The Virginia Bath Company

We decided to do a complete remodel of our master bathroom and contracted with Virginia Bath Company (Rich Sowinski) for the job. We couldn’t be more pleased with the way things worked out. We can summarize our experience in “4 C’s.” Communication: Rich was unfailingly responsive. Email and text messages were his primary media, which suited us well (avoiding phone tag). The terms of the contract were precise and explicit. Once the job began, Rich started each day by telling us what he would be doing. We never felt in the dark about any aspect of the work. Courtesy: Given the expected disruption and inconvenience of this kind of project, the personalities of the people doing the work can make things easier or more difficult. Rich and all of his associates were unfailingly polite and pleasant. This seriously lessened the disruption in our lives while the work was being done. In fact, we began to look forward to Rich’s appearance each morning to brief us on the day’s work in his extremely cheerful and positive manner. Coordination: Since this was a complete remodel, the job involved Rich and his assistant, a cabinet maker for the new vanity, a plumber, an electrician, a painter, the people who built and installed the glass door for the shower, and the people who installed the new countertop. Every single one of these did their appointed job on the exact date promised by Rich; there was not a single exception. This speaks volumes about the relationship Rich has with his subcontractors. Craftsmanship: The new bathroom looks great. We do not have a single complaint with the quality of the workmanship (and we have looked over the final result very carefully). Overall, we recommend Virginia Bath Company without reservation. They provided, by far, the best experience we have had with serious work on our house.

Project started on time, was completed on time and within budget. Work was excellent. Very responsive. Easy to work with.

I would definitely use The Virginia Bath Company for all my remodeling needs. Rich and his team were simply wonderful to work with, ALWAYS on time (if not early), attentive to detail, and super responsive. And their work is top notch too! Our new master bath looks absolutely gorgeous. You can’t go wrong with The Virginia Bath Company- they are a company you can trust, and they aren’t happy until you are.

Couldn't bee happier. We developed a plan that exactly suited our needs and wants. They recommended excellent suppliers for tile, custom vanity and vanity top. They gutted the existing bathroom in 2 hours. The new bath took a little longer than projected, primarily waiting for suppliers. I recommend them enthusiastically to our friends.

Great! From the first contact with Rich Sowinski I knew we were in good hands. He was very responsive, prompt with emails, phone calls and quotes. He was willing to work with us as a partner and in coordinating our purchases. He is a total professional and the quality of the work was excellent. Rich communicated with us daily about the project (we left the house for the renovations) and sent photos. Our home was spotless upon return and the craftsmanship was perfect. I would highly recommend working with him on any bath or kitchen renovation.

Having traveled the US and the world, one aspect that speaks volumes is the luxury of a good shower. The Virginia Bath Company rebuilt the original contractor's terribly and hastily put together master shower in my home, producing a shower that I look forward to using every day. From the tile selection, to amenities such as built in niche shelves, a third shower head on a wand in an originally two head shower, to the corner bench, Mr. Sowinski's group did an awesome job. They were punctual, honest, and best of all informative on the date they would start and if they were late, they notified me. Having looked at other bids which were considerably cheaper, and hearing the horror stories of those results, I would strongly encourage anyone considering a bathroom rebuild to consider The Virginia Bath Company.

It was part of a whole remodeling we were doing so the price was not a big issue to me. There was no problem whatsoever. It turned out great. It was a good price. I shopped around a bit and they had a special and they beat everybody else by about a hundred dollars. The quality was very good. You can't tell it was glazed. It was well done and very professional. I had a little trouble getting scheduled in. Once I got scheduled, they were there on time. It was a little difficult to get them to get scheduled in. They don't have a big staff so I got to get a hold of the person who owns the company and I wanted to talk to him on his cellphone. Once I got them scheduled in, they did a great job.

Amazingly well

The Virginia Bath Company is hands down the best experience I've had with a remodel/home improvement project. Mr. Rich Sowinski is the owner and he came over personally to provide me with an estimate to redo our master shower. Mr. Sowinski is timely, professional and honest. He will see a project through until it is complete and the client is happy. I will not use anyone else for future bathroom updates!

Very Well. Of the four estimates we received, Virginia Bath was slightly above the median cost. Confidence in execution and quality of material were the deciding factors in our choosing to go with Rich Sowinski. His estimate provided the most detail. He outlined all the steps he would take from protecting the carpet in our home to expected completion timelines for the various phases of the remodel. He provided extensive information on product options, construction techniques, and responded promptly to all our inquiries. He completed the shower remodel exactly as he promised in the contract. The glass enclosure presented a challenge with a 45 degree wall angle which created a minor delay, but Rich stayed on top of things to the finish. I was most impressed with the quality of the tile and grout work...truly professional!! Rich and his crew were a pleasure to work with and have in our home. Courteous, personable, and conscientious, you could not expect better.

I would highly recommend Rich Sowinski and his team from The Virginia Bath Company to anyone looking to renovate their bathroom.  Mr. Sowinksi is extremely detailed and incredibly responsive.  He and his team are kind, courteous, and excellent listeners.  If you?re looking for quality craftsmanship then look no further.  I would not hesitate to use them again for
our other bathrooms.  Thank you Virginia Bath Company!

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It was all an extremely positive experience. Rich Sowinski, who did all the costing and did/supervised all the renovations, was professional and reliable. He has a good experienced eye, and we relied on his aesthetic judgement on many issues in the renovation. He gave estimates on the basic demolition and renovation, and then gave us options for all of the new fittings, etc that we wanted, so that we could tailor the fittings to our particular budget. He stayed within those estimates (both re pricing and duration of the work - it all took about 10 days in all), and there were no nasty surprises re additional costs. We changed our minds on a couple of things, and he came in and repriced them for us. He is always very fast responding to emails and calls. The cost estimates were always extremely detailed. We bought most of the materials through vendors and got a decent discount from them in Rich's name. The last thing he and his team did was to clean the house when they left. You'll have to book him a few months in advance probably, as I've no doubt he is in demand, but we would use him again and wait again for him for this kind of renovation. Main thing is that the end-product looks very high quality and professional.

This was a very easy first remodel for us. Rich is so easy to work with that it was even fun, despite the obvious stresses involved with spending so much money and destruction going on. He and his crew were so efficient and meticulous there were few hiccups and the ones that did occur were remedied on the spot or immediately after they were identified. Rich and his crew were very polite and professional. 
Rich was in contact often and would come over whenever we needed before or after the work. He helped us work through selecting and purchasing fixtures, tile, tub and everything that we needed. He was responsive to texts, phone calls, and emails.
We love the way it turned out. The only problem is now we want to redo the other bathrooms and kitchen to match the beautiful master bathroom. I have and will continue to recommend Rich and Virginia Bath Co. to anyone I know who needs bathroom work.

Rich and his crew were wonderful to work with.  Rich helped us plan a renovation that fit our budget and timeline and made it possible for us to keep on track with both. We trusted and were helped by his design-sense and regard for high-quality work. He guided us through all the details of the decisions that were ours to make with respect to selecting tile, granite, faucets, sinks, toilets, tub, etc.  He interfaced with the suppliers and sub-contractors, directed us to great sources for high-quality materials, and managed the flow of the whole project.  Cheerful, professional, responsive, and respectful of our needs that required occasional work-arounds with the schedule--Rich turned what we had feared would be a disruptive and stressful project into something that was enjoyable and exciting.    We were delighted by the final results and grateful for the courtesy, skill, and kindness of the whole crew.    More than once we felt Rich went the second-mile to do a good job for us, always in a generous spirit.  This renovation could not have gone better.  Three cheers for Virginia Bath!  They are the best. 

We had some idea of what we wanted to do with our 2nd floor master bathroom, and from the very first meeting Rich Sowinski of Virginia Bath was able to help me work through my design ideas.  We wanted to remove our rarely used garden tub, then move and enlarge the existing shower to the garden tub area.  The move created an extra space for linens.  We wanted that area to look like a built-in cabinet with shelves on the top and drawers on the bottom.  That worked out beautifully.  Virginia Bath took exquisite care to protect our home from any construction demo and "mess."  They were so careful, that they left the house in better shape than they found it!  We selected some travertine tile for the floor and shower, and Virginia Bath provided us with an awesome variety of grout colors. Virginia Bath was very receptive to my queries/requests to lay the tile in a certain pattern, and to add an additional niche in the shower (since the new shower was so big).  We also replaced the vanity with a one piece unit, that I'm sure was not easy to navigate to the second floor!  Nothing phased these guys. Every last detail was attended to with great care and professionalism.  Every request we made and question we asked were answered right away.  The disruption was very minimal and they keep to the exact time frame they estimated.  The whole crew even worked around, and doted on, our curious Newfoundland dog...they even offered to let her out for me while they were here working while everyone else in our family was at work.  I would not hesitate at all to recommend them for your bathroom work.  Rich Sowinski of Virginia Bathroom was highly recommended to us and I am doing the same here, without ANY reservation.  Before he finished work on the master bath, I was so pleased that I had him give me an estimate on my smaller hall bathroom.

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Our master bath was 10 years old and everything was builder grade, from the fixtures to the floor tile to the paint. The double vanity was made with molded sinks and stock cabinetry. The mirror was ridiculously oversized, the exhaust fan sounded like a train, and the master closet was a simple system of wire racks and shelving. The stall shower was adequate, but was enclosed by old-style, metal-framed shower doors. The bathroom's centerpiece was a jacuzzi tub that we NEVER used. It was fine when we bought the house 6 years ago and were only here 6-8 weeks a year, but now that we're living here full time, it was time for a major upgrade.
Everything came out and we started over.
Today, we have new, custom made vanity with double (porcelain) sinks and a granite countertop, Kohler Artisan fixtures, new floor tile, lighting, and an inset linen closet with three drawers and seeded glass doors. The space from the former shower is now incorporated into the master closet, and where the jacuzzi once sat is a magnificent double shower with subway tile, accent tile, two shower heads and a hand held unit, all enclosed by beautiful glass doors.  The new mirrors and custom cabinetry closet will be installed next week, but I'm so excited, I couldn't wait to post this review!
It's a master bath fit for royalty - a "Cinderella" bathroom Rich called it - because the paint color I chose happened to be Benjamin Moore's Glass Slipper.
It's never easy to be displaced from your bedroom and have your daily lives impacted by in-home construction, but Rich and his team - Rich, Sr., Mike and Jeff, were amazing. These guys are professional, punctual, personable and really funny. Communication, construction and the results were beyond my expectations. It was actually a pleasure to have them here every day.
Even the dogs loved them!!

 VA Bath Co is the best contractor we have ever worked with in 45 years of  home ownership.  They arrive ON TIME, they are very respectful of the existing floors and furniture, they protect all existing furniture and carpeting, they keep their work area as clean as possible and clean everything up before they leave for the day.  This is an amazing company and one should consider themselves lucky to have them work for you. 

Rich was very polite for the most part and responsive to emails. He provided some good recommendations regarding installations. His estimate was reasonable. The estimated start date was honored. The job took longer than estimated and was prolonged due to waiting for replacement glass for a shower door (the defect had to be pointed out) and waiting for the painter to finish.
The installation appeared OK but there was a general sloppiness and inconsistency in work (not all identical items were installed similarly) and several minor adjustments to items for good working order had to be pointed out before they were corrected. Multiple paint drips were on left both the walls and vanities, debris was left in the paint, which had to be pointed out before it was corrected. 
Several items were scratched, broken or stained. A window blind valance clip was broken, he offered to replace it (after it was pointed out) but I know from past experience they no longer make them, so I found a substitute. The master tub and mirror were lightly scratched during paint cleanup necessitating replacement of the mirror and framing which ended up leaving a small amount of indelible dark adhesive on a light colored carpet. The tub was polished but the scratches remained. Minor scratches were made to the shower doorframe, the master showerhead nut and to a new doorknob. When the painter apologized for scratching the mirror and demonstrated the way he had cleaned the mirror, it exactly matched up to the (new) arching scratches in the mirror. At the end of the job I was accused (by email) of pointing out the mirror scratches in order to get an old mirror replaced for free. 
Cleanup was poor at best. A large amount of construction dust coated everything in the master bedroom (he did offer reluctantly to have it cleaned, I declined as my cleaning crew was there that day anyway). Grout was left on tile, silicone caulk smears left on countertops and sinks, and there were small paint splatters everywhere. I had to ask for solder to be cleaned off of the driveway which was finally completed after two tries. Dark black handprints accumulated on the passageway door, no offer was made to clean the door, and when I asked to have the door painted, I was told the door had been dirty from the beginning and accused (by email) of essentially trying to get something for nothing.
  
No replacement bumpers for the vanity cabinet doors were provided.
Cardboard recycling only occurred at my insistence, and I did most of the breakdown.
When I asked if a final walkthrough was going to be done, I was told he felt as though it had been going on all along and left.
The job ended poorly with an inuendo (by email) of my not wanting to pay the final balance when nothing of the sort had been said or implied, and in fact all prior payments had been made in a 100% timely fashion. The contract stated final payment would be due when the painter was done and I didn't think the painter was done. A 7 working day deadline for payment was issued (by email). The job has been paid in full as billed and requested despite my dissatisfaction.
The bad taste from this job will last for quite a while.

It was a pleasure to work with Rich and his crew (which consists of his father and brothers, truly a family business). From the very first meeting we were impressed with his professionalism, thoroughness and attention to detail, organization, punctuality, and responsiveness.  Having never done a major renovation before, we weren't quite sure what to expect, but Rich made it all so easy.  After his first visit, and us giving him a general idea of what we wanted done, (and unlike the other 2 contractors we asked to give us an estimate) he prepared a detailed written estimate, showing exactly what work would be done, what types of materials he would be using, etc.  We knew exactly what was included, and what was extra (tile, fixtures, cabinets etc) . From there, as our ideas for the master bath renovation evolved, we were able to bounce those ideas and thoughts off of Rich, and he would offer suggestions, and give us honest opinions, but we never felt he was pushing us to do more than we really wanted.

The actual renovation was a breeze with minimal disruption! Rich has this all down to a science and everything went like clockwork. Rich and his crew arrived at the appointed time every morning and worked quietly and efficiently.  All floors/carpet were covered and tarps put up to minimize dust, and before leaving, everything was swept clean and left neat. At the end of the day, Rich would review what would be done the following day. We were always so amazed at what they were able to accomplish each day. At the end of nine days (plus 2 more days for painting) the renovation was more or less complete.  Shower doors/glass and mirrors were installed about 2 weeks later and all remaining details (backsplashes, towel bars etc) were completed by then as well.

We highly recommend Rich and wish more contractors were like him as he has truly set the bar high! Throughout the whole process, Rich was available by email/ text for any questions, concerns or other issues, 7 days a week.  Within an hour at the most, he would respond and/or have taken care of any issues we may have had. Furthermore, his workmanship is superb. We could tell this was a labor of love for him, and he took great pride in bringing our dreams to fruition. We felt like we were a team, working together to create something beautiful and functional. Early on when we had decided we were going to use him for our bath renovation, we were skeptical when he told us "this will be a lot of fun"!   Well, he was right!  It was fun!

Very well. Rich and his crew arrived every day at the agreed time, completed what they planned, and cleaned up well before they left. The entire crew was pleasant to work with, totally professional, and the quality of the workmanship couldn't have been higher. Rich used high quality materials and was totally responsive to our requests and desires throughout the design and construction. These guys are real craftsmen and the quality shows. The process really was fun, and we couldn't be happier with our new bath. We got exactly what we had hoped for at a fair price. I don't believe there is a more responsive, honest, and professional bathroom contractor in Williamsburg.

Earlier this year we engaged the Virginia Bath Company to renovate our Master Bathroom.
We are more than pleased with the results !  The bathroom redo is superb and the process leading up to its completion was excellent.
Rich and his crew arrived each morning, always on time, and went about their work quietly and efficiently.  Even the demolition of the existing tile was remarkably quiet.
No one has protected our floors, walls and furniture better than Rich's company.  Rich even built a tunnel with plastic sheets from the deck through the Master Bedroom to the bathroom - through which they moved all of their materials and tools.
Rich always responded promptly to emails and telephone calls, often within hours.   He exceeded his contractual obligations numerous times.
The cost was reasonable and the job done within the time frame he originally agreed to.
It a privilege to give this recommendation to Rich and the Virginia Bath Company.

Couldn't have been better.  Prompt, neat, responsive, excellent scheduling of subs, excellent referrals for tile, stone, cabinets. I kind of miss having them in the house.