Timber Construction and Remodeling

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the contractor is a jerk , treats the subs badly and doesn't pay them appropriately.

Everyone in the company had great work ethic and did great work to my home. Except for the contractor himself. Word of advice if you choose to hire, record every conversation you have with the contractor. He tends to forget things you mention.

I can relate to the reviewer that gave an "F" rating on 1/21/17. Pretty much the same thing happened to me. So, you may be wondering why I am not giving the same "F" rating. My answer is the amazing team behind Timber Construction. Carol, Daniel & Austin stepped up and made things happen. They transformed my kitchen into my dream kitchen. They worked after hours if they had to just to get things finished...and the way I wanted. They really went above and beyond to make me happy. Yes, it took much longer than I would have liked & there were headaches, but in the end, I got what I was promised and couldn't be happier. One bit of advice....make sure you get your allowances for materials written in the contract. Something that shows a price that you get to spend on tile.....on cabinets....on countertops....on paint....with nothing else in that price. No labor. Nothing else. Just what you get to spend when you go shop. It will make everyone's life much easier.

We contracted with Timber Construction (Gordon Duplechin) on 11/29/2016 with a verbal agreement that we would begin work on 1/3/2017 and be finished no later than the end of January 2017. He cashed the check for the down payment ($8,879.66) the very same day. Since that time he has NEVER initiated any communication with us, NEVER returned any phone calls, NEVER responded to any emails. (We've got phone records, emails, registered mail receipts to substantiate our claim.) The ONE TIME he happened to answer our phone call, he said "he always intended to start on January 15 or 16. However, on those dates, he never showed up and never called. We've also confirmed with vendors that he has not purchased the materials for which the down payment was intended. After talking with attorneys and law enforcement, we've been advised to file both criminal ("theft by deception" and "elder abuse") and civil charges ("deceptive trade practices"). BUYER BEWARE!

Gordan got to work right away and demolished our old gate and put up new gate very fast. We tried different styles of driveway gate and he brilliantly got a custom gate that works well for our driveway.

Could not have gone better. Absolutely no problems.

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Gordon and his team did a great job!  We had a lot of changes and additions to the original plan and everything went very smooth.

The apartment is for my son who returned from the Marines.  Gordon's crew even worked a Saturday to accomplish everything that was needed for my son to move in.

The crew did professional work and were very detailed.  Gordon was great to work with personally.  Was available evenings, weekends and just about anytime I contacted him.  What he told me was we want to make sure you're happy and that they did!

I hope this review helps to show my appreciation for the great job!

Gordon and his crew did a 3 month whole house remodel. They turned a sad ugly duckling house into a beautiful brand new country home. All popcorn ceilings were removed, walls painted and new trim added. All new doors were installed along with new lighting fixtures and ceiling fans. Hardwood floor was installed throughout. In addition in guest bathroom installed new countertop, sink, fixtures, lighting and painted cabinets. Also added three faux beams in great room and replaced recessed lighting , painted built in cabinets and mounted 60" flat screen. Transformed kitchen from a dark closed in disaster to an open bright country kitchen - they removed a wall opening the kitchen to the adjoining room and added a breakfast bar. Painted the cabinets and installed pull outs in two lower cabinets, installed sink, dishwasher, slide in gas stove and, when Lowes didn't finished the job, the refrigerator. They installed recessed lighting and two pendants. Added a farm house sink with a disposal (and a push button to turn it on), and new fixtures. Gordon brought in a subcontractor to install a beautiful granite countertop. His crew transformed an old work table I owned to a fab island by adding a shelf and a butcher block top. They completely rebuilt the walk in pantry shelves. The biggest transformation was in the master bath. They removed a shower and replaced it with a new vanity and drawer/shelving unit. The whirlpool tub was removed and replaced with a fabulous walk in shower with seat and nook. Words really can't describe how beautifully the master bath was transformed. The existing vanity and cabinets were repainted, new sinks, toilet, fixtures, floor tiles, lighting and marble countertops were installed. Excellent work. The house looks brand new. On the exterior, they painted the house, installed gutters, built a cedar railing and steps on back porch and built a screened in porch.

Crew takes pride in their work.

Were there issues in this massive remodel? Certainly. Were the issues resolved quickly and to my satisfaction? Most certainly yes. For the amount of work that was involved in this remodel the issues were minimal and as I said resolved quickly. With any remodel it is important to communicate clearly and frequently with your contractor. Even though I lived in another city when this remodel was done Gordon was always accessible via text and phone and always met us when we came to the house in person.

Gordon is an excellent contractor with an excellent crew. Highly recommended.

We first contacted Gordon Duplechin who owns and operates Accolate Construction, now renamed Timber Construction in February 2015. We made an appointment with him and he came out promptly to visit about the details of the job. We agreed on cultured marble instead of tile due to the possibility of cracking tile. He looked at the bathroom tub/shower, took measurements, and sent us an estimate the next day. We met with him again on February 27, 2015, via appointment, to ask further questions about the job and clarify some of the pricing, details & timeline. When we asked about the cost of the fixtures & cultured marble, he said it was included. We went to the plumbing supply company as he suggested to choose fixtures. He told us he would pick them up when ready to install. When we asked about features in the shower, he said they wouldn't make that much difference in price, that he wasn't going to quibble over $20 here or there. 
Despite excessive cold, rain and possible sleet, we went out the same day to pick out fixtures and marble.They had a nice variety of marble to choose from, but only one example of a shower, 2 different soap dish insets & 2 bench styles (corner & across the back). We chose the corner bench & 1 soap dish. No prices were reflected, but we didn't worry about that because Gordon had said it was all included. Same with the plumbing fixtures. We wanted a shower head with a hose. We chose the only one they had which was on a slide bar. There were delays getting that put in when the shower was finished. He acted as if we should have picked up the order and already paid for it, but we reminded him that he told us he told us he was picking it up and that it was included in the price.They put in only a stationary shower head & not the one with the hose. Many excuses were made about getting it in and the plumbing company selling it to someone else because it wasn't picked up soon enough. They ordered another & had to install the bar next to the stationary shower head with a valve to switch from one to the other. (A waste in our way of thinking. We had anticipated only the bar with the one shower head.) Knowing what we know now, we would not have gone to the plumbing company, but elsewhere and found fixtures and a shower head with hose that would fit on the original pipe.
His quote was $5093.67 minus the Angie's list discount = $4993.67. We paid him a down payment of $2496.33. 
This job that was supposed to take about 2 or 3 weeks, then a couple more for the glass, ended up taking 2 1/2 months. On May 12, 2015 the day the job was completed, we wrote a check for the remaining balance of $3000.00. The total we ended up paying was  $503.16 more than we had originally agreed on. 
 (He claimed the shower head fixtures, soap dish & bench were $800 more than considered in the bid, but he had never given us a price range to stay within.) He finally said he would compromise and go half with us on the shower fixtures. 
Throughout the 2 1/2 month process, there were often delays, miscommunication, and excuses. I was often waiting for workers who never showed. Some of his workers were careless. There was sheet rock work he did not anticipate or calculate into the price. When workers knocked a hole in the wall, it was sloppily repaired and we had to call to get him to send out someone to do it correctly. (Luckily we had paint and wallpaper that matched on hand.) One of his workers threw away a piece of molding they had removed. He had his crew replaced it, but it is only a close match because he said they couldn't match it exactly.
Overall, the shower looks great and works well. However, while Gordon was always very polite and a nice person to talk to, the process was a major difficulty. We soon realized that we were not a priority job, that he was used to working for companies building houses in new subdivisions. When we reminded him that we had specifically asked about the cost of fixtures being included and his initial reply, we expressed disappointment over the miscalculations and failure to factor in necessary work, his reply was that this was a remodel job, not a new one. In our opinion, with regard to estimates, quotes, and supervision, remodel jobs deserve the same careful attention to detail and diligence for accuracy as new construction jobs.

First of all my father was a victim of the Memorial Day Flood. We decided we wanted an experienced contractor and decided to go with Angies List. Gordon responded the next morning set up an appointment for the following day. He was very professional that evening emailed me a quote. The following week he had his crew out there. (Excellent Crew) Gordon promised me he would take care of my father and he did... Gordon and his crew went above and beyond! High end appliances, excellent workmanship. ..I have zero complains he promised me turn key in 5 weeks and he stayed true to his word. One final note I ordered a fridge for my father and didn't have a truck to pick it up and Lows was backed up on there deliveries due to the flood. Gordon with no hesitation picked it up and delivered it... Excellent Contractor I highly recommend him ....

After using Angie's list for research,  I contacted several firms for bids.  Although not currently listed on Angie's List, Accolate Construction was listed in fall 2014 and was well rated.  Gordon provided a reasonable bid although his costs were hard to track. We sat down and after I explained that his labor and material costs made no sense he revised the bid, lowered it, and won the contract.  Because of scheduling concerns, we delayed the start date by 30 days. Gordon wanted to buy all materials so that there would be no delay in the work once started, I agreed to that.   The week before he was scheduled to start, I had not been contacted so I called him to confirm.  When I got in touch with him it was like "oh,yeah.. well would you like to delay it some more?"  Because of a my schedule,I said "no" and he agreed to start on the date which we had in the contract (which I had written).  This part of the job I would give a C.
His crew was very competent.  The helper spoke little English but always arrived to start prep work on time, worked hard and was diligent.  The crew lead was excellent at his job and paid attention to details.  They did not seal off the bathroom from the bedroom as I had asked, so there was dust everywhere and this took me days to clean up post-project. They did clean up best they could at end of the day.  I was overall happy with the quality of the work although they were rushing to finish at the end of the project and the final grouting and sealing were rushed and final clean up of grout and the remodeled area was not to standard  I would give this part of the job a B+
My concerns, however, really deal with project management side.  We had agreed to materials in the contract, I had given Gordon the list of what I wanted, all easily purchased from local big box stores.  However, he did not begin to purchase the materials until AFTER the job actually started and by then some of the items were no longer in stock (tile, faucets, light fixtures) so I had to make extra trips to find something as a substitute from his preferred vendor.  Because he delayed material purchase, he could not obtain the marble I had selected for the shower and substituted another product without consulting me. Unfortunately, the substitute was way off in color and this became clear after installation started.  I had to have the crew stop installation, go through a weekend of angst trying to figure out what to do, and then tried to reach Gordon late on Sunday to ask him to come by Monday before proceeding  Only after his crew showed Monday and let him know there was a problem did he contact me.  After pulling the sample product I had given him earlier, it was clear that what he had purchased was not right. Then,  I had to go to a special supplier in San Antonio to find what would work (and this resulted in work stoppage and an increase in contract cost  since the specialty supplier charged 50% more than the big box store).  Same was true with faucets for the bath and shower system for the walk-in.  My final issue is that within 45 days of work completion, the connection on the hand-held shower was dripping when in use.  I contacted Gordon three times for resolution and three times we scheduled times for him to send out the plumber.. all three times were "no show".. and I  have not heard from him since.  At that point I gave up realizing THAT was not going to happen.   Project Management: C-

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The job was done on time. The work was professional and and well done. The suggestions he made added to the functionality of the kitchen. New cabinets were hand made and not something you would get from a box store. I was very please and will use them on my next project..

It went well. Job performed quickly after estimate was made.

The bid was more than fair and the explanation of the work that will be done was very informative. The work to date is very good and I will post information at its completion.

Overall, the project turned out beautifully.  Gordon was very responsive to all our concerns as first time remodelers.  He was very conscientious of the quality of the work.  His crew was very personable and did quality work throughout. Gordon worked with me to make all my ideas for the new kitchen a reality. Every day the crew left our home neat and orderly.  Overall, we only had two concerns one was promptness, we didn't always get a call if they were going to be late and there was an issue with the cabinets being made incorrectly which then through the whole time line off.  However, Gordon addressed these issues and checked in with us to make sure we were satisfied as the work progressed.

I was pleased with their service.  The quality of their work stood out.  Their workers were very polite and respectful, and their contractors were available to talk to whenever needed.

Gordan and his team were prompt and started right away. They did an excellent job with getting my mothers bathroom ADA ready. They made my mother happy with the way they made it easier for her to shower. Would recommend to anyone who want to ad value to their home.

The job went very well and the workers were very organized and professional.

Our back door was kicked in we were left with no way to secure our home on Friday night. I joined Angie's list and started making calls the next morning. I knew it was going to be hard to find someone anytime before next week. Luckily, with a reasonable after hours charge, we had the owner and one of his workers out in less than an hour. This included the new door and the labor. We are grateful for their quick professional and compassionate service to help us following this traumatic experience. I highly recommend Accolate Construction LLC!

We've had 2 custom homes built and 2 years ago we had some kitchen remodeling done on our other home. We had 3 bids and felt confident in the contractor we selected when he said his cabinet maker would do a great job. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. My husband and I are DIYers and were dismayed to see his employees were not very experienced or skilled. For the current work we are having done on a vacation/retirement house we selected Accolate from Angie's List. Gordon promptly called and came out to see what we needed. We felt so comfortable with him, and his price, that we signed a contract without even getting other bids. Gordon has come out twice a day and often more than that to check on the progress. That was not the case with our previous experiences. Gordon's employees have a lot of experience and are hard workers.  Since we're retired we would know if they were slacking off. The cabinets he had made are obviously from a very skilled cabinet maker.  Contruction usually turns up with a few surprises. When we had Gordon look at the Sun Room for his bid, we were unaware of extensive water and termite damage. A less scrupulous contractor could easily have cosmetically fixed the floor and walls. Gordon went beyond our expectations in fixing it and did so at a nominal charge. Our project isn't finished, but we've been very impressed. When the work is completed I'll complete the review.

T^he experience was a bit longer than expected but the guys were very courteous and worked hard.  We are pleased with the results!