Moss Building & Design

We recently completed a 4 month (June 9th to Oct 1st 2015) construction project with Moss Building and Design, having selected the firm after a very pleasant experience in the fall of 2012 with their Home Services division (when they installed backsplash tiles and did some cabinet work for us in our original kitchent). We contacted Pete Hampel, the firm's CEO, in December 2014 to explain our desire for expanded living space off of our kitchen and dining rooms. Pete provided us with a detailed, highly professional quote that fit exactly within our budget and we quickly moved to signature in January 2015. The following months saw us working with their architect to design our structure and select materials, followed by the necessary waiting period for the inevitable county approvals. All this was fine with us as we were not anxious to begin work until the spring, when we figured it would be more comfortable weather-wise to have our home opened up. Our project finally kicked off on June 9th, a little later than we had expected but not unduly delayed. Work was, in general, pretty continuous until Oct 1st. Our biggest challenge was that the main trusses for our addition were designed with an imperfect pitch, necessitating re-work and resulting in a delay of about a week; this happened at the end of June. Also at this time, as our original walls were demolished to make way for the addition, a massive rainstorm resulted in some water entering our lower-level play room as the tarps that had been laid could not protect against the level of rainfall we received. In both cases Moss responded very quickly, and professionally, addressing our concerns and working quickly to remedy the situation. Communication was key and, in fact, became an open hallmark of our relationship wtih our project manager, Marty Fletcher. Although we had a few delays during our project (who doesn't?) they were inevitably resolved quickly and to our satisfaction. Marty was in constant contact with both Moss personnel throughout the third parties he contracted (electricians, painters and floor installers) throughout our construction, which helped alleviate our anxieties. I must say that we were very impressed by the quality of work by all parties involved. Our addition, in fact, has a lovely exterior with really nice finishes, while internally we couldn't be more pleased. In the weeks since our addition was completed we have noted a few very minor things that were not immediately evident to us when we did the final walk-through (ie, a screen that was not properly installed on one of our windows, some nicks in a few of our new windowsills) that required a little extra work; in all cases Moss (Marty Fletcher in particular) has responded immediately and professionally, addressing our concerns with a positive, pleasant attitude. All in all we found Moss Building and Design to be a very high-quality firm, easy to work with, with a price point that, while not cheap, represented a very good value. We would recommend Moss to others considering home improvements and plan to use the firm in the future.

Moss recently completed a kitchen renovation in our 1967 home, and I have to say they made this process the most painless experience I think possible. Starting when Damon and our project manager Dave paid their first visit to talk about the project. Dave was very knowledgeable about what could or could not be done (they accomplished everything we wanted) and Damon?s bid was very detailed, honest and extremely thorough, compared to 2 other bids I got which did not contain the same detail and did not promise to credit/debit the price according to what materials we picked. Moss sets a limit for each section and if you choose higher end materials than originally discussed, obviously you pay more but if the opposite happens, they deduct from the final amount (No other contractor could give me that assurance). The customer service with this firm is so refreshing. They assign you a customer care rep, ours was Jodi and she was wonderful. She kept me informed and provided resources including vendors I would not have known about and even met me at these places to introduce them and help pick things out. Dave our Project Manager also a phone call/email away, let me know ahead of time when people would be coming. He kept me informed about the schedule, what was happening next and constantly stopping by to check on the work and to see if I had any questions. Not one single time was a wondering if/when someone was showing up. We had a slight delay due to asbestos in our kitchen, however they picked right up after that was abated and even sped up a few days. The subs they use are very professional, Rick and his team did an amazing job, constantly finished things ahead of schedule and kept the area clean when they left. Attention to details and constant communication is what impressed me most about Moss. They are the opposite of every horror story you hear about contractors.

Consultant was professional when he came out, but there was not follow through. Bad sign!!

Very pleased with service. Technician was punctual, very professional, and just a pleasure to have in our home. Repair was done efficiently and to our satisfaction. After the first big rain we did find a leak. Contacted Moss and they quickly sent out another technician to address the issue. I am impressed with their work and reasonable price and would use them again without hesitation. The one area I will caution is to be prepared to wait a bit for a response. The original technician came out to give an estimate. He told us it would take a few days to get the quote, and it did. He was right to set out expectations for the lag time. It wasn't a problem for us, but a bit unusual in this world of expecting instant response to everything. In no way would this keep me from using them again. In fact, plan to have them back again in the spring. Excellent company.

Arrived at time agreed, Luis was very professional and knew exactly what to do & was very efficient. Was very neat and cleaned up all trash. I was very pleased with the outcome and everything works great.

Great experience. We purchased the handyman for a day deal. Moss contacted me to get an idea of the projects so they could send the right guys over (plumber, etc.) Two handyman were scheduled with one doing most of the plumbing work. Jeff performed more of the general work and was very knowledgeable and responded to all requests and questions. Everything was done with attention to detail and everything was finished. We liked the service so much we scheduled another two days of work. Highly recommend this company...ask for Jeff.

It went very well. The guys got all of it done over two days, and it looks good. They were able to schedule the work quickly, complete it when they said they would, and do what I asked the way I asked that it be done.

Everything was done well. Professionally installed and done within allocated time. Very satisfied with the quality of the work. Would use again.

Overall the experience was great. Bob K. is a great communicator and calls all hours of the day/night. He always, always returns calls ASAP and is very patient. Their carpenter Dean is obsessive; exactly the kind of carpenter we all want working on our projects. A 70's vintage home, Moss handled all the issues that sprung up and resolved them to our satisfaction, each and every time. We added a lot of extra work on to the kitchen remodel since we knew the first floor was going to be unusable anyway. They did a good job fitting the work into the timeline and setting expectations. Moss was particular about putting filters over any air ducts, taping off rooms and even helping us with some light moving when needed. They worked around the fact that we had little storage for materials and Dean even dealt with our dog in stride. I appreciated being able to log into their online tracking tool at my convenience to take a look at the schedule, anticipate upcoming work and be able to communicate concerns/questions. Moss takes great pride in the reputation they enjoy and it shows in their approach to customers, in the culture of the business and directly in the employees. They have transformed my house, given my family the open kitchen concept of our dreams and improved the way we use all the available space. Yes, I'll use them again.

This was a serious undertaking and Moss's team got it done in 1 day. I was glad to see a team of five show up to do this job safely. The workers were all in Moss vehicles which gave me the sense that this was a professional team. I was on sight all day and I appreciated their willingness to address my questions and concerns during the installation.

When I was contacted I made clear that the work is to put in the attic ladder, which is a two person job. Only one person was scheduled on the job. The night before I received a call to say that the second person would not be available until later in the day. I guess at that point I should have reschedule, but the old attic door was broken and abstracting the hallway, and it took me two weeks to get the appointment in the first place. The work was done well, and the company addressed my concerns about the scheduling issues and only charged me for another 1.5 hours instead of 3.5 hours

It went fine. We considered options and arrived at workable solution. I appreciated contractor discussing options with me.

contractor wanted to replace deck due to squirrel chewing on one 6 x 6 support. contractor never called back.

Renovations are not for the faint of heart. Many people would say it's a lot easier to move than to undertake a large renovation. Fortunately, our experience was quite positive in working with Moss from concept phase to completion. We already had a nice home on a beautiful lot and in a beautiful neighborhood in Reston. We simply wanted to create our dream home - a home we weren't able to find at other neighborhoods in North Reston. We interviewed many full service design/build firms and selected Moss after many months of deliberation. They weren't the cheapest provider but they certainly were the best in listening to our ideas, communicating their unique approach to the design/build journey and emphasizing their total quality/partner philosophy. The best word I can use to describe Moss is "Partner". Our project had a number of bumps in the road. You can't undertake a renovation of our size without experiencing challenges along the way. The Moss team was with us every step of the way by working collaboratively with us when unexpected "surprises" were encountered. Was Moss perfect? The answer is No. I suspect no builder could ever be "perfect" in a project where so many unknowns are continuously encountered. They made mistakes along the way but they always resolved their mistakes to our complete satisfaction. Again, the word Partner comes to mind. My wife and I probably weren't the easiest client Moss has ever worked with. I suspect they were happy to have completed our project as much as we were in completing our project. :) We are highly detail oriented and we expected near perfection on every detail. Jason Hampel, co-owner of Moss, said we'd love the finish product and he wasn't wrong. We couldn't be happier. Jason is fortunate to have a stellar team to deliver on his commitments. Our architect, Max Torres, project manager, David Keys, and every member of the construction team were top notch. We still use some of their subcontractors for on-going work on our home. Max worked with us to create a design that was both functional and beautiful. The challenge placed on Max was to create the addition so that no one would ever know the 2,000 additional square feet was actually an addition. One of the best compliments for Max is that family and friends struggle to remember how the old house looked. David executed Max's design with great project management and delivered our project nearly on time. They were about 10 days past their original schedule. We thought this was quite impressive for an 8 month project. We also told Moss we wanted to add a large deck onto the back of the house and it needed to be attached to the new dining room and kitchen being built by them. The challenge, however, is that we decided to use a different contractor for the screened-in deck and hard-scaping in our backyard. We selected Surrounds Landscape Architects for this part of our renovation. The handoff between Moss and Surrounds couldn't have gone smoother. The deck is accessed by huge sliding glass panel sliders from both the kitchen and dining room and is also one of the favorite parts of our renovation effort. Surrounds was also an amazing partner. If you're contemplating a renovation, I highly recommend you speak with the Moss team. I can sum up our satisfaction with Moss in 3 key points: 1) They were great partners, great listeners and lived up to their commitments 2) Even after an 8 month project with a number of challenges, we'd absolutely use Moss again and would recommend them to family or friends 3) There is nothing we regret or wish we would have done differently on our renovation. I chalk that up to their continuous guidance during every aspect of the design build process

The work could not have been better. Michael's time management is superb. He looked at the tasks and obviously formulated a plan. Due to his care and precision, I felt no need to oversee any of his work. That may be the best feeling of all: To have a skilled craftsman in my home and feel that he/she is in charge of the project?however small. As stated, he was here early and eager to work. Michael worked in a meticulous manner. He is obviously experienced. He has confidence and seems secure in each task he tackled. The bathroom fan was an incorrect purchase by me, but Michael suggested clearly what I should buy instead. While I was running the errand, Michael completed another task so that no time was wasted. His exhaust fan suggestion saved me money. He knows what he is doing and is more than willing to share and instruct. This has not necessarily been a frequent experience with tradesmen which makes it the more special.

The experience was great, from 1st contact with service rep to when electrician completed job! Friendly, knowledgeable, on time, provided good explanations. Very rare, these days, to get such wonderful service!

See above...could not be happier!

Started well. But quality was lacking. Removed sheet rock on walls were window work was done. When hanging new, it was not true and thus required bags of mud. Windows on the two walls are same size height, but one set is 9.25" from the crown molding and the other set is 10" from the ceiling. Contracted for recessed LED under-cabinet lighting. Kept trying to convince us to use surface box florescent lighting instead. At last minute we were told to pick up the LED lights ourselves and they would install. We were charged because our LED lights were more expensive than they accounted for and for reworking the under cabinet light installation because they had not planned for recessed lighting. Moss installed the lighting but wanted an up-charge to make dim-able. When installing the stone on the large island, we were very clear about how to install the iron weight bearing angles as advised by the stone company. Moss put iron angle bars on improperly and had to redo. Something happened with the extension of the wall under the load bearing beam. The weekend after it's installation the tile shower wall above and too the left on the beam leaked. We found large cracks in floor/wall grouting in the master shower above. Water coming down the wall and across the beam beneath. Moss advised it was coincidental. Moss advised that the problem was related to the company that had installed the shower. We asked for a meeting with a principal. It was scheduled and on the day of, we were told he was in an airport and not accessible. Calls to company to work with other than our Supervisor were ignored. We had the shower fixed. Our insurance company accepted the claim and the tile shower above was ripped out and redone. When our insurance company pursued with Moss insurance company there was no reply. Our insurance company closed claim because Moss did not return their calls. Window install on the exterior of the house left gaps between the windows and the vinyl siding. Had to pursue Moss to correct. Up charge for running gas line though it was in the contact. We love our new kitchen. However, when someone walks on the floor above the area where the wall was extended under the load bearing wall, there is creaking heard in the kitchen ceiling. Basically not the professional job we were expecting.

Jeff from Moss did an exceptional job on the kitchen ceiling. While different stages of the seiling repair needed to dry, he also adddressed several other small issuees in the house like repair on a closet and cabinets.

Smooth sailing. 100% Satisfied with the work and the customer service.

It well--gentleman they sent was very fast and knowledgable. It took all day as my list was long, but everything got done

Moss did an excellent job and was well priced. Previously, I had a couple really bad contractors from other companies, one which was an "A" rating on this site. Moss fixed the problems and made my dining room look incredible. The customer service was excellent, knowledgeable and easy to reach both service manager and receptionist. I'm hard to please and the carpenter, Stan, did an excellent job assisting with ideas and to complete the dining room I wanted. It came out far better then I could imagine! I'm very pleased with his work and will be booking him for future projects.

All indoor work turned out very well. The fix on the garage doors do not look good at all. Looking back, I wished we had replaced the entire wood piece instead of sections of the rotton wood. The replaced sections are not done well and clearly visible. Does not look professional at all.

We considered a number of companies before ultimately deciding to work with Moss. They were extremely helpful in all stages of our project, from initial design to providing suggestions based upon our style, to being flexible when we needed to change something. We knew that a remodel of this magnitude would be inconvenient, and have its ups and downs, but on the whole Moss delivered an experience and product that exceeded our expectations.

Our project seemed straight forward and started with the estimates from Moss. The designer from Moss helped us pick out our fixtures, and their recommendation of Mosaic tile was a winner. As the demolition began however we ran into problems, not unlike television renovation shows. Each instance was unique and original to the home from utility lines that needed to be moved, to a gas leak that needed to be repaired, and finally exterior flashing and brick work from water damage. All of these things increased both our project cost and timeline. Originally a two week job extended through most of the summer with work being performed one area at a time. Our project manager, Greg, helped us through the chaos and brought in the right people for all of the additional work that needed to be done. The distractions were a setback, although Moss was very flexible on schedules and estimates, as we added additional scope to the project. Overall, we're happy with the final outcome and can use our new laundry room and bathroom without any additional worry.