Danberry Building Corp

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We have been extremely impressed with Danberry during the entire tenure of the project. Danberry did a great job of working with our designer to discuss various design options and come up with a solution that captured the essence of the type of space we were looking for. Jeff probably had an idea of what we were looking for before we did, but he never oversold or pressured us into anything. The finished product blends so well from the old space to the new that one cannot easily tell where the new space begins. Danberry really shone during the construction phase. Pretty much every day, there was someone out working on the project--we were never left wondering when we would see some action. Jeff himself was regularly on site. The laborers and subcontractors were all very respectful of our home and our schedule (we lived at home through the remodel). We consistently had updates on what work was going to be performed and when, and consideration for scheduling of certain projects around our schedule. The project timetable was remarkably close to the initial timetable given at the onset. Having begun to settle into the remodeled space, we continue to be impressed and grateful for the work that was done. Others who have seen the space have commented on the attention to detail and finishing touches. I can't say that living through a four month whole-home remodel is easy, but we were quite fortunate to have worked with Danberry.

basement bathroom and closet. their not finished yet, waiting for shower stall.

Danberry Corp has a great reputation and as a designer I am happy to be associated with them.

I highly recommend Danberry Building Corp and look forward to working on more projects in the near future. Jeff Danberry not only runs a great company, but he is extremely creative and driven with home design/building/restoration/remodeling in his own right.

Questionable billing practicesThe final bill we received from Jeff Danberry included charges for the second and third installations of the custom hood above our range. The hood was not built properly and had to be returned to the manufacturer twice. When we asked why we were being billed for the 2nd and 3rd installations, Jeff Danberry told us that it wasn’t his fault that the hood had not been built correctly. Nor was it our fault, but he expected us to foot the bill for the ineptness of the suppliers he recommended to us. At the end of our project we asked the subcontractor, who did the plumbing, check the airflow in our furnace. He made an adjustment to the furnace for something unrelated to our project and sent us a bill for $100. Before we had paid this invoice, the charge appeared on Jeff Danberry’s final bill – for $150. When we inquired as to why the charge was $150 when we had received an invoice for $100 for this service, Danberry eliminated the entire bill, telling us that he wanted to end on a positive note the way we had begun. However, the opportunity for ending on a positive note had long passed. Project MismanagementWhen the project began, the floor plan posted in our home was not the final plan which we had signed. As a result a partition was placed in an area where we had not authorized it, so we began the project by having the partition taken down. From that point on, we reviewed the work done each day. As the errors continued throughout our project, we compiled four lists, errors we would have to live with, errors we would correct later ourselves, errors we would hire someone else to correct, and a short list of errors we would insist that Jeff Danberry correct. Bay windowWe had bay windows installed in our dining room and living room which we had hoped would add value to our home and be the centerpieces of both rooms. The bay windows, in the words of the foreman, “were not built right.” The bays were not built deep enough to accommodate wood trim on both sides of the side windows, resulting in jerry-rigging the trim which detracts from the appearance of the bays. The bay windows represented 10% of the total cost of our project, and we are extremely disappointed with the result. Whirlpool in master bathThe mismanagement continued throughout the project. The whirlpool we had installed in the master bath presented several problems beginning with the plumber failing to install a drain or water supply pipes. When the plumber was ready to install the tub, we were told that the electrician had not wired to the tub. Adding the wiring at that point in the project required removing drywall in the kitchen to run the wiring to the second floor. We were charged an additional $627 for this wiring, something that should have been included in the original bid. We felt at times that no one was overseeing this project or paying attention to the floor plan. Drawer handlesIn our kitchen and dining room we have six drawers that are 30 inches wide, which were to have two drawer handles, one near each edge. However the two carpenters who installed the handles put one handle in the center of each drawer. When we contacted Jeff Danberry, he told us that the carpenters don’t check the plans – which was obvious. He further told us in a confrontational tone in an e-mail that if we wanted the error corrected, he would deduct the cost of the new drawer fronts from the pay of the two carpenters who made the error, six drawer fronts at $80 apiece for $480. Our first thought was for the seasonal workers who would be penalized. Jeff Danberry later recanted and told us that he would replace the drawer fronts, but we did not trust that he wouldn’t penalize the workers and we had already devised another solution for which we paid ourselves. Kitchen islandWhen the kitchen island was being installed the wiring for the outlet in the island was not positioned according to the diagram, placing it nearly a foot to one side of where the island appeared on the diagram. Other contractors with whom we have worked would have contacted us at this point, and we would have discussed the issue to arrive at a practical solution. Not so with Danberry Building Corporation. The island was installed according to the diagram, one of the few times they seemed to consult the plans, leaving the metal casing with the wiring for the island outlet fully 10 inches outside of the island. We requested to meet with the foreman and despite his protests, asked that he move the island so that the casing for the outlet wiring would be inside the island. He lamented that we would have four marks on our wood flooring from the screws where he had already secured the island to the floor. However, had we left the island where he had placed it, the electrician would have had to move the wire and casing (no idea what that additional labor charge would have been) and we would have had a 1-inch diameter hole to plug in our floor where the original metal casing had been, which would have left a very noticeable scar on the floor. Tile flooringSubcontractors throughout the project were inept. We had tile laid in our foyer and master bathroom which was not installed level. The unevenness is visible, and you can feel it when you walk on the tile. However, it is most obvious along the baseboards where one edge of a tile meets the trim and a gap exist sat the other edge. When the foyer floor was prepped for the tile, mortar was splashed onto the strip beneath the threshold of our front door leaving hardened patches of mortar all along the strip. Wood flooringWhen the wood flooring was installed, the person buffing/sanding the floor after the final coat of sealant was applied left the sander in one spot too long creating a crater in the entrance between our great room and kitchen. We were told, “They aren’t going to replace the flooring.” Instead a workman returned to create a larger crater so that the incline into the spot would be more gradual. Now we can hike up and down hill in our home on both our tile and wood floors. Fireplace brickWhen the fireplace brick was installed, the workman who did the work told us when we arrived home that day, “It doesn’t look good, but I’m not doing it over.” That statement seemed to be their motto for our entire project. The brick had varying depths and color tones which is a pleasing appearance with the exception of a piece of brick at the edge of the fireplace where a small piece protrudes giving the appearance of a broken piece being wedged into the faand ccedil;ade. Powder room The vessel sink installed in our main floor powder room created yet another opportunity for shoddy workmanship. The faucets were not installed level and a one inch gap between the wall and the faucets was filled with white caulking. We learned after this part of the project was completed that the person who did this work had never installed a vessel sink. No kidding! In the final walk through at the end of our project, Jeff Danberry acknowledged that the powder room “doesn’t look good” and offered to “fix it.” However, not wanting to incur any further damage to our home or errors in our project and being more knowledgeable about Danberry’s billing practices, we declined his offer to fix the powder room and added it to the list of projects we will hire someone else to complete. AppliancesWe saved the best for last. The person who installed our appliances was inept at best, leaving plastic wires in the oven that held the racks in place for shipping, installing the trim kit for the microwave unevenly so that the door periodically jammed (sometimes with food in the microwave), and leaving a plug in the hose of the water supply line to the dish washer. When he and another workman installed our Duet stackable washer and dryer, they did not have the proper equipment to lift the two appliances which are extremely heavy. In lifting the washer into place, they damaged the tray beneath the washer cracking it in two places rendering it useless and damaged the exterior of the washer when they lifted the dryer on top of the washer. The dryer began malfunctioning immediately. It would stop working and displayed a code for overheating. We called a repairman who told us that the units had been improperly installed. The installer, whose credibility was at low ebb, insisted he had installed many of these units and they were properly installed. When the dryer finally quit working completely, Jeff Danberry arranged for a repairman and the installer to come to our home at the same time. As their discussion about the cause of the dryer malfunction continued on our front lawn, Jeff Danberry phoned. Conferencing, the three of them decided that either a bird or a squirrel had made a nest in the roof top vent and blocked the airflow from the dryer. Two days later a member of Jeff Danberry’s crew arrived with an extension ladder and crawled up on our roof to discover that the dryer vent was taped shut. Obviously not the work of our local avian and rodent populations. A part was ordered to repair the dryer. We expressed concern to Jeff Danberry about the integrity of the dryer and that we may want it replaced. His response was, “let’s wait and see.” During the three week “let’s wait and see” period from the time the dryer quit working until it was repaired, we made multiple trips to a laundromat, plugging coins into a machine while our $900 dryer sat useless. The dryer is working now, but the taped vent issue leaves us wondering what other unseen issues exist in our home as a result of this project when they will surface as problems.

The work was extensive but contractor and workers were friendly and accommodative. Derbem was thorough and I was very satisfied.

Jeff, the owner, came to the jobsite everyday to make sure everything stayed on time and on budget. Very nice and quality subcontractors! Quick turnaround!

We wanted the demo and completion of shower pan and tile done as quickly as possible (2-3 days) because we did not have another shower available. It took 5 days (not bad!). But then the project seemed to drag toward completion. By the end we didn't have great confidence in the project superintendant and felt some steps in the process were out of logical sequence (vanity installed with countertop before it was sealed, stained and varnished) so to accomodate the superintendant's schedule. Although we had selected certain details, we ended up accepting what the superintendant installed rather than what we specified (rectangular sink became oval). We had to diagnose and solve a problem with water getting past the curb during a shower (curb sloped and tile needed to be pitched differently to compensate) ourselves. We worked directly with the tile installer to correct the problem. We felt this should have been discovered and dealt with by the contractor. We ended up arranging for professional sealing/staining and varnishing of the custom cabinets ourselves because of the lack of confidence. But the workmanship overall was teriffic and we are very happy with the finished product. We were particularly impressed by the cabinetmaker and the shower door maker - very responsive and professional - and very good craftsmanship.