Oak Hill Building & Remodeling

We were overall impressed with our experience with Oak Hill. We interviewed several contractors and ultimately chose Oak Hill due to the first impressions when we first met to discuss our project as well as the portfolio they presented for projects that seamlessly tied a new space to an old. When we first scheduled a preliminary meeting, the design team offered an evening appointment. With two small kids at home, we were hesitant, and we expressed this, but we were promised it was not a problem. And the patience that Tom brought with him was wonderful. Not only was he engaging with our family, but he kept on track even through the small interruptions. We had an idea of the project that we wanted to complete (a garage on the lower level and a master suite above it), but the suggestions given and the reasons for why our original thoughts could be improved upon (i.e. don't run plumbing any further than necessary!) were all great. We added a two story addition to the side of the house, and while it is clearly an addition (all of the houses in the neighborhood are identical), it flows so well from both the inside and the outside. Any time there was an issue at the house, they'd give us a call to discuss. There was sometimes a lack of response with emails, but phone calls and texts were always answered, even in the evenings and on the weekends. There were some small hiccups, but in all cases a solution was reached with a credit or no apparent charges for rework. Our project did come in over budget, but all of the overages were extras that were laid out upfront (allowances, additional dumpster to remove trees, etc.). We were not overly surprised at the end of the day when we owed more than the original estimate. The project took longer than originally planned, and several times we were told everything would be wrapped up but the date would come and go; however, this seems to be the way home projects go. Almost three months after completing the project, when we first turned our new AC unit on, we didn't get any cold air; I let Thomas and Nick know, as we figured it must have been something with the original installation since the unit had never been used. They sent someone right away, no questions asked. When we had our final project walk through, Nick told us they don't just walk away when the project is complete, and he proved that to be the case!

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Disappointing experience. Mr. Vitale spent about 90 minutes at our home getting an understanding of the two-story addition and remodeling of kitchen and master bedroom/bathroom suite that we want to do. He left telling me he would provide his estimate in about a week. A week went by and I did not receive the estimate. I contacted him to ask if he had an update as to when we might see the estimate from him, and he indicated that it would be about another week. Another week went by and no estimate. My husband and I went to the Home and Remodeling Show at the Dulles Expo and last weekend (on Saturday) and Mr. Vitale happened to be there. We stopped by the booth and again asked about our estimate. He again told us we would have our estimate that week. Needless to say, another week has gone by and we have received nothing from Oak Hill. Of the 5 companies we spoke to, this was the only one that we did not receive an estimate from. We either had an estimate that day or an estimate in about a week. Don't waste your time with this company. They apparently just tell you what you want to hear.

We hired Oak Hill to help us with large and small construction projects on three separate occasions because they produce consistently outstanding results that reflect their commitment to quality and to meeting our personal expectations. The proposal they submitted for the extensive work in 2008 demonstrated a clear understanding of our requirements; was carefully documented; included appropriate allowances for flooring, wall tile, cabinets, counter tops, lighting and other vendor-provided items; and was priced realistically. The proposal was based on several hours of discussion during two meetings with Oak Hill's owners, Tom Vitale and his son Nick, and it included many recommended improvements to our original plan that were based on their extensive building experience. Their proposed price was 25 percent higher than the lowest bid we received and 35 percent lower than the highest bid. But we were confident that it would provide the quality living space we wanted. Oak Hill was flexible and collaborative as the project progressed and some requirements evolved, and they modified the contract whenever that became necessary. This involved some cost growth, but the increases were fair and well understood. There were no surprises. They provided a detailed schedule at the beginning of the project and then they stuck to it. There were no excuses for delays--they simply did what they said they would do on time. The work was performed by construction professionals under the supervision of an on-site project manager who listened carefully whenever we described something we wanted and ensured quality results and a level of craftsmanship that delighted us. The projects they completed for us in 2012 and 2013 were equally well done. Simply put, working with Oak Hill is fun and we plan to hire them again for our next building project.

Excellent. Very responsive and they do quality work. I used the for a large remodel a few years back and they are 4 star providers. Fair pricing with quality work and great followup/customer service. I love these guys!

My first experience with oak hill remodeling was for the replacement of the front porch decking. The overall quality of the work and outstanding customer service caused me to contract their services a second time for the replacement windows. Their pricing is very competitive. They were very responsive to our needs and requests. The job was completed to 100% of our satisfaction in a very timely fashion. I give them my unqualified recommendation for home remodeling or replacemrnt services.

I did not list a total price as I consider that confidential. We interviewed 3 other companies and were getting ready to make a decision, when our good friends heard about our plans and insisted we give Nick Vitale at Oak Hill Building a call. We were getting anxious about starting the project, so I called the next day and was pleasantly surprised to receive a return call and appointment for 2 days later. Within 5 days, we had a detailed estimate and a second in-person appointment to discuss the details. Nick was very accommodating to our timing needs and after signing the agreement, we set right to work at picking out tile, cabinets, granite counters, fixtures, tub/toilet and paint colors. He assisted me with design and in a few cases, attended appointments with me to help make final option choices. Throughout this phase, I felt as though he really listened to me and did everything to discuss options and help me meet my needs, both for budgeting and design. He was always willing to share creative ideas and give suggestions, but I never felt as though he was pushing me to do anything I didn?t want to do. The projected timeline was very fair, given the size of the project. Throughout the 5 week process, there were only one or two days when the crew was not working on our project fulltime. Attention to detail was critical for us, and they listened. Any changes to the original plan were cleared with us first, but did not delay the process. I was home during the duration of the project, so I was available for questions, but never felt uncomfortable leaving during the day to run errands. Every evening the project was vacuumed so we could safely walk through the bathroom to get into our master closet. Nick stopped by most every day and stayed in touch with me daily by telephone to keep me apprised of plans for the following day. When the project was finished, Nick spent time with us to discuss everything and be sure the project was completed to our satisfaction. Oak Hill?s price was only slightly higher than our other bids, but the glowing recommendations and the fact that they worked exclusively on our project until it was done, made the slightly higher price more than worth it. We are considering having new windows installed and remodeling our kitchen and have asked Oak Hill to give us bids for those projects as well. We were thoroughly pleased with the customer service and workmanship from start to finish.

We actually found out about Oak Hill Building at the Dulles Expo Center Home Show. We went there to find a contractor because we were new to the area and didn't know anyone. We met with about 4 total contractors over the next few weeks and settled on Oak Hill Building. The owner was knowledgable and they had over 30 years experience in the area (which made us really comfortable). We started working on a design plan with the Project Manager Nick and decided on something he created that we really liked. We didn't know much about putting an addition onto a house or if it was even possible but his ideas were great. It's usually hard to describe something in your mind to another person that has never seen it but somehow we managed to do that. Once the design was picked they started the job really quickly. We figured we would have to wait a few weeks/month but Nick said they had enough crews to where they could start the job as soon as we wanted. We told them 2 weeks because we needed to get our schedule figured out and he said that was no problem. Once they started, the entire process was pretty seamless. Nick was at the house at least once a day making sure we were satisfied...which we were. They were clean, friendly, on-time, and got the job finished a few days before the date they said they'd be done by. I don't remember how long it took to complete the job but I know that it wasn't bad. This was the first time I ever had work done to our house or hired a contractor so I don't have anything to compare it to but from reading reviews of other contractors, looks like we made a great choice. I see the horror stories of bad work and not being able to reach them. We love the work and never had a single issue of them not answering our call on the first ring. They were just very professional. We couldn't be happier and would recommend them to anyone.

I really like the way Oak Hill does business. Some contractors quoted us a lump sum. Some give us a single dollar figure for allotment for fixtures, tub, toilet, cabinets, lights, fan, sinks etc. Oak Hill gave us specific allotments for each major item. So for each item we chose we knew exactly how much we had available to spend. If we chose a more expensive cabinet, we knew in advance exactly how much we had increased the total cost by. And for any increase we could offset it by choosing a less expensive item from one of the other allotments. There were no surprises! Nick Vitale was our primary contact, and was a great help in steering us to to appliances that would keep us within our budget. He was over once or twice a day to check on the work. If I emailed him or called him with a question he usually got back to me within 5 to 10 minutes. Joaquin was our foreman, and was here all day long. He and his crew are hard workers and very conscious of quality. As the work progressed, both he and Nick made suggestions to improve the lay out of the tile, the paint scheme, the location of the outlets, etc. As I was at home, there were no delays in getting any questions answered and it kept the project moving along. We were extremely pleased with the result of the master bath, so much so that we recommended Oak Hill Construction to several close friends. I never hesitated to leave the house to go to the grocery etc. while the crew was here. I would just let them know so they would be sure to lock up. By the time our first project was done, I felt like Nick had become family. Then when our basement got flooded, we again called Oak Hill. This time we did not get quotes from any one else as we were so pleased with the quality and cost of the work performed on the master bath. Again we had an excellent experience. Most recently, Oak Hill built a screened porch on our existing deck. We are thrilled with the result. We have a fourth project in mind for 2013, and fully intend to use Oak Hill for that one also. Overall, I would suggest getting several quotes. You may find that some of the bigger companies have such high overhead that they price themselves our of the business. You may find that some have lower prices, but check their references for the quality of the work performed. Then meet with Nick Vitale from Oak Hill. I don't think you will find a more dedicated contractor, and I don't think you will find a crew that will provide a higher quality project for you.

On the Kitchen project (Spring 2007) we did our vendor research and selected three vendors to meet with and solicit quotes from. Oak Hill's estimate for the project was in the middle of the three we received. What swayed us towards Oak Hill was their open communication, their use of trusted personnel, and their commitment to ensuring we were completely satisfied with the resulting product. We met with Tom and the design team, in our home, walked through the space and detailed what our goals were. The team listened to our goals and developed a plan, which incorporated all of our mandatory requirements and provided us with costs and alternatives for the "nice to haves". We sat down jointly and finalized the plan, developing the project cost as well as the schedule. Tom and the Oak Hill team communicated with us throughout the process, listening to our input as to project status, materials, etc. Their flexibility and willingness to work with us throughout the process allowed us to make two changes (Higher end custom cabinets, and a change to the finished edges on the Granite Counter Tops and Island Top) which significantly enhanced the overall remodeling project and were not readily visible to us until after the project had started. The regular communication with Tom and the design team enabled us to identify and address these changes early in the project, resulting in only minor cost and schedule changes. Once incorporated into the plan, Tom and his team delivered the Kitchen of our dreams! We recently contacted Tom to get some information on where we might purchase the specific brand and color of caulk that was used in the Kitchen. While Oak Hill was happy to provide us with the information, they also have scheduled with us to have one of their staff come out to do the minor touch up that we called to get the information for, at no charge, further reinforcing their commitment to our complete satisfaction. It should be noted that this work isn't "warranty" work or the repair of something that was done incorrectly, it is normal wear tear that a homeowner would normally have to take care of. Tom and the Oak Hill team are going well above the call of duty to address this issue for us and this type of attention to Customer satisfaction is exactly why we selected Oak Hill to do our Bathroom renovation/remodeling without seeking other competitive bids. The Bathroom renovation/remodeling projects (Spring 2008) went as smoothly as the Kitchen effort above. Tom and the team delivered exactly what we were looking for, as scheduled and within budget. Again, their staff were pleasant, professional, worked to a consistent and agreed upon schedule, protected the surrounding living areas, and made sure that the work areas were cleaned up at the end of each work day. While we have written letters recommending Tom and Oak Hill Building and Remodeling in the past, we understand that much of today's decision making process involves information found online, on sites such as Angie's List, and thus our decision to provide a recommendation in this forum. If you are looking for a company with Integrity, that delivers what they promise and then stands behind their product, who promises quality and then delivers the proven experience and craftsmanship necessary to back that promise, then you need to call Tom and the Oak Hill Building and Remodeling team.

Carolyn McGee is very nice to work with. We gather and calculate most of our tax information ourself, but as we also have a business in the Arts, she can advise and double checks everything for us. Carolyn McGee can work with people in the Arts industries, which is a bit specialized. She is always courteous and helpful, as is her staff.

Electrician failed to connect the wiring for a telephone line & returned to retrofit. The storage area, housing the furnace, is unbearably hot (84 -86 degrees). Thermostat set 72 degrees. Retrofitting a return register was suggested along with a louvered door. During the 9 weeks that the construction took place, the owner/ project manager showed up on site only 3 times. Frequently his laborers or subcontractors would arrive, without a copy of the plans & little or no direction. When I, infrequently, requested a minor change, the owner saw this as his opportunity to inflate the cost, charging as much as 300% profit. Most of these changes were things the Sales VP agreed to. The final payment was delayed, because the owner refused to provide me with subcontractor release of liens as required by the contract.