Home Services & Repairs

As far as I know all was done correctly.

• The interior painting went OK.  Looked good on walls and ceiling.  Discovered with time that clean-up was poor - we had little spatters on the wood floors, fireplace surround, etc.
• Wood floor refinishing was quite nice.
• Ceiling fan installation was never completed.  We had to hire someone else.
• Electrical work was never completed - we had to hire someone else.
• I discovered some time after the recessed can lights were installed that a less expensive type of can was installed that canot be used with insulation.  That is, they are not designed for use, for example, in rooms below attics with insulation.  Guess what - we have insulation.  So they just pulled the insulation back.  Since we live in a warm climate, this is very energy inefficient.
• We still had several jobs (agreed on in original contract) remaining when the contractor disappeared.  He did not respond to repeated emails or phone calls.
• The contractor left an 8'  ladder and a box of electrical parts at our house.  We left several message informing him of this; we never got a response.
All in all, a very frustrating and disappointing experience. 

Home Services did my renovation and then did the inspection punch list in a very economical way. There were many ways in which Mr. Cramer kept prices down with a repair rather than a replacement, used materials he had on hand rather than buying new materials at my expense and charging me only for what he provided. The work was done in a timely way.

Original projected completion date was a bit optimistic (although I expected that from the start - they always are).  Work was done in a very timely manner except for a couple of delays based on availability of parts for things which came up unexpectedly (fuse, shower door). As I said, Tom was very willing to offer additional services such as hauling electronics for recycling (this house was left with lots of left-behinds by sellers as it was a short sale) and helping me to find like-new appliances at very reasonable rates which he installed for much less than the big box stores charge.  His estimate was extremely detailed, with line items for each service or item.  Other estimates I received were grouped in such a way that making decisions about any possible changes to the scope of work based on cost was impossible.  As each draw was paid, I was provided with an invoice indicating which items were completed and including clear indication of cost for any of the items we added after the original estimate.  The house looks gorgeous.

From the start, Tom made sure that we understood the scope of the project we were planning to take on and was always realistic about time frames and costs. We purchased a house that was in dire need of minor repairs and major interior renovations. We worked with Tom to prioritize the things we wanted to do while keeping our budget in mind. With Tom's help we were able to stay within budget and get the entire project completed in good time.
During the project we were away from the house but we kept in touch with Tom continuously. He was always responsive and when decisions had to be made or issues arose he was always on top of it and would clearly explain options before just moving forward in a direction that we might not agree with.
We visited the house a few times during construction and were very pleased with the professionalism of his crew and the care they took with our home. We had a decorator working on the home concurrently while Tom and his crew were doing their thing, and Tom not only made sure that there were no scheduling conflicts but was also available to help when big items started showing up on the doorstep!
All of the work performed was detailed in the original estimate, or as an addendum as we changed the scope of the project. Each time we knew the costs up front in writing, and the final cost was never more than the estimate (on one item it was actually a few hundred less once tile was removed and revealed things were not as bad as originally thought).
Finally, since the project was a fairly long one, I had the opportunity to talk with Tom on a variety of topics, and I found him to be an honest and down to earth person. I have a few more upgrades in mind once we replenish our coffers, and I will definitely be giving him a call to take on those projects.

     Started project on time; completed project 9 days late.  Contract stipulated a one year warranty on materials and workmanship.
     Tom Cramer (owner) and his workmen controlled worksite well by covering carpeting to avoid damage, removing shoes before entering the house, and repairing nicks in walls occurring during the work process.  Mr. Cramer was helpful in selecting materials and paint color.  Although Mr. Cramer and his workers were polite, they rarely appeared on time.
     Delivery problems with cabinet and mirror delayed project although Mr. Cramer stated during the signing process that all materials would be in his warehouse or onsite before the project began.  During the final walk through, we noticed several areas in the shower where the caulking had not been properly applied.  These areas were recaulked to our satisfaction.
     In August, we noticed paint chipped off the wall behind the toilet.  When we used the "touch up" paint which Mr. Cramer left for us, we found the color did not match.  We called Mr. Cramer at least six times about this problem and finally bought a gallon of the correct color ourselves for $31.45.  Sherwin Williams verified that Mr. Cramer had not left the correct paint color according to their records.  This situation should be covered under our one year warranty.  Mr. Cramer is not returning our phone calls.

a very satisfying experience,  Tom showed on time, his two employees are smart and polite,  and we all got along well, the work performed was excellent  and will be doing a lot more when the weather cools a bit

Tom Cramer was recommended to me by the Property Management. We couldn't be more pleased with the services he and his crew  provided. We had Tom and his crew install all the kitchen cabinets, also put the bathrooms back together again. The cost was extremely reasonable. Tom and his crew were very professional, even taking care to tape a paper runner over the hard wood flooring so as not to cause any damage. Tom had been building homes for a large corporation for 20 years prior to the economic meltdown...he knows his business.Take advantage of his knowledge and his expertise. We would not hesitate to call him again.