DESLANDES CONSTRUCTION INC

roof leaked , had to be replaced; windows improperly installed, leaked air and water had to be totally reinstalled according to manufacturer's instructions; billed as extras items that were included in original contract. Refused to return to repair defective work

There is an old adage, "fast, good, or cheap: pick two" With Deslandes, we got "fast, good, and fair". Regarding Schedule: The team was at the house every day at 7am, they worked hard all day long. They were well organized and efficient. Any schedule slippage was usually due to external factors like weather (Sandy and Nemo) or sub-contractors (plumbers). Regarding Budget: We spent more than we intended because we chose to do a few "while we are at it" projects (moved electrical service underground, converted from oil to gas, used foam insulation, etc), and we made some finishing choices that were more expensive than the allocations, but every bill we got from Deslandes was exactly as expected. Any design change was tracked with a change order that we signed off on. There were literally NO surprises. Problem Resolution: As with any project, we ran into some construction and design challenges. A window was installed correctly as per inside drawings but not in-line with the outside drawings. We didn't even have to argue about it, Jim just asked if we wanted to move it. The team was very easy to deal with on any issues we ran into. The onsite foreman had relationships and knowledge to deal with most issues, but whenever we needed Jim he was onsite immediately. People: our project ran for about six months. We enjoyed having the team onsite. Our children actually really miss the guys. Don't underestimate the importance of the integrity of the people who work in your home. We highly recommend the Deslandes team.

Overall, the project has gone extremely smoothly. The quality of their work is superb. Deslandes' crew has been organized, professional, friendly, and tidy. When the job moved inside and began to disrupt our living space, they worked hard to minimize the disruption and kept our access to the kitchen open throughout. The vendors for materials they recommended were good and helpful. Jim worked closely with our architect throughout the process. The clout the company carries in the community served us well in terms of service, I believe. There were a few costs that we had not anticipated, however, they were not the fault of the builder. Rather, there were things not specified at the time of the bid that we assumed would cost less than they did. Deslandes worked with us to find acceptable solutions -- both aesthetically and from a budget standpoitn. As first time renovators, we learned things along the way. I always felt that Deslandes was on "our" side. When there were any issues -- and as with any big building projec,t there are bound to be some -- Jim and his crew were extremely quick to address them. I would highly recommend them.

We needed a builder to do the extensive renovations needed for our new kitchen design (designed by a separate business). We met with Jim Deslandes, the owner, and called 6 references, all of which were excellent. One of our primary concerns, which we communicated to the owner, was that the job, once begun, be continuously worked on until completion. In my work, I am in clients' homes, usually while they are away, and I have seen too many jobs where the homeowner tells me the contractors will be there every day only to find that the contractors disappear and do no work until the day before the homeowner's return, if at all. Since this project would disable our kitchen completely and place our entire first floor in disarray, we wanted it to be done as quickly as possible. The owner assured us that they would work on it continuously. NOT. Days went by where no one showed up or showed up for 1-2 hours then disappeared. The foreman he sent was going through some personal problems (which he was only too happy to talk about at length) and did not seem to have his mind on his work, when he was there at all. The other workmen and the subcontractors Deslandes used were good, with the exception of the painter. But the job dragged on and on, with days where no work was done at all and/or mistakes were made which delayed the job further when the work had to be taken down and redone. In addition, they damaged a new hardwood floor, and we live with the gouges still. Turns out that the company was also working on another residential job, an elaborate home at a much higher budget than our job, whose owners were in a big hurry. I was only told this by one of the crew when I asked where they'd been during their frequent disappearances. Thus, we believe we were often put on the back burner and got the "B" foreman instead of the better one, who did show up here on just 1 day to do some finish carpentry work, which only served to highlight how inferior our regular foreman was. The only reason I did not give this business worse grades is that Mr. Deslandes was responsive in fixing the mistakes that were made, even if it meant that he had to come down himself and do it, although we had to wait until he was available. He is a competent, honest and hard-working guy, but it seems he may over commit his resources, then you pay the price. I realize that in renovations it always takes longer and costs more than the original estimates. But this was ridiculous. For that reason and those cited above, we are looking for another contractor for the master bedroom and bath renovations we are doing this year.