Rahmann Contracting

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Everything went well.

I had water leak issues and could not exactly pinpoint the exact source.  I met with many contracts and a couple theorized that it was coming through the chimney and some thought it could be seeping from the back wall, which I needed to be addressed sooner of later and the leak just accelerated the decision to restucco.  I did extensive research on what is techinically stucco and what are the options and pros and cons.  I had various quotes and Rahmann was neither the cheapest or most expensive.  They run a responsive office and the project manager there speaks good english.  Often times, the biggest challege with stucco/waterproofing contractors is the language barrier.  The language part offers a more consulting-like bonus to the hiring choice. 
Their chief stucco person is hands on and very good.  The project was completed satisfactorily.  My general compliant center around one of their employee, who litterally spat on premise and generally exhibited other unhygenic habits.  This was relayed to the project manager. They also should have used scaffolding instead of a cradle/suspending platform. Free standing scaffold allows a cleaner/more symmetric surface finish whereas the hook of the suspending scaffold created a patch-like finish where the hooks attached to the house.  It also crumpled my gutter.  The work would have yielded a better review otherwise.

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I purchased the service through one of Angie's deals and was surprised to learn that it covered labor only and NOT materials which added several hundred $'s more. Nonetheless the finished product was 1st rate.

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They re-supported the brick exterior and added two coats of "Thorough-coat" to waterproof the wall. They also made some repairs with a concrete bonding agent and mortar prior to adding the waterproofing. They were prompt and professional. So far, there have been no problems with the work.

Rahmann was a very pleasant company to deal with. The office staff were responsive over the phone, the initial visit to estimate costs went off as planned.  The workers were meticulous and clearly took pride in their work.  They were properly concerned about safety.  The finished job looks great and we were very pleased.  The work took longer than expected--partly due to weather problems and partly because they seemed clearly willing to sacrifice speed for quality.  We felt that the price was fair.

In the end the work was done to our statisfaction.  however the timeline was extended from 4 weeks to 12 weeks.  The workers were unprofessional and our neihbors informed us they were sleeping on the job.  A brick wall was painted that should have been left natural brick.  The foreman tried to convince us this was necessary when it was not, and then the wall had to be ground down to remove the paint.  Essentially the bare minimum was done with poor workmanship and was only improved when we forced the foreman to have each issue corrected and improved.  I would not use this provider again.

I dealt with Mohammed Hye from Rahmann Contracting. This was my second time working with them - they had also done the front of the house. The workers showed up at 8am every day and left at 3:30pm. The job went efficiently and smoothly and looks incredible. The masons are outstanding. They are very polite and take pride in their work. Would definitely recommend them and hire them again in the future.

Rahmann came by my home for service. My neighbor di not allow him access so he couldn't perform needed work. Instead he advised me as to what needs to be done and did not charge for the service call. I have taken action on the inside of my home and when I get access from my nasty neighbors I will have them come back.

Overall, with one exception, they did an excellent job.  They were not the cheapest estimate but they were well worth the money spent and Mohammed Hye was extremely responsive to our needs.  The workers were all courteous and friendly and came when they said they would.  The weakest part of their team was the carpenter which is why I gave them an overall rating of good, and not excellent, on quality.  If you are going to hire them and need carpentry work done, I might consider bringing someone else in to do that piece of the work.  The masons, however, are excellent. When we complained about the carpentry, Mohammed was immediately responsive and adjusted our bill.

They were in the mid-range of three estimates and were the only ones who even mentioned getting Landmark approval before proceeding.  Their estimate was the most specific, as well, and they gave us several options on the repair work to our front stoop brownstoning and the leaking lintels on our 4th floor.  We added several repair services to the contract, such as painting the ironwork, installing a bike rack and repairing the front garden cement pad.  
Communicating with the workers was difficult because of language, would suggest communicating only thru the foreman who reported most days first thing and at the end of each day.  A few communication errors arose early, but we were able to deal with them amicably.
They replaced the original medallion on our stoop and it turned out beautifully.  These guys take real pride in their work and respond to admiration admirably!  
They handled the Landmark permissions for us and did all the work on time and on budget.  
I wouldn't have them do any fine carpentry work... (neither their forte nor their main interest). but overall an excellent experience! And we're proud of our new stoop and bike rack!

Mr Rahmann is a pleasant man who is very free with the word "yes" but less frequently able to back it up.
My advice:
-Make sure contract states explicitly everything you want covered on
the job. Ours was not a very professional document and was too general
in outlining expectations. Verbal additions were made but much more
difficult to have excicuted. We ended up paying $1000 more just to get
him to finish things that should have been encompassed in the original
estimate.
-Be prepared to call often. We had a lot of rain this
summer, yes, but there were may days I expected him or someone from his
team to show up but they never did. I had to prod constantly, calling
him a day or two before they were scheduled to come to confirm someone
was going to show up to work, and even then I couldn't be sure if anyone
would. He made frequent excuses that illogical and frustrating.
Also, during the course of the job he kept supplies in my
neighbor's courtyard, even during the extensive periods when the job
was on hiatus. Due to the placement of his equiptent, a large cement
planter was broken and has yet to be repaired, many months later.
Ultimately, the work on our stoop was good, it looks nice, but it was not an easy process and took much longer than was estimated. I have stated that I would not use them again but that is simply because I hope never to have to renovate the stoop again.

took two days, both of which they came on time, did what seems like a stellar job (we'll know more as time passes to see if it holds), cleaned up after themselves and were totally professional, despite language differences.

So far, it's going well.  They are easy to work with and regularly update me on progress.  The workers seem professional and competent.  The wall has been repaired and they are currently applying the scratch coat of cement.  The finish stucco will be applied in the spring of 2013.

See above.

Company came on time worked steadily each day. Explained process and did more than expected without additional change - we plan to use them for another project.

I am the owner of a park slope Brownstone for over 30 years. My experience with Rahmann was exceptional. Mohammed Hye ans his crew are a pleasure to work with. The proper city permits were acquired; The advice proved excellent; and the price was very fair given the quality of work.

the crews arrived promptly everyday and went to work. One unexpected repair, the cellar entrance drain pipe, was explained and the change from the original estimate was not exorbitant . The work was thorough and now, 18months later, I have no regrets.

They were fair priced and the work went well. They did a really good job. They were on time and showed up every day. They are very dependable. I had some quibbles with the level of neatness and detail in their work but overall they did a good job.

He was very good. I liked him very much. He was competitive in price and very reliable. He was also very professional and I would definitely recommend him.

It went very well. Kaiser Sanwipi came promptly to give me an estimate, and although it was much higher than the other estimate we got, we could tell he would do a better quality job. The men arrived on time every day, tried to keep the dirt out of the house as much as possible, and cleaned up their materials and tools in the back every day before leaving. They did a beautiful job; it looks great. They worked hard, and finished in 5 weeks, instead of the originally estimated 6 weeks.Kaiser was always responsive by phone, and answered all questions clearly and professionally. He, or another supervisor, came by every week to check on the progress.We would definitely use them again (though I hope we won't need to!)