SO careful and the work is just beautiful. We are so pleased and will absolutely hire Manny's painting service in the future as well as recommend them to our friends and family. They said if I needed touch ups or noticed anything imperfect after the job was completed, to call them and they could come fix it for free. They were so nice to work with!"

"Let me say 1st how very patient Daniel was with the decision of doing major remodeling and renovation to my parents home. After my Dad passed away My mom was very interested in changing the look of the because it reminded her so much of my dad. We talked to Daniel for an entire year. Daniel stopped by each time we had questions and concerns. When my mother had questions he took the time to make sure she knew who he was and while they did the worked in the house they made certain that those who worked for him were held accountable for making sure that the home was secure when they left for the day. The Home was Built-in 1938. We wanted the craftsmanship of the home to stay intact while updating the aesthetics of the home and doing major renovation to the kitchen in bathroom area. The work and workmanship was impeccable. Daniel and his team took into consideration everything we wanted. They incorporated a new vibrant upper scaled remodel. They did that and so much more. I would definitely use them again and recommend them highly to others."

"Clarence is one of the best contractors I have ever used. He was professional, honest with great integrity, and did all he could to ensure I was completely satisfied with the work that was performed. Santos hung the siding and was prompt, courteous and thorough. He set up and cleaned up to my complete satisfaction and was a very friendly, enjoyable person to speak with and work with. The gutter guys made some great suggestions and installed the new gutters even better than what was originally there. As an extra, Home Pro offered to install all new lighting around the house to help complete the "brand new" appearance. I bought the fixtures and they installed them at no extra cost. Clarence personally came back to troubleshoot and correct one of the light fixtures that wasn't working correctly. Without reservation, I strongly endorse Clarence, Santos, and the Home Pro company. A fairly large job was completed for a very reasonable price, with pride in workmanship, and uncommonly great customer service. Five stars!
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