NAKAYAA CONTRACTORS LLC

Sometimes you just know when you encounter someone with a special gift. From our very first meeting, I could tell that Russ Johnson understood the vision of what we wanted for our space, by the way he explored the rooms and through the course of our conversation. We had interviewed four different contractors (all from Angie's List), and in the process, decided that Russ was the one who understood us the best and was the one whom we felt most comfortable working with. In visiting his references, we could tell that his work was impeccable. His estimate was also a good value for the scope of work. Working with our designer and our cabinet maker, Russ orchestrated and created a beautiful kitchen and mudroom, while updating our powder room and dining room. Russ' attention to detail and quest for perfection are displayed in his craft, especially in his framing and carpentry skills. The arches between the rooms and the matched arched detail above the kitchen window and on the mudroom shelf are just those touches that make it all so special and tie everything together. There were times when Russ would build something, consider it and then redo it because he wasn't satisfied that it was good enough - he shows real integrity and follow-through. His project management is strong, and he kept a close watch on all the sub-contractors which we were mostly happy with. We had subs for countertops, plumbing, electrical, flooring, HVAC, drywall and paint. We hired a separate supplier for custom cabinetry. We've never had to wonder what stage we were at in the project because he always kept us updated, and the worksite was cleaned up every day - he even built a temporary wall to keep the dust out of the rest of the house during construction. Like with all large-scale remodels, there were a couple times that subs had to come back for fixes, but it wasn't a huge impact. Our project went about 5% over budget due to the high-end electrical fixtures and countertop that we chose. The project took a little longer than anticipated, but we couldn't be happier with the outcome - it's worthy of a magazine feature. We highly recommend Nakayaa Contractors and plan on working with Russ again in the future. He tends to do one large project at a time, and we felt we had his total focus and concentration. We find his easy-going mannerism, politeness and honesty refreshing. We have found a wonderful general contractor in Russ, and would not hesitate to be his reference.

I was completely pleased with the remodeling. I had a good idea of what I wanted, but Russ helped me work out the details and made great suggestions. The end result was just as I had envisioned.

"I strongly recommend Russ Johnson as a contractor and remodeling specialist. Russ redid our kitchen and exceeded our expectations--he had great ideas, was a good planner, completed the work on time, and the quality was very high. (And my wife was pleased because everything was left clean.) Even when we uncovered a few challenges due to problems with the existing construction, he came up with creative "work arounds" and everything turned out fine. Outstanding technical skills--he can do it all, and the price was right. This is our sixth house and he's the best yet."

We gutted the kitchen, tearing two walls down, all new electrical & new windows. This was a first remodel for us and we were quite nervous! Russ was wonderful to work with, extremely patient and very much a perfectionist, wanting every detail to be just right. Even when you change your mind about something, he takes it in stride! When the cabinet people didn't do it just right, Russ fixed it. When the design of the tile backsplash was a little off, Russ re-did it. When the hardwood floors weren't done the way I wanted, Russ made them come back and do it over. Our design and the way I wanted things done was quite a challenge, and I'd say he rose to the challenge, and above. I wouldn't hesitate to hire Russ to do just about anything, knowing it will not only be done right, but it will be done just the way I want it!

Russ is a great GC and is very neat and meticulous. He does great work!

SUPERIOR WORK! EXTREMELY CLEAN!