Denny & Gardner

They started July and Finished August.

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It went very well on the first bathroom.  There were some significant delays on the second one but the final outcome was just what we wanted.

The designer knew was personable and knew how to lead us to what we liked.

The people who did the construction were gifted in their craft and friendly.  Everyone was incredibly friendly to our very small children, which was also important to us.

Our kitchen is amazing. It should be in a magazine!

See above

Fabulously

This was a rather large job that had the potential for a ton of issues - thankfully that was not the case with D&G.  Denny & Gardner removed all the existing kitchen cabinetry, knocked down walls to the attached laundry room and removed all the flooring in the kitchen and family room area and then completely rebuilt the kitchen - a complete kitchen renovation.

We met with several general contractors before deciding on Denny & Gardner for two main reasons. 1) They were the only contractor who seemed to listen to what I was asking for and provided an initial bid to cover everything .2) I was extremely impressed with the amount of communication. Caroline was my main POC with them from day 1, but even Mr. Gardner himself was in contact with me throughout the process. Caroline was always available via email/phone/text which was extremely important because I wanted to be involved in the process, but I worked full-time and communicating via email was a must.

Caroline and I spent several months talking/meeting/shopping to come up with the perfect design for the kitchen that I was 100% happy with before starting construction - even completely changing design directions more than one time. She was even happy to support my rather unique requests such as a pot filler in the pantry area, laundry chute and dog station.

It was a full couple of months of construction, but the team made it as easy for us as possible. They left everything super clean and were even playful with our pets. Any comments/questions/concerns I had about the work that was done each day was immediately answered.

Overall, we were so extremely impressed with Denny & Gardner!

We are very happy with the finished product.  We were impressed with the design concept and suggestions and the general quality of work of Denny and Gardner (D&G) sub-contractors. We would recommend D&G for any home expansion or construction project.
We received an estimate at the end of December 2013 and worked through details and design until mid-February, when we signed a contract and paid a deposit.  Throughout the design process, D&G engaged with us to develop and refine the plans to fit our vision and tastes. Jason and his team proved to be flexible and demonstrated a commitment to quality from the beginning through the closeout of the project. D&G invests heavily in retaining high quality subcontractors and this is apparent in their finished work. D&G strives to be responsive to your daily work schedule and we always appreciated their attentiveness to keeping an eye on our pets, especially our special needs dog.
We did experience delays in the permitting process; however, once construction began, D&G pushed hard to make the schedule work for us. If you are building in Arlington County, you should anticipate delays in securing permits that can be very disruptive. Even the best contractors are still subject to the whims of the county?s permitting office.
Depending on the scale of your project, we would also recommend setting up some sort of communication plan to discuss progress on the project.  We communicated primarily over email, which proved to be cumbersome to manage and track at some points of the project.  In hindsight, we should have pushed for some sort of weekly check-in.  This would have alleviated some of confusion that occurred at different stages of the project.
All projects have their challenges but overall we are very happy with D&G?s customer service, professionalism and quality.

We are very pleased with the end result. I'll have to update this review once the cold weather sets in... we haven't yet been able to confirm that the new HVAC and heated floor allow us to use the room during the winter months. 



Most of the project went smoothly. The subs and various tradespeople on the project worked efficiently. We had a couple of hiccups, such as a skylight that was broken during demo. But D&G addressed such problems. The timeline was a bit longer than originally discussed, I think primarily due to the delay in obtaining the heated floor mats. Whenever I had a question or concern and raised this to Jason (one of the owners), he was typically quick to respond and address.

They surveyed the job and we told them what we wanted. After the survey they suggested we could accomplish our request by using exsisting material and saved us quite a bit of money. They had the job day done  in two days, cleaned up everything and as always kept us informed of what was happening on the project.. We have used them before and plan on using them again. 
                                                 The Moore Family

Think they don't make 'em like they used to?  That good service is a thing of the past?  You haven't met Denny & Gardner. They are the consumate pros and we could not be more pleased with the work they performed for us.  We interviewed several contractors but ultimately went with them, working in concert with Jon Hensley and Bojana from Jon Hensley Architects to decide upon architectural plans.  
D&G broke ground at the end of September 2013.  We stayed in the house for a month and then moved out for 2 months. They worked nonstop and we moved back in to a completed house the weekend before Christmas 2013! In that short time, most of the house was gutted, walls were moved, bathrooms added, garage added and we basically ended up with a new house.  No more musty smells, but a clean and beautiful home! 
Norm Gardner, Sr. was on site every day and communicated with us in person, by phone, and/or email several times a week.  He kept us apprised of progress and what to expect as we moved forward.  His level of communication was very reassuring and eliminated any surprises or unexpected glitches.  His ability to coordinate the scheduling of the various crew with the arrival of large quantities of lumber, electrical products, plumbing materials, painting supplies, flooring and appliances ensured a seamless, efficient process.  In addition, his suggestions, based on his wealth of experience, were always spot on and improved the end product.
The foreman, William, was on site every day as well, supervising the crew and answering our questions.  The various workers - cement, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, decorator, cabinet maker, tile installer - were either full-time employees or had established relationships with the firm.  There were at least 6 workers onsite every day and as many as 12 at times.  They were consistently friendly and courteous, and brought a level of skill and professionalism to the job that showed that they really cared about their work.  They did their utmost to keep the place tidy and work around our furniture.  
Their designer, Caroline, was wonderful to work with.  She had great suggestions and went out of her way to ensure that everything fit together well.  While we had certain ideas of how we wanted it to look, she made sure the house ended up with that look.  Their tile guy, Marcin, did a great job with all our different tile work, and we were amazed especially at how he made sure everything lined up on the backsplash in the kitchen.  
Items of note:  
Lower level - Our 1960's fireplace and hearth was plain ugly - a dirty cream brick with a slap of wood across the wall for a mantle.  We changed the facade, removed the hearth, and built in cabinets and a new mantle and it is beautiful.  We added recessed lighing throughout.  We enlarged the family room with a built-in area for the large tv, removed the paneling and popcorn ceiling, added a closet in the bedroom, built an office, merged two awkward half-baths to create a full bath, added wood flooring throughout the lower level, and added wood molding.  
1st floor - basically gutted and walls rearranged.  We added a laundry room and powder room.  We converted the carport into a mudroom and gorgeous kitchen.  Our tile flooring in the kitchen and mudroom has a plank look and is supereasy to clean and always looks good.  The mudroom cabinets take care of coats, shoes, backpacks and mess.  We also added recessed lighting.  In the living room, we have a built-in area for TV and cabinets.  We added a bay window to match an existing bay window - and used the company which had installed the other bay window a year earlier.  D&G noticed the window was not the same size despite ordering the same and took care of that hassle and the window company removed the incorrect window and rebuilt a correct-size bay window.  
Garage - 2-car with upper area storage reached by a pull-down ladder.  We don't know how we managed without a garage.  
2nd floor - We gutted a full bath and half bath to create a full bath for the kids in a new location, and changed the old full bath and half bath into a master walk-in closet and a full master bath with a tile shower and skylight.  The master bedroom and bathroom is a sanctuary!  
Outside - they cleared an area for us and we installed a large storage shed with electrical wiring.  They built a deck-area to hold our garbage cans, figured out where to put a concrete path and suggested a landscaper.  
Our wireless never worked well and we wanted direct internet wiring, so they brought in a guy to fix that for us, built in a panel to easily access the wiring, and fixed the location of our router so wireless is accessible throughout the house and porch. 
Along the way, changes occur but they talked about it with us and we were able to work through any changes without a problem.    At the outset of the project, Mr. Gardner had assured us that he and his men would dedicate themselves to our house as if it were their own.  They truly did, and we couldn't be happier.  We cannot recommend them highly enough!
Pictures of our house are available on their website/Facebook.

It was AMAZING!  I cannot say enough good things about Denny & Gardner.  They wooed us for a long time before we were ready to make a commitment.  I really appreciated their patience!  We felt we needed to do our due diligence since this was a huge project, a lot of money, and we had heard horror stories about contractors from our neighbors (one was living a kitchen remodel horror story at the time.).  D&G worked with us on the plan and they were great about allowing us to make tweaks here and there and give us new estimates to help us make the cost more manageable.  They did not charge us additional "design fees" either, which a lot of the other companies we spoke with would have done.  Being an architect, I did the bulk of the design layout and 3D design, and then showed them the direction I wanted to go with the kitchen.  They were able to take my drawings and make our kitchen come to life!  We worked a lot with Caroline who coordinated the project on the D&G end.  She did a great job and was so patient in answering my thousands of questions.  She also has a good eye when it comes to finishes and I trust her judgement.  We also worked with Debijo, who is an interior coordinator and was part of the contract we had with D&G.  She help us make some major finish decisions when my husband and I were having "creative differences" on the cabinet color, etc.  Debijo was great, but I do wish she hadn't been so busy.  I felt rushed at having to make finish decisions and ended up going back to the granite and tile place multiple times without her and actually found the granite and tile we used while I was on my own.
We had a pre-construction meeting with Norm (one of the owners), Caroline, Debijo, and Leroy (the supervisor) and they began work the following Monday.  Their construction team is STELLAR!  They are incredibly professional, very friendly, helpful, and they were so sweet to my kids (that is important because my kids are little and all of the loud noises and lack of normalcy was rough on them at times).  They cleaned up every single night!  I have been to my share of job sites and I have NEVER seen a construction site that clean!  I was so impressed!  They hung up plastic sheets as well, to try to contain the dust and had a zippered door into the kitchen that could be opened or closed while construction was going on.  The cabinets, appliances, tiles, granite, etc. was incredibly well timed so there was no lag in construction.  They do have sub-contractors for a couple of the trades, but their subs were great as well!  Leroy is a perfectionist, which I appreciate, and Marcin, their tile installer, is beyond excellent!!  We were a couple of days behind in the schedule at the time Marcin first came to install the floor and he worked such long hours (even a Saturday!), that he made up a couple of days on the schedule!  We were told it would take 6-8 weeks and they finished at just about 8 weeks.  There were a few minor code things that had to be addressed.  These came up during the final inspection, but we were substantially complete and able to use the kitchen, so it wasn't a big deal.  Leroy came back and fixed the few things that had been noted and we passed.  
I cannot explain how happy we are with the experience we had with Denny & Gardner.  They give contractors a good name.  They are honest, trustworthy, friendly, patient..... I could go on.  I had no qualms about leaving them in my house to work when I had to run out and they gave me no reason to worry.  Thanks Denny & Gardner!!

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Denny and Gardner are wonderful! We had a tree fall on our townhouse
causing damage from the roof down. As we were working through the
process of beginning repairs our entire kitchen, dining room, and living
room flooded due to a frozen pipe. Norm and his team were life savers.
Norm and his partners reviewed the damage and were able to give us
recommendations on how to best fix it and make beautiful upgrades to our
home in the process. Norm attended several walk throughs with me and
our insurance agent which was incredibly helpful to be sure the adjuster
included everything in the damage assessment...items I definitely
wouldn't have known to bring up to the agent. Our agent even thanked
Norm for including items he would have had to revise the adjustment to
include! The design consultation provided by Caroline was so helpful!
The crew working on the house was professional, quick, and did an
impeccable job. Norm made himself available to us all the time
responding to my numerous questions immediately. When our heat pump gave
out during the remodel he was able to have it replaced the same day!
We could not be happier with our new house! D+G finished our project on
time and exactly on budget. Even though we were one of D + G's smaller
projects they still treated us as if we were the most important client.

I am extremely pleased with all aspects of my master bath remodel. I did most of the design myself, but it was nice to get feedback from Caroline. She was happy to meet me at a tile/granite/marble location she was not familiar with in order to accommodate me. Jason was wonderful and always kept me "in the know" as to what was going on and what was going to happen next. The plumber worked some serious magic by researching and installing the digital shower system I had chosen. The tile did a remarkable job - very precise and gave some excellent design tips based on his experience. The electricians and painter also did a nice job. The demo Gus actually finished ahead of schedule. Everything was cleaned up everyday and I didn't feel like we needed to move into a different bedroom while the work was going on in the master bath. It was fun hearing the guys get excited about the fixtures I picked out (even the 300 pound cast iron tub that had to go up to the third floor). Everyone involved was very courteous and punctual. They even took time to say hi and high five my two children on their way in and out (and in and out etc). I would definitely recommend them and already have to several neighbors.

UPDATE [4/15]:  We feel obligated to update our review based on some subsequent events.  Some time during the one year since the work was completed, the marble floor in our powder room cracked the entire width of the room, right in the middle.  D&G looked at it and agreed that it had cracked. They indicated that nothing could be done other than replace the entire
floor.  I subsequently asked if we could extend the craftsmanship warranty if the crack started to chip and get worse as
the years wore on [as the crack is now, it's not enough for us to redo the floor].  We never received a response to
this request [we sent it twice over a 2 week period].     

I also forgot to mention in our original review that the D&G designer we worked with ordered way too much wall tile for our hallway bath [40 square feet extra].  We ended up having to pay for this extra tile to the tune of about $350.  Consequently, you should pay close attention to their tile orders and measurements. 

Based on both of the above items, we feel compelled to reduce our overall experience ratings down a bit.  We still recommend this firm, but less enthusiastically than before.

ORIGINAL [3/14]:  We worked with one of the Denny and Gardner [D&G] designers to decide on colors, tiles, styles, etc.  This was very useful because it saved us from running all over town looking at everything and attempting to make decisions.  The designer helped us focus on what worked and the benefits and pitfalls of certain alternatives.  The D&G process allowed us to buy whatever materials we wanted [more expensive or less], thus helping us to control our costs.  This process took advantage of discounts available to certain designer/buyers.  These discounts were substantial, especially when purchasing tile and stone.
D&G showed up as scheduled on January 6 to start the demolition.  The project manager was excellent and kept everything clean and minimized construction dust.  These guys cleaned things up throughout the day so when they left, it really looked good.  They replaced any studs that had water damage and added studs and reinforement where necessary.  The tile work  was extraordinary.
The project manager constantly surprised us by doing things we didn't expect [such as retooling the window blinds in our master bath to fit the newly tiled window - which is slightly smaller than the old window - and the blinds look like new].  The project manager was extremely diligent to the point where I stopped worrying about work quality because he was such a perfectionist.
The 3 bathrooms were complete in one month.  We had to wait an extra week for the glass shower door for the master bath [which was custom made].  We are very happy with the new bathrooms.  We thought our overall cost was pretty good.  We had checked with another popular bath remodeling company in the area, and our actual cost ended up about $5,000 lower than it would have been with this other company.  We feel D&G's process of allowing customers to buy their own tile, faucets, etc. using the designer discounts available helped minimize costs [and we did not use cheap materials!].  D&G also was always interested in how things were going and whether we were happy with things.  They wanted to make sure their customer was satisfied.  We found this refreshing, and it extended from the owner all the way down to the assistant that worked for the on-site project manager.
In summary, I think this is the single best experience with a contractor of any kind we have ever had.  We recommend Denny and Gardner for remodeling bathrooms.

I called to schedule an estimate. Some furniture movers had damaged my condo front door so that I had to "body" slam the door to get it shut. Needed an estimate to start fighting w/ the furniture company's insurance to get it repaired. He came over, exactly on time, and started looking at the door. I was painting, made some jokes about the fixer upper I had just purchased, and next thing I knew he was drilling and pounding at the door. I was a little nervous, because I had just needed an estimate and this furniture company has been SO difficult. After about 15 minutes he turns and says he's done, door is fixed. I asked how much - he didn't charge me a cent!
I have really been taken to the wall with this new condo, and you know, it was so nice for him to just fix it. Clearly this is a business and they're not going to do your work for free, but it turns out it was a minor fix for him, and I am so grateful and thankful. Just that act of kindness makes me want to work with them. 
They knew it was an insurance repair, and could have come up with some number, but the fact that he just banged it out was amazing. If they're this gracious about a door (you have no idea how stressed out I was over this on top of everything else), I can only imagine how fair they'll be for other work. I'm saving up for a new kitchen, and will absolutely be reaching out to them.

The crew was friendly, always on time and kept us updated on their progress. They made one small mistake and they were the ones who caught it and corrected it without any questions. They always cleaned up after their days work and helped us to make correct decisions about what we needed in our bathrooms.This company made it easy to plan for future improvements.

Exceedingly well-done project.  While we knew we wanted a long linear gas fireplace, they helped us determine the maximum size footprint we could fit in the existing chimney space, coordinated with the fireplace company on exact specifications for the firebox,  and their master tiler installed 24"x24" wavy tile on entire wall.   The tile work was absolutely perfect - virtually seamless. This is the second time we used D&G. Last year they also did 3 bathroom renovations for us, and again the gorgeous tile work and overall attention to detail were key to returning for another project.  We choose not to include cost info in the review.

First, everyone I dealt with was incredibly pleasant, which makes this a very hard review to write. Read all the way to the bottom to get a complete picture.
The job got off to a good start and we were thrilled to hear our 1985 kitchen would be renovated in roughly three weeks (worst case scenario of five weeks). Guess again. It took 16 weeks.
The first big delay was on the cabinet maker, Bill at Way Point. D&G gave us three cabinet vendors and, with some encouragement from them, we chose Way Point for their price point and standard delivery. If I remember correctly, it took more than three weeks for those cabinets to come in. At least D&G was able to schedule some of the electrical work while we waited.
When the cabinets arrived they were a perfect match with our our existing cabinets! But, lack of communication from D&G meant we didn't get the tiered silver ware drawer nor the broom pantry I had been so excited about and. We ordered the desired drawer ourselves and they kindly installed. The broom pantry had to be improvised.  Also, a few of the decorative panels were the wrong size by several inches, and the filler strips were terribly warped. This meant another several weeks of waiting.
In the meantime there was another lapse of communication, which to a lot of installing, uninstalling, and reinstalling our under-cabinet lights.
Finally, everything was a day or two from being finished when, while installing the crown molding, a nail was shot through some of the electrical. It more than a week before the electrician could come back, but to do the repair he had to cut a hole in the new bulkhead, plus we ended up with a faulty GFI. The hole had to patched, mudded, and painted and the GFI replaced a few days later.
Finally we were done! Mostly.
Our design consultant at Denny & Gardner was adamant about their intent to fix anything, absolutely anything, we were not 100% happy with.We were done, though. As soon as the renovation passed inspection we started fixing all the little things that continued to bother us: corners that weren't square, molding pieces cut too long and causing gaps, improvised gap covers.
I do want to touch on the positives though.The crew stayed in touch consistently throughout the entire process so we always had the updates and answers we needed. Everybody who worked on our kitchen was clean - our floors and belongings were always covered and the kitchen was always returned to a usable state at the end of the day. The crew arrived on time or early each day they worked. Denny and Gardner, as a whole, admitted this job had gone terribly astray and took great pains to make it up to us. There is not a single person who was hard to deal with - they were all, in fact, a pleasure to work with.
My overall grade of C reflects the length of the job and the compounded issues. I gave D&G As and Bs in the specific categories suggested by Angie's List because none of those things were necessarily problematic.
In the end, the journey was less than pleasant but we ended up with an updated kitchen. The cabinets, new counter tops, and new sink are amazing. I don't know how we survived before without the  under-cabinet lights with dimmers. Our kitchen has a much better flow over all.

From the very beginning, Norm, Brandon and Jason impressed us with their professionalism, their knowledge and their creative problem solving. Once the remodel was underway, we were even more impressed with the crew. Leroy, a master craftsman himself, oversaw and did much of the work. It is rare to be able to say that it was a pleasure having  total strangers occupy your home every day for 3 weeks, but we can say that about Leroy, Reggie, Jhoan and Marchin. More importantly, their work was   exemplary. 
This project was not without challenges and obstacles. Once the crew were down to the studs, we discovered a massive leak had been going on resulting in damage to the roof, the drywall and some of the actual structure of the house. As a result, we had termites and carpenter ants to deal with as well. Norm immediately brought in his best roofer and quickly  and expertly repaired the roof. The project was only minimally delayed. Though we had now incurred significant unexpected expense, we were relieved that the best professionals were taking care of it.
We can recommend Denny and Gardner without reservation.

Working with Jason (Denny) and Norm (Gardner) has been wonderful! They are attentive to our needs, good listeners, responsive to inquiries, and flexible.  They both have expertise in working with all kinds of homes and style types; their extensive experience allowed them to guide us in a very helpful and supportive way with regard to designs, plans, materials, etc.  The different projects they completed for us were done in a timely, professional way, and the cost was reasonable.  We have been very happy with their services and are looking forward to continuing our relationship with them.

I had previously hired a contractor, that was suggested by an acquaintance, to install a custom shower.  I did not check this company out, which turned out to be a big mistake.  I ended up with a leak that I determined was not in the plumbing but in the tile work itself.  I received four quotes to fix this and of the four Denny & Gardner had the best price and the most complete scope.  Unfortunately, the only real "fix" was to totally remove the existing tile and wallboard back down to the studs and start over again.  Denny & Gardner suggested this was the only way to be sure that all of the leaks could be found and fixed and I agreed.  I did not want to go though this process a third time
More to the point, my experience with Denny & Gardner
 - They were very professional and took care to protect the walkway to the bathroom and keep the area clean
 - The individual, Marcin, who did the work was very nice and did excellent work
 - They basically just tore out what was there and put it back, but it looks so much better than it did to begin with:
     - Marcin took the time to lay out the tiles so there were no little "rips" of tiles (we had these "rips" from the previous installation)
     - The tiles that Marcin installed were flush where the previous installation were not.
 - It may not seem like much, but it's these little details that make all the difference and I guess you really don't know until you see the quality (or lack there of) from one contractor to another

Norm and Jason were great throughout the entire process. Norm Gardner was very open and upfront about a realistic budget and timeline to complete the job. Jason Denny came to the house and after listening to my wants & needs got it! He even had many great suggestions that I would have never imagined possible, many of which I incorporated into the remodel. All phases of work were completed on time and on budget. The different crews were very efficient and the quality of their work was very high. They were also very professional and courteous (not always the case with some sub contractors). I would definitely use Denny & Gardner again. I am extremely pleased. Our family now enjoys countless hours hanging out in our new beautiful basement.

We obtained four full quotes and three full designs before deciding on Denny and Gardner.  They were not the cheapest or most expensive but they really understood our needs for the kitchen remodel.  They were the only people whom we talked to who suggested flipping the entrance of the pantry in our kitchen and knew exactly how to do it.  Once I showed Brandon my Pinterest account, he knew exactly what kind of style we were going for.  He went out to his car, and literally pulled out the door that we wanted.  I think that sealed the deal for us. 
They worked with Debijo, an interior designer who made the whole process brainless for us.  Once we selected a cabinet style, she took us shopping for countertops.  It took us 30 minutes to make a decision.  She then came to our house and showed us about ten different selections of tile and backsplash that would go with our style and it took us 30 minutes to make a decision.  She gave us advice on cabinet hardware, faucet choices, lighting, paint and even our bar stools.  I think that made the whole decision making process so much easier for us. 
Leroy, our project manager, was very communicative and kept me up to date.  Neil, the other worker in our house was really great, very meticulous and helped me to make some choices on how wide to make the window pass through and widening our entrance. 
They started a week late because of some personal reasons and finished after 4 full weeks of work and one more week of touch up work.  The only snag that we hit was having to replace the entire subfloor because the original was falling apart in some places.  They ended up actually pulling out some drywall out behind our backsplash because their tile guy Marcin didn't like the way that the drywall was a bit wonky.  It turned out that our walls were not very straight, but they pulled out everything and redid that drywall so that the tile would lay beautifully flat.  Their tile guy was wonderful and very careful.
Everyone cleaned up after themselves after each day.  We did have some dust in the house, but it was ok.  We are very glad that we asked Denny and Gardner to do the kitchen, and we will certainly call them again when we decide to do our bathrooms.