Mastercraft Remodeling & Construction Specialists

I had the pleasure of meeting with Carmine not long ago. He immediately came across as sincere and knowledgeable. He listened to my thoughts on the project at hand and offered several suggestions I had never even considered. His suggestions were aimed a providing less expensive ways of achieving my goals. In some cases, his suggestions were not only less expensive but were actually even nicer than what I had envisioned. The fact that he sought to save me money he could have easily made from me were he to be less scrupulous, gave me every reason to trust him. In preparing for my project, I met with several candidates. Carmine was head and shoulders above the rest. Rather than me, someone you don't know, tell you to hire him, I will instead suggest you make an appointment to meet with him. After you do, you will see what I did; Carmine is the person you want working on your project.

Carmine was incredibly helpful through the entire process. This was our first time going through a process of selecting a contractor for such an extensive amount of work. What really made Carmine stand out was the time he spent with me walking through what needed to be done, what types of options we could consider, and what the relative cost would be. His quote was thorough and detailed. He arranged for references to contact me to discuss similar work they had had on their houses and their experience. Were it not for another contractor with similar estimates and references but who lives in the same neighborhood as us (Carmine and his crew would have to drive into Queens from Long Island), we would have selected Carmine. I would high recommend that others considering kitchen and bath remodeling contact Carmine to walk through their work and have Carmine provide a quote.

I feel really lucky to have found them. The guy who runs the company is amazing. He is knowledgeable and cares for everything that he does. He is a perfectionist as well. I don't think I would have been able to do a bit of it myself if I knew what I was doing. The price charged by them was fair and reasonable. I can't wait to find something else to do from him. I would definitely use his services in the future too.

I told them some things that I wanted to do and they told me that there were some variance papers that I might need from the town beforehand. They told me everything that I would need to take to the town for the variance papers. They also strongly suggested that I hire an architect to draw up plans before I got back in contact with the contractor. He did not seem to me like he was too busy for me.

The project gave us a larger platform than we had before at our front entrance with two steps, built in brick and granite, railings, and a concrete path along the side of the house. Carmine helped us chose the materials and the design, making suggestions but never pushing us in one direction or another. This is not the first project Mastercraft has done for us and we have always been completely satisfied. Carmine makes sure that every aspect of the work is done properly and if something isn't quite right, he will fix it. This is a first class company.

It was a small but difficult and complicated repair. In several conversations over several weeks the owner promised to come and give an estimate and did not do so. tHIS WENT ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, PERHAPS LONGER.

Carmine became incensed that I had consulted another contractor. He sent me a nasty email, telling me he did not want the job, that I was playing him against this other contractor. This took me completely by surprise. Why would any home owner not get other estimates, and question what needed to be done? He was like a petulant child who decided to "pick up his marbles and go home". I finally called a door company with a great reputation, and got an estimate from them, the same $1800 everyone else had quoted, except for Carmine. The guy said that yes, the frame was warped, but that once it was removed, and the new frame and door were put in place, everything would be as it should be, that there was no need for all of the construction that Carmine had talked about. They did the job for $1800, and I did not have to spend additional money to rework the door, and the job is absolutely perfect. None of what Carmine told me had to be done needed to be done at all, and there is NO problem with the door or the installation.

You can stop looking for a contractor now. Carmine (known as Carmine the Great to my four year old daughter) is the contractor you wish for but don't think actually exists. He is responsive, takes the time to inform you of progress, thoroughly communicates costs, is pleasant to work with and does high quality work. It took a long time from our first meeting to get the final quote, but that was fine since we didn't even own the house yet. The day after we closed he and his crew started work to get everything we needed done before we moved in. He even had his crew climb up ladders to get up to the second floor of the house to keep on schedule when the first floor wood was being refinished and couldn't be walked on. The project had many subcontractors and he kept them all coordinated and on schedule. It was wonderful for us to speak just with him and know that everything was being taken care of.

This is the second time we've had the pleasure of hiring MASTERCRAFT. To us Carmine's company is more than just a company, they (Carmine,Joe and Dave) have become extended family to both my husband and myself. This project was the 15 year old wooded deck that needed to be replaced. Before the work began, we sat with Carmine to go over the materials we were interested in using. With Carmine professional experience, he explained to us what our options were. We decided to go with Timber-tech decking which have no visible "face-nailing". We applied for the needed permit from the Village. Carmine was always available when the Village had a question regarding the logistics. One less thing for my husband and I to think about. While we waited for the permits (less than a week) we went over our the process and the design. Once this was complete, the crew was ready to begin. Once again coffee was ready by 10am, but this time it was ICED coffee as they were now working in 90 plus degree weather. First day the deck is taken down, carting off all the wood and leaving our driveway clear of any rusty nails- greatly appreciated !! Now the digging begins to place the concrete foundation (extra heavy duty deck supports were used). Writing about the digging that took place and the foundation that was done in just one sentence does not give justice to the hard work that went into this. You know that saying "blood, sweat and tears" no worries, no blood or tears, just sweat- hard working sweat... and then they came back to continue. We decided on a detailed picture frame border with mitered corners and for the BBQ area Carmine suggested we place weather resistant tiles. We stopped counting the compliments regarding the tiles once we reached 33 (a lucky number for us). Carmine, Joe and Dave also designed a custom-built bench that could hold an additional 10 people and stairs with step lighting. Now for the decorative part. We went with solar lighting to top off the posts. Hard to explain how beautiful the deck looks with this lighting. Let's just say a proposal is about to take place on the deck. It's that elegant. Please contact Carmine if you are interested in seeing our deck. We are very proud to show it off. Best always to Carmine and his crew at MasterCraft.

Who would think that you'd write thank-you notes to the guys who renovated your kitchen, but there is no way to say thank you properly. This was the most incredible experience we've ever had with construction. If only we'd known about Carmine and crew (Joe and Dave) before some of the other work we had done on our house. We strongly urge others to start with Carmine rather than going out on your own to order appliances, granite, cabinetry, etc. He has a long history in this business and can recommend the best companies to provide what you need and can give you advice about your choices. For instance, after months of looking at stone for the floor, we got the name of a company from Carmine and, like magic, we found what we wanted. Some of the things that made this project and this team different from most included the consideration for the homeowner and a regular line of communication. No surprises, except when a wall came down and bad work was revealed to have been done previously by another company. Carmine never assumes anything and is a stickler for perfection. So he points out a problem area, suggests several options (again based on his experience) and always asks what you want to do. Furthermore, he helped with the design: "What do people do with handles, Carmine?" "Well, some do this and some do that, but let's get a tape and see what you like best." Best of all, though, was watching this team at work. They know how to work together with Carmine leading the way. Carmine does not take another job at the same time as yours, so he is always on site. They kept things neat and organized, and moved in a smart way from one task to another. Again, this is because Carmine is almost obsessive about efficiency, but without cutting corners. A cross-beam laser makes sure that all corners are square; careful prep insures details are covered; the best tools are used for maximum quality of performance. And his sub-contractors, the electricians and plumbers, match Carmine in quality of work. These were all great guys and we are sorry to see them leave. Imagine saying that about people who rip up your house and put it back together.

I selected the various components needed for the renovation. Based on these choices, I was told that the price would be increased by $3500. This is to be expected, and I was willing to pay for the custom cabinets and tile I had chosen. What I did not expect, was that was that a day later, a totally new estimate was presented (after an initial contract had been signed and a deposit taken) because Carmine had failed to include ALL plumbing fees and fixtures, the exhaust fan, outlets, and a whopping $1500 to replace the tub. The fixtures I had chosen (sink faucets, shower/tub faucet and handles) had an online value of approximately $600, the toilet at Home Depot, a little over $300, the sinks about $90 each. Much to my surprise, the plumber contracted by Carmine was charging over a 100% markup on these items, NOT including his actual labor fees, AND if he did not supply the items, NEITHER labor nor materials were guaranteed. Total price for my "everything included" renovation - $33,550. Obviously, I lost all trust in Carmine's honesty and experience. I could not even guess what was also not included in this everything included renovation.He did apologize for his oversight, but by this time the renovation was to have started in less than a week, and I have to start the process again. I do not know if he was trying to sucker me into a contract, or if it was actual inexperience in estimating the cost of the renovation, but either way, there was a definite lack of professionalism. I was surprised by this considering the great reviews his company has gotten, (one of the reasons I decided to do business with them), but I wanted to relay my experience so that others are aware of what can happen. Please note the following directly from the first paragraph of the Warranty Policy sent by Mastercraft to me from Williston Plumbing and Heating: "It is our policy to provide a full one year labor and material warranty only on materials purchased through Williston Plumbing and Heating. When others provide materials such as fixtures and faucets, we do not include any warranty for either the labor or materials." I can send you a direct copy of this warranty policy if needed. I believe that the comment by Mastercraft that the installation is guaranteed whether the products are provided by the customer or not is false and members should be aware of this.

He is excellent. He does very good work. He was very dependable. He was very easy to work with. He isn't the cheapest, but you get what you pay for.

Although they were too busy, Carmin was extremely helpful and pleasant in discussing the job. I was calling in August, but said he could not get to the job until November, but offered his advice on anything.

Our house hadn't been updated in quite a while so we finally got tired of the '70's look. We had hollow doors on narrow metal frames, narrow mouldings and pretty hideous tile in the foyer. All of this was replaced. There was also a large marble half-wall in the foyer that served as a divider between the hallway and living room. That was replaced with a storage cabinet with a beautiful oak top matching the mantel put on the fireplace. We also replaced the wrought iron railing going up the stairs with oak. A couple of closets had single doors which made it hard to get to anything in there. Those were opened up now with double doors. We also replaced the front door with a fiberglass door. We added a small closet in the upstairs hallway. Because of the door frames being taken out, some of the wood floor and bathroom tile and saddles had to be replaced. Carmine was very helpful in sending us to a great tile store and a place to get the fiberglass front door. He also sent us a great guy who made the foyer cabinet, oak top and oak mantel. He even gave us tips on how to shop at home improvement stores! Carmine, Joe, Dave and Nick were always prompt and a pleasure to have in the house. They put up with my barking dog and my trivia question of the day. By the way Carmine, do insects have an endoskeleton?

I have used them once before. I feel that they did an excellent job. I was not in a hurry to have the work done, so they did the job when it worked out for them. They respect your property and have good work ethics.

From start to finish, Carmine and his crew made this the best construction experience I have ever been involved with. I can't say enough about the professionalism, courteous service, and complete consideration for our family at every step in the process. My kitchen came out exactly the way I had always dreamed it would. These guys were a pleasure to have in my home.

The work went extremely well. Although it was a relatively small job, there was demolition, construction, painting, electrical and plumbing work done. All was done with a high level of quality. All of the workers and contractors were professional, courteous and pleasant. Carmine oversaw all the work personally and made sure we were satisfied at every stage. He made suggestions or recommendations to us when asked but never pressured us in any way. When it became clear that the project needed to be expanded, he helped us decide on options and kept the additional cost at a reasonable amount. He also added a few details at our request that were not in the original estimate without increasing the cost.

They did a great job, he was terrific. No headed or anything. They were very neat and clean and finished the job quickly and on time. Their prices were fair and the quality of the work was excellent.

From the very beginning of this project until the very end, Carmine was wonderful - professional, respectful and very neat. The quality of his work is superlative. His staff is friendly and very very good at what they do. I give Mastercraft an A+ in every category.

Having a kitchen and bathroom on the first floor gutted and put back is an exciting but overwhelming job. On the first day that Carmine came to our home, both rooms were gutted. The men did the best they could to clean up and were careful to try to keep the rest of the home as clean as possible. Carmine was always present as the job was being carried out, not just in a supervisory role but also working himself. If something was not correct, he would have it redone or corrected. Plumbing and electricity were the first renovations. Leveling the ceiling and putting up the sheetrock were done next. Once a room was created, the focus was on the floor. We coordinated the delivery of the appliances after the floor was installed. The cabinets were installed. We then had to choose the granite slabs that we wanted. It took about 2 weeks to get the slabs for installation. Then the backsplash was placed. Carmine was very professional and conscientious in his work. He is painstaking in wanting the project to be done properly. He was excellent at returning calls when we needed to speak with him. If there was a problem, he did his best to resolve it. The project cost more than we expected due to extra work that had to be done, which could not be known until the walls were knocked down. We did not go with the cheapest supplies nor the most expensive. We wanted quality for our money and the job shows the quality of goods and workmanship that Carmine and his crew created. The job also took longer than we expected but it takes time to coordinate so many projects and workmen. Carmine did not rush us to make decisions. We are very pleased with the finished project. Our family and friends are amazed at the new kitchen and bathroom. We would recommend Mastercraft for a remodeling project.

I must admit that since the job has been completed I have tried to figure out what to write and as I read the other reports I felt like I would be repeating exactly what they said about Carmine and his crew. Each morning they would arrive promptly at 10 AM (which I must admit is a perfect time). Joe would begin setting up while I made the guys coffee. It was a ritual that continued throughout the job. Carmine would wait for my husband to come home to discuss the day s events. Carmine had a notebook that he would write down what he and his crew accomplished each day. Then in the evening my husband and I would write down any questions we had. I must admit we did this maybe 4 times during the job as we were always well informed of what was going on and if we had a question we knew we could call or beep Carmine and he would call back in 10 minutes or less. We would even call on the weekends if we were in a home supply store and again he would call us back. We meet Carmine in March of 2007 and as soon as he walked out the door we both knew he was the guy for us. We had meet with 5-7 other contractors and we're not sure why but we both just knew working with Carmine was the right thing. So you wonder why I'm writing this in May 2008- Because we waited for Carmine. First personal issues on our end and then once we contacted him again he had jobs already lined up. Would we wait, he asked? and without hesitation we said Yes. We have not one regret except that the job is over and we both miss having them around. You probably think that's a crazy statement to write but I'm being completely honest. Yes, at times our daily lives were a little out or the norm but they always cleaned each night so that I could still walk around without too much distribution. They were a pleasure to work with: Easy to talk to, questions never too crazy. We've been so busy showing off our new kitchen that I've been too busy to submit a report. We plan on having Carmine do more for us in the future. We're actually waiting for him to give us an estimate on re-doing our deck. We feel very lucky to have meet Carmine- not only on a professional level but a personal level.

Every once in a while you stumble on a real gem. We found Carmine by accident looking for a product & we knew from the 1st time we spoke to him that he was perfect for us. He is a consummate professional who cares deeply about his work product and pleasing his customers. He is extremely knowledgeable and experienced, paying attention to details and measurements down to one/32nd of an inch! He stresses the importance of communication between contractor and homeowner at every step of the project.He explains alternatives and makes valuable recommendations when asked. He maintains a job notebook where he records work performed daily and encourages written comments and feedback from the homeowner. He is kind, patient, humble, courteous and respectful. He is punctual and always calls if he will be late. Once he starts a job, he finishes it before he goes on to the next one. He treats your home as if it is his own. His assistants display the same qualities as he does.

In the end we installed a wonderful new kitchen with radiant heating and a custom kitchen table with an arched ceiling that Carmine built by hand and color matched to our cabinets. We also maximized our space and were able to install a new full bath with stand up shower and a pantry and a much needed coat closet. The way to describe Carmine is; a person who take pride in what he does and who is punctual, organized and diligent. Most of the time I would say he would return my calls in under 5 minutes. That takes a lot of the stress out of a home remodeling job especially considering some of the horror stories I have heard. All in all I would say we stayed on schedule and have even had Carmine come by to do smaller jobs such as expanding our basement door in order to fit a new washer and dryer after the job was completed.

We knew from the first meeting that Carmine was the person to do the job. He is very professional, openly shares his vast experiences and makes useful suggestions. He is very flexible working things out (e.g. cabinetry), while being a perfectionist only delivering the highest quality of work. The work was accomplished in a well-planned and timely manner with minimal disturbance to our home and the overall execution was perfect.

Carmine is the best of the best ! Upon interviewing approximately 5 contractors prior to meeting Mr. DeCicco, I knew shortly afterward he arrived, to give me an estimate, he was the one to do the job. The best adjectives I can use to describe him and the work produced are; professional, punctual, immaculate, intelligent, talented beyond belief, creative, reliable and a true professional throughout every facet of the job. His professionalism added much confidence in me to allow him the freedom to make decisions with minimal consultation. He deals with the best subcontractors out there. Licensed electricians, tile workers and other contacts were all as professional and worked in a timely manner such as he did. Of course one wouldn t expect anything less from Mastercraft. He was punctual and reliable at all times and hence completed the job within the quoted time frame. He is immaculate when he works and maintained cleanliness throughout the entire time he worked at my home. Great Job!