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Zerodraft Maryland
Smart Home System Install or Service, Architectural Service, Batt, Rolled or Reflective Insulation Install or Upgrade,
About us
Zerodraft Maryland is a full-service residential and multifamily energy consulting and retrofitting company based in Towson, MD. Our mission is to help homeowners and residential property managers simultaneously save money, energy, and the environment, and we continuously pursue the most effective products, techniques, and technologies to drive building energy and maintenance costs closer to zero. Since our founding, we have performed over 25,000 energy audits and checkups of homes and apartments throughout the state and retained some of the most experienced home performance professionals in the region. Limited-time energy rebates and subsidized auditing programs make this an exceptional time to evaluate the efficiency of your building. Call us to find out how you can take advantage of our expertise to improve the energy efficiency, durability, and long-term value of your home or facility.
Business highlights
17 years of experience
Services we offer
Full-Service Design/Build., Home Performance Energy Audits with Energy Star (HPwES), LED Retrofitting, Lighting Audits and Lighting Efficiency Upgrades, Quick Home Energy Checkups (QHECs)
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.748 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 88% | ||
| 6% | ||
| 2% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 4% |
Showing 1-25 of 48 reviews
Jayaprakash R.
Dec 2021
I have reached to ZeroDraft to have an energy audit and understand the pain/major concerns in the house. All throughout my journey, the response from ZeroDraft was handled in a professional manner. I was updated in every stage right from scheduling to in-home consultation. The Energy Consultant arrived on time and explained the process. It took some few hours, and I was explained the issue like: Air leakage in the attic, poor insulation in the basement, aged electric water heater etc. I also, took their proposal to replace the old 50-gallon electric water heater to state of the art: Hybrid electric water heater pump which has a better energy rating. I am very happy with the service, and I am recommending "ZeroDraft" to all al my online friends and will surely utilize their service in any point of time.
Derrick P.
Sep 2020
Personalized professionalism. Zerodraft came into our home to conduct an energy audit and did a terrific job. Compared to any other home service, they clearly stand out on-top. Zerodraft was very knowledgeable about the field and demonstrated professionalism when applying it to our home situation. At the same time they were friendly and wonderful to interact with. I could tell they really cared about the work they did and making a positive impact on their clients. The job was delivered in a clean, friendly, and quick way. Highly recommended.
Brian S.
Aug 2020
Manny was great they arrived early. They answered all my questions and they were receptive to questions and small request. second time using them for home sealing projects.
Omar J.
Aug 2020
This company and crew did a great job. In addition to removing all existing insulation and placing new insulation in, I purchased their attic seal package and had them repair bathroom ventilation issues. All the work was completed within 2 days and the crew was very professional along the way. Very clean and hardworking. I plan to use this company again in the near future.
Steven S.
Jun 2020
Zero draft took a sizable deposit for insulation work to be done as part of the bge energy savers program. However, they never completed any work and never contacted me after they received their deposit. I followed up with them about an installation date and was told someone would contact me soon. Never happened. After a month I had to contact them to get a refund of my deposit. Now zerodraft is going to come back and say they couldn’t complete the work due to the coronavirus. However, contact your customers and certainly don’t hold onto their deposit for an indefinite amount of time without at least communicating with them. Refused to refund for the home energy audit when the entire reason for doing that was to get the work done as part of the bge program. Be careful with using this company. Rude on the phone when I was requesting my deposit refund and kept saying nobody else will do this work right now.
Response from Zerodraft Maryland
"Like many small businesses around the country, we were hit hard by the Covid-19 work closures. On 3/17, we were advised by the local utility program not to start new jobs, and on 3/31, all utility contractors received a formal stop-work order. At the time of writing this response, we still have not been allowed to resume work with this utility program. This customer signed his contract on 3/14. We were in touch on 3/16 to coordinate some details pertaining to the project rebate, and again on 3/19. After the shutdown was formalized on 3/31, we contacted our customers to explain the situation, explain that we had to postpone any scheduled jobs, and allow our customers to take back their deposit checks if they wished. Unfortunately, this customer did not seem to get our email explaining the situation, and in retrospect we agree that we should have followed up until we received an acknowledgment. The customer requested a refund via email on Saturday, 4/4. We acknowledged the request that same day, and processed the refund check that week. The main complaint here seems to be that the customer wanted us to refund not only the entire job deposit, but an additional $100 he previously paid for a diagnostic energy audit service which Zerodraft performed back on 2/10. We hold this to be unreasonable, since the energy audit is a distinct service, with separate contracting details and deliverables. We delivered exactly what we promised on the energy audit – an in-person visit, followed by an energy audit report with a list of recommendations and pricing. As soon as the program re-opens, this customer will be able to still receive utility rebates using a different home performance contractor, should he so choose. I can’t speak directly to the alleged rudeness, but the facts show that we promptly responded to the customer’s request to cancel his job. We hope that our many positive reviews speak to the fact that we treat our customers with respect and go out of our way to accommodate any reasonable request."
Gregory N.
Jan 2020
The audit was conducted very professionally and was informative. Based on the audit, attic and perimeter were cleaned and sealed, insulation was blown in and automatic fan installed in a 65-year-old house. The house was left clean and work was done ahead of schedule. Very pleased with a 30% reduction in leakage and insulation up to current standards.
Samuel S.
Jan 2020
We first contacted Zerodraft for the BGE home energy audit. Mike Havrilla was very personable, professional and detailed in his report. He worked with us to tailor our project and to meet our budget, which in my opinion was above and beyond. We also had a deadline to meet, and he once again worked to schedule us in. The work itself was well done and done on time. Each crew member is friendly and respectful. Manny was on site to supervise and answer all my questions during the work. We do normally feel more comfortable getting a few bids, but with Zerodraft, we felt right at ease right from the get go, and didn’t need to keep looking for the right company.
Linda A.
May 2019
I found Zerodraft Maryland through BGE's Energy Program. They came out and did a free energy analysis of my home and identified what needed to be done. I did some of the smaller items myself. Zerodraft came in and replace my attic insulation and sealed the floor of the attic. They arrived on the day and time scheduled. When setting up the appointment, they estimated that it would take 2.5 days. Well it took 1.5 days! And the difference is amazing!! They were very professional and they cleaned up very well each day! I highly recommend them!
Lenny S.
May 2019
It went extremely well! It was done on schedule and as promised. Mike Havrilla, the project manager was very easy to work with. He was very responsive and explained all details of work in a way that was easy to understand. All his crew have been very professional and always on time. They have done a thorough clean up after each day of work. I will not hesitate to recommend them to anyone for energy conservation projects.
Zoe B.
Feb 2019
We had a family room addition put onto our house in the late 80's. It was consistently several degrees colder than the rest of the house. Zerodraft came and insulated the crawl space underneath the family room. I would say the family room is still a little bit colder than the rest of the house, but it's a substantial improvement. Zerodraft recommended the correct course of action, gave me the best quote, showed up on time, was polite and courteous, and did great work. I would 100% recommend them to someone else.
Response from Zerodraft Maryland
"Thank you so much for the kind review, [Member Name Removed]! It means a lot that our customers think so highly of us, and that they would recommend us to a friend. We are glad your experience was positive and if you ever need our assistance again, please do not hesitate to reach out. It was a pleasure to work with you!"
Bridget M.
Feb 2019
First, the team at ZeroDraft were fantastic and went out of their way to assist us while we shopped around by providing rough estimates up-front based on attic dimensions and pictures I shared in advance. Once we realized they offered the best value for the money and were willing to work with us on the scope of work (i.e., my husband did some pre-work to remove existing plywood), we booked them. Once they arrived and confirmed the scope of work and costs, they prepared a Service Proposal that absolutely blew me away... It listed all the available options, pricing, and the Utility Discount based on each option chosen (i.e., energy efficiency rebate under the EmPower MD BGE Home Performance Program). The service proposal listed all options from "Good", "Better", and "Best" options for me to choose from; completely transparent and easy to see the immediate impact on the overall budget net of the utility rebates. The crew, lead by Manuel, worked diligently in far from ideal conditions (i.e., my craw space is extremely tight and was covered in old insulation that was improperly installed by the previous homeowner). Furthermore, Kurt was fantastic to work with and went out of his way to recommend reputable companies for a heat pump replacement. Kurt then handled all the necessary paperwork to maximize my rebate with BG&E to help offset the costs. Overall, we were able to offset ~50% of the project costs (including the heat pump replacement); the maximum allowed under the MD energy efficiency rebate program. This old house used to be extremely drafty and last winter I spent a lot on oil. I haven't had a chance to calculate the savings but based on the first heating oil order I've placed after the work, I'm pretty sure I'm savings more than 50% in heating oil.... That's going to result in a very short payback! On that note, when they do the blower test, generally they are targeting a 10-20% reduction in air infiltration into the home. Our home was the exception, with a measured reduction of 40%! I highly recommend you talk with ZeroDraft if you're considering doing insulation. The overall cost for the attic insulation, after the rebates, was about what I would spend if we did it ourselves and probably a lot less because I wasn't anticipating the amount of air sealing that was needed. I wouldn't recommend just doing insulation without the air sealing, as the air sealing is where you get the biggest bang for your buck. ZeroDraft was fantastic to work with and I highly recommend them!
William R.
Jul 2018
I received several estimates and while ZeroDraft was not the lowest, but they were awarded my business by virtue of the thoroughness and professionalism of the bidding process. The estimate was incredibly detailed and made me feel comfortable with a process about which I had a good deal of trepidation. The ZeroDraft employees led by, and including, Mike did a good job of keeping us informed about the work they were completing, as outlined by our contract. In addition, Mike and his team worked to remedy some wiring issues to ensure that our bath fan could be successfully installed. The team was clean and courteous, and worked to minimize disruptions as they worked. In addition, we were able to easily communicate with Mike and the ZeroDraft staff to ensure the project stayed on-track, and they quickly returned all inquiries with satisfactory responses. Best of all, there were absolutely none of the surprises that can come along with some contractor projects. We would have no reluctance to recommend the ZeroDraft company to others looking to have this type of work done.
John Y.
May 2018
I give Zerodraft an A+++ rating on everything they did. Professional, always on-time and performed their work on schedule. I worked with Mike and Manny and they were the best. I will use Zerodraft again when I do the basement recommendations. I can't provide the cost of the work performed because there are several options provided for each recommendation.
Jonathan S.
Apr 2018
I had an audit performed last year. Manuel was very thorough during the visit and I had a variety of follow-up questions about the proposed work. Manuel was great responding in terms of the information provided and the timeliness of getting back to me. I am in the process of having some of the energy improvements done and will post a separate review on those when completed.
Response from Zerodraft Maryland
"Thanks so much for the positive review! We pride ourselves on the qualities you mentioned and are happy that our technician was able to make you feel comfortable and confident about improving your home's energy efficiency. Please don't hesitate to call us directly if you have any further questions or comments, and we look forward to a job well done!"
Canden A.
Mar 2018
We knew we needed new/better/more insulation in our attic when we bought the house so after Mike came and did the Home Energy Check, we weren't surprised by his recommendations. We had actually had another company do the free check before and the gentleman who came was lovely but straight out of college and had no idea what he was talking about. He said we would need a new aircon unit because ours was old (it is from 2017 and says so on it) but anyways, Mike did a thorough check and the recommendations came back with different options of not only what steps we could take but what levels - good, better, best. There were a few teams who came through to do the various types of projects and everyone was efficient and polite and did a thorough job of cleaning up after themselves. I was afraid a three day somewhat major project like this would be disruptive to our lives but it wasn't at all - one of the crew even traded sweeping up instead of shop-vaccumming because my son was napping and he didn't want to wake him up.
Mark P.
Feb 2018
Mike was right on time and did a very thorough inspection including IR camera and blower test. He was very forthcoming with explanations and answers to how our home heating could be improved and responded in less than one week with the audit results and a very detailed proposal with c0st analysis and payback calculations.
Response from Zerodraft Maryland
"Thank you for your review! We take pride in our customers' satisfaction and work hard to ensure the experience is efficient and easy. We are happy to have saved you both energy and money, while ensuring the utmost professionalism and courtesy to you and your home. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again should you have any further home comfort needs!"
Kirk P.
Feb 2018
Zerodraft did an excellent job from start to finish. They were able to reduce the air leakage in my home by 27%!! Only regret is that I didn't contact them sooner.
Response from Zerodraft Maryland
"Thank you for the review. We're glad to hear our team was able to pinpoint your home energy needs and work to correct the issues so swiftly. Thank you for choosing us as your preferred contractor--we are pleased to have saved you both energy and money! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us again should you have any future home comfort needs."
Naveeda K.
Dec 2017
The company sent out a person who spent a good amount of time checking out the house. They seemed to do a thorough job but they were careless in their protection of the house from the side effects of their work. The air blown through the house blew soot from the fireplace all over a cream carpet. We discovered this by tracking soot all over the house. I called and they generously offered to cover the cost of cleaning the carpet. But lo and behold when they returned to do the actual job, they again did not cover up the fireplace. It was only at our insistence that they did so. Just this simple oversight should have been enough to alert us that, although well meaning, they were not a fully alert outfit, neither alert to customer concerns nor to the side effects of their job. This situation continued. We were given two options by which to insulate the house and they did not seem very thorough going. We have an old and drafty house and we kept asking them if better insulating our basement and loft would be sufficient and they kept assuring us it would be. We wanted an honest assessment of whether we should invest in new windows or in insulation and since they dont do windows they refused to consider this as a possible solution for us, convincing us that insulation was the way to go. They were fairly responsive to all our questions so we assured ourselves that they know what they are doing and we signed up to get the work done. It was not very expensive and the work was done in a timely fashion. It involved two men coming in and putting in stuffing in the joints in our basement and in select locations in the loft. The basement got warmer as a result of their work but the third floor remained cold. When I followed up, they said that it was because we had opted not to have more of the wall space filled and filled with foam rather than stuffing. Both my husband and I can confirm that neither of these two expanded options were discussed with us for the third floor or else we would have certainly opted to have the maximum work done to ensure warmth as our children sleep up in that floor. When we complained they said, well if money is no object, then we can come back to finish the work. I said, no thank you, and am now looking into other service providers and options.
Response from Zerodraft Maryland
"We regret anytime when a project does not go as planned, and our company policy is to take responsibility for any problem or mistake which happens in the course of our project. Our auditor did indeed inadvertently soil part of the reviewer's carpet, and we took responsibility for it by paying for carpet cleaning. However, this review makes no mention of the fact that prior to the project starting, we met with the reviewer's husband and the family handyman for a thorough discussion of the insulation options for several areas of the home. (The reviewer was unfortunately not present at this meeting). Our technician, Mike, provided several options for the work, including spray foam, our recommended option for best results. At that time the handyman expressed some concerns with using spray foam. Mike explained why, in his professional opinion, he thought the handyman's concerns were unfounded. Nevertheless, the handyman maintained his opinion and the reviewer's husband agreed, opting not to use our preferred option (spray foam) to treat the attic kneewalls. Thus, we proceeded with the less expensive, and also less effective, insulation option of fiberglass batt. We never claimed that this limited scope of work would fix all of the home's comfort issues (though we do maintain that the work we did is an appropriate and helpful start). We did offer to return to come up with additional options to further improve the home (though I don't think any of our people would ever have used the exact phrase "if money is no object"). The reviewer, as noted, declined this offer. We sincerely wish her well in pursuing additional improvements with another service provider."
Scott M.
Sep 2017
Communicated well and often throughout the process. Worked with me on a customized solution and there were no "surprises".
Dieter L.
Sep 2017
Perfectlt, very professional and thorough, right on time Consultant confirmed appointment and even called again from the road on his way. We highly recommend the firm
Response from Zerodraft Maryland
"Thank you for your review! We enjoyed working with you as well, and are so glad you are happy with your experience."
Manpreet B.
Jul 2017
Mike and team first performed the home energy audit and informed us of what we could do on our own, and then did the work as our attic had insufficient insulation which was the reason for calling them. They handled the rebates from the utility company as well. His team was courteous and punctual and left the house cleaner than when they walked in...lol.
Grant W.
Jun 2017
Mike and the team did an excellent job. They were extremely nice and willing to answer questions before, during, and after the job. They went above and beyond by showing me additional ideas for improving energy efficiency. I would certainly hire them again.
Sam C.
Jun 2017
It went really well. The workmen showed up on time on the scheduled day, and were very respectful of my home. They finished the job and cleaned up after themselves. I worked with Mike Havrilla to schedule the job. He came to my house, did a thorough inspection, and recommended a solution. He answered all of my questions, usually replying to emails within one to two days. After I decided to move forward with the project, I paid the deposit, and the job was scheduled. I'm pleased with how it all went, now we'll see the results!
Michael M.
May 2017
Everything went very well. They were professional and performed the work on time as as described.
Chad B.
May 2017
They were great, the entire staff from Mike, the guy who did the audit and managed the project to the ladies who worked in the office. They were pleasant and easy to deal with. Additionally, the guys who performed the work (they were subcontracted by zerodraft), were awesome as well. Came on time and worked very efficiently and were pleasant as well. Mike, the guy who oversaw the project (from Zerodraft) was awesome. I had several questions between the audit and the work and we was easy to get in touch with and answered all my questions thoroughly and truthfully. I never felt like they were trying to up sell me, just felt like he was giving me honest guidance. Not to mention the finished product looks great!
Licensing
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FAQ
Zerodraft Maryland is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
Zerodraft Maryland accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, Zerodraft Maryland does not offer free project estimates.
No, Zerodraft Maryland does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Zerodraft Maryland does not offer a senior discount.
No, Zerodraft Maryland does not offer emergency services.
No, Zerodraft Maryland does not offer warranties.