Metropolitan Remodel

A few highlights from my experiences which I hope will be helpful to anyone considering hiring Metropolitan: -During the bidding process, Clint came in right in the middle, and had the most detailed bid of the group. He spent the most time at the property and asked more questions than any of the other contractors (several of which spent less than 15 minutes!). I ask a lot of questions throughout the process, and I learned many home remodelers underbid based on lack of information, and this results in a lot of changes (and extra cost).  Clint's experience and caring came out during those initial discussions, where he asked a ton of questions about the quality of items I wanted and things I never thought of, to ensure the bid was appropriate.  -I did my own design, and Clint and his team really got to know what I was looking for, and made a ton of suggestions that resulted in some very special design touches that didn't cost extra (were within our established budget).   For example, the back splash in one of our units was made with sealed pallet wood, and has turned out to be the biggest conversation piece and is very very loved by my guests. -I was very pleased with how transparent Clint and his team were - no surprises.  regular ongoing communication throughout the project with great detail up front.  And Clint was always available for a call or a text, as was his team.  Never did I wonder "what is going on!".-Clint and his team were so flexible, helping with everything from the design through permitting and construction, and continuously offering workable solutions to issues that  came up. I really felt like I ended up getting more for less. -Despite the nightmares I have heard from friends on their projects with other contractors, Metropolitan finished on schedule and on budget! Even though some minor hiccups or surprises occurred (unseen frame rot below the floorboards), they handled things so professionally and with an honest care that you don't often see with home professional. , I could see them doing everything possible to finish the project on time.   I know this sounds a bit too glowing... but I've been in the service industry (tourism) for 20 years and when I find a company that truly cares and does the job right, I just want to tell everyone.   

Metropolitan Construction handled the remodel of my daylight basement.  Clint had some great design ideas that really turned out amazing, and still within my budget.  All work was performed as promised by professional and neat staff.  Just some things I would like to highlight:

Clint came up with a neat "industrial piping" look to route surround sound wires in my theater room.  The look came out great and really  helped save on costs allowing me to spend more on other areas

I wanted the home bar to look really commercial and professional.   Clint and his workers really delivered with a large custom "L" shaped bar, complete with sink and keg system.

For more seating, Clint designed and built awesome full wall length custom booth that  looks like it came right out of any bar or restaurant.

A large custom paneled wall complete with hand-painted mural advertisement for  Sailor Jerry Rum completed the look, and has become the whole focal point of the project.

Metropolitan Construction far exceeded my expecations and created the "man cave" of my dreams!

Very professional in the presentation. Cleaned up every day. Time and material contract but could not obtain an itemized list of accomplishments relative to time charged. There were discrepancies in the accounting of the material charges and they have a premium mark up over costs. Painting was subbed - it was most excellent work. Some aspects of the project required me to provide multiple levels of detailed explanation - e.g. installation of the wiring for the speaker system. Disappointment was in that my project was relegated to second and third place when the company over-extended their work force onto other customers - there were extended periods where I had to wait for them to return to my project because they abandoned me to go start elsewhere.

One aspect that downgraded my rating was when the fixtures in the bathroom fell off of the wall - seemed to be "rigged" - since we were then moving out (we had sold the property), the fix from the contractor was to use a hot-glue gun to glue the towel rack on -- that seemed to be very chintzy to me and made me wonder what other hidden cheap remedies had occurred.

My suggestion is to get very detailed accounting of what was accomplished for the hours you pay for - in one instance we were charged for 100 hours of labor, but it was very suspect regarding any actual accomplished work - it's one thing to be on the job for 100 hours, but a totally different thing to have actually accomplished anything. Overall, from the contractors I've used here, they were by far the best, but have a long way to go in becoming a first class provider.

Metropolitan Construction came to use with expertise, professionalism, and great care. Clint and his team were far and away the best choice from the beginning. A relaxed, friendly and personable guy, Clint, along with the rest of his team, is knowledgeable and diligent. We relied on him for architectural input, design input, and financial responsibility. He delivered on all three as we tore down walls requiring a change to the structural support of the house, gutted and put in an entirely new kitchen, and completely overhauled the outdated electrical. We had high hopes of a quick timeline, and no other contractor we talked to would even consider trying to fit us in as quickly as Clint did. 

I also had a very particular vision for the kitchen, and Clint patiently worked with both of us to make smart choices to achieve this. He always had creative ideas for my ?champagne taste on a beer budget? plans, even working with my father-in-law, who wanted to custom-build shelving for us. The end result looks better than we had expected. We always felt like our voice was heard, as he regularly came over to chat about concerns, big or small, and make changes to our original plan as needed. Having never bought a home or completed a remodel, we were grateful for this flexibility! He even went above and beyond to check in on our fickle dog, as we were worried about his care when we weren't home. The results are phenomenal! We couldn't be happier. You should hire him now!

The job got started on a very good note.  They are a very professional outfit and I was happy to have them working on my project.  Very punctual, polite and conscientious of my pets and keeping the mess at a minimum.  They always cleaned up at the end of the day.  As the project moved on and some of the details were sorted out, there was a gap in communication with the crew and some things were either not done or not done according to my expectation.  This was frustrating.  They could use a better method of communicating changes/additions so that all parties are kept in the loop (homeowner, contractor, work men, subcontractors). 

As things happen, small (or big) changes come up and it's important to keep everyone in the loop so as to keep things running efficiently and in a more cost effective manner. The subcontractors used for the floors and paint were excellent.  Pricey but worth it. There were some areas of sub-par work, especially around the dry wall, but they were corrected when brought to their attention.  Unfortunately, this meant that the already painted and finished areas were going to have to be redone (but not by the professionals that did the work in the first place) - the repainting was not up to the standards of the professional painters which I had paid for. 

I'm not sure they would have fixed the areas of poor workmanship if I hadn't pointed this out and communicated my frustration with the quality. I appreciate their flexibility and willingness to work with me on changes, ideas, etc.  I would have liked to have seen more details in their invoicing.  Who's hours and what was accomplished, rather than a bulk number for man hours with no description.  I pay attention to details and this can be translated to being difficult to work with. There is no way I'm not going to pay attention to what's going when I'm paying so much money.

I engaged Clint to act as General Contractor on a remodeling project. The timescale was very tight (4 weeks) and the original budget modest ($80k) but we achieved most of what we wanted and the work was done to a consistently high standard.  Clint and his staff were always punctual and professional, but also multi skilled and able to handle any ad hoc challenges that we faced. They were all friendly, personable and hard working. The job came in around $20k over budget, largely due to the tight timescale and the hardwood flooring, but Clint personally went the extra mile to make sure we didn't slip too far behind on the schedule and did an excellent job of coordinating the subcontractors.

The tasks included:-
Painting the whole house (5000 sq ft)
Flooring - leveling, installation and staining of approx 1000sq ft of new hardwood flooring and then carpeting throughout the rest of the house
Demolition (removal of cabinets, partitions)
Construction work (new wall and door)
Lighting and other electrical work
Drywall patching
Installation of new toilets and a shower vent
I will probably use Metropolitan Construction again - one of their specialties is bathrooms, which is a project I have earmarked for later this year.

Very well, even excellent!

I couldn't be happier with my three new bathrooms! Clint Jones brought a great design eye to this project and came up with ideas that I would not have thought of. The master bathroom, in particular, is absolutely breathtaking! It exceeded my expectations and feels like the calming sanctuary that I had hoped it would. Clint and his crew were the consummate professionals. They were courteous, prompt, responsive and respectful of my home and my needs. Their workmanship was second to none with great attention to detail. I highly recommend Metropolitan Construction for any home remodeling needs you may have. Give Clint a call ... you will be glad you did!