Owings Brothers Contracting

So far, so good. We're about 5 weeks into the project with 5 more to go and we could t be happier with our foreman and the brothers so far. More details and longer review to come upon completion.

We are very happy with the end result of the project.  Owings Brothers is very responsive and will make every effort to ensure that the customer is satisfied.  They are very easy to do business with. A couple of areas that they could continue to improve upon....1) continue to improve communications with their workers, subcontractors and customers.  Sometimes subcontractors would appear and the customer would need to provide direction.   It took 3 tries for the kitchen cabinets to be positioned correctly. on-site supervision is periodic.  Changes in schedule are not necessarily communicated to the customer.  The result was  we were opening doors expecting workers at 7:00- 7:30; only to have them sometimes show up much later or not at all.   Our project did not fully meet its target date. Workers were apparently pulled from our project to work on other projects.  Our project was supposed to be done by the 1st week of November; it was not fully completed until Christmas.  Owings Brothers did make sure that we had most of what we needed for Thanksgiving (which was our key criteria - to have the project completed by then)  2) protection of our property - more effort to avoid damaging just completed work (i.e., they continued to use the sunroom as a construction site, even after painting/ staining had been completed; our patio suffered damage etc.)But, again, they corrected the issues as soon as they were made aware of it. 
Anything we complained about was timely rectified. Emails and telephone calls were responded to quickly. Owings Brothers came up with creative solutions when encountering issues. Most of the subcontractors were excellent (roofing, HVAC, cabinet maker, painter, electrician etc.) Some were weaker (drywall).  They fixed any problems we identified. They worked with our vendors (lighting, sound, decorator) with no problems.  They were extremely flexible when we wanted something "new" to be done (i.e., installing sound proofing installation).  We were not surprised by any invoices.  They did what they said they would do, and we have an outstanding finished project. 
We would use Owings Brothers again. 

I thought they were very clean, neat and punctual.

Their bid was the highest of 3 but I negotiated a lower price.  Excellent job and no complaints.  My neighbor referred them to me

Once we decided to remodel the master bathroom we took our time to research and prince out all materials needed .  We spend time on the pricing using all avenues, including internet, retail stores and discount pricing box stores.  The reason that we did this is to cut our the contractor and middle man for adding to the cost.  Most contractors use an add on cost of 10% to 15% if not higher.  We where working on a tight budget that we eventually exceeded to get what we wanted.  Note this price if for installation and did not include what we spent for all fixtures ..........
Our goal was to meet with 3 top rated contractors using our same research avenues as above witch included Angie's list.  This is where the fun starts and were you should spend the most time really looking over who and what you will be dealing with.  In short we ended up talking to 6 contractors.  Here is a hint if you want to see the mentality of contractors to see if you are dealing with someone that is out for a buck tell them at the meeting how many contractors you are talking too.  If the guy cuts his presentation short and bolt for the door, you had the wrong guy.   Another tip if they have a one page contract with misspellings, don't sign it., you have the wrong guy  Lastly if your contractor will not give you a HOLD HARMLESS or wants 90% of the job upfront and then tells you that he doesn't want to work with you because of it be thankful you have the wrong contractor.
The contractor you do want is someone that will work with you not  only on the price but with the contract ( you need to read line by line and ask questions) and how its written.  This contractor will add and or delete language as needed with in reason if needed .  You always want to have the plans, drawings and outline attached to the contract as part of the agreement.  This is the company you want to work with.  
As I said we took our time and after all was said and done Owings Brothers Contractors was the one we settled on.  It took some time and in fact this was the second contractor we started with.   Our negotiations took some time over pricing mostly but no matter how many times I called or emailed I always felt like they wanted my business and was willing to send time to establish a comfort level or a win - win deal for me.
Once we inked the deal, time and dates were set a time line was supplied, a meeting was held with all parties including all trades people for the job.   Time was taken to discuss the job layout and from top to bottom I mean from floor to ceiling and everything that is included in a remodel.   This is where you need to know everything about what you want down to the switched on the walls.   If you don't it will delay the work flow and could cost you more money.
In short the job was completed almost on time some delays over holidays and bad weather but somethings no one can control.   All in all a great job and very pleased just one or two small things that didn't go well with one tradesman this is the only reason a gave a B in Quality - 

It went excellent! It was very well done, the only thing I would say is that the time limit that they gave me was extended by 2 weeks. They are a little pricy, but I think you get what you pay for. I think what they charged me was right on, I don't think it was too over extended. They were very easy to work with, a nice group of people.

From the very beginning of the process it went very well.  Michael was a professional from the very beginning.  
Of the four interviews we did with contractors, Owings was the only one to suggest a full temporary kitchen in the one room on the floor not being renovated.  They put up temporary walls/doors, plumbed in water and gas.  With 3 kids, this was a godsend during the months without a kitchen.  During the pre-construction meeting the foreman wanted to know how we did things in the morning, afternoon etc so we could be the least inconvenienced.  The showed up every day at 7am.  If they were not going to make it on a certain day (which was rare) they let us know before.  During the demolition stage they vacuumed as they went along to minimize the dust.  We were very impressed with their work ethic, the courtesy they showed on the job, their open communications and, of course, their workmanship.  The entire team working on the job was truly exceptional.  We had our own designer that we loved but also used their designer for the planing of the kitchen cabinets, etc.  We went with one of the cabinet lines that they carry and are very pleased with the workmanship and the pieces.  The only issue we had was working with their cabinet designer in getting the cabinets ordered in a timely manner.  I chalk this up to them being new to that process as they just started carrying a cabinet line.  Ia m sure this is ironed out now.  This cost us about 2 weeks as the cabinets were delayed.  With all that being said, I cannot say enough about Owings and what a great job they did.  Working with Bill, Phil, Mike, Chris and the rest of the Owings crew far surpassed our expectations - we had heard such negative stories from other neighbors who went through large construction projects and our experience wasn't anything like theirs.  The same comments apply to all of their other subs - Casey, John, Mike, etc -
they were all terrific. Sharon in their office was awesome too. She was pleasure to work with.

Job entailed furring out from ceiling joists to accommodate existing HWBB pipes the original builder criss/crossed over the joists.  We then understood why original owners chose a drop ceiling, but it was time to go.  Joe was quick to respond to our questions and the project moved very quickly.  Other contractors we engaged for an estimate didn't seem to grasp as quickly how to accommodate the pipes.  Craig was the job manager and he was very on top of things.  
Only observation I have that OHS might want to consider is employee training.  One subcontractor(?) liked to talk about politics.  Although I didn't care for his rhetoric and political leanings, I value free speech.  However, others might not, and for this reason be unwilling hire OHS again.

They are great to work with.  The are upfront an honest about timing and pricing. They have done two jobs for us. They were recommended to us by one of my brothers and we have recommended them to another brother.  We have another project we are thinking of doing in about a year or two and with plan on hiring them.

They are great to work with.  The are upfront an honest about timing and pricing. They have done two jobs for us. They were recommended to us by one of my brothers and we have recommended them to another brother. We have another project we are thinking of doing in about a year or two and with plan on hiring them.

They are excellent and we recommend them to people all the time. Our friends always ask who did the work. They were always on time and they always cleaned up. If any issues came up they were quick to respond. Even after the work was done and anything came up they would come right out and fix it. I would highly recommend them.

See description of services

Prompt, answered our questions as he progressed, good clean-up. Would definitely use this carpenter and this company again.

Both projects went extremely well..........after the first project was completed (the kitchen/room extension) on time and within budget, there was no question when we decided to begin the second project (master bath), we were going to call upon Owings Homes Services again.  Joe Smith, part owner of Owings Home Services, was a pleasure to deal with.  He has great insight and was very helpful in a lot of the decision making processes. The project managers on the jobs were extremely knowledgable and also very helpful throughout the
construction projects.  The pricing of the project I thought was "fair", especially for the quality of the job they delivered.  Owings Homes Services will not be the "cheapest guy" in town, but also, not the most expensive, either.  Their workmanship is of high quality and the completed job will be one you will be proud of to showcase to your friends and family!!  They are an "award winning" home builder/remodeler, and their projects prove it to be true.  I highly recommend you consider them for any home project to be built or remodeled.

We were very happy with the service. They were knowledgeable, professional, and we felt comfortable with the staff in our home. They were efficient and got the job done. They were accommodating to our needs when we needed to convert a 1/2 bath to a full bath with very short turnaround, for a terminally ill family member.  We were very happy with their service. On another occasion, they redid another contractor's substandard work and did a great job. We were happy to have them return for more work. They are also very willing to follow up and correct any issues that may come up.

It was excellent.  Owings always arrived on time and cleaned up after itself, and its work was outstanding.  Furthermore, the workers were professional and courteous, and it was a pleasure doing business with them.  It took us a year to get the plans just right, and at no point did we feel pressured or strained to move forward or make hasty decisions.  We were so satisfied, in fact, that we are having them out for more work.

It was a miserable experience. It was lousy, they were awful, and it cost me a ton of money. I'm still fixing problems they caused me. At the same time, they got an award for the work that was done here because I let them come back under the architect and take pictures. Other people I'm sure have used them with a good experience, but I just wound up with the wrong people at the wrong time. Their owners didn't want to stand up to the work. It was a miserable experience in the end. I can't even remember all of the things that went wrong. I think their problem was that they just couldn't believe their guys had done as bad of a job as they had done. They'd already spent the money to get to where we'd gotten after many tries on several of the items. This was a major remodeling, and they just wanted out of the job with minimal pain on their side. I finally gave up and I wanted them out of the job with minimal pain on my side. Most of the work, I had to re-do myself anyhow. The very first time we met, somehow, things went south. The initial framing and initial pouring of the foundation went pretty well. There was then just one problem after another, from electrical to fireplaces to bathroom tiling. I think we re-tiled the bathroom and shower three times, which meant tearing out stuff that was done and redoing it. The trim work was bad and they left me a mess with the insulation in the attic. The heating contractor did a lousy job and subsequently I've had to pay to tear things open and get the lines put in correctly so they're not crimped for the coolant. The fireplace was damaged and we had to take that apart and replace it. It just went on and on. The kitchen cabinets arrived and the painter they had came in and sprayed all the kitchen cabinets at the same time. That one wasn't helpful. Every electrical fixture and the lights that were put in had to be repositioned. There isn't a door they hung that was correct. Some of that stuff is really tough to fix by the time it's actually done. We had walls that were put in on the exterior where we had to go back and cut out all of the studs to get them straight. There were probably 10 or 15 other items. There is insulation that seems to be missing in one of the floor areas that extends over the outside. Until I tear all of that open, I won't know. I just haven't had the energy to tear it all open and re-insulate. The windows got put in and framed and then had to be changed. I've been fixing the problems they left me, including the bedroom trim and bathroom trim, that was all put in so badly it was awful. I guess you could say that the basic framing was good. It was all the details on the finishing side that they just really didn't have good people for and they didn't know how to follow up. They wouldn't believe how bad it was when I would try to tell them. In the end, I made a list and we split the list in terms of what they would fix. I made my final payment and told them to get out. I did call them back to fix one other thing. We had a kind of bead-board paneling around the fireplace that separated because the guy forgot to glue the biscuit joints. They left me the mess to clean up and fix and re-paint and caulk. I haven't called them back and I wouldn't. When the architect asked if they could take pictures, I said 'great' because I thought I was supporting the architect. Then I saw in the magazines that Owings Brothers had gotten the award for the work. Whether they're reputable or not, maybe they are. I've seen them get awards for other things. It's just that, for me, my job went south and they didn't step in to help me out. They were telling me everything was an optical illusion so I wasn't happy with them. Maybe they've sorted out their workforce. Maybe if I'd had the first level of subs they usually use it could have clicked into place. I'm really not out to crucify them and it was several years ago, and listings since then seem to say they're okay. I haven't had any additional experience with them. It was an unsatisfactory experience, and the major issue was that something would be done incorrectly, and it was a difficult thing to get them to fix it. As the job got further in, it became even more difficult for them to fix things. Some things you don't even see for awhile. For example, but the time I realized that all the doors were hung in an odd manner, I'd already shaken hands with them and I had to chase them for that one. They had material ordering problems. They ordered the wrong doors in the first place and hung them, and when I pointed out to them they were wrong, they did go back and order the right doors. Of course, that meant they had to hang them in the now already-installed door jambs, which were crooked in the first place and I didn't realize it. There were just numerous problems that were encountered, and it was difficult to get them resolved, and some of them never did get resolved. If someone did engage them, I would recommend that they have a very good plan and a very good contract. I tried to have a good contract, off the simple one they wanted to start with, which helped me a little because I could point to things. I don't know how an individual could make sure you get the first line workforce, because they promised me they would have their own subs and their own employees. I ended up with, I think, their second or third choices in most cases, which was part of the problem. Unfortunately, the supervisor was weak. It was his first big job, which I didn't realize. He had difficulty knowing how to chase people and fix things. Then he quit before the end of the job and went off to do something else, which didn't help. I was left half-managing their people on my own. Going in to the job, they were the best price for me. Of course, I paid for that along the way. I don't know where I would have been if I would have gone with someone who was priced higher to begin with. We originally were going to have a three to four month job, but it ended up lasting almost a year.

Owings was not cheap. But throughout the process they were professional, polite, and ready to do the right thing even if it meant additional cost that Owings absorbed. (One example on this last point: Our screened porch addition did not spec brick facing for the footers, but Owings thought it should be done, suggested it, and did the work at no additional charge.) Owings men were on site for several months. My wife always felt safe with them there. If there were anything left that needed doing -- there isn't -- I wouldn't hesitate to call Owings again. This contractor consistently delivered fine work and went out of its way to please us.

The work was completed in roughly 3+ mths. Overall we are pleased with the results. The effort didn't go without an incident or two; however the Owing response was prompt and appropriate. We were treated fairly when we had an issue concerning billing or the result of work performed. The workers were always courteous and respectful; including times when our household wasn't ready to receive them. Our experience was positive and we would certainly use them again.

Ownings Brothers Contractors showed up on time and they cleaned up after themselves. They worked with us on the pricing and we thought that their prices were very fair and in line with other estimates we had got. We were not in the same state during the remodel and so we did everything long distance. The site manager would contact us before they would do anything to make sure it was correct. They were very professional and we were very pleased.

We couldn't have been happier with Owings Bros. They were very dependable, polite, considerate, communicative and committed to the highest quality. The project lasted over 6 months; fortunately we weren't living there at the time. They honored their original estimate except we decided on a number of upgrades during the process (upgraded wood floor, doors, etc.) and they clearly wrote out the extra costs involved so there was never any misunderstanding. We had a wood burning fireplace and hearth built from cultured stone, for which they used a subcontractor. We were pleased with the results but did notice a few places where the mortar looked too thick or a stone stuck out a bit. But since it was a rustic style, we didn't mind. The project supervisor (one of the Owings Bros.) arrived, looked over the work and without us saying anything said it was unacceptable and had the subcontractor come back and rip it out and redo it to his satisfaction. (The rest of the subs were great)

They were so professional. The work was started within a week of the deposit & completed a month ahead of schedule. They showed up every day, informed us of each step, all of their employees & subcontractors were professional, polite & accommodating. A pleasure to work with; I really felt I could trust them. They completed all of the building work before opening the new addition into our house so we had no dust/mess inside while they worked. The estimate was exactly on target so no additional costs were found after they started. They were referred to me by 5 separate people who had work done by them, worked with them on other projects (architect), or had seen their work (0ur carpenter). They keep you informed, quick to resolve any problems (issue w/our neighbor & the on site equipment. Highly recommend.

OVERALL, CONSIDERING THE EXPANSIVE AND INTRUSIVE NATURE OF THE PROJECT, THE EXPERIENCE WAS EXCELLENT. VERY PROFESSIONAL COMPANY FROM INITIAL CONSULTATION THROUGH CONCEPTUAL DESIGN TO ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION AND FINISHING. ALL PHASES EMPLOYED VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF WITH REQUISITE SKILLS. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND.