Robert Lay Contracting Inc

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It was pretty good. They did a nice job. I liked the timeliness. They got the job done right away. They came out, and they delivered as promised. The deck turned out really good. We were very happy with what they did. We looked around and we picked them; it was local.

The project was delayed first because I had to secure the loan and then he was working on another project. The loan took at most one week to secure. I contacted him that I was ready to start only to find he had put me a couple of jobs back. At this point I was making payments on my equity loan while he worked other jobs. He did offer to cancel the contract but I did not want to go through the process of interviewing contractors again.

We started the job and while shopping for the vanity cabinet, toilet, tile, sink, etc, I realized that he low balled all items. When I asked about this Mr. Lay stated if he put a higher dollar amount on the contract he would not get any business.

 He did the work on my job while working another larger job and a couple of times we had the discussion that he was hurried on my job. He always stated he wasn't hurried. The work continued.

 When it came to tiling the walls around the bathtub and the floor of the bathroom,  I assumed he knew what he was doing. I had purchased bullnose tiles for around the shower walls at a higher expense than  the tile.  He caulked the bullnose and ruined the finished  effect they should have had. The tile on the walls of the bath area are uneven. The grouted line  is a very wide in some areas and narrow in others giving a very  unprofessional appearance.

 After the job was completed I had some personal family issues and when things settled down I contacted Mr. Lay to see what he could do to correct the mistakes and make me feel better about the job. He did come to the house and looked at the job and told me that  without ruining the walls there was nothing he could do. 

Everyday that I go into my bathroom I feel I was made a terrible choice for a contractor, for a tile job and that I threw my hard earned money away. Mr. Lay, personally, is a very kind man. He was very neat in his work as far as cleaning up at the end of each day, but his tiling work leaves much to be desired.

Robert and his carpenter did a beautiful job.  He build the new deck per the specifications I laid out and worked closely with my wife on the fit and finish.  He was easy to work with and very responsive to our calls and requests throughout the project. His bid was in the mid-point of the other bids we received.  We chose Robert because we liked him right away.  The other bidders were also very good, we just seemed to click with Robert and he understood what we were looking for in our outdoor space.  In spite of the rainy spring he was able to complete the work in a timely manner.  The final result was a showpiece for the neighborhood. I will use him again for a future project we are planning for next year.

This is what Angie's list is all about - we requested his bid strictly on Angie's list rating.  His bid was one of the highest but his knowledge and presentation were so professional and personal he helped us see how trying to cut costs by reusing some of the existing structure would be a mistake in the long run.  He offered to bid that way if we wanted - but we felt he was correct and he pointed out things others missed.  As he took down the existing structure I looked at the old materials and realized how fortunate we were that his advice led us to a complete replacement.
Before he started, he provided frequent email contact so we knew exactly what was happening and when and what was expected of us.  Communication throughout the project was exceptional.
The quality of their design and workmanship exceeded what you would normally expect and their attention to detail was very comforting.  They were very respectful of us and our property and frequently checked to be sure we were satisfied with the work.  The work was all done by Robert personally and one other talented carpenter.  Both were very likeable and easy to talk to.
Our neighbors are very impressed with work and a couple have already said they would like him to bid on work they need to have done.  I spoke with the STL county inspector who did the final approval and he was very complimentary of the quality of this work and other projects by Robert he has inspected.
I have only seen his work on my deck but will give him the chance to bid on any future remodeling projects we have.  I strongly recommend allowing Robert to provide a bid on any project you might have.  There were no negatives I can think of.

RLC was involved from beginning to the end.  Starting with a very thorough estimate; on acceptance of the contract, professional quality plans were drawn; permits submitted and work with third party electrical and dry wall companies coordinated.
RLC worked with a structural engineer to establish the wall between the kitchen and the lounge was not load bearing and allowed cathedral ceilings to be extended across open plan lounge and kitchen.
Invoices and prices were regularly updated so I was fully aware of project costs.  Robert was able to work with me on meeting budget constraints and offered solutions to keep costs down.
Kitchen work involved: installing and hanging Ikea kitchen cabinets, identified the slope in floor before the kitchen island was laid and compensated by building appropriate correction in to the plinth. Coordinated with third party to install granite countertop.
Robert personally built a Franklin Lloyd Wright inspired stairwell with clean lines, accurately proportion and sturdy construction.
Robert Lay Construction was onsite and on time every morning at 7am.  The worksite was left clean and tidy at the end of every day.  RLC appeared to have all the appropriate equipment to make sure the job was done.

Robert Lay Contracting, Inc was a company I got from Angie's list along with two other vendors. Robert was very prompt after my initial call to come look at the project and submit a bid. I received the bid within a week. After review of the three bids I choose Robert's company to do the work. Robert and his assistant Rocky started the project on a Tuesday and finished late Friday morning. They came early every day, worked hard and did a very good job. I really enjoy the look of my new ceiling. I would certainly recommend Robert Lay Contracting to anyone interested in a home remodeling contractor.

Robert was very prompt and professiona and I found his bid for the work to be very resonable. He had the best solution to fix my drainage problem on the one side of the deck. I found the whole process from start to finish very painless and I am very happy with the results. I have had a lot of work done on the house over the years and had some people that were very difficult to work with. Robert's work ethics are way above most of the contractors I have used in the past. Not only would I use his services again, I would also recommend him to my friends and family.

The process with Robert Lay Contracting was excellent.  Robert Lay is the owner/contractor.  Robert showed up for every appointment on time, from the initial discussion and estimate all the way through to project completion.  Every step of the process was very transparent.  It was a complete turnkey project, Robert secured all the paperwork and permits to complete the project.  During the construction phase, he used the same work team throughout.  Robert always showed up on site daily to conduct the work and supervise the crew and sub-contractors.  We were never put in a position where we had to deal with the work crew or the subcontractors.  The project was completed pretty much on time - the only delay was beyond Robert's control - a supplier delivery issue that Robert was upfront and apologetic for.  There were no surprises throughout the project.  Robert and his wife/secretary/traffic manager kept us informed daily of what was going to happen next.  Ours was not an easy project.  One prospective contractor looked at the project and decided it was too complicated for him to attempt.  The other contractor that bid did not have the original bid back for over three weeks.  Another aspect of the project that should be highlighted is that Robert did not juggle multiple projects simultaneously.  He was on the job at our house M-F, daily until the project was completed to our satisfaction.  I wholeheartedly recommend Robert Lay Contracting to anyone who is apprehensive about working with contractors, letting them into your home and generally trusting them to not only tell you what they will do, how much it will cost, and when it will be done, but actually keeping every commitment they make.  This was the best experience we have ever had with a contractor.  We were apprehensive about the project and Robert made us feel at ease.  We could not be happier with the outcome.
I recommend Robert Lay Contracting without hesitation.  I would definitely use Robert Lay Contracting for my next project.

Their service was extremely good. They were competent and very fair in prices. They were neat and cleaned everything up as they went along.

They have done a lot of work for us.  They did a very good job.  They cleaned up every night after they worked and they stuck with it.  They were very professional about the whole thing.  Their price was very competitive with everybody else.  They were very responsive and punctual until it was finished.

Robert responded quickly and followed through to insure project was completed on time and on budget.  In my experience it's increasingly difficult to find honest and trustworthy contractors;however Robert Lay Contracting is just that.  He knew I wanted to do some of the work myself and he was willing to work with me and always had my best interest in mind.      

He did a wonderful job. It's a big basement and he did a lot. It was just a bare basement so he had to do some of the plumbing using a plumber. Everything was up to code and done the way it was supposed to be. We have an exercise room, two storage areas, areas for music and an attached bar and a pool table in the basement. We also have a several bedrooms and a bath down there. The price was very reasonable for the work he did.

I find him to be trustworthy, intelligent, and reliable as well as extremely knowledgeable in his field. I recommend him highly with no reservations. He works with me and listens to what I have to say. He is also very easy to work with.

We had used Robert Lay Contracting for a few smaller jobs around the home previously and were very pleased with the results. So when we decided we needed to have this large job done, we knew that they were the right company for the job. We provided initial concept based upon some blueprints we had downloaded from the internet. Robert then tweaked that design via CAD to match within our property lines and size restrictions, and to better match the appearance of our house. Robert obtained all necessary permits and arranged with another company to have our old concrete slab (where an old garage had once been) broken up and new one poured along with an extension of our existing driveway, then re-grade the yard to match contour. Robert was very open to discussing various different ideas we had regarding the exact size, location and features of the garage and always offered suggestions to try and make us as pleased as possible with the end product. All materials were procured in a timely fashion and on budget. The garage was built with few issues coming up along the way. The overall design is rather complicated because we wanted it to match our 100 year-old Victorian house - and it does! Robert and his team did a very good job keeping the area cleaned and as uncluttered as possible during the construction. Overall it went very smoothly. The finished product is incredibly impressive and is the envy of our neighborhood.

When we moved to St. Louis, I had to start work almost immediately. This meant that I also had to live in the home despite the ongoing renovations. I had lined up Robert Lay Contracting on recommendation of a friend, but when our close date was delayed, I was worried they wouldn't be able to start on time. As it turns out, we moved into the the upper level of the condo on the first day of the planned work. Robert's team didn't blink an eye as two of his employees people started working on the initial demolition of the downstairs and HE HELPED with moving some of our heavier pieces of furniture into the upstairs. Despite the slight delay, the lower level was gutted in only two days. Drywall, plumbing modifications, and painting started soon after. Brazilian Koa hardwood was laid down, thereafter, throughout the entire first floor and closets. A temperature and humidity controlled 130-bottle wine cellar was built into the space of a linen closet. After that, custom cherry cabinets were installed, with hardwood and leaded glass doors. Silestone countertops and appliances soon followed. The entire job took about 20 days. Of course, there were foreseen and unforeseen hiccups in the job that had me extremely anxious. That said, Robert didn't seem to have any problems with them. For example, painting of the loft area had not been done since intial construciton of the unit and the ceiling fan was just as old. Robert and his team moved in scafolding and painted the entire ceiling and upper wall area. In addition, he installed a counter-directional fan (two blades moving clockwise, two moving counterclockwise) to help with air movement in the loft. The size of the island countertop was also enormous (12'x3.5') with integrated sink and countertop. I had previously not thought it possible to get a single piece of stone (of that size) into a condo like this, but he did. While all of these problems were somewhat predicted, we also had issues with the the age of the unit. For instance, the hot water heater was undersized and >20 years old. Despite having hired an inspector previous to purchase, we discovered some poor/slightly-wet connections during rehab. Upon taking the heater out to look for the problem, you could not have passed a pencil into the the intake pipe as it was calcified. Despite this, we still had a new water heater hooked up the end of the day. Nevertheless, Robert and his team completed the job on time and ON BUDGET! I am sorry it this seems like gushing, but I feel I must stress that we were living in the house during consturction. Everyday when the team left, the floor, even if it was plywood or acoutic cement, was clean enough to walk barefoot on, hot/cold water worked, etc. In addition, he seemed very open and able to perform modifcations as the rehab progressed. This was especially important to me and my family, as we were moving from Chicago and had seen the condo only twice prior to closing. In case you can't tell, I would highly recommend this contractor.

They gave us a very detailed bid for the work and Robert outlined step-by-step how the projects would go. He started on the day he said he would and he and his employees went right to work. At the end of the day, they cleaned up their debris very well. I really appreciate how he would keep us informed on each step and did not mind us asking questions. The jobs all turned out great and on budget. The bath remodel we upgraded the vanity from the bid, and Robert returned the original vanity and got us the better vanity, all we had to pay was the increase in cost of the better vanity. After the screened in porch was done, I backed into one screen and put a small hole in it. There was screen left over that one of Robert's workers left behind. Robert came over and replaced the screen and did not charge us.

Robert and his crew were extremely professional in all aspects of this job. Robert was always on time for any appointments. He provided a detailed quote for the job. He kept us completely informed as to the status of the work and worked easily with us to resolve any questions that arose during construction. The design of the deck was first rate and provided a much more solid and secure deck than the old one. It was framed like a house with excellent piers and footings to assure the deck was completely solid and long lasting. Robert's carpenters did excellent work and were always on the job when scheduled. They were very patient in answering my questions and explaining exactly what was being done. The work site was left in order at the end of each day and all construction debris was disposed of promptly. But most important to me was that Robert worked around my schedule in scheduling when his crew was on the job. This was because I had quite a lot of travel and I wanted to be home when work was being done. But as mentioned, Robert worked with me to get his crew there when I was home. I could not have asked for an easier person to work with. Robert always kept me informed of costs resulting from changes that were requested. In the end the cost was exactly what was bid plus the changes I had requested and approved. The whole experience - from the initial meeting, through the quote and contract, to construction and final acceptance could not have been easier. The deck is beautiful and really built to last. I highly recommend Robert Lay Contracting.

Very, very well. Robert and his staff (2 master carpenters) are very professional. Things went smoothly (except theres' always surprises when you open up fifty year old buildings' walls and floors), and the bathroom is now a luxurious, beautiful, spa-like setting.

From beginning to end, they did a great job. The work was top notch. They came in ON TIME and (no kidding) significantly UNDER BUDGET.