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Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC

About us

We are a family owned, award winning business offering a no tech-speak, stress free process. No fancy business jargon, no high-pressure selling...in fact, no selling at all. We advise based on 40 years of business, family and home ownership experience; then, you decide what's best for your situation. It's how we'd want to be treated.

Business highlights

19 years of experience

Services we offer

Windows, basement & kitchen renovation & remodeling, bath, doors, erosion & drainage solutions; basic design solutions and renderings, gazebos, gutters, hardscape & outdoor kitchens, new construction, roofing; decks & porches, siding, stone scapes

Amenities

Free Estimates

Yes

Accepted Payment Methods

  • CreditCard
Reviews
4.221 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
76%
4
5%
3
0%
2
0%
1
19%
Showing 1-21 of 21 reviews
John N.
Mar 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
This job was actually to do some minor work to prepare our house for sale. It was a sad decision for us, because over the three previous years, Ravensworth made our house into a home suited perfectly for our family. We purchased a home that had not had any significant work done in almost 30 years. They remodeled every bathroom and kitchen, helped us redesign the top floor to create a master suite. There were few rooms in our house that did not have their fingerprints on them. They designed and built doors so our dining room could double as a home office. They were ready with design ideas if I needed them, but we're happy to make my visions a reality. They helped me sort through what changes might not be worth the money and why. When necessary, they brought in top quality partners to help them execute their work. They did hardscape work in our yard, as well as dealt with some drainage issues. They installed new garage doors. When circumstance caused us to move, our house sold in one day for ask. We have had contact with the new owners more than once since we moved, and they always tell us how much they love the house and everything in it. Time only continues to prove the quality of their work. I recommended them freely to anyone asking for a good contractor.
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"Working with the Members made for one of our favorite projects. We're so grateful, not only to have met them, but that we were able to help them with so many different projects. It was truly a great experience. The Members' home was distinctive, functional and beautiful when the many projects were complete. We very much appreciate the kind and generous comments and wish the Members the very best."

Pat H.
Jan 2016
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$13,000
Problems arose day one of demolition.  They addressed every issue head on and never tried to skirt a problem.  The wall was removed and the electrical wiring for part of the house was contained in that wall, meaning without a considerable amount of expense, it could not be changed easily because of the cement ceilings.   Ravensworth suggested a small soffit be built to house the wiring.  Initially I was opposed to this idea as I didn?t want one more soffit in the area. They convinced me, it would not only look fine, but it would look better as lights could be installed in the soffit.  The end result was amazingly beautiful and much better than not having the small soffit.
I had a slow leak under my kitchen sink for many years and numerous plumbers could never detect the cause.  Over time things under my sink became rusted.  The supervisor found the culprit behind the wall.  It was a time consuming job, getting to this pipe and repairing it, but he made it look effortless.  There was no additional cost in the contract.  It would have been a monumental job if the cabinets had been installed without finding this miniscule leak.
 
I chose to keep the existing tile floor in my kitchen and because the cabinets were a different size, the supervisor was able to construct toe kicks that are architecturally lovely.
 
I have severe allergies and bronchial problems.  One of the criteria was they had to clean up daily as I couldn?t be exposed to any dust.  Glenn assured me that would not be a problem, although I was told by all my friends, there will be dust and there will be fine dust.  Every day, my home was left spotless and dust free.

Contract:
  They provided me with a good contract with start and end completion dates and details of each phase.  It was completed ahead of schedule and my small punch list resolved immediately.

Workmanship
:  The quality of their work is top-notch.  They never skimped on materials or workmanship.

Honesty
:  I wasn?t home much of the time the construction was taking place.  The workmen were trustworthy and I never hesitated to leave valuables unprotected.  They were quiet, polite and respectful.  Although I always left sodas and water in the refrigerator for them, I would have to encourage them to help themselves.

Professionalism and communication: 
Ravensworth impressed me from my initial meeting.  Glenn is a ?can do? person and there isn?t an obstacle that gets in his way.   He was easily reachable and regularly checked in on the job.  The supervisor was also a huge asset to the easy flow of the work.  As issue would arise, he would easily find a good solution.

Punctual: 
   I was given a schedule and they didn?t waver from it, with the exception of materials did not arrive one time.  The workmen were at my doorstep early in the morning and put in a full day.

Cut costs: 
  a small cupboard in my kitchen I wanted to be reconfigured.  They had many interesting suggestions but in the end, they recommended I keep the existing closet as it worked for me. They spiffed it up and it is perfect.
 
Summary:  Ravenworth deserves a 5-Star-plus rating. They achieved exactly what I wanted and much more. Glenn/Craig Ravensworth hire accomplished sub-contractors who are self-motivated and also know how to get a job done efficiently. 
I now have a stunningly open kitchen, beautiful soft lighting under the cabinets and over the breakfast bar with natural light coming in with the removal of half wall.  I wouldn?t change a thing and I?d do it all over the very same.
 
 
 
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Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"We greatly appreciate the member's kind comments. She was a complete joy to work with and for. Her kitchen really did come out just great. We agree with her that it's a nice addition to her home. We couldn't have asked for a more pleasant customer with whom to work. Running into the unexpected on day one of demolition is not an unusual thing but it's always fun, of course, when it DOESN'T happen. Nonetheless, all's well that ends well. The member was tuned in as we discussed options so it wasn't tough coming up with a good solution for her. We're grateful for every opportunity to serve our clients but this particular client was a real joy to get to know."

Priscila I.
Jan 2015
1.0
$39,000
Overall, our experience with Ravensworth, who we learned of through our neighborhood listserve, went very poorly. In our opinion, they failed in terms of customer service, quality, and accountability. They and we were patient as the project was developed, but things went downhill as soon as we signed the contract in a rush when Ravensworth said they had a window to start work (first flag). The minor time and materials work that Ravensworth executed in two bathrooms was subcontracted and poorly supervised, thus we had numerous issues and only got excuses in return (second flag). We were not satisfied, but we thought the bigger contract-price foundation/drainage work would go better. Repeatedly, we would be advised that the contractor could potentially start next week or the week after, but they never broke ground (third flag). Finally, Ravensworth admitted that they couldn't say when their key sub would be available, but they said they had a plan B, which they said would be just as good, but it would require significant more direct supervision by Ravensworth (fourth flag). After too many flags, we declined on their new approach because we did not have any confidence in their ability to properly manage the work. We signed the contract in April 2014, and in September we let them know that we didn't want to go forward with the project based on their new approach. 
Ravensworth has refused to take responsibility for not delivering on the approach they sold us on. Ravensworth preaches customer service, but they don't hold themselves accountable when they don't deliver. They will say (as they seem to do repeatedly on Angie's List and other websites), that there are two sides to every story. They will allege that we've left out important details. We are happy to share our long email chains with anyone thinking about doing business with Ravensworth, and you can judge for yourself.
Ravensworth claims (disingenuously, we believe) that they have no idea why we decided to stop working with them, so let us be clear here. They sold us on an approach and a sub, both of which they could not produce. Their new approach would have depended on more direct supervision on their part of subs that they told us previously were not ideal to do the work. Through the time and materials work, they demonstrated to us that they were not capable of adequate oversight and quality control. Nearly five months had passed since we contracted the work, and Ravensworth was unable to even break ground (we'll give them a month's worth of slack because of a time when we were clear that we didn't want them to start work). We called mercy on the project. It was not going to happen as we envisioned. They agreed, but fourth months on we're still sorting things out. 
As the previous reviewer stated, just read the reviews here, and read the lengthy defensive comments from Ravensworth. Yes, it's sad when interactions devolve to this level, so do yourself a favor and think if you want to roll the dice and maybe have a decent experience, or blow time and money on the type of experience that we and numerous other reviewers went through. 

Philip H.
Jan 2015
1.0
$9,000
Entered into a Time and Materials Contract to repair foundation and walls of a small one room addition to my home. 
Owner, Glenn, after contract was signed and deposit made disappeared and was only contactable over email.
He immediately subcontracted the work to 3 people who did not speak English and I could not communicate well with.
During the 3 weeks his crew was working (5 full days total over 3 weeks) he was only seen on site once and his home office is less than 5 minute walk from the work site.
Day 1:  His crew show up late morning without tools, go through my shed and use my tools to work.  "Oh sorry they forgot tools, and were too embarrassed to ask so just used them.  . . and their wheelbarrow got a flat so they used yours."  Their wheelbarrow was older than mine but did not have a flat. . . he made up lots of excuses and when you are standing on the work site and he doesn't ever check up on things, it is easy to see through all the lies. 
After second week's bill had very high expenses labeled "misc." with no dates.  I paid promptly (yes I am a sucker) but asked to see receipts.  I had to tell him to stop work after 3rd week because of the slow progress and higher than expected expense.  Crew also performed work explicitly written in contract not to do.  I had already contracted a company to replace the roof told them not to do anything to cover it explicitly in contract, but they replaced part of it anyways.   They used felt paper on a low pitch roof and felt paper doesn't even meet minimum code, so it had to all be ripped down.  ( I was still charged for the time and expense  . . what?  "It would be unprofessional of us not to fix the roof even if you told us not to"  what?)  The crew was supposed to be 3 man crew but 1 or 2 were almost always missing, and only 1 day in 3 weeks did they stay at the home for a full 8 hours. 
Two and a half months after they stopped working and after I asked to see supporting receipts I finally hear back from Glenn with a final bill and a bunch of receipts.  It turns out that the 2nd week bill, based on receipts, I was over charged over $2,000.  The receipts also had tool purchases and tool rentals which I was not supposed to be charged.  I expected them to have a shovel and circular saw as a construction company.  The kicker is that one of the biggest receipts was in the group copied twice to look different.  I guess he did not think I would look at more than the totals on them?  He also tried to charge extra for days his crew did not work and when confronted he said that he couldn't put them on another job so I owed him the money.  He said it was an honest mistake but then he would not modify the bill
I added up what I did owe contractually and with my deposit and over payment on previous bills it turned out that he owes me just under $1000.  Now he has gone silent again, and won't meet with me to discuss or change the bill or give me my money owed.
I have yet to see any of my money back.  Do business with this company at your own peril, or if you enjoy flushing money down the toilet.
I was over charged, and had to hire people to fix all the mistakes.  Read all the reviews on Angies list.  I should have before doing business with them. 
Lots of excuses.  No effort. 
   


Jim W.
Sep 2013
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,500
Glenn and his crew are fantastic, I had the opportunity to see there work form start to finish, they were pleasant and took care to work around my schedule.
Ravensworth provides quality work all the way through the project. I highly recommend there services.

Stephen S.
Jul 2013
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$60
did not get a plan as advertised, just an estimate/
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"We appreciate the fair and objective response from this Angie's List member. It is not unreasonable given the events with which we were dealing at the time and our subsequent lack of ability to provide the level of service for which we were known beforehand. We very well may have been mistaken but thought that this member was not ready for drawings at the time that we talked and, for the time being, was in need of an order of magnitude about the general type of work discussed. Again, we may have been mistaken. We would still be willing to provide drawings should this member desire them. Again, we appreciate this member's contribution to the Angie's List knowledge base. We, as a company, look forward to returning to a level of excellence for any prospective clients."

Taurek K.
Dec 2012
1.0
$59
never received deck design.
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"Let me point out again, the member did not pay our company $59. He paid this to Angie's List. They are happy to refund him the $59. We cannot refund him the money, we were not paid the $59. The member called our company a number of times. I called him back repeatedly. We attempted to set an appt with this member but it never seemed to work out. We do not believe we are deserving of an F rating for this. Certainly not an A but not an F either. We trust the Angie's List member recognizes that he only need ask Angie's List for a refund. We are aware that the member received other estimates from other contractors and hope that one of those projects worked out well. Thank you for this opportunity to respond. Merry Christmas to all."

Paula D.
Nov 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$59
Overall went well. they were a little overwhelmed with the response but did a great job on the plans including incorporating our desires.
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"Customer; Thanks so much for the acknowledgment. You are one of the Angie's List customers who we were able to help with plans and we are, of course, so happy that you were pleased with what we offered. We are grateful for your kind words, they are, as the ancient author said, like water to the dry soul. Thanks again!"

Marc A.
Nov 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,900
James and team did a great job designing my deck, getting the plans approved by the HOA, and completing it on time. They also gave me a very fair price to boot (much lower than some other estimates, and right about at the lowest we received). All in all we are very satisfied.
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"Well, after the last year we've had, I can't tell you how much I'd love for this report to be ours. But we are honest so I have to say this is not our report. And it's only fair that whatever company provided this great service for the Angie's List member get the credit for it. It will take us a while to regain your trust. But we will. Happy Veteran's Day to all."

Jeffrey T.
Oct 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
One of the easiest projects I have ever had done. Had clear instructions on what I needed to do to prepare for removal of old windows and installation of new ones. The crew handled the job expeditiously and professionally. They provided free follow-up when I accidentally got one of the windows off-track afterwards.

Jan S.
Jul 2012
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
They did an excellent job. They were well organized because they had everything available. They were very good in responding to our request. We used them because we liked the services they had provided to our neighbor. When it comes to the price, it is expensive for us. We would use them again in the future but we also have to consider the cost.
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"Member's are great customers! They are friendly and were easy to work with. We very much appreciate this report and will always do our best to provide the best value and service for the Member's and every Angie's List customer that we are able to help."

Lawrence B.
May 2012
1.0
I received numerous excuses as to why he could not come out. He kept in communication with me, but he is a no show. I understand personal matters can come up, but I had been trying to schedule with him since mid february.
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"We appreciate the member's response and can certainly understand his frustration. Our performance has been sub par for us and we deeply regret that we undertook the Angie's List Big Deal when we did. But that is only because of the unforeseeable events which occurred for us personally. We did not want to broadcast the news but the reality is that our father (my brother and I are partners in the company) became very ill around this time drawing quite close to death repeatedly. He passed away about 3 weeks ago now. Being a very small company and never dreaming we were going to get over 50 responses -- thank you Angie's List customers! -- we were overwhelmed. We provide highly customized work and draw each of the plans ourselves. But the sheer number of responses coupled with our Dad's prolonged decline in health (which pulls one away from one's work over and over each time new is received of deteriorating conditions and then rush to be there in the event he passes) and eventual passing simply proved to be the perfect storm for us. All of that said, we have completed meetings with about 1/2 of the Angie's List customers and have spoken with others who have very kindly understood our situation and have been willing for us to reach out to them as we were able. We are doing just that and as rapidly as we can. We asked the members to respond with any pictures of their yard and simple descriptions of what they would like to accomplish. Most of been very helpful by responding, a few have not. Having said all of that, we have records of emails sent to the member twice in Feb, twice in March and again twice in April with no records of any response. I have no way of attesting to whether or not the member has called (I assume he has but cannot confirm or deny this). As to the member's use of the Angie's List Big Deal coupon, we are more than happy, under the circumstances, to extend the offer for any reasonable length of time. Again, we do apologize to the member and to all of the other members who purchased this Big Deal. It is our intent to follow up with everyone who may still have interest in speaking with us. The situation is behind us now for the most part but, as one might imagine, a considerable toll has been taken on our productivity and schedule. We are recovering and endeavoring to meet our commitments as efficiently and quickly as we are able. We do appreciate the compassion, sympathy and many kind well wishes from so many Angie's List members."

JO G.
Jan 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,000
were very responsive to all call, from initial appt to actual installation. I was amazed at how clean they were in the installation!
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"This home was quite unique with interesting design implementations both inside and out. It was a real pleasure to add our custom exterior color windows to the already attractive interior."

Mike D.
Nov 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$40,000
Overall, the Ravensworth team was excellent! From their first visit to our house, company owners’ Glenn and his brother Craig were extremely professional, attentive to our expectations and provided good recommendations to our proposed remodel plan. The lead carpenter, Miguel, is a true craftsman and treated our job as if it were his own home. He ensured the design came together down to the smallest of detail. He was great to work with and made sure we were happy each step of the way. These guys are great builders, doing most of the work within the company and when they do use subcontractors (flooring, shower enclosure) they pick good ones. They took the time to keep the work site clean each day and put up materials protect the rest of the house from the construction effort. They were right on time each day and worked straight through the jobs (no interruptions for other jobs). The project finished on time, except for the glass shower enclosure which will be delivered in about 10 days. The weakness of this company is they are builders, not designers. If you know what you want and have a plan, as we did, they will work out great. Otherwise, get a designer involved. We had to be on top of the details during the process, selecting the plumbing fixtures, shower enclosure (this got lost in the mix was ordered late), paint and lighting. Fortunately, we were involved everyday talking to the Glenn and Miguel, so we could make sure they had the information needed for the next days work. I would have preferred to determine all of this before starting, something I think a designer would do, and it would have prevented some chaos and hurried internet searches to confirm certain choices. However, for the scope of this job one has to expect some chaos, especially while still living in the house. I will certainly recommend Ravensworth to anyone, if you are prepared to be an active participant in your remodel. It is your home, so you should want to be involved. UPDATE: All is finished, the shower door is installed. Glenn was right there to ensure the door was installed and all the final details were resolved. See the latest picture.
Response from Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC
"The Members were awesome to work with. Delightful people. It's only fitting that they have a lovely home to enjoy. They deserve it. We were quite pleased to assist them in making their master suite a more comfortable sanctuary in which to spend time."

Rebecca F.
Aug 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$20,000
They were very responsive from the beginning and bounced ideas off of each other and off of me. They also came by frequently to check on projects when the contractors were working and checked in with me frequently to see how things were going. Everything was completed perfectly and we were very pleased with everything that they did for us. Wonderful, beautiful work! We will use them again for future projects.

Gillian M.
Apr 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,100
Originally, there was an aluminum awning over my front door, but it collapsed under the weight of snow and ice in February. Since it had to be replaced, I wanted to do something sturdier than another awning. Glenn and Craig and their foreman Miguel were responsive and creative. I appreciated the photo references and renderings of what I was getting into before I signed a contract. Overall, quality, timely work.

Alan W.
Nov 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
It took them a long time to get started but once they started, the work was done significantly well. They used sub contractors and they did a good quality job. I was satisfied with their service.

MARION A.
Mar 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,400
They arrived promptly as requested at 7:30 am (for my convenience). I came back to the house at 3:00 to the smell of fresh-cut wood and a basement cleaner than it had been in thirty years. The house was locked up and all workers had departed. No extra day, no extra repair. Everything secured ahead of time and right on budget. The settlement can now proceed and the buyers are assured of a termite-free home. You might say Ravensworth never promises more than they deliver, but deliver more than they promse.

James K.
Feb 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$20
Overall very happy with the job. The company owners (Tobias brothers) were always on the scene when I called with an issue. There were a couple of minor re-dos during the process, but these were not unexpected with a job of this scope, and without exception were completed to my satisfaction...and I am picky. I will keep them on the top of my list for future work, including kitchen and other remodeling jobs.

Christopher C.
Jan 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$19,000
Glenn came out to our house and walked the property for a couple of hours. He came up with several suggestions to achieve our desired result. We thought most of his suggestions were good, but when he followed up with computer renderings of the concepts, we were very pleased with his ideas. We quickly settled on his design and he came up with a quote that was fair and we were quickly under contract. His crew showed up right on time, started to re-structure the yard and got out in front of the schedule right off the bat. We ran into some bad weather that held us up a little, but Glenn kept us up to date with what was going on so we were never without information about the job. The result is fantastic. I can't wait to see it in the spring. Glenn even came out after the job was completely finished and the final payment made to make sure that everything was going well. In fact he had to make some changes to insure the drainage was going to be perfect. How many contractors do that? We couldn't be more pleased with our landscaping project and we will always go to Ravensworth first for our home improvement projects.

BILL P.
Jun 2007
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$19,000
Job was done within a week, and the work is sxcellent. The quality of the materials is top notch, making my house look fantastic. And the crew was very professional, arriving early and working late through hot days. The yard was thoroughly cleaned up each day. Ravensworth came back later and mulched around gardens close to the house and did an extra cleaning of any debris found. This was not part of the deal, and a very pleasant surprise!

Licensing

State Contractor License Requirements

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FAQ

Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC is currently rated 4.2 overall out of 5.

Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard

Yes, Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC offers free project estimates.

No, Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.

No, Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC does not offer a senior discount.

No, Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC does not offer emergency services.

No, Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC does not offer warranties.