City Homesmith
About us
cityhomesmith.com - 215-600-3411 City Homesmith offers full service remodeling and general contracting services in Philadelphia and surrounding counties. Managing all aspects of your project, from planning through design, and finishing touches. With meticulous attention to detail, professional integrity and honesty, we understand there are no shortcuts when it comes to quality. With our experience and love for design, you can have confidence the final outcome will not only be beautiful, but will also be completed to our high standards, and be a long-lasting improvement to your space. A core philosophy of City Homesmith is to provide peace of mind while working with our clients to reinvent their home or commercial space. TPH Contracting: 215-600-3411 * As COVID-19 concerns continue to evolve, we are prepared to navigate through these challenging circumstances, taking every effort to ensure a safe work environment for every project site. Please do not hesitate to communicate any concerns you have regarding safety protocols as we are committed first and foremost to a safe working environment.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
11 years of experience
Services we offer
3d & 2d Design/layout, Basements, Bathrooms, Carpentry, Electrical, Entire home remodeling, Historic Renovations, Plumbing, Remodeling Kitchens, Renovation Consulting, Sheetrock, Tile, Wood Floor Installation
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.921 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
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| 95% | ||
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Showing 1-21 of 21 reviews
Saul R.
Oct 2020
Paul was a consummate professional. He only takes one job at a time and showed up every day until the project was complete, which was about on schedule. He was great at helping me design the kitchen to reflect what I wanted while lending his expertise to make suggestions for details that I would never have thought of. He was also very flexible to requests that I would think of mid-project and make them happen without any issues. The work itself was great. The kitchen looks beautiful and has improved my house tremendously. The price was better than some competitors and was very reasonable. I plan on hiring Paul (the philly homesmith) again for future projects.
Bracken M.
Nov 2019
My husband and I recently purchased a home in Philadelphia and hired Paul for the redesign and remodel of our kitchen as well as both full bathrooms. We received multiple quotes, and while we were lucky enough to have a personal recommendation from a friend for Paul, we would have hired him anyway. Paul is extremely creative and thoughtful in his process, and we were looking to create a truly custom feeling home. From the very beginning, Paul was prompt with his responses and upfront with his timeline and pricing. Paul made so many amazing suggestions about the design and really helped us make decisions that were beautiful and functional for our spaces. When I was having a hard time deciding on which tiles I wanted to have installed (turns out I loved a lot of them) he really helped keep me on track and made great recommendations about where to view the different tiles. He also helped us track down a great price on some pretty specific navy blue cabinets we were interested in for our kitchen. During the demo & installation, Paul was on site every work day. He worked with a pretty small group of guys who he personally knew and had worked with before, which was a very comforting situation. After demo we discussed design and layout (the kitchen had a few options) and while we did make some changes, Paul was flexible while still being upfront about what could fit in our discussed timeline. Throughout installation, any issues that arose Paul discussed them with us promptly and always offered solutions. I cannot express how truly happy I am with the outcome of our home, but also how much stress was avoided by working with someone who is trustworthy and clearly cares about what he is doing. If you are more interested in working with someone with a showroom with limited options, Paul is probably not for you. If you are excited by the idea of creating a truly custom home, definitely give Paul a call!
Nancy D.
Apr 2019
I first hired Paul in 2016 on an Angie’s List promotion. He completed the small job before the allotted time and he asked if there was anything else I needed in order to give me the full benefit of the money I paid. I was so impressed by this that I kept him in mind for any bigger jobs I might have. In July of 2018 I called him back to discuss remodeling my bathroom and I’m so glad he was available. He put me on his calendar for the beginning of 2019. I didn’t hear much from him in these six months so I was a little nervous that the project was a go but sure enough he called in January ready to work. This was my first remodel project and I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Paul was patient with me in explaining the process, the costs, and any potential challenges. He was hands on throughout the process. He had a helper but Paul was onsite every day working and providing direction. Both men were respectful of my home and of me being around a lot. They were quiet and cleaned up at the end of every shift. A good dust management system minimized the mess in other areas of my home. I picked out some tile and had some ideas about its placement but Paul had a better idea about the placement to provide more impact. He did his best to source materials and fixtures that aligned with my budget and aesthetic. He persisted in finding me the perfect bathtub. During the project, the upstairs bathroom started leaking into the room that was being worked on. Fortunately for me, Paul fixed the upstairs leak too. The bottom line is I love my bathroom. It’s a great coming together of my taste, his technical skills, and his keen eye for design. I’ve never worked with another contractor so I have no basis for comparison, but I don’t really feel the need to measure him against anyone else. I have a kitchen and another bathroom to remodel and hopefully the Philly Homesmith will be available to do them.
Marcy S.
Jan 2019
It went better than I could ever have hoped. My home was new construction and I'd only lived in for five months. I was heartbroken and sure it could never look the same. I'm happy to be able to say that Paul fully restored everything. You can't even tell that anything happened. I appreciated in particular the time and effort he put into matching the flooring with painstaking exactness. The area has an open floorplan and I was very concerned that the floor match. Other contractors I interviewed basically shrugged and said "maybe". Paul was dogged in his pursuit of elusive contractors and vendors, and my floor looks perfect. Beyond that, Paul is a pleasure to work with. Thoroughly professional and with the highest level of integrity.
Adam H.
May 2018
He used Paul for a kitchen renovation about 2 and a half years ago and knew we wanted use him again when we were looking to renovate our basement. We have a 200 year-old house in Philadelphia with a very uneven basement floor. Paul came up with a clever solution for leveling the floor without having to dig down and risk altering our home's foundation. In addition to flooring, he placed drywall, recessed lighting, new outlets and constructed a new bathroom for us as well, including most plumbing work. We could not be happier with the result and use this new space several hours every day. I will continue to hire him for large and small projects for our home.
Susan W.
May 2017
The work went extremely well. Paul and his team did a wonderful job. Specifically, the communication was excellent through out the project, which included quite a few adjustments and changes along the way. We had no qualms leaving them unsupervised to do the work. They had a dust management system which helps keep dust to a minimum. the team was very clean and punctual during the entire project. In spite of the numerous changes along the way, they finished on time, which was really remarkable. Paul is very creative and interested in design and color, which contributed to the excellent outcome of the project. We have other areas which need work in our house, and am looking forward to working with this team again.
Geoffrey B.
Mar 2017
I hired Paul to build out a new master bathroom shower. He was willing to work within my limited budget and get me what I needed, without sacrificing quality. He was very reasonable as we worked through challenges as they came up, and went the extra mile to make sure the job was done right.
Jud D.
Mar 2017
Paul was great, very professional, easy-going, honest and reliable. I highly recommend him. The kitchen looks awesome! Paul did all of the design and material selection. I trusted him working alone in my home when I wasn't there. And he finished the project in a timely manner.
Thomas W.
Jan 2017
Paul provided Professional Services throughout the process.
Cleaned up before leaving and left the place in fine shape. We were in a time crunch to get the dining room trim and crown molding done before Christmas - Paul took that seriously and completed on time and in budget.
Great Job.
Cleaned up before leaving and left the place in fine shape. We were in a time crunch to get the dining room trim and crown molding done before Christmas - Paul took that seriously and completed on time and in budget.
Great Job.
Response from City Homesmith
"Hi [Member Name Removed], Thank you! Working with you was a complete pleasure! I imagined working on an architect's personal home could be nerve-racking, but your precise communication, cool esthetic and realistic understanding of work flow made it pleasurable. Your row-home has gone though an incredible transformation and I am glad to have been apart of such crucial finishing work."
Alan T.
Dec 2016
Paul did a wonderful job and was a pleasure to work with. He was flexible to align our scope to our objectives and helped us save money through alternative sources. He really cared about the quality of the work.
Response from City Homesmith
"Thank you, [Member Name Removed]. In the start this was a very challenging project, but that lucky find of a small supply of original flooring really turned things around for us. Glad you and your son are happy with the turnout. Cheers to a new year, wishing you all the best!"
Lori B.
Oct 2016
Really terrible experience working with Paul. He didn't come to our first scheduled meeting (he forgot to add it to his schedule). He didn't bring a tape measure to our meeting where he was supposed to take final measurements (he borrowed mine and my electric one). He delayed the start of the job because he was late finishing his current job. Despite all these warning signs, I stuck with him and went ahead on the later scheduled date. Although I paid my first down payment weeks before the scheduled start of the job, so that Paul could get permits started early, he never did anything. He said he would send a worker to get started on demo before the job start date; didn't happen. He said he would start the Thursday or Friday before the start date; didn't happen. I still stuck with him. He then arrived late on the first day (car trouble); didn't come the second day (car trouble), and throughout the job he arrived after 9am and left by 2pm, if not earlier. He was almost never on site a full day. Miscommunication abounded. He wanted to review any of my materials choices; I thought he would then manage all the ordering, but instead I ended up ordering everything and paying everything out of my pocket (even though it was scoped in the cost of the job). Whenever an issue, like painting the line between the top of the wall and the ceiling, came up, he said if it was not explicitly in the contract that I had to pay more (I shamed him into doing that one anyway after I refused to play that game). Things finally hit-the-fan when I found out he never started any of the permitting process until weeks into the job and then, when I expressed concern that process would now significantly delay the end date, he said that wasn't his problem and my "indecision" was the cause of the delay. I was concerned that I wouldn't get my materials cost back from him and he would walk -- and that is exactly what happened; he quit and decided unilaterally that he was "owed" all the funds he had collected. I was stuck with all the materials cost and the bathroom wasn't even close to being done. I also want to point out how unprofessional his work was -- overly loud music constantly; nothing was covered in drop cloth or plastic; when I covered things myself, he removed my plastic; he sanded doors and walls INSIDE!!! the house (which is unbelievable to me) and when I complained about any of this work or professionalism, he said I was being rude and he didn't like working with me. In the end, I have a nice floor and walls (which I had to clean several times over to get the sanding dust off of everything) at way too high a cost . He left a hole in one wall and an outlet installed upside down. He didn't put any bridge between the end of the new floor and the start of the old floor. So the work was kind of done and I was stuck with the materials cost. I would never hire this contractor again. Do yourself a favor and hire these guys instead: GOOD DEAL REMODELING; They did their work in 4 days (2 days less than what they promised), Paul wouldn't guarantee he would be done in 3 weeks. Update: Paul reached out to me and was very upset saying that I was inaccurate and twisted what happened. I agreed to modify the above slightly to indicate that the scope of work completed by GOOD DEAL REMODELING was not the same as his scope of work. I concede this fact. However, he also denied that he had car trouble at the start of the job and did not show up. He claims the job was delayed because of additional work that was separately contracted. He claimed that no one could have done the work any faster. He said that I twisted everything and that all the issues are because I was too difficult to work with. He recorded our conversation and was very adversarial throughout. It is up to you to judge, but I do not appreciate his approach to customer service or his personal antagonism. From my honest perspective, Paul's work was slow and disorganized and did not he did not adequately plan for the project. I also reconfirm that, from my perspective, Paul showed no willingness to go the extra mile to complete a job in a reasonable timeframe, even when I conceded the need to extend the deadline. I still strongly advise you to consider someone else (anyone else!) for your next project. This kind of hassle and unprofessional behavior is not worth your time and energy. Renovations are hard enough to manage. Having had a subsequent good experience with a company that showed up on time and did the work in less time than they promised, I know that the frustration and difficulties of working with Paul is not what you should expect from your contractor.
Response from City Homesmith
"L ori Baily, my company was contracted to renovate your basement with new sheetrock, a new laminate floor, painting and a gut remodel of a 1/2 bathroom into a full bathroom. The bathroom remodel required completely gutting the entire room, knocking down an adjoining closet to build a 30"x 60" fully tiled shower, adding new plumbing and waste lines. The shower required excavating the 4inch cement floor and tapping into the toilet waste line for the shower. From the start we were to obtain a permit, but when the plumber communicated that he would need to run a new waste line for the vanity sink, as the old "s-trap" would not pass the inspection, you delayed the decision to proceed for a week. After delaying the schedule for a week, you then demanded that I personally guarantee in writing that the permit process would be completed from start to finish in 3 weeks. If not, you would demand a 40% discount of the bathroom remodel price. I and the plumber made it clear to you that this process is in the hands of the License & Inspections department. Not a plumber or contractor. But you were adamant about putting this unrealistic and unprofessional demand upon us. Your ultimatum left us no choice but to withdraw from completing that portion of the remodel. You were promptly notified in writing of the decision to remove ourselves from the bathroom portion of work and explained the reasons why. The invoice was appropriately adjusted to reflect the rest of the work to be complete within a detailed time frame. You reviewed and singed off on the new terms, and was charged for that portion of work. The work we completed was of the highest quality, as it required you to sign off on it before making the final payement. In your review you claim many false things, but the most absurd is your claim that another contractor was able to complete that bathroom remodel in only four days. The list of work required to complete it included: excavating the cement floor, all new underground waste line installation, re-pouring the cement floor, all new sheetrock (plaster & sanding), tiling the bathroom floor and shower walls & floor, cutting a hole through the cement wall to add an exhaust fan, installing new water lines and fixtures for the shower and vanity, and priming & painting the walls. You claim that we would have not been able to complete that work in four days is correct. In fact, it would be absolutely impossible for any contractor to complete that scope of work in 4 days. Impossible. Also, in Philadelphia work permit history is public information. We checked with L&I and a permit was never pulled for any work done in your bathroom. We pride ourselves on high quality work and a high level of professional costumer service, both which we provided at every step. Though due to your unrealistic demands and constant unprofessional communication approach, we respectfully needed to cease working with you. We wish you the best of luck."
James W.
Sep 2016
Paul does a great job and cares about the work he does. I have hired him on multiple occasions. He works very hard to get the job done on time without sacrificing craftsmanship. His prices are fair. I would recommend hiring Paul to anyone in need of home remodeling/repair.
Nancy D.
Mar 2016
unknown
Response from City Homesmith
"HI and thank you for the kind review. It was a pleasure working with you too. I really loved your home... that spiral stairway is great, and I would be honored work on any future projects you have in mind."
Adam H.
Mar 2016
Great experience after and awful one. We initially used a cheaper contractor who took many short cuts and it showed in his quality. We ultimately fired him after his worker stole my wife's computer and a cell phone. Paul came in and gave us a reasonable quiote started on time and did impeccable work. His attention to detail was the complete opposite of the last contractor. He also gave us plenty of design ideas which came out looking great. We couldn't be happier with our new kitchen. Will definitely use him again for future projects.
Response from City Homesmith
"I am very happy to have turned that terrible experience around for you and your family. Thank you for the kind review and for the opportunity to let me take photos of the after. You are a gentleman and pleasure to work with, and I'm looking forward to working with you again."
Linda P.
Feb 2016
He did a wonderful job in a reasonable amount of time.
Response from City Homesmith
"Hi, thank you for the kind review. I hope your entryway and home are much warmer for you."
Edna H.
Jan 2016
Working with Paul was great. He was patient, explained everything so it was understood. He broke down the work, pricing, & how long it would take. If he found additional issues, he checked in with me before proceeding. He also undertook new work that was requested by my parents, like stabilizing the railings. After meeting Paul and reading reviews, I didn't look at other contractors. My parents had nothing but good things to say about him. They even trusted to leave him at their home, while away for appointments. I will definitely consider him for future work.
Response from City Homesmith
"(Removed members name), Their stairs & banister were in dangerous shape and it was really good of you to have it repaired for them. Your parents were very sweet to me while working there; I even got a hug from your mom when I finished the job, which made my day! Thank you for taking the time to write this nice review and I'm looking forward to working with you again."
Dorothy M.
Jan 2016
I certainly did not use him to his full potential- if you look at his website, he does magnificent work while my jobs were small but meant a lot to me. I have some dreams for this house and I know precisely who I will call. I felt comfortable leaving him in my house with my cats while I was at work- and the cats adored him.
The Philly Homesmith = excellent ideas, ontime, up front about any costs, trustworthy and fabulous work- and everything swept and clean when he was done. I highly recommend The Philly Homesmith!! I will absolutely hire him again.
The Philly Homesmith = excellent ideas, ontime, up front about any costs, trustworthy and fabulous work- and everything swept and clean when he was done. I highly recommend The Philly Homesmith!! I will absolutely hire him again.
Response from City Homesmith
"{Member's name removed}, it was a pleasure working with you (and your cats are awesome)! You mentioned your projects were small, but I understand even the smallest of projects mean a lot to my clients. Thank you for the kind review and for the reference to your neighbor."
Roslynne C.
Dec 2015
had two small jobs to complete in a short time frame. I Paul was absolutely fantastic. He was able to accommodate my schedule, knew exactly what needed to be done and was early for the appointment. He work was impeccable and he was fast. I recommend him highly. We even discussed ideas for renovating my space and his enthusiasm was great.
Hire this man, you won't regret it!
Hire this man, you won't regret it!
Response from City Homesmith
"[Member name],Thank you for the kind review, you were a pleasure to work with. You have such a great new home and I would be honored to have the opportunity to work with you on any future projects. Until then, be well."
Leslie B.
Nov 2015
There was a leak from my master bath on the second floor draining into the dining room on the 1st floor. Philly Homesmith recommended that we first check thru the dining room ceiling to determine where the leak was coming from and if it could be repaired from below rather than damaging the 100 year old tile floor in the bathroom. They were able to open the dining room ceiling and determine where the leak was without having to damage the bathroom floor. After they repaired the leak, they replastered and painted the dining room ceiling. It looks like the dining room ceiling was never opened. The work was wonderful and the price was very reasonable. Much better than any other estimates than we got.
They were honest, reasonably priced, but most of all they were always on time, great at communicating what the problem was and how to correct it, cleaned up well after themselves, and thankfully always on time since my time is very valuable. Paul, who is the owner, was very professional and I can't wait to work with him again in the future.
Response from City Homesmith
"Thank you for the kind review. Your home is beautiful and I'm glad to have helped. Most of all you were a pleasure to work with."
Davidson O.
Nov 2015
The experience was absolutely amazing! Took time to break down the process, pricing, how long it would take. We got to learn a whole from him while the work was in progress. So much patience & detail in his work. There was never "We can't do that" he always found a way to get the work done. He did & we absolutely LOVE IT ALL!
Response from City Homesmith
"Hi, and thank you for the kind review. You have a beautiful home and family, and it was great working with you. Thank you for trusting me with the ideas I presented."
Dasha S.
Nov 2015
My husband and I wanted to add a powder room in the basement of our new construction house. We choose The Philly Homesmith because we really liked the design & layout suggestions Paul offered us. His price was competitive, but what sealed the deal was that we really felt Paul (the owner) listened carefully to what we wanted and communicated very well with us. Throughout the job, he was always accessible and if not he got back to us quickly, which made us feel very comfortable. We would definitely hire again for future work.
Response from City Homesmith
"Thank you for the kind review. It is always a pleasure to work with clients who are open to new ideas...and then it turns out amazing! You are a lovely couple and it was a pleasure to work with you."
Licensing
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FAQ
City Homesmith is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.
City Homesmith accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, City Homesmith does not offer free project estimates.
No, City Homesmith does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, City Homesmith does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, City Homesmith offers emergency services.
No, City Homesmith does not offer warranties.