Queen City Construction
About us
Family owned & operated. Large projects: cost is determined by the job. Small projects: labor & materials. No travel fees. May contact through email. Additional Locations: 25 Glen Ridge Road, Ste 6, Box 31003 Greenwich, Ct 06831.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
26 years of experience
Services we offer
Unfinished & wood working, basement & attic conversions, carpentry, closets, deck & porches, deck maintenance, doors, drywall, electrical & plumbing, floor installation, framing, general remodeling, general repairs & handyman jobs., gutter leaning, hardwood floors, interior & exterior painting, kitchen & bathroom remodeling, pressure washing
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.868 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 90% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 3% |
Showing 1-25 of 68 reviews
Gene T.
May 2014
Gerald Nesbeth is very thorough and explains everything carefully (and at length). He pointed out different options for us to consider both before and during the job. He asked if we would like to add a ceiling fan to the installation. We agreed and are happy we did.
We mentioned the other work we were thinking of having done and Gerald said that he could add that into the job. Since we had agreed to an hourly rate for some of this additional work he was very clear when we chose options that might increase the number of hours. We were willing to do that to get the results we wanted.
Two items will tell you a lot:
(1) The ceiling to be installed was in a room with wood paneled walls. Mr. Nesbet began the job by carefully removing the moldings between the ceiling and the paneling without breaking a piece (although he warned us that some of it might have to be replaced if it broke). At the end he put the molding back just as it had been.
(2) The ceiling to be installed was in the master bedroom that my wife and I use. We were not looking forward to sleeping on a pull out couch in the living room for three nights during this job. Gerald and his helper covered the bed with plastic sheeting. (We did not mind that they might have to stand on it at times.) They cleaned up each night so that we could sleep in our usual bed. We are not picky and we were willing to live with a certain amount of dust around. Someone else might have made a different choice. But we were happy. Gerald did everything he could to accommodate us.
The approximate costs for the individual items in this job were:
Install & paint new drywall ceiling in bedroom (14' x 12') & install ceiling fan: $1925
Paint kitchen (10' x 10') and other miscellaneous areas: $1140
Install bathroom vent fan with separate switch: $800
Install exterior screen door (including door priced at about $225): $445.70
Other misc. jobs: $160
I felt his prices were fair.
We mentioned the other work we were thinking of having done and Gerald said that he could add that into the job. Since we had agreed to an hourly rate for some of this additional work he was very clear when we chose options that might increase the number of hours. We were willing to do that to get the results we wanted.
Two items will tell you a lot:
(1) The ceiling to be installed was in a room with wood paneled walls. Mr. Nesbet began the job by carefully removing the moldings between the ceiling and the paneling without breaking a piece (although he warned us that some of it might have to be replaced if it broke). At the end he put the molding back just as it had been.
(2) The ceiling to be installed was in the master bedroom that my wife and I use. We were not looking forward to sleeping on a pull out couch in the living room for three nights during this job. Gerald and his helper covered the bed with plastic sheeting. (We did not mind that they might have to stand on it at times.) They cleaned up each night so that we could sleep in our usual bed. We are not picky and we were willing to live with a certain amount of dust around. Someone else might have made a different choice. But we were happy. Gerald did everything he could to accommodate us.
The approximate costs for the individual items in this job were:
Install & paint new drywall ceiling in bedroom (14' x 12') & install ceiling fan: $1925
Paint kitchen (10' x 10') and other miscellaneous areas: $1140
Install bathroom vent fan with separate switch: $800
Install exterior screen door (including door priced at about $225): $445.70
Other misc. jobs: $160
I felt his prices were fair.
Karen C.
Feb 2012
It was awful. They did not seem to want my business. They were very rude and abrupt on the phone and I did not use their services.
Response from Queen City Construction
"As the owner, I take all the income sale calls, I don't remember ever speaking to this customer , so I am at a lost trying to explain what happen in this instance. The only explanation that I can offer is in trying understand what her needs were, for some reason we couldn't/wouldn't be able to help (Time Constraint, Not a project that we tackle, Etc.). Either that wasn't conveyed properly or explanation was taken out of context. Most people would tell you that I am polite to fault but there are times when you have to tell someone something that may not be prepared to hear. I believe that is the issue, here. This post also under scores one of the problem with this whole process: we have done numerous projects where the customer love us but never write a post. Here we have a customer who rates us negatively over what was some miscommunication. Projects that we have work months, never get reported."
Joel F.
Oct 2011
They appeared to do a good job painting my house. However, after about 8 months the paint began to peal. I called an Gerald to look at it. He came and realized there was a problem. He spoke a lot about ways to fixed it but did nothing. After 18 months the house looked like it had not been painted and needed to be fixed. After numerous emails, calls, and meetings with Gerald I said enough talk either fix it or not. He had guaranteed his paint job for at least 5 years.
I feel as though I made a very generous suggestion in an effort to get him to repaint the pealing areas. I agreed to pay him 50% of his hourly rate I was not interested in making a small business owner be fully financially penalized even though that was our agreement. But he did not agree and would not repaint the pealing sections.
He is a nice guy but he continued to be non-responsive to my requests to repaint the pealing section of the house. Before I wrote this review I called him and told him that I had no other recourse than to right this review and did he want to take responsibility for his work or not. Hence my review. I am disappointed that he did not take responsibility for his work.
I feel as though I made a very generous suggestion in an effort to get him to repaint the pealing areas. I agreed to pay him 50% of his hourly rate I was not interested in making a small business owner be fully financially penalized even though that was our agreement. But he did not agree and would not repaint the pealing sections.
He is a nice guy but he continued to be non-responsive to my requests to repaint the pealing section of the house. Before I wrote this review I called him and told him that I had no other recourse than to right this review and did he want to take responsibility for his work or not. Hence my review. I am disappointed that he did not take responsibility for his work.
Response from Queen City Construction
"As I start this, I wish I was a better writer because how does one go about explaining the issue without offending what until this point, was a good customer. We were contacted to paint this customer house because it was painted several years earlier and was peeling again. The customer had resolved that the house would need to be painted every 2 to 3 years; in being proactive we called in a rep from Sherwin Williams to assess the issue. In his opinion and ours as well: there was a moisture issue. Following his recommendation we primed and painted the house. We have since complete several small projects for the customer and can say that he was happy with our work. The customer called us last year to say that the paint was peeling, our initial reaction was that we were responsible but looking into deeper, the paint that was peeling was the old paint/original paint: we primed and painted on top of this layer. This spring he called to say that it was worse, we in turn contacted the representatives from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams; they both took samples and assess the problem. There assessments were the same; moisture within the house pushing its way out was causing the paint not to bond to the house. The problem needs to be address before any other painting is done. It is not a fault of the paint and/or how it was applied. In closing, this customer was very proactive in the whole process; he worked from home, met the various “Reps” and was involved in choosing the route to go. He saw the work being done and knows that there wasn’t any short cut taken. His issue is not a byproduct of our action and/or the product that was used. The product/service/level of service that he received was the same if not better than what we give all our customers. To be blunt: the issue is not us. And the customer has stated as much. The issue is; what is causing this and in our opinion, it must be solved before any other painting is done."
Geraldine G.
Oct 2011
They came gave us an estimate and were able to start soon after. No mess, no fuss and very professional work. They did an excellent job at a good price and finished on time and the detail work is perfect. You can't go wrong with this company!
Rita T.
Sep 2011
Services included painting ceilings, kitchen, hallway, living room, dining room, master bedroom and foyer. I was concerned about painting the ceiling over the stairs which is very high but it went fine. He also sheetrocked/plastered the ceiling in the hall where he recommended removing a non-functioning vent. Looks lovely. I had a lot of water damage on the wall above the fireplace in the living room which needed plastering and also an area with water damage beneath the windows that he repaired.
I would definitely use Queen City again and recommend them to others.
I would definitely use Queen City again and recommend them to others.
Response from Queen City Construction
"Queen City Construction (QCC), is a full fledge Home Improvement Company: license/insured/bonded. As is our motto, we bring "Professionalism, Craftsmanship and Excellent Customer Service" to every project. QCC, is your one-stop source for all your construction needs, whether it be: commercial/residential, big/small, interior/exterior. “Our expert craftsmen have years of combined experience and are highly skilled at meeting each client’s particular needs and requirements. Our goal is to achieve 100% customer satisfaction 100% of the time and our many repeat clients prove our success.” Our staff has years of experience in their respective field and as a result able to meet if not exceed each client’s particular needs and requirements. Issues with this project: The issue was how to be productive while limited in how navigate: A lot of furniture and limited space. Husband was terminally sick, and a result, couldn't make a lot dust. We aggressive price the job, the Bronx, no more need to be said."
ANDREW B.
Sep 2011
Mr. Nesbeth met me at my house, examined the room carefully, took photos and measurements, and then contacted me with his estimate and the times he was available to work. He came when he said he would, and did what he said he would do, all on time, and all in a workmanlike manner. I recommend his services highly for anyone who needs a reliable handyman.
Response from Queen City Construction
"Queen City Construction, QCC, is a full fledge Home Improvement Company: license/insured/bonded. As is our motto, we bring "Professionalism, Craftsmanship and Excellent Customer Service" to every project. QCC, is your one-stop source for all your construction needs, whether it be: commercial/residential, big/small, interior/exterior. “Our expert craftsmen have years of combined experience and are highly skilled at meeting each client’s particular needs and requirements. Our goal is to achieve 100% customer satisfaction 100% of the time and our many repeat clients prove our success.” Our staff has years of experience in their respective field and as a result able to meet if not exceed each client’s particular needs and requirements. This project: Painting of a Bathroom: Ceiling and Wall Paint was peeling. We scraped off the loose paint, skim coat the Walls/Ceiling and Primed/Painted. We were to replace the exhaust fan but after cleaning the fan worked: didn't replace."
Jochen A.
Aug 2011
. It looked to me that they actually spend a lot of time on it. There were two people who came out and they spend a total of at least of four hours. The price included the cost of the material and the labor for four hours. In general I am happy with the job they did and the price quality ratio. But communication was a bit cumbersome because they were supposed to give a proposal of how much it would cost to do a few other things. It took several weeks for that to come. Then I had to question them about that, and it is still unanswered. I am trying to use them in the future.
Response from Queen City Construction
"Queen City Construction, QCC, is a full fledge Home Improvement Company: license/insured/bonded. As is our motto, we bring "Professionalism, Craftsmanship and Excellent Customer Service" to every project. QCC, is your one-stop source for all your construction needs, whether it be: commercial/residential, big/small, interior/exterior. “Our expert craftsmen have years of combined experience and are highly skilled at meeting each client’s particular needs and requirements. Our goal is to achieve 100% customer satisfaction 100% of the time and our many repeat clients prove our success.” Our staff has years of experience in their respective field and as a result able to meet if not exceed each client’s particular needs and requirements."
Rich S.
Aug 2011
great story above.
Response from Queen City Construction
"Queen City Construction, QCC, is a full fledge Home Improvement Company: license/insured/bonded. As is our motto, we bring "Professionalism, Craftsmanship and Excellent Customer Service" to every project. QCC, is your one-stop source for all your construction needs, whether it be: commercial/residential, big/small, interior/exterior. “Our expert craftsmen have years of combined experience and are highly skilled at meeting each client’s particular needs and requirements. Our goal is to achieve 100% customer satisfaction 100% of the time and our many repeat clients prove our success.” Our staff has years of experience in their respective field and as a result able to meet if not exceed each client’s particular needs and requirements. This project: We didn't repair the door as much as we made it possible for it to close properly. Some times one doesn't want to touch a project because one action may void a warranty or may not have a high probabilty of success. In this case the customer had exhausted his options."
Elisa M.
Jul 2011
I cant say enough good things about Gerald and his company, Queen City. I had originally called Gerald to come look at a number of different projects that needed attention at my house. This included gutter repair, painting, window screen replacements, and a front door that badly needed repair work.
Gerald is super intelligent and extremely knowledgable. He explains all possibilities thoroughly and with patience and care. He is very honest and offers multiple solutions on how to best address issues. He works hard to try to save his clients time and money. During the course of the job, when he found other issues, he presented me with options on how to best deal with them. Never pressured me to do anything or follow one particular path. This man is very kind and VERY HONEST. He does first class work and researches any and all things that may come up, directing me to the source information as well.
I live in an older Tudor home that has mandated a number of contractors over the years. By far, Queen City has been the best experience I have had. I would recommend them in a flash, and will not use anyone else ever again.
Gerald is super intelligent and extremely knowledgable. He explains all possibilities thoroughly and with patience and care. He is very honest and offers multiple solutions on how to best address issues. He works hard to try to save his clients time and money. During the course of the job, when he found other issues, he presented me with options on how to best deal with them. Never pressured me to do anything or follow one particular path. This man is very kind and VERY HONEST. He does first class work and researches any and all things that may come up, directing me to the source information as well.
I live in an older Tudor home that has mandated a number of contractors over the years. By far, Queen City has been the best experience I have had. I would recommend them in a flash, and will not use anyone else ever again.
Response from Queen City Construction
"Queen City Construction, QCC, is a full fledge Home Improvement Company: license/insured/bonded. As is our motto, we bring "Professionalism, Craftsmanship and Excellent Customer Service" to every project. QCC, is your one-stop source for all your construction needs, whether it be: commercial/residential, big/small, interior/exterior. “Our expert craftsmen have years of combined experience and are highly skilled at meeting each client’s particular needs and requirements. Our goal is to achieve 100% customer satisfaction 100% of the time and our many repeat clients prove our success.” Our staff has years of experience in their respective field and as a result able to meet if not exceed each client’s particular needs and requirements. This project: Since we do a broad range of work, we were able to address a lot the needs of this customer."
ROBERT F.
Jun 2011
They did the work well. They are good all around. Their price is competitive. I’m planning to use them again.
TRACY U.
Jun 2011
They have been wonderful. The work that they did is absolutely beautiful. Everything came out exactly the way I wanted it to. They worked wonderfully. I would absolutely use them again in the future if needed.
Diane A.
May 2011
Gerald was always prompt, polite and professional and explained everything in detail. If I had questions he would answer them in a timely fashion. His work was very thorough; he provided exactly what I asked for and was able to resolve any problems that arose during the course of the work. He went out of his way to obtain the materials necessary to finish the job. I was not home during most of the construction; however I was always confident that the work would get done. All his equipment was removed and the area cleaned up at the end of the project. In addition, I was pleasantly surprised that several small cracks in the living room as well as the outside corner of the exterior porch were also repaired. All in all, it was a pleasure to deal with Gerald and I would not hesitate to use him again in the future.
Loraine R.
May 2011
It went beautifully. He did an excellent job of plastering 4 holes in celings, and they look great. He spent a lot of time advising me of issues that he could be helpful with. I was more than pleased with the work and the time he spent with me discussing the work.I will use him again for further work in the future and wholeheartedly recommend him to others.
Douglas T.
Apr 2011
Gerald was punctual, thorough and clear in his explanations and answers to my questions. This, AND he completed the work quickly and well. Thanks Gerald!
Douglas S.
Mar 2011
The work was excellent. Gerald carefully inspected the problem and discussed options with me. I found him easy to work with. His team arrived on time and worked hard through a brutal heat wave. They dealt with a couple of hornets nests in the soffits and did a very good job dealing with the roof issues. I felt that the crew worked very well together and that Gerald's expectations were communicated well in terms of their execution and quality. Everything was finished on schedule. Because the extent of the soffit repair was unknowable at the start, we agreed that work would be done on the basis of "time and cost of materials." This led to a small problem when the work was finished. No one had paid close attention as materials were being used so Gerald and I had to spend some time figuring out the cost of materials. In the end I was quite satisfied. I would recommend that if you have work done on a "cost of materials" basis that you make sure someone on the worksite is keeping track.
Stacie D.
Mar 2011
The experience with Queen City (QC) construction/Gerald Nesbeth (owner/ general contractor) has been dissatisfying & painfully challenging from start to finish. The home renovation QC was hired to complete was for a 203K streamline home renovation of a kitchen and master bathroom. As the terms of this loan product, payment is allotted by the bank under strict provisions. These provisions state the construction company hired will receive 35% of the total funding at the start of the job and 65% at the completion of the job, after inspection has been passed and all permits are closed. QC construction has been challenged to understand these provisions, even after having them fully explained multiple times. QC construction has sought to change these provisions and insists the homeowner provides payment out of our own pocket according to QC terms of business (30%, 30%, 30% & 10%). This has been the underlying issue of much distress between QC and the homeowner throughout the entire renovation, despite a signed contract with the funding bank. Throughout the renovation, QC construction refused to comply with basic terms of the contract. Their regularly scheduled hours, maintained in the contract, were M-F, 8am to 4pm. In real time, QC construction team members arrived at the house anywhere between 9 - 11am and then vacated the home anywhere between 3pm and 12 midnight. Team members would show up on weekends, often times either unannounced or with less than 20 minutes phone call notice of their impending arrival. There were at times weeks when work was left unfinished & incomplete. The contract was signed in June 2010 with a deadline for completion by 10.31.10. Little to no work was performed on the home for a total of 5 weeks straight AFTER a discussion emerged concerning the funding issue referenced above. QC insisted more funding outside of the 10% was required to continue with work. The homeowner refused QC access to the home for five days until mediation concerning this funding could be established. The decisive 5 week delay on the part of QC pushed the entire project back. The framing inspection was not scheduled or completed until 10.27.10, a full 4 days before the project?s anticipated completion date. The homeowners were renting an apartment at the time, with the lease ending on 10.31.10. We were forced to move into the home with active construction going on; no kitchen and only a partially working hallway bathroom. A sink was not installed until 12.23.10. On one occasion the QC team showed up on a Sunday, unannounced, stating they were there to catch up on work and put the kitchen cabinets together. In this incident the master carpenter and his assistant fused the incorrect cabinets together. Upon noting their mistake, they pulled the incorrect cabinets apart, cracking side edges and leaving nail holes in the finished edge of a prominent upper cabinet. It was offered by QC construction to remedy the mistake by using wood putty to fill in the holes and repainting the mistakes. Our request for the broken cabinet to be replaced was denied. We were informed by the master carpenter we were being ?nit picky? by wanting our cabinet to be replaced. From this point on the homeowners felt unconfident in the quality of work provided by QC and requested family members & friends to sit in our home to monitor the remaining construction process. In both rooms tile was installed for flooring. The kitchen tiles have been audibly popping in confluent areas throughout the kitchen. The grout has been cracking in multiple areas as well. The grout issue has been repaired more than a few times by QC construction, although it still proceeds to crack. In the master bath the tile floor is severely unlevel in multiple areas. It was explained to us by QC, this occurred because we installed radiant heat under the tile. In conferring with other seasoned professionals, a radiant heating system would not cause tiles above it to be unlevel; improper tile installation would be the cause of unlevel tiles. River rock was installed in the shower floor of the master bathroom. The grout of the shower floor has cracked in areas where the river rocks were placed too close together or where too much tile adhesive was used. The cracking grout has created a ?wet, seeping, mushy? quality to the shower floor indicating water seepage to surrounding areas. The master shower has been used only 4 times and is currently not operational until the grout issue is fixed. Lastly, QC was told multiple times to set aside the original (1932) base floor molding of the kitchen prior to the kitchen demolition, so it may be used again in the reconstruction. During the demolition of the kitchen this molding was both destroyed and discarded. An attempt was made to re-create the lost molding although it is not an equivalent match to the original molding found throughout the house. We thought QC construction and the owner Gerald Nesbeth would perform a satisfactory job due to their current ratings on Angie?s list. As stated above are our reasons for not recommending QC construction?s services and for providing a failing rating in Angie?s List.
Kevin B.
Jul 2010
They prepared the house by power washing and then scraping oll paint. They Also coordinated the carpentry work which was done in quickly and correctly. They then painted the whole exterior of our house. They cleaned everything and removed all construction waste. Overall a job well done at a very fair price.
Tony C.
Jul 2010
I chose him because he had done a good job and I had a relationship with him. Also, he did the work when I was out of town. I'd say he charged a market price.
Geraldine G.
Jun 2010
I am dealing with them right now. We have not started the project. It's not their fault. It's my fault. I really like Gerald, the gentleman who owns the company. He has been very responsive and extremely helpful. We just haven't had the time to start our deck but he will be doing it in the next couple of weeks. I went with him because of two reasons. He had tremendous references in Angie's List website and I instantly liked the guy when I talked to him and met with him. He was extremely knowledgeable very helpfully. We have had a deck for many years but we have never stained it. He had a lot of good recommendations for that and I think he is a really good guy.
Linda O.
Apr 2010
I would not use this company in the future.
Response from Queen City Construction
"Wow...sometime one has to question who writes these things and their motives. Nov 1, 2007 we completed a small project for this customer. The house had good “bones” but it was money pit in waiting because of years of neglect, there was a large blue tarp covering a portion of the roof. We were contacted by the customer to repair her kitchen ceiling because she had apply for home equity loan and was told that the repaired needed to be done before they processed her loan. There was a leak from a 2nd floor bathroom and the water damage had cause a portion of the ceiling to collapse, the plumber who did the repair had open the ceiling to get to the pipes. We were asked to install drywall in these areas, it was a bear bone project: she didn’t want it taped nor painted. We did add an access panel, in case the pipes leaked again there would be no need to open up the ceiling. We can provide an estimate outlining the scope of the job, we have copy of her check (Sign and Dated Nov 2, 2007) and we have before and after pictures. Now 2+ years later she writes a negative report. This makes no sense. She was happy with the job, so much so, that she referred us to her friends and family. If were not professional, why refer us to her friends and family. The only thing that we could think off is that something recently happened and she is blaming us. But all we did was drywall area that had been left open from a plumbing repair several years earlier. Even this report doesn’t make sense, she gives us fairly high marks, but states that she wouldn’t hire us again. This is just a person’s opinion and she is entitled to it, but it is unfair and bias."
Marcia K.
Apr 2010
They were amazing! When they came in to give an estimate, he gave us three separate possible scenarios of how he could handle this job. He took pictures, which was great, and forwarded them to me, which was also great. I could then forward these to my insurance company which was perfect. They put up a whole new ceiling and molding. They repaired, they sheet rocked and painted the ceiling. This involved not only cutting the sheet rock to size put also taping and sanding. It also involved painting the molding. They came back to check the painting. He took no shortcuts! He asked us to clear out the room. We decided to leave some of the furniture in there, and told them they could just cover these pieces in plastic. They picked this furniture up and moved it into the kitchen every morning, and then moved it back every night. His price was $100 less than the other estimate we received. They cleaned up well. He did a fabulous job! Its is just gorgeous. It was worth every penny!
ROBERT F.
Mar 2010
We would recommend them. The guy came and gave us an estimate and did a good job. We did provide the product. He attached them to the tiles and sheetrock. The price was average.
John W.
Dec 2009
Gerald was very professional throughout and we are very pleased with the results. He spent a substantial amount of time with us prior to beginning the job discussing what we wanted and was very helpful in helping us plan the project. He and his employees arrived every day on time and cleaned up thoroughly after each day. We were pleased that when the paint he used turned out not to be the right color he repainted with the correct color immediately and without compliant. He completed the job when he said he would. The project has made our room much brighter and more livable, and we are very satisfied.
Tony C.
Dec 2009
The work conducted by Gerald and his crew was professional and within the estimate and my wife and I were most satisfied. Gerald was very helpful in the color selection, updating the estimate when we found water damage to the bathroom floor that required floor replacement and scheduling the crew during the weekend to complete the painting. He returned to review the workmanship and ensured that we were satisfied with the job. We plan to employ Queen City Construction for future work in our home
Henry L.
Dec 2009
see above
Licensing
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FAQ
Queen City Construction is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
Queen City Construction accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, Queen City Construction offers free project estimates.
No, Queen City Construction does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Queen City Construction does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, Queen City Construction offers emergency services.
No, Queen City Construction does not offer warranties.