CHASE CONSTRUCTION

We used Chase a second time, after a positive experience with the complete tear down and rebuild of our garage. Sadly, the second time around was not so good. Our project was a small one that competed for Chase's attention at the time with a very large project (wholesale restoration of a historic home). We clearly played second fiddle to that project. What Chase told us would be completed in four weeks stretched out to six, with the attendant discomfort as we moved our bed and clothes into the downstairs family room area. But, in the end, what disappoints was Chase's failure to stand by its workmanship. The project included replacement of the ceiling in the MBR. Even before the project was completed there was a very visible crack/line in the drywall, where a seam between sheets was apparently misaligned. The project manager said it would be repaired. That and quot;repairand quot; was apparently nothing more than a paintover because a little over a year later that crack was again visible - I stare up at it every night from my bed - and continues to grow. When I called Chase to ask them to take a look at the work - which they had assured me had been fixed before I signed off on the project - they response was that it was no longer under warranty and that they would charge a per hour fee t assess the problem and determine responsibility. The owner of the firm also made suggestions that we were somehow to blame, wondering if we had walked in the crawl space, or stored heavy objects up there! We have not - it's an unuseable crawl space that we have never been in. It is true that when I called Chase to note the problem, some 15-16 months after completion of the project, that the work was warranted for a year only. That said, I would have hoped that Chase would show a certain pride in its work, especially given the fundamental aspect of the work involved - the ceiling - and its earlier assurance that the flaw would be corrected. I am sorry now that I relied on that assurance, as much as the fact that my wife and I used Chase a second time because of our previous experience with them. We will have to have the ceiling replaced, at considerable expense. Needless to say, we won't be asking Chase to do the job.

Before the construction begun, when I had the initial meeting with them, they were responsive and professional. When I checked them online, they have positive reviews regarding their high quality of work. I was also able to fit in to their time line so I decided to hire them for the construction. During the construction, there were times when they did not give us a complete list of the things or parts that will be used and it became an issue. But everything was resolvable.

My wife and I inherited her grandfather's house in Capitol Hill. This is a great opportunity, but the house was in significant disrepair, having endured approximately four decades of negligence. We contacted three contractors in the DMV region, and chose Chase Construction because they could handle the size of the job, the limitations of our pocketbook, and our inexperience. Our contact at Chase was Gil, and he was great. He walked us through every decision, and struck the perfect balance of keeping us informed but not overwhelming us with detail. We explained how we really wanted to transform the house, and create an a more open concept while maintaining the ambiance of a Capitol Hill rowhouse. He put together several plans, explained the pros and cons, and helped us make the best decision. He was willing to talk to us at anytime, and adjusted to our unreasonable schedule without any complaints. We gutted the entire house and Chase was there from beginning to end. Tearing down walls, fixing underlying brickwork, installing new floors, a new kitchen, two new bathrooms - you name is and Chase did it. The work was done as quickly as could be expected, and turned out great. We love our new home. I really cannot imagine how this whole thing might have played out with a different contractor. We received customer service that surpassed anything I have experienced anywhere else in any industry, and the final product is beautiful.

Pride in a job well done. Commitment to the customer. Nice people. Those are the phrases that come to my mind when I think about our experience with Chase Construction. Our garage rehab project was not a big one but, as project manager Gil said as he was discussing options with us, and ldquo;It's important to you.and rdquo; And for Gil and company owner Karen Man this was not some hackneyed phrase; they really worked hard to ensure we were satisfied with the result. And today we have a like-new two car garage that meets all our expectations. We would and will hire out Chase Construction again, without hesitation. The project: Our garage was a handyman's assemblage, put up by the previous owner's, functional but deteriorating. It needed to be fully enclosed, storage space added, new electric doors a must, some additional lighting, access to the backyard desirable. But we had a budget in mind. We spoke with two other companies besides Chase. The first suggested a job that went considerably beyond what we had in mind, with a cost nearly double what we envisioned. The second kept to budget but only, we worried, by cutting corners. Chase's bid was, like Goldilocks' bear settling in, just right. Gil suggested logical, functional additions to what we contemplated, with full transparency as to likely costs, and then Karen laid out a bid proposal that while a bit higher than what we had been planning to spend, was quite reasonable, noting as well where we could cut back if desired. Then, to add to a stance that clearly suggested to us that Chase wanted our business, Karen included within the quote at no additional cost to us the tearing down of an old concrete block wall we had mentioned to Gil we wanted to get rid. That clinched it for us - that and the glowing comments made to me by the references Karen supplied. Once the work got underway, my wife and I more than once gave each other a high five for having chosen wisely. Gil and his team were professional, hard-working, and attentive to detail. Gil likes his work and, as we commented on the project's progress, told us more than once that he approached the job as if he was working on his own home. As above, this was not some mere platitude. He really means it. Gil had done some research into a new siding material that was and ldquo;eco-greenand rdquo; but more expensive than traditional pressed particle board. If we were willing to be a guinea pig, he asked, he would use it at no additional cost to us. I researched it myself and gave the go ahead. When the project was well underway and I lamented the fact that I hadn't asked for doors with windows, so as to add some natural light, Gil and Karen and ldquo;surprisedand rdquo; us with not only a replacement door with a window, but an additional separate window installed at Chase's expense. Our project did run into an unexpected obstacle; far more dirt had to be removed than was expected in order to properly install a French drainage system behind the garage. Karen quickly provided a Change Order detailing the cost to remove the dirt, and the materials to build a retaining wall and adjoining stairs and on we went. A few minor additions we asked for and ndash; such as shelving - were accommodated easily and at a reasonable cost. The key was Chase's commitment to timely, instructive communication. If we were to make one constructive criticism it would be that the timetable initially laid out for completion and ndash; 8 to 10 days and ndash; was probably unrealistic. The project stretched out to nearly three weeks. Some of that was a function of weather, as well as the additional work to remove dirt. But we suspect Chase has many projects in the works and ndash; they have a great reputation - and could be at capacity. Bottom line: Chase Construction is the sort of company with which you want to do business. Responsive, meticulous, and fair, peopled with individuals who are pleasant and committed to doing the job right. My wife and I will certainly use Chase again and ndash; bathrooms and a master bedroom renovation loom in our future and ndash; and we look forward to working with Karen and Gil again. We can recommend Chase Construction without reservation.

We moved into an 1870 victorian in last year. It was in good shape but there were a number of things we wanted to change, add, etc. Karen Man oversaw the operation. The first thing we noticed was that she and her team were very pro-active, not only listening carefully to what we wanted but also suggesting things we hadn't thought of. The work was performed over a number of months to avoid disruption (also waiting for special marbles, etc.). Throughout Karen herself paid careful attention to the work, going out of her way to give us exactly what we wanted. On the few occasions the work was not exactly what we wanted, it was changed gladly. At times she didn't like something and had it redone. I recommend her to everyone who talks about remodeling. It is difficult to imaging how it could have gone any better. Karen and her team really take pride in their work.

DON'T USE THESE CONTRACTORS!!! Everything started fine, but quickly went downhill and we were stuck. The job started in September 2007 and they were supposed to be done by Thanksgiving. They began the foundation and that failed the first inspection. The timeline got changed and then they were supposed to finish by Christmas. When most of the addition was up, they then broke through to our existing house. When they failed to appropriately cover the addition they were building, it rained and we had water streaming through our existing house, causing a mess of 2 existing bedrooms, our kitchen, and existing dining room - again causing more delays and extending the timeline. They had agreed to replace existing carpeting which was wet, but refused to do a moisture test to see if we were going to be subject to any mold. They continued with the addition, having more delays and failing 7 more inspections by the county code inspectors, to include the wiring. The contract said that they would complete the job to customer’s satisfaction, which was a joke, because they did not. The new $2000+ sliding door did not close properly, and we had to hire another contractor to fix it, which disclosed the opening was not created square by Chase. We had to hire another contractor (Katchmark) to fix the siding, because Chase did not install it properly, as flashing was not installed right, corners kept sliding down, and it was not level. The 1st floor was not level, and had buckles in it, which also had to be fixed by another contractor. We had to hire another contractor to fix the pocket doors because they did not close properly, and Chase put the handles on backwards. The drainage that they supposedly completed around the new foundation created pooling of water, and they refused to fix. We had to hire another contractor to fix that. We had to constantly watch the crew, as they were installing other items wrong, such as the windows and fixtures. Chase's painting and drywall work was also terrible, as corners were not square and painting/popcorn ceiling did not match as it was supposed to. Their duct work was terrible, leaving bumps in the walls and floor, and leaving a mess in the basement where Chase tapped into existing work. Chase was supposed to install R19 insulation in the walls, and they installed R15 insulation. All the insulation in the foundation fell out, and we had to fix it. They were constantly late and would disappear for hours. The plans which were drawn up by Chase were not accurate, and they consistently had deviations (such as the insulation). We initially thought we were getting a good price-but in the end it was not worth it. We ended up going to court over this in March 2009 - winning most of the issues, to include the replacement of the sliding door, fixing the un-level floor, and more. If you want more information, or to see pictures of their dreadful work, please email me at DreadfulChase@verizon.net. DON'T USE THESE CONTRACTORS.

I think they were very very good. They're more of a small company and they did all of my projects. The person I dealt with went above and beyond making sure everything was done correctly and that the set up, contract and expectations were followed to the T. They stood by what they said they would do, were prompt and responsive. Of all the companies I talked to and received estimates from this is the one that stood out the most.

They did a good job. Their price was reasonable and I would hire them again.

It was a good execution in the end. The book cases were everything that I wanted. They got the job done very fast and didn t have any problems doing it. Their prices were very low too. I don t think you would be able to find another company around here like them.

We live in an older home that has lots of things wrong with it that were never anticipated when our contractor, Joe Mirzayans, gave us the original bid. Despite setbacks, Joe rolls with the punches and does what needs to be done to get the job done. He's professional, kind, intelligent, knowledgeable, experienced, and has a great sense of humor, which is invaluable when you're in the middle of a messy renovation! He has relilable, experienced guys working for him, and he works with us as a team every step of the way. He's been a pleasure to work with, and given all the horror stories we hear about contractors, we consider ourselves very lucky. And last but not least he does great work!

THIS COMPANY DOES VERY GOOD WORK AND I AM VERY SATISFIED WITH THE JOB THEY DID. THEIR EMPLOYEES WERE ALWAYS ON TIME. THEY ARE VERY PROFESSIONAL AND PLEASANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH.