Affordable Remodeling Solutions INC.

The job couldn't have gone better. What I liked best about working with Jonathan was his directness and dependability. He did what he said he'd do and when he said he'd do it.
Here's an example of his "directness": Before Jonathan ever came out to quote the job, he more or less tried to talk me into using someone else. He was referred to me by another contractor who I have worked with for a long time but made it clear up front that I could probably find dozens of other contractors to do the job for 1/2 the cost in 1/2 the time. He said that his prices were all-inclusive and he only did top quality work, only used top quality materials, wouldn't rush and he wouldn't sacrifice the quality in order to drop the price to meet a budget. I appreciated this because he clearly didn't want to waste my time or his so he made sure I knew all this up front. 
I had him add a few extras like the pergola, the lattice enclosure (with access doors) and he installed extra supports and hardware to hang the swing that I had purchased. He'd also given me a quote to paint/stain everything but I had already lined up someone else to take care of that for me.
The guys he had helping him were top-notch and polite as well. Except for the obvious construction noise we hardly knew they were here. They kept the work areas clean and neat each evening when they left.
I am really thrilled to have found Jonathan because I believe I can trust him and his crew to perform future projects for me. I've already talked to him about coming back to do a bathroom remodel and, although I'm sure I'll get at least one more proposal for the work, the work is his to lose.

This was a complete kitchen remodel and Jonathan met, or exceeded, our expectations in every way. He patiently helped us through the planning stages (which we changed at least 3 times). He provided expert advice when we asked for it and withheld advice when we didn't want it. Jonathan learned our priorities for the project and then evolved them into a plan that met our expectations while completing the quality, nuts and bolts work that was outside our scope of understanding.  

For example, we wanted under counter lighting and quickly learned that there were many choices that can have abstract results. The wrong choice could have had a significant impact on our satisfaction. Jonathan took care to make sure we were informed about all our options before we made our decision. He let us perseverate over the choices and offered his opinion, but ultimately left the decision to us so we could make the best choice for how we use our kitchen. Consequently, we made the right decision, and we are pleased with the results.

Due to changes we made in the design plan, the original slab of granite we purchased was not big enough to complete the project. Jonathan patiently and expertly worked with us to find another piece and made sure it met our needs. We now like it better than our first choice!

We requested additional changes such as repair of 2 outside electrical outlets and connection of a ice maker water line for a refrigerator in the garage. This was provided with ease.

There were times when I said, "I don't know. Will you please decide for me, based on your experience?" They did. And they did the right thing every time.  

The promptness in which our questions were answered or dilemmas were solved far exceeded our expectations. 

The people who work with Affordable Remodeling Solutions are experts in their profession and meticulous in their work. I saw a previous Angie's List review that referred to them as rock stars. It may have been in jest, but it's a pretty good description. Corey and Matt take pride in their work and they do it with flair. 

The job was completed ahead of schedule.

We will be asking Affordable Remodeling Solutions to return for bathroom renovation!

Thank you, Jonathan!

We were very impressed with Jonathan and Greg.  Jonathan worked with me through the entire process, even assisting us with selecting a granite slab.  He provided great references for tile and gave good insight into what would work best and look good in our kitchen area.   Greg installed the tile backsplash and did excellent job!  Very meticulous.  All the installation was done very quickly, but very professionally!  Both easy to work with!  We would be glad to use them again!

Construction and remodeling is not always a pleasant experience, but this certainly was. The estimate was given promptly, work was scheduled promptly, and done efficiently. Care was taken to cover floors and surfaces. Rooms left clean and in order at the end of the day. I highly recommend. Tile work can be costly, but estimate was similar or lower than others. A lot of cuts and piecing together was required, and done well. The finished rooms look terrific.

This job went very, very well. The installer, Greg, was efficient and professional. Everything worked out just as we had envisioned it might. There were no miscommunication problems or costs or issues beyond what had been estimated. A completely smooth job, from start to finish!

It went well. Johnathan put down carpet protection and a dust control plastic door when he first started.  Everything was removed from the bathroom, cabinets, tile, mirror, etc. One of his workman spent a couple of  weeks installing new plumbing, flooring, walls in the shower and tile. An electrician  put in a new electrical outlet and two new light fixtures, new exhaust fan and two ceiling lights.  Before work started we had found a nice remnant granite at another company. That other company put in the granite counter top and sinks. A plumber connected them. A new glass show door was installed. We could have saved some money if we had found granite we liked with the remnants Johnathan had but we liked the remnant at the other company. The bathroom came out real nice. 

We originally spoke with him about two different projects and then we merged the two together as one. After he started the work, he then informed us that as the home owners, we would have to file for the permits because the project was over $30,000.00, and he can only get a license for work up to that amount. So I then had to take extra days of my week out of my schedule to get this issue resolved.

Instead of hiring a contracted painter, he wanted to paint himself. He painted the first coat, but I insisted when the second coat was put on for a contracted painter to paint. He argued that he has been painting for years and he knows how to paint, I still insisted on a contracted painter. Then the granite countertops were installed, the sides of the granite were not the same shine as the tops of them.  

Then the tile was laid, and there are over 12 tiles that are scratched after they were installed. Also, the sealant was laid over the tile without cleaning the tile first, so now it looks like there are stains underneath.  

I have tried to contact him about these matters, and all he would do is say that according to contract, after the tile is ?complete? I owe another payment. I agreed, but the tile is not ?completed.? I have requested to have a face to face meeting, he agreed, when I gave him two different times, he said he was too busy and never countered with a different or time.

There is not one thing in this entire project that is 100% "completed" thus far.

Our experience with Affordable Remodeling Solutions was excellent. Jonathan was always punctual and met all of the project timelines. The work was of excellent quality. We are very happy with our updated kitchen. I would recommend Affordable Remodeling Solutions to family and friends.

It went perfectly! Jonathan showed up on time to measure and sent an estimate a few days later as promised. When we made the decision to go with ARS, Jonathan provided us names and contact information for vendors that offer his customers discounts and told us we could choose other vendors if we preferred (for tile, tub, bath fixtures, etc.). We were happy with his vendors; they were quite helpful in assisting us with selections. We scheduled a date for our work to begin, which was several weeks out due to our conflicting schedules. ARS was diligent in keeping things tidy as they worked. All contractors were prompt, courteous, and professional. Jonathan maintained excellent oversight even when he was not on the job, keeping us up-to-date on when contractors or workers would arrive and what they would be doing.
From the beginning, Jonathan was realistic in setting expectations for completion. Still, even though our work occurred over the holidays, his team completed the work on time. In fact, he started right after Thanksgiving and finished January 20th despite losing days to holidays in between. 
It went so well that we are starting a new bathroom project now and have some other work we hope to get the ARS team to perform this year.

We received three quotes in the spring or late winter 2013 do redo our master bathroom and bedroom.  Walls were wallpapered, tile was bad, shower was bad and dark, basically everything needed to be replaced.  In the bedroom flooring needed to be replaced and ceiling repaired, and entire room painted including the trim. We were impressed with Jonathan and his approach from the beginning.  We thought we could be ourselves with Jonathan, and liked his price.  While price was a factor in the decision of which contractor was selected, more of a factor was whom we felt comfortable with.  Jonathan wasn't necessarily the lowest bid (although apples to apples comparison was difficult because of some variations between the three bids we received), but because he was competitive and we felt comfortable with him, it was an EASY decision to pick him. The entire project went pretty smoothly.  Jonathan communicated well, especially via email, which was helpful to us because we both work, and phone calls sometimes begot other phone calls and make things more difficult.  Most of the work was done for a man who works for Jonathan, and there was a painting subcontractor.  All were very nice and considerate of us and our two young children.  There was an issue with the recommended granite supplier, but that was no at all Jonathan's fault and he was helpful through that situation.  His second granite recommendation was very good, while a little more expensive, the customer service was much better. We had changes (change orders).  Jonathan was patient through that process, and we didn't feel like we were overcharged for such changes.  He charged us via the hourly rate that was clearly set forth within the original contract. Overall, we were extremely happy with Jonathan and his team he put together to finish this project successfully.

...

Everything went smooth, which shocked yet greatly pleased me.  I have had many a bad experience with contractors in the past so I was expecting several weeks of having to control anger and anxiety.   I am now singing in my BIG shower daily and happy, happy, happy that I did NOT have to have any negative issues over such as large project.
  I moved out of my master bedroom, except the large furniture, even though Jonathan said I didn't need to.  This allowed me to just keep the bedroom door shut off from the rest of the house and let the contractors have at it.  They covered my bedroom  furniture to protect from dust and also laid down cloth from the bathroom, up the hall, to the front door and under all equipment  so as to protect my hardwood floors.  Everything was cleaned up when I came home each night and I would not have known anyone had been there unless I peeked into the construction area.  The bathroom was completed earlier than I expected; we just had to wait on the custom-sized shower door to come in, but the entire job was still completed within the timeframe in my contract.  All odds and ends that came up were handled very timely.   All needed responses were handled right away and with high professionalism.  I generally dislike ever having to work with contractors, but will hire this company again if ever needed and will recommend Affordable Remodeling to everyone and anyone needing a contractor.  Save yourself some calming drugs and just hire this company to do your needed work for a stress-free remodeling.

The master bath remodel went very smoothly in the proposal, plan development, as well as the actual work.  Care was taken to protect the master bedroom and the path from door to bath.  It was easy to inspect the progress of the work each day after Matt or Jonathan's departure.  We have take a lot of showers since completion of the work on December 17th!  And we stayed on budget, which was an important factor in choosing Jonathan Doering and Affordable Remodeling Solutions in the first place.

Redoing the bathrooms in a house is, for us, a one time thing.  We wanted to do it right with a esthetically pleasing design and fundamentally sound construction result that would not leave us with regrets or need for repairs or complications down the road.  When I first talked to Jonathan, his first comment was, "First of all, tell me how much you have to spend..."  He was the only contractor who cut to the chase about money, and then we proceeded to make a plan that would stay within the amount we had available.  Compared to other estimates, this remodel was reasonable and below other estimates.

Purchasing our own selections of tile, vanity cabinets, marble remnants for counters, fixtures, and flooring allowed us to stay within our budget and get the features we wanted for our new bathroom.  As Jonathan explained, the more we were willing to do towards the remodel project, the less he had to charge for doing things for us.  That included selecting and purchasing the materials needed for the remodel, particularly using remants for our countertop and backsplash.

There is a hall bath remodel set to begin next week by Jonathan's Affordable Remodeling Solutions.  Somewhere down the road, there is also a kitchen remodeling project that will most certainly begin with a call to Jonathan when we are ready.

We recommend Jonathan of Affordable Renovations. We wanted
to completely redo our master bathroom. It is not a large room and we wanted it
to feel less cramped by removing a large tub and reconfiguring the vanities. He
oversaw the completed gutting of the room and put in a new tile floor, new
toilet, two vanities and a lovely tiled shower. He completed everything within
the estimated time and cost and we are very pleased with the result. The old
cabinets and fixtures were delivered to the Habitat Restore. The bathroom and
bedroom area were kept as clean as possible. He and all of his subcontractors
were courteous and did excellent work. Jonathan was always available via phone
and email, responding promptly when we had questions. We chose our own tile,
vanity cabinets and tops and plumbing fixtures so we were able to cut costs on
some things and splurge on others. We would use Jonathan again if we had other
renovation projects.

We needed some updates made to our kitchen before putting our house on the market, and we were beyond pleased with the service provided by Affordable Remodeling. Not only did they make the process extremely easy and hassle-free, but we couldn't have been more impressed with how the countertops and door looked. The only drawback was that our kitchen was so beautiful we didn't want to move out. We will definitely be contacting ARS for any work needed on our new home.

In early Sept, 2013, after a great deal of research and homework and having read his glowing reviews on Angie's List, I entered into a contract with Jonathan Doering of Affordable Remodeling Solutions. The work to be done consisted of painting my kitchen cabinets, which had their original finish in very good condition, replacing the cabinet doors with new ones, new granite countertops, replacing an exterior door from our garage to the outside, and installing a new range hood and and tile backsplash which I had purchased. Paint color and pattern for countertop material had been selected well in advance. Also, the vanity in an adjacent guest bath was to be painted in the same color. How simple that seemed at the time. I had had a number of meetings with Jonathan and felt confident in our discussions that the job was one which would present no problems whatsoever to him, his workers, or to me. The start date of our contract was Sept. 23 and the work was to be completed by Oct.11. It is now Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving, there is plastic hanging over where my cabinet doors should be, and the original drawers that I am forced to use in order to function in my kitchen have no finish on them. Since my cabinets had to be emptied for this project, we have been without its use most of the time since early Sept.
A week late, the painters came in, primed my cabinets with a roller and painted two coats of paint on them, leaving them with what Jonathan called and "orange peel" effect, meaning a visible rough texture and feel, certainly not acceptable. The new doors were delivered directly to him to be sprayed in his shop and the same thing was done to them. This entailed re-sanding the entire cabinet frames in the kitchen and bath creating dust everywhere even though the kitchen was draped in plastic.
In the interim, the countertops were installed, without benefit of a template having been made. They were uneven,seamed in the middle of the sink and the seam didn't even match, to say nothing of the backsplash, which was not on the same level where they were joined. I was told by Jonathan that I had gotten the "B" team which were not supposed to be installing. At this point, this was not of great comfort. The next day, another crew arrived to make a template and replace the just installed countertops. In removing the backsplash, the wall behind was so damaged that it necessitated having someone come and completely redo the drywall before the final countertops were installed.
Sometime during this period, a worker was sent to replace the exterior door and in so doing, failed to pre-drill the holes in the frame, splitting it beyond repair, making it necessary to replace the entire door yet again. Jonathan's comment that Murphy's Law seemed to be in effect was, again, no comfort.
In case this is beginning to sound a little like a shaggy dog story, believe me when I say that this is all well documented and my family and friends are appalled at what was happening here.
To wrap this up, after waiting 5 days, anticipating that the repainted doors and drawers were finally going to be installed and the job completed, Jonathan arrived with one of each to show me and say that he knew that I wasn't going to like them. After one look, I agreed that they were poorly done and totally unacceptable. At this point, he offered to refund my initial paymentand leave the job unfinished. After asking him where this left me, his reply was "I don't know". I accepted his refund and have been left with a kitchen disaster that I would not wish on anyone and a stress level that is beyond description. Jonathan is as nice a person as you will meet, his manner is pleasing and helpful, and his communication, for what it's worth, is excellent. His results, however, on our project were a complete (or rather incomplete) failure. Why this is the case is an utter mystery to me and my family. In all good conscience, I feel it necessary to alert anyone who is looking for a good contractor, as I was, to be very careful in your choice and by the way, Happy Holidays.

Jonathan was the consummate professional and the project went well. Would recommend him to anyone!

They did a great job and I was very satisfied with them.  I would use them again in the future.

I have one full bathroom in my house, so there is only one tub/shower. They worked fast for a job like this, which meant that I had little disruption in my schedule. They were efficient, prompt, and cleaned up each day. I can't say enough good things about them! In fact, they quickly stepped in to clean up the mess left by another contractor who had abandoned the job.
Jonathan was great to work with when getting things scheduled and putting together an estimate, which came back at a more than fair price. I supplied a lot of the materials and did a lot of the demolition myself, and they stepped right in and took it from there. The tile job is fantastic, a truly professional job. I love it! Everything was done right the first time, and I couldn't be more pleased. I'll be calling them again when I'm ready to tackle my kitchen!

Jonathan and him team are ROCK STARS.  We would hire him again to do any remodel job we have.  Things started off really well with him...  The thing that stuck out to me at the first was the amount of time he stayed at my house looking through things before providing the estimate.  He spent over an hour at our house looking at every single detail (he went in the basement... went in the attict, etc...).  Within a few days of the visit, he provided a very detailed estimate.  We were very comfortable with selecting his company for the job.
We live in a house built in the 1950s, so there were many surprises along the way, and every time we had one, Jonathan was there with a solution.  Since we were living in the house during the remodel, Jonathan and his assistant did a really good job cleaning up their mess of the day.  The house was livable because these guys took the time to clean up....   Also through the entire project, Jonathan did a great job communicating with the status with us.  
The result of the renovation is remarkable.  We went with a kitchen that was outdated and had horrible flow to a modern kitchen.  The project has been complete for 6 months now, and the level of quality in the work provided is top of the class.

Jonathan with Affordable remodeling is an awesome contractor. He is a type of guy who you would call, email, or text and boy you
get a response fairly quickly. He is a great communicator in every aspect of this business. He works with Terry from Stock builder and what a team. After all the quotes that my husband and I got, they had the best quote and provided top notch service. Jonathan definitely has connections and knows where to get the best deal for granite, tiles, and faucets. We gave Jonathan a tight
deadline, he literally had a month to do the job before we moved. Initially, he did say there is no way he can get it done in a month since he had other projects that he was currently on but after a few more discussions ? he did it! He and his team helped remodeled our kitchen on time and we love it. We couldn?t have asked for a better experience. Thanks Jonathan!!!!

Note that we are very late with this review. Sorry, we've been very busy.
I bought all the materials (except the fan/light) and demolished the old built-in cabinet, removed oil toilet, and removed two layers of tile floor and the old mortar bed (circa 1950s), and then installed a subfloor. The rest of the job was completed by Jonathan's crew.
Note that the remodel did not include redoing the shower, and the light fixtures remained the same, although one had to be moved a bit to make room for the medicine cabinet.  They added one outlet above the new vanity (there was none there before) and provided and installed a new fan with light and night light (very nice).
I think this was a relatively straightforward job, and I thought the price was just a little high for what was involved, but the quality of work was fantastic and well worth it. It took about a week, maybe a little more, with one guy working most of the time. Their material cost was minimal, except for the fan.  The tile work was especially exceptional.  He has a separate company and we'll try to get a review for him up here---tile is easy to screw up and a great job here makes the project shine.   Jonathan came on site a few times and helped to trouble shoot a problem that came up with one of the old pipes.  He had the simple solution to a seemingly complex problem--nice.
The new bathroom looks fantastic. We're are very pleased and would hire Jonathan again.

Great

Jonathan was prompt, responsive and provided a detailed estimate of the work.  He was agreeable to let me do those things I was comfortable with (to save a little money).  The project started and finished on time.  What I especially appreciated was he communicated well, even sending pictures via email as the work was being done.  Since I was in the house frequently I could see that he was careful and covered all furniture, etc. as he was working. We had cabinets removed, drywall installed, cabinets cleaned, repainted and reinstalled and finally new countertops and sink.  He also installed a dishwasher and over the stove microwave.  All and all a very good experience.

We had used Affordable Remodeling previously for some work in a small bathroom and were pleased with the work on the project.
So we called him for a quote on the kitchen-den remodeling project.  He came out in October or early November, we talked about the work we wanted and he made some suggestions for getting it done.  He provided us with a quote a few days later and we agreed that we wanted to proceed but wanted to wait until after the holidays.  The project started about Jan 8th and finished on January 31. 
Jonathan (the owner) had two subcontractors who worked with him - one who made and installed the 9 roll out shelves, made some decorative shelves that were added near the window, and repaired a kickplate area under the sink - and an electrician who did the electrical work mentioned above - both of whom proved to be great to work with and very good at what they did. 
Jonathan did all the prep, priming and painting of the walls, paneling and cabinets - and his biggest challenge was us, as we could not settle on the right color for the paneling.   Jonathan was very patient and spent a lot of time going back and forth to the paint store trying to come up with a color we could accept.   But the results are so worth it - we are extremely happy with what was a dark kitchen and den that now is light and bright.  We changed the cabinets from being brown to white - and changed the walls to a pale pale green.The roll out shelves are wonderful - everyone should have them - and they make all the wasted space useable.  Although we "lost" half of a double cabinet on the top, because I gained so much space with the rollout shelves, I don't seem to be missing any space.
The den had been dark because of the paneling and grasscloth (probably 30 years old - from the original owner) - we had the bottom half (which was paneling) painted green and from the white chair rail up we removed the grasscloth and Jonathan painted the walls the pale pale green - as the kitchen and den walls meet at one point.  Everyone who sees it comments on how much bigger the den seems now. We are getting lots of compliments on the remodel.