Schwab Remodeling

Most of the time Mike is involved with remodeling. Mike will tackle many different types of jobs, inside and outside. He never covers up rot or other problems when he finds any. Rather he contacts me and photographs what he has found. For years I have told him that we trust him to do what needs to be done and understand that can run into extra labor and material costs, which we will pay for. Still he prefers to discuss the remedy and the increase in cost to repair the mess correctly to avoid future problems. Then, Mike does the work. Our goal is that it will not need to be repaired again. If you want to slap on some sort of repair and not contact the building inspector, then do not call Mike. He values his license and his reputation. Also, if you want to just slap together something, Mike is not your man. When Mike is done with a job, he wants to be proud to have his name on it. He measures multiple times and makes sure things fit snuggly or loosely, whatever the situation requires. It bugs him if bi-fold doors do not match in the middle or hang straight. He reminds me if something needs ventilation or clearances to perform correctly. It costs more to have the job done by someone who bothers to read the manufacturers' directions and then follows them. If the humidity is too high or temperature is too high or too low for the product, Mike will wait until conditions are correct. He makes sure that he allows enough time for things to cure as directed in the instructions. He picks products based upon the time available and conditions. Mike is the only contractor whom I feel comfortable leaving alone and know that our rental or our own home will not be damaged or coated in dust when he leaves it. Mike bothers to put down coverings on the floors and other surfaces so he does not unnecessarily grind in grit or drip paint or other chemicals. He builds barriers and uses fans to try to contain dust. No one is perfect, but Mike tries to pay attention to all the details. Usually he succeeds. And he knows how to use the incredible number of specialty tools he has accumulated over the years. I also recommend Mike for troubleshooting what is causing something to be amiss in your structure - moisture, leaning walls, soft spots, etc. His observational skills and years of experience have helped us many, many times! Mike is usually very covered up with work and behind the schedule he hoped to meet, but I would not hold that against him for that because what he does saves us time, aggravation and money for years and years.

I hired Schwab remodeling after getting one other estimate (that was quite similar) as well as numerous conversations with other contractors at the home reno fair.  The bathroom hadn't been updated for 50 years.  Mike took the bathroom down to the studs and replaced the shower surround, toilet, vanity and floor.  Although we had planned to leave the tub in place and just polish it and not to touch the ceiling, Mike ended up refinishing the tub and replacing the ceiling because they would not have looked right in a new  room. That and other advice was dead on.  Mike is very knowledgeable and really pays attention to detail. When something came up, like a  radiator cover that was hard to deal with, Mike made everything work perfectly and was undaunted. 
     The tiling around the tub looks terrific because Mike payed special attention to the pattern and design.  He had good design sense and made recommendations about grout, tile selection and other things. He also uses the best materials and a special tile underlayment that gives professional results.
     Mike used Aquarius plumbing and an electrician friend as subcontractors and had everything well-coordinated. 
     Because it's just Mike and Amelia, it's very nice to have them around.  No loud music or other annoying personal habits.  At the beginning of the project I worried about my cats getting out but it turns out that Mike and Amelia are animal lovers and one of our cats became their constant companion.  We even hired Amelia to be a catsitter while we were away.
     If there is a downside, it is that, since it's just the 2 of them, it can take a while to get on Mike's schedule, and there is no hurry-up mode.  Mike is deliberate and exacting.  If he says a project will take 6-8 weeks, believe him.

Our project went great!  Mike steered me towards a tub, vanity, and vanity top that were deeply discounted.  He does nothing but quality work. We know if Mike does it, it's done right.  He uncovered some things in our home that weren't done right when the house was built and rectified each one. Mike's daughter Amelia worked by his side all through the project and I can't emphasize enough what honorable people they are.  As happy as I was to see the project finished, I missed them coming to our house.

When the job was done, there was no indication that the 36 year old cabinets or countertop had been changed in any way. The exhaust fan was installed so it was unlikely to ever leak or come loose. The heavy microwave is very secure. The results look great! But I expected this because I have been spoiled by Mike's reliability to produce excellent results. Over the last 10 years Mike has remodeled a couple of apartments completely for us and done significant work for us remodeling other rental properties and repairing the work done by other contractors. If you can get him to squeeze you into his busy schedule, you are very lucky indeed. I almost always have regretted when I did not have time to wait for him to be available. Two years ago a major job was so botched by another contractor and the resulting delays were so great that Mike was available to bail me out and fix the mess the other contractor had made and finish the punch list so a tenant could move in.

He is a perfectionist. He is real friendly and good around kids. He did a fantastic job. He was very reasonably priced. He is also extremely trustworthy and honest.