"Paul abs Noe were amazing! We had several quotes but after reading reviews and their competitive pricing we chose Innovative Home Improvements. We are so glad we did, they completed our install fast, cleaned up everything like they were never there and the customer service is amazing. It is was a pleasant experience all around! Thanks IHI"
"Although we contracted and made an initial payment (1/3) on February 27, by mutual agreement the work began on 13 April 2015 to allow the work-site to dry out from the winter weather. The contractor made incredible progress in the first two weeks demolishing the old deck & garage porch, pouring footers, raising the frame & putting on the roof. The first crew was very hard working, here early in the morning, & leaving late in the afternoon (after cleaning up the area each day). When rain was in the forecast, the crew would ask if they could make up the day on Saturday, which they did. Everything we saw in the first 2 weeks was consistent with our previous great experience with Fox Creek 2 years earlier when they replaced all our siding, windows & doors. The only problem at that point was that a plain black roof (25 yr) was put on instead of the architectural roof (lifetime warranty) we asked for. The contractor acknowledged the error and offered to replace the roof at no additional cost. We had originally only contracted for 2 skylights so we asked if he'd install 2 more at no cost versus replacing the roof and he agreed. We were told that everything was on schedule to complete the rest of the job in 2 weeks. We made the second (of 3) payment on April 29 which was when the excavation work below the porch/deck was supposed to begin. No one showed up to start this work for several days and when they did (it was a different crew from the first), they typically showed up around mid-morning and were gone by mid-afternoon. We had beautiful weather during this period in which very little work got done. The contractor claimed they were having trouble getting the supplier to deliver sand and crushed rock. Since we're located in St. Mary's County which is a bit of a distance from the contractor's home base in Crownsville near Annapolis, they decided to use "local" suppliers & subcontractors (electricians) rather than those they normally use. We found out later that the sand & gravel supplier was located in Brandywine about 40 miles from here (there are plenty of suppliers right here in the county). When the sand & gravel finally showed up at 10:00 am one morning about the same time the crew arrived, the crew directed them to the spot they wanted it dumped and then everyone left shortly after that without doing anything. We knew by then that the job wasn't going to be completed anywhere near the 3 & 1/2 week total time advertised. The predictable springtime heavy rains started and we were delayed even more. The week of May 11 was the first week we could see some progress each day. The end product was beautiful. A paver retaining wall was put in all around the perimeter below the deck/porch and in between the concrete slab under the porch and the pavered patio area below the deck.
We couldn't understand why the remaining work on the porch above couldn't go on while the below work was going on. Wiring had to be put in, and also all the finish work (soffets, gutters, trim work, ceiling made of soffet rolls - looks very nice). Most of the holdup turned out to be waiting for the "local" electrician to show up. The electrician (Goudie) wasn't really all that local but was from Waldorf 35 miles up the road. Our contractor had to threaten, cajole and/or beg Goudie to show up and install wiring so that the finishing work could be done on the porch. We begged our contractor to get another licensed electrician (there are plenty of good ones right here in the county that we've done business with). Anyway, once the electrician showed up we had to get them back several more times because they'd forget to do something we'd asked for or they didn't have a part and we'd end up in the same waiting game. They did end up getting shamed into sending an electrician on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend to put in 2 ceiling outlets they''d forgotten to put in, but we still didn't have any fans or lights to enjoy that weekend, by which time our contractor assured we'd be enjoying the porch. You don't EVER want to do business with Goudie Electrical.
To make a long story short, after a lot of nagging to get a lot of loose ends tied up, the work was finally finished and inspected the Thursday (the day) before this past 4th of July weekend. The porch & deck are absolutely beautiful (we'll attach pictures if we can figure out how to do it - they will speak for themselves). We got some extras that we asked for like 7" wide Azek boards along the tops of the vinyl railings inside the porch to serve as a counter top for setting drinks or small plates of food or snacks, which we've had a lot of nice compliments about. They're the perfect height for pulling a barstool up to. One of the things we didn't get that we expected was a decent landing area at the bottom of our deck stairs. The crew threw grass seed and straw there. When we asked about getting some sort of solid landing, they shoveled out the area and threw some leftover crushed rock on it and tamped it down. When we asked if they were going to finish it (we told them they could use some of the many wall pavers that were left over) they said the wall pavers would require digging too deep. We offered to pick up (and did) some square flat stepping stones from Lowe's which we left for them. One of the younger fellas who was there one day to meet with the inspector and had no tools just laid the stones down, stomped them down with his feet and let it go at that. The area was not level and a downpour that evening directed a steady flow of water from the stones across our concrete slab. We didn't bother asking again, just tore it up last weekend, leveled and tamped it down properly and reinstalled the stepping stones ourselves.
Our sense through this whole experience was that there was nobody in charge. Besides the first crew that started the project and came later on one day to install all the soffets and gutters, it appeared to be young fellas without any on-site direction or supervision. They did a lot of good work but there was a lot of unfinished work that we had to call our contractor up to get fixed. If we lived closer to Annapolis or the DC metro area, this would probably have been a much better experience. They do good work at a fair price and the owners are very honest people and have the best of intentions. But they appear to be ill-equipped to do business in St. Mary's, southern Charles or Calvert counties or other more distant locations. I did mention to the owner that if he wanted to do more business here he needed to do more to establish relationships with truly local suppliers and subcontractors. Communications also need to be improved all around - with the crews, between the partners, with suppliers, subs and us, the customers. We had the sense that the crews didn't really enjoy coming here and that we were kind of at the bottom of Fox Creek's list of priorities due to our distance from their home base. As much as we love the final product and will enjoy it and show it off for a lifetime, we couldn't go through the aggravation again. We would encourage folks from the Annapolis and metro DC areas who are considering a project like this (or folks who aren't in any kind of a hurry to get a project like this completed in a reasonable amount of time) to give Fox Creek serious consideration.
"You wrote a review for Elite Thermal 3 hours ago 5.0 star rating 6/13/2023 It is rare that I end up having home repairs done to where I feel satisfied enough to post a review of the work on Yelp. More often than not, I feel like the work was overpriced, with hidden costs popping up along the way, then the workers leave with the work not even completed and never return for repairs to a job that was not done well to begin with. So, working with Elite Thermal was a happy experience, worth sharing. The cost was highly competitive. The work was well explained in advance by Chad, who was also here the morning of the work to oversee his crew. Pictures were taken before and after. Workers were timely, polite, clean and profession. Even once the work was completed, I was able to get modified receipts for rebate purposes to meet what was required. I highly recommend the team at Elite Thermal for your attic cleanup and insulation.Iâ m"
"Great experience all around from Wuan and Wesley and the Falcon team. From our first call to the day of install every question I had - the team was there. Would 1000 percent recommend."
"Complete Exteriors installed house wrap, soffits, fascia, gutters and down spouts on my new house construction. Mike was my customer support rep for the project. He was was professional throughout the process. He responded quickly to all of my inquiries by phone and email. Most of the work was completed by Douglas and his assistants Benjamin and Caesar. The installation crews were hardworking and efficient and the quality of their work was great. Overall a very pleasant experience and I'm very satisfied with the end product."
"Daniel and his partner installed new appliances and tile in my kitchen, I had new counter tops installed as well in my kitchen and master bathroom. I also used John Krause for a repair to my shed from water damage again Daniel and his partner did an excellent job for me. Very please with Daniel and his work. I believe Daniel is a sub-contractor for John Krause, but none the less in my opinion he did really good work and communicated with every step of the way."
"Excellent process from Sales to Installation to Cleanup. Very professional. Completed job as quoted and in the time frame specified. Great local company that I would be happy to deal with again."
"The installers of my front steps and railings did an excellent, excellent job. They worked with precision to make sure their installations were correct and measurements were accurate. They did an excellent job cleaning up once they were finished. I plan to use them again in the future."
"I was surprised at how fast they responded to a request for service. I receive a phone call within 10 minutes of a request. This was followed up with a site visit and an estimate of repairs to two vinyl gable end vents. One day later they obtained the replacement parts and installed them. It required removing some of the siding."
Universal Windows Direct was founded in April of 2002 by William Barr and Michael Strmac. It was their mission to create a home improvement company that offers high quality home improvement goods at the best possible value. What began as two guys in a 350 square foot office quickly grew to become one of the nation's leading remodeling companies. Today, Universal Windows Direct represents thousands of customers and has a rapidly growing network of locations nationwide, all of which are actively involved in the communities they serve.
Yes, you can install a bay window in an existing house. You’ll need to have a structural engineer draw up plans to add the necessary support to your exterior load-bearing walls and a general contractor to make the changes to the framing around the new wall opening. This will cost an average of $3,000. After that work is done, a window installer can set the new bay window in place.
Installing a window well costs anywhere from $500 to $1,500 or more. Adding an egress window and well runs about $3,900 on average. Adding a window well cover to the project can add $200 to $700. A well cover helps protect your egress windows from weather damage and keeps them clear of dirt, debris, and wildlife.
Egress windows are typically required for basements with habitable space or living quarters. Not all basements or lower levels require egress windows. However, egress windows are required in homes with living spaces such as bedrooms and living rooms in a basement. The International Residential Code and International Building Code require sleeping rooms to have a specific size egress window. Check your local building codes to confirm the requirements in your area.
Yes, egress windows must meet local building codes for size and accessibility. Professional installers ensure compliance.
DIY is possible for experienced individuals. Professional installation ensures compliance with building codes and proper sealing.
The Mayo, MD homeowners’ guide to eifs installation services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
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