AUTHENTIC CONSTRUCTION

The provider was asked to bid on fixing a wooden porch. There were rotten steps, spindles, etc. that needed to be repaired before painting the house next year. Authentic was doing similar work in the neighborhood, which is how I heard of them. They came out to review the work. They indicated it was within the scope of the type of work they did as a business. Mike took measurements, pictures etc to offer a bid which was to be done 1-2 weeks later. Since they did not contact me within this time frame, I ended up contacted them, which I don't like to do but sometimes emails get lost. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. When reached, Mike barely remembered who we were then explained he hadn't prepared anything yet. He explained that because I had mentioned getting multiple bids for this work (something I think is rather typical), he was waiting for me to get back to him first. He expected me to select a contractor before getting a bid from him. At this point, I explained that I was collecting the bids in order to make that selection (again, something I think is quite typical). He said he would work something up. I haven't heard from him since. Needless to say, I am moving on.

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Professional and high quality service, attention to detail.

The remodel went well. I found them to be reliable. They had a schedule for the project and followed it. Questions were answered within a day and the work was finished before the deadline. There was one small problem regardIng the shower and it was quickly taken care of in a professional matter. I would definitely recommend this company.

Excellent on all counts. Price was rather high but we wanted meticulous work and they delivered. The job included every sort of issue that could possibly come up in an old-house remodel and Authentic was able to handle everything and exceeded our expectations.

Authentic provided up front a work completion schedule that covered a period of 2 months from start to finish. They completed all tasks on time. When there were questions I was e-mailed at work so that I could respond timely. This e-mail process worked very well. Authentic checked in with us frequently to make certain we were happy with work and progress. They are a very professional and responsive company.

Perhaps my $70000 project was too small for them, but it felt like they were doing me a big favor by submitting a bid. They were very late in submitting it. I had to ask twice. When it finally arrived, it came in the form of a two-sentence email, listing a price without any detail.

They were very professional and thorough, general manager came out on a Saturday morning. Bid was very reasonable. Was not able to use them because family decided to keep the wall.

We were very impressed with Authentic from the beginning. The architect took the time to understand our vision and how we wanted to live in our new space. He was patient as our vision expanded into adding an upper level. The time-line was strictly followed and we were always given updates. Every step of the way the team was there to answer our questions and soothe our anxiety of doing such a large project. The designer was A+. She "held" my hand throughout the process and made the selection process fun and easy. When the project was complete I called right away to say that it was everything I expected and beyond. The cabinetry was stunning, the built-ins beautiful, but most importantly the addition adhered to the integrity of the home. We had all the modern amenities that stayed true to the style of the home. The new space provides the feeling of warmth, richness, and elegance. One would not be able to tell where the addition began. Hats off to Authentic.

Everyone at Authentic Construction was extremely friendly and professional throughout the entire project. The subcontractors were also highly skilled and helpful with questions. The one individual who had the most impact on our entire project was Sid Levin, Authentic Construction's Director of Design. Sid has tremendous design talent. He was able to blend the old part of our house with the new in a seamless manner that enhanced the quirky characteristics of our home instead of trying to hide them. We loved it whenever he would draw a sketch during one of our meetings: we knew our project would be fantastic. Sid's passion for our project was second only to our own, and his positive attitude and approachable style meant the lines of communication were always open. Sid's superior level of customer service often made us wonder if we were his only clients.

Our project was on time & on budget. Authentic timed the various parts of the construction so perfectly that we were able to live in our home throughout the project. We were especially impressed with how Sid used his creativity to make the most use of our existing space. Authentic's team was hard working, polite, & ensured a highest quality product. Sid & the project manager were very responsive to any questions or concerns we raised. We can't believe it's been 9 months since the end of project. As we started this project, we questioned the investment in our house many times, but given how wonderful the end result is, we are so thankful we did. So, as we sit in our new family room (in the furniture Sid helped us pick out- & by the way, it's perfect!), enjoying the fireplace, view outside, & the new kitchen behind us, we have to say it's hard to get up & leave! A big thanks to Sid & Authentic for listening to us... they gave us exactly what we wanted & we love it!

Authentic was extremely professional throughout the process and helped us through a difficult time by focusing on the beauty of the end product, while retaining the feel of the old home we loved. There carpenters were second-to-none, and the management team was extremely professional and competent. Other contractors that we had on site for some other small projects even made comments like ''In the 20 years I've been doing this, I've never seen a company as good and as professional as the guys at Authentic.'' That spoke volumes that another contractor would make a comment like that to us unsolicited.

The results exceeded my expectations. Preparing Thanksgiving Dinner in my home for the first time was a joy. Not only is the outcome an unabashed success, my experience working with Sid, the designer, and the entire Authentic Crew could not have been better. The estimate was carefully and accurately prepared. Sid took care to learn how I wanted to use the space. He welcomed my ideas as he shared his own. MS Project software was used to plan and schedule the project. The lead carpenter arrived on time, maintained a clean work area, and answered any questions that arose. The project began and ended right on schedule, and I paid exactly what they estimated. Other companies have completed remodel jobs for me before I hired Authentic Construction to do my kitchen. It's nice to know that I have found my builder. Any future projects will without a doubt be designed and completed by Authentic.

I have nothing but accolades for every step of this process. We worked with an architect who completely heard and realized our vision for new space, respected our existing home, and creatively worked within a very tight budget. The crew, especially our lead carpenter, were spectacular. Communicative, problem-solving, clean(!), respectful of our space and lives, and very conscientious of our budget constraints. We feel like we got such a deal for our dollar, because Authentic was not resistant to our desire to do some work ourselves; they allowed us access to their subcontractors for work outside the scope of the initial project (without taking any additional overhead); they offered really smart solutions we would never have thought of or known about. Best of all - they finished more than 2 weeks ahead of schedule and absolutely on budget. No surprise expenses along the way, no attitude. I would use them again in a heartbeat.

Authentic was terrific to work with. Sid's design used every bit of available space to make our small kitchen user-friendly with all the modern conveniences and ample storage, yet the room still fits in wonderfully with the age and character of the house. Rachel had great ideas for the specific selections and really understood the look we were going for. We could not have managed without her! Finally, our talented carpenter, Tom O'Malley, was polite, responsive, and easy to have around on a day-to-day basis. Remodeling is always stressful, but we could not be more pleased with our experience. The project could not have turned out better.

Highly recommended!! Our project was completed ahead of schedule in just three months, within budget (with absolutely no surprises or hidden costs) and is of exceptional quality. We were especially impressed with the designer who translated our wants, needs and dreams into reality. He creatively used every bit of available space and skillfully integrated the new with the old. We have been living in the new space for just over three months and have found nothing we would have done differently. All workers and subs were professional, polite and took great pride in their work. When we had questions or concerns, they took the time to respond and to ensure we were comfortable with what was happening. And they were the cleanest construction crew we've ever worked with which was very important to us since we lived in the house during the entire process. We would not hesitate to use Authentic Construction again and have recommended them to neighbors, friends and co-workers.

We have made several good faith attempts to settle this dispute. In mid-September, we met with Authentic for over two hours to discuss the bill and give them a punch list of items to be completed. They completed the punch list items to our satisfaction. In late September, we met again for 2 hours to discuss the bill with no resolution. In December, Authentic filed a mechanics lien on our home and has sent several invoices that accrue interest at a rate of 18%. In January, Authentic made an offer to settle for $18,790 which was not acceptable. We filed a report with the BBB which resulted in a mediation session on February 15, 2006. We again spent over 2 hours and the dispute remains unresolved.

IT WAS HORRIBLE. AFTER THEY RECEIVED OUR CHECK FOR THE DESIGN, THEY SHARED A NEW SCHEDULE THAT TURNED WEEKS INTO MONTHS. THE DESIGNER WAS SNOTTY. WE ENDURED HIS PERSONALITY BELIEVING THE DESIGN WOULD BE WORTH IT. IT WAS NOT. THE DESIGNS WERE HURRIED AND OUR WISHES AND BASICS OF OUR HOME'S CURRENT LAYOUT WERE OVERLOOKED OR FORGOTTEN. DURING THE DESIGN PROCESS, OUR MEETINGS WERE RESCHEDULED TO MUCH LATER DATES. WHEN WE WERE INTERVIEWING DIFFERENT DESIGN AND BUILD COMPANIES, AUTHENTIC SHARED THE ONLY REASON PEOPLE DON'T CHOOSE THEM IS BECAUSE OF PRICE. AN INDIFFERENT ATTITUDE, RUSHED WORK, AND BEING MISLEADING ON SCHEDULE ARE THE REASONS WE CHOSE TO PASS.

WE'VE USED AUTHENTIC BEFORE FOR A MASTER SUITE REMODEL AND WERE VERY SATISFIED WITH THEIR QUALITY, RESPONSIVENESS, AND ABILITY TO HOLD TO AN AGRESSIVE TIMELINE. WE INVITED THEM BACK FOR A KITCHEN REMODEL QUOTE BUT FELT THEY DID NOT LISTEN TO OUR PROJECT REQUIREMENTS OR BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS. WE FELT OUR PROJECT WAS COMING IN UNDER SOME INVISIBLE $$ THRESHOLD WHICH CAUSED THE ESTIMATE TO CLIMB BEYOND JUSTIFICATION. WE KNOW AUTHENTIC DOES GREAT WORK, BUT WERE DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR APPROACH ON OUR LAST OPPORTUNITY.

QUALITY WORK AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, MADE TRIM TO MATCH EXISTING TRIM. VERY PROFESSIONAL. THEY TOOK OVER JOB PART WAY THROUGH AFTER A PREVIOUS CONTRACTOR WALKED OFF THE JOB. THE ACTUAL COST EXCEEDED BID BECAUSE OF UNFORESEEN PROBLEMS CAUSED BY PREVIOUS CONTRACTOR, BUT THEY WORKED WITH ME FOR A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE COMPROMISE. THEY ARE EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE AND RELIABLE.