American Exteriors & Masonry

Save yourself the trouble and work with a reputable company. They’ve taken $15,000 and have left us with a half completed project and torn up backyard for over a month. It was supposed to be a 4 day job. Best yet, the owner had the audacity to tell me they expect full payment because it would be “100% losing for the company” to give a small discount, and not even acknowledge that I’ve in fact been on the losing end of this deal. We were told the money we gave them would go toward our materials. That was not that case, as half have not been purchased and the decking installed was the wrong color. Where that money went, who knows. I’ve asked multiple times and haven’t been given an answer. The “compromise” for installing the incorrect flooring is that we could purchase the rest of the materials directly from the supplier (because they can’t afford to themselves) and they’ll install them. Yet, during the phone call to attempt at finalizing a plan for completion once the materials were delivered, the owner started by saying I knew nothing about the business, he wouldn’t commit to calling me back within 24 hours with a timeline, and said he couldn’t give an estimated date of completion unless it was something ridiculous like 6 months away because “someone’s transmission could fall out of their car on the way” or “someone’s wife could have a baby.” When I asked him to stop pointing to hypothetical situations, embellishing his responses, pivoting, and just give me a direct answer, he hung up on me. Now, I’m out $15k and am left with a dog, a kid, and an incomplete deck and backyard that we are unable to use because it is still an active job site.

They took my deposit of &12,740 and will not return it although I canceled the project before it was scheduled to start. They have refused to communicate or give me back my deposit. It’s been over 6 months now since they took my money!! DO NOT USE THEM!

Had the worst experience with this contractor (POC Nate). Things were going decently well (although there were a few red flags e.g. as soon as we signed the contract, Nate got hurt and stopped responding) for first 30 days or so and then he goes on vacation and there has been literally no movement at all. There were endless excuses related to family emergencies, sickness, false promises on delivery of material, crew showing but no one EVER showed up. Our backyard has 6 holes and we cannot access our own backyard. Please save yourselves some trouble and find someone else who would actually do the work. He probably made money off of us as he took the stones they took off from our existing patio and he said they will reuse it on another project they were doing. P.S. Do not want to include any personal details but want to beware other innocent families to know the red flags to watch out for in case they are considering.

Once the project got underway it proceeded very smoothly. Large concrete patio and walkway was covered fieldstone and brick trim. Existing steps were also brought into code. After completion not only was the resultant work beautiful but also expertly installed as to shed water away from the house. One stone which had a natural indentation was collecting water. A quick call to Carmen and the stone was replaced. As time has past, several service calls were placed to take care of grout and efflorescence. All calls have been satisfied at no additional charge. In fact, we had a tree root push up and crack a few stones. The American Exteriors team came out (after a pandemic labor delay) and Extracted the cracked stones, dig down and extract concrete base and rip out several very large roots. Of course they put it all back so well you would never notice. All of this work, even the root issue were covered at no additional charge. This company stands by its work! If you are looking for a contractor that takes pride in their work product and services it long after the job is completed, look no further. These are the folks you were looking for!!!!

It was good. It took a while to get the work started, but when it started it was done quickly and efficiently.

This company is a complete sham. DO NOT HIRE THEM. We contracted with them over a year ago for a deck and patio. They finally completed our deck a month ago, and were suppose to start immediately the deck. They have not started it yet, and lie to us daily about the status of starting the deck. Buyer beware. They are not trust worthy.

After doing such wonderful work on our front porch, we hired the firm in April 2021 to replace our deck and signed a contract with the owner, Carmen Pretopapa. The job was to suppose to start July 14 and be completed by July 28, 2021. After I put down a deposit, complete radio silence! I reached out several times, via email and phone, and left several messages, which were not returned. I finally reached Carmen himself the last week of August 2021 and he indicated they were meeting on my project that week and would get back to me by 9/1/21. Radio silence from the firm until recently when they called to say they were sorry for the delay but was ready to start the job again--when I explained what happened and asked for my deposit back, the company said they'd look into it and get back to me and that's the last I heard from them. At this point, I don't have any confidence in this firm! I am so disappointed in American Exteriors & Masonry and would simply like to have them return my $2500 deposit!

We knew that the demolition work would expose additional repairs that would need to be done. The crew worked quickly to handle the demo work, and we were able to get a solid idea of the additional work to be done. After an honest review of what was needed, we came to an agreement on a reasonable price and all of the repair and replace work for our roof overhang and carport was completed. An efficient and pleasant experience from start to finish. Great work!

The quality of the work was excellent. The contractor was responsive and easy to work with. Highly recommended.

I would give this business a zero if I could. Project was a mess to start with due to poor communication between the owner and his hired help. They put the wrong stone down and had to replace. After a couple of years most stones popped due to improper installation. Owner claims a 10 year warranty on work and will not honor. Stay clear of this business!!

I for one love to receive a good recommendation when it comes to contractors. And when I have a great experience I will shout it from the rooftops. The good ones understand the value of word of mouth marketing and focus on the customers needs. We contracted with American Exteriors and Masonry for a project in May 2020 that was supposed to start August 1st. Paid 60% and after no working being done until the beginning of October, we had about 5 solid days of work then we have hung in a lull with hit or miss work being done. We are 6 months from the contract signing and still await the vinyl windows and screens (which by the way take 4-5 weeks to arrive and have not yet been ordered). We were originally told project completion by mid-August and here we sit about to carve a Thanksgiving Turkey and still do not have a completed project. The worse part of this process beyond our situation is the poor sub-contractors who built this beautiful porch have not been paid a dime, they have come by twice to collect money from us. Where did the 60% payment go?

Worst experience ever - 7 months in nothing finished. Crew coming to my house to try and get paid

Excellent job! They paid attention to details and did amazing work! They even replanted some of my plants that needed to be moved. I would definitely use them again!

This is an initial review. If the situation improves, I will revise my rating. As you read the below, keep in mind this is supposed to be a one month job. CEO/President is Mr. Carmen Pretopapa. Contract sign date: Sept 10, 2019. Estimated start date Oct 10, 2019 & completion Nov 10, 2019. I paid $11,000 at contract signing. (Of note, the DPOR license number on the contract is off by one digit, assume this is unintentional). The goal was to make my house look identical to the same model one block away. CEO suggested I travel to Frederick Block, Brick & Stone to select brick and front stoop materials, and an employee at Frederick Block immediately recognized a photo of the example house brick as “Cortez.” CEO and lead mason Franklin came to conduct a “walk-around and final measurements.” On that day, Franklin asserted at least twice to me and CEO that the brick veneer project required a cement footer, but CEO dismissed this. I queried CEO several times about this later, but he said this was not necessary. On Oct 8, 2019, I wrote another check for $11,000 prior to start of work, per contract terms. Soon thereafter, four pallets of Cortez bricks, a long steel “L” beam, bags of mortar, a pile of sand, and a dumpster were delivered, taking up both sides of the driveway. On Oct 14, 2019, the crew cut and bolted an L beam to the front foundation, removed first floor vinyl siding, and put up Tyvek. Then, mysteriously, they didn't return. I called repeatedly, but no one responded. Finally, in frustration, on Nov 1, 2019, I drove to their office at 26 Fairfax St, SE, Leesburg to ask why no one was working. CEO stated “to protect me and him,” he determined the project needed a building permit. He said he’d hired a structural engineer, who unfortunately passed away, and was waiting for word on a replacement. I reluctantly signed a blank Loudoun County building permit. After waiting for a replacement to be designated, CEO gave up and hired another structural engineering firm. An engineer came to the house Nov 11, 2019 to collect data needed for the permit. The permit was approved Dec 12, 2019. CEO notified me the crew would resume work Jan 2, 2020. (Meanwhile I had begged them to remove the dumpster since no one was working; a car was trapped in the garage since Oct 8th. The dumpster was finally removed November 18th. ) The masonry crew worked Jan 2 and 6, 2020, digging a trench ten feet deep. On Jan 6, they also removed siding from the north and west sides of the garage and the front door surround (pediment & pilasters). The next day, the snowstorm that closed the Federal Gov't arrived. The front door and wood sheathing had no protection from the elements, but the piles of clay were covered in tarps! I requested a barrier such as orange snowfence, which would be reusable, be installed to ensure small children that lived behind me and across the street from falling into trenches. Two rows of caution tape were installed. The masons laid narrow cinder blocks on Jan 10 & Jan 12; this was promptly approved by the County. On Jan 17, 2020 the crew returned to fill in trenches to within two feet of the surface. At various dates in the interim, an employee came to transfer the pile of spreading sand in my driveway and yard (wrong color) into the dumpster. After another gap in no work, I requested a meeting with CEO Pretopapa. I was told he was no longer involved in my project, and had turned it over to General Manager Nate Hill. I met with Nate and another employee to come up with a revised schedule (the first since the contract version and something I’d requested for months). When Nate laid eyes on the property, he stated it needed to be cleaned up (since there were 4 x 8 sheets of plywood lying in the yard and equipment scattered about. He stated OSHA regs would be followed on this job. He even said the driveway needs to be powerwashed. I was ecstatic. Sparky installed black plastic sheeting (not my choice of color but better than nothing) over the front door area and exposed wood sheathing. Nate sent a draft schedule Feb 17th, asked for my input. I added more detail (such as key milestones when county inspections would be required, after receiving the County’s advice). I added we need to amend the contract to reflect current status since items are no longer valid (for example, the contract stated no permit required, the schedule was outdated by months, and the structural engineer’s drawings need to be made a part of the contract). I also added an item to the scope of work as compensation for five months of delays: the crew would furnish and install, at no expense to me, bluestone pavers in the area in front of the steps, in the same pattern as the front stoop. The masonry crew did not work at all in February 2020. To his credit, on Feb 27, a cold and windy day, an employee removed vinyl siding on the upper story. Unfortunately he threw my shutters into the dumpster, saying they were damaged. They were not. I pulled them out and took photos. The lower level 90” shutters were carefully removed by the crew on Oct 14, 2019, and I had washed and tediously repainted them in a custom color approved by the HOA. After being thrown in the dumpster, they were definitely not reusable. That was the last straw. March 10, 2020 will mark six months since the contract was signed for what CEO originally stated would take 30 days. Even accounting for bad weather, this is unacceptable. The last few days, I’d been sending photos of my house to Nate, Sparky, and Carmen so they could be reminded of what the neighbors and I are forced to look at every day. Today, I decided to put their business sign prominently in front. Mysteriously, sometime today it disappeared. I guess they are embarrassed, too. At this point, I am out $22,000 and not one brick has been laid. I put off major home renovation projects such as this until I had retired so I could monitor the work. If I had foreseen this company would do nothing for four months, I would have postponed retirement from September to January. That’s not only four months lost pay, but other projects I have planned (including a contract also signed in September for new vinyl siding) are being delayed by the inaction of this contractor. Looking at my house now, it is no surprise that some in the neighborhood think it is vacant and condemned. After six months, I hope Mr. Pretopapa or Mr. Hill will move my project to be at the top of the company’s priorities, and we can both move on with our lives.

I've previously reviewed this company with an 'A' grade. They built a deck for us at a good price. We are pleased with the result, by and large. Some of the boards came a little loose and nails popped out a bit. We were told this was normal. We were also told the deck was under warranty and somebody would come around and do any needed maintenance. After trying to schedule a service call since August I've given up and expect to do the work myself. The extent of work involved is minor. I'm not sure I would use them again.

Wonderful experience to work with Carmen, Nina and Ashley at American Exteriors and Masonry! Smooth from the beginning negotiating price ( get what you want within yur budget) to work in progress to project completion. Quality work, great customer service and very happy with how our 2 level deck, front steps and walkway and back patios turned out, just beautiful! They are very responsive and quick to address questions, concerns or just check in with you. The staff and crews were just as professional keeping you in the loop on progress or any challenges consulting with you to make decisions. Quality work and complete customer satisfaction!!

Very well! in addition to doing a splendid job, their team is friendly and helpful. Office assistance needed, long after the job was completed, was provided in a very swift and courteous manner. I plan to contact them, again, in the near future.

Project went very well. One area was not done to my liking and they quickly removed it and reinstalled at no additional cost. New deck is beautiful. One railing board has come loose and they are living up to their guarantee and servicing that next week.

Once construction was underway the project went very smooth. Their stone masons are much more akin to being artists, masterful work. Carmen was extremely helpful in the design phase and he helped engineer the winning solution. American exteriors stand by their work and had returned several times to address Effloresce which is natural. If you are looking for the best quality, workmanship and price, go no further ... you found your team!

We got a nice deck for a good price. Work was done in a reasonable amount of time. There were a few hiccups along the way, but Carmen worked with us to resolve them. Their general approach to design and pricing compared well with competing contractors.

It went as well as any outdoor construction project can go. Weather and terrain prevent all such projects from being on a precise schedule.

Great work done. Professional, nice and diligent

It went great. Job was finished quickly and professionally. Carmen was very helpful and when it came to making minor changes, it was not a problem at all. The guys he used to do the work were professional and worked quick. Was not disappointed in anyway.

The project too a few months to complete overall given the scope, but all elements exceeded our expectations. The quality of workmanship was outstanding!

Nate came out, took the time to listen patiently to what we had in mind for our patio areas. Once we finished describing our initial ideas, Nate made excellent recommendations which greatly improved our patios well beyond our expectations. Manuel and his crew started on schedule, and completed our project on time. The crew cleaned up every day, worked with us on minor changes and were very polite. The patios turned out excellent and we couldn't be more pleased. We highly recommend American Exteriors & Masonry and look forward to working with them again in the future!