I used Jim for this job because I know from my own personal experience with him, that he is honest, dependable, professional, an expert in his field and has an eye for the finer details. In addition I know that he will work with me to make sure I am happy about every single aspect of the job. As a testament to Jim's worok ethic, I think it is important to tell you how we met. I was living in a rental in Springfield, VA and the bathroom ceramic tile was leaking into the wall and running down two stories into the basement. Jim was hired by my landlord to fix the problem. When it came to finishings on the job, the landlord was unwilling to pay for ceramic tile trim around the baseboard but instead wanted Jim to install that crappy looking black rubber/vinyl baseboard. Jim would not let his work look like that and at his own cost, finished the job with the ceramic tile that matched the shower walls. At that time I thought, "WOW!! When I have my own home, this is the guy!!" We have been in our own home since 2001 and I have used Jim multiple times with excellent results eacn and every time. I had in mind what I wanted to do with the kitchen and Jim came out to the house for us to discuss it. We went over it in detail and he made suggestions for things that he thought would improve my layout and workspace. The contract was ready within the week. We planned to start the job in January, after the holidays. During the month of December, I picked out and purchased my appliances with Jim's input. He was always available for discussion and to give advice when asked. I really value his opinion - he is honest and has no hidden agenda when recommending something. Jim covered the floor of my dining room with masonite so that we would have a place to put the appliances when they were delivered as I needed to store them for a period of time. I had taken advantage of a sale and the appliance store would only hold delivery for so long. In addition, Jim helped us set up an interim kitchen in my front room including covering the carpet with masonite under the fridge and plastic over the walking areas. At the time that we started, I only planned on doing the kitchen. As the work progressed, I realized I was not going to be happy with my mudroom and laundry as they were going to look shabby compared to my kitchen, so at a later date we did a secondary contract to include the mudroom and laundry work. Each day Jim and his crew arrived on time. The rest of the house was sealed off to contain dust during the demolition and at any other time that dust would have been a problem. Jim kept our path to the laundry open so that we could use the laundry room until the very last minute. Each day, the work area was cleaned, swept and tidied. I trust Jim completely so I always give him a key to my home when he does a job for me. He keeps it in his possession at all times. Jim worked with me during each phase of the remodel. I chose and purchased my own light fixtures, door handles, etc. I asked him to purchase the sink, exhaust fan, garbaged disposal and faucets after telling him what i needed/wanted regards the style and function. He found me the best exhaust fan I have ever had in my 50 plus years of cooking! Jim was there to help when we picked out cupboards, the undercabinet lighting, the tile for the backsplash - every step of the way. Jim is a master tile setter and he does absolutely beautiful work. We found a beautiful tile and when I wanted to change the pattern of the layout to suit me, he handled it with no problem. He lined us up with some wonderful folks for the granite and we were even given a tour of the facility. Jim suggested that the plates for light switches and plugs that were placed in the tile and on the back of my peninsula be painted to match the surfaces. He hired the professional who came to the house to do the work and the result is awesome. No tacky plastic plates over my gorgeous tile backsplash and the plugs on the back of the peninsula match the wood to perfection. Jim easily accomodated me when I changed my mind about the counter top in the mudroom. I had intended to use a less expensive material but realized since I could see it through the doorway it really should match the counter in the kitchen. In addition, he negotiated a reduced price by working closely with the granite people. Jim came up with the idea to use leftover tile from my kitchen backspash to make a matching mini backsplash in the mudroom. It looks great with the undercabinet lighting that he added at my request even though neither item was in the original contract. Jim finished the job ON TIME AND ON BUDGET AS HE ALWAYS DOES! My kitchen is absolutely gorgeous and I have enjoyed working with Jim on every project we have done. He even gave me advice about my landscaping projects, which I used with my landscaper to my benefit. Be sure to check out my kitchen on Jim's website. Our home now has more rooms in it that Jim has remodeled than rooms that he hasn't !! Lucky us!!