A-1 Builders & Adaptations Design Studio

"Wow! [Member Name Removed]'s review appeared here 20 years after we remodeled her kitchen and bathroom! We did the work in 1996 yet this review appeared in 2016. Must have been memorable. We like that."

"We recently heard the appropriate analogy that rot in one's home is like bone cancer in one's body. Why? Because once discovered it needs to be dealt with quickly and aggressively. By someone who knows building science, especially proper flashing techniques. This client's home was built with flaws that led to accelerated deterioration. Not good. And all too often it's simply the poor execution, or total absence, of proper flashing, one of the least expensive products in construction. So if you know you've got issues, deal with them now, because repairing them will only get more expensive. Rid the rot. Solve the problem!"

"Given the quality of our other reviews, might this be a misunderstanding? Here's our story. They called us because of some readily apparent wet rot on their exterior shell, below the poorly constructed interface of an exterior chimney chase, the exterior wall and a roof plane change; not uncommon but clearly problematic and in need of repair. It was an active leak. But we saw other potential problems, so we suggested that we perform a Pre-Remodel Condition Evaluation. Basically this is a wellness exam for the entire home. They agreed to this process: the site inspection; a face-to-face review of findings and photos; a bulleted list of concerns; and a ballpark estimate for the remedies. This evaluation cost them $285. It's a starting point to define the appropriate scope of work. There were extensive issues discovered besides the wet rot that led them to call us: the need for window replacements; inadequate attic ventilation; inadequate attic access [our inspector could only get his head and shoulders into the attic]; improperly flashed deck; dangerous, steep exterior stairs. Our ballpark guesstimate for all of this work, lumped together and clearly communicated as probably inaccurate, was about $50K. The client later called us back, expressing their belief that we were mistaken in our critique of the inadequate attic ventilation, which was a minor issue amidst the list of concerns; that vents we didn't see were actually there. So we immediately offered to come back out to investigate further, at no additional cost. Everyone makes mistakes and we were totally prepared to look again. It was at this point that they informed us that they already had someone there working on the active leak. We also informed them at this point that our current backlog to take on any sizeable construction work was about 6 months. In other words, after we revisited the inspection, if they wanted us to proceed with production work, our existing field crew was booked for 6 months. This delay in being able to perform work, though a wonderful thing from our perspective, was truly problematic for potential clients who needed things performed more quickly. So we were telling all of our potential clients this. We like to be transparent! We attempted to pick a time to revisit the inspection, but we just never heard from them again. Then this review on Angie's List appeared. Frankly, we don't deserve this. And the reader will note, by reviewing our other reviews, that this client's review is an anomaly. It is not our norm!"

"This client purchased a 2 hour handyman deal through Angie's List. Sometimes squeezing a tiny project such as this into an otherwise busy schedule can be a tricky thing. Sorry we couldn't hop on to it any sooner! We tried! If there's a surge in our workload, would you, our client, rather wait for our tried and true, proven co-workers to perform the work or, instead, hire newbies off the street so as to shorten your waiting time. You know our answer, and this "C" is the price we pay. Sure, we might have been able to improve 'responsiveness' while 'quality' suffered. We prefer a safe and sane approach to our work. Quality trumps quantity."

"This member must be referring to the design work we helped him with, which ultimately morphed into a rather large remodeling project for him that is now underway: major kitchen remodel; ensuite bedroom and bathroom remodel; alterations to the living room, dining room, entry, laundry, and other bedrooms. All is going very well!"

"What a lovely review! Wow! Makes us proud. Allow us to share a thought about their comment... "Although A-1 is pricey, we really got what we paid for and then some". Since time is money, and since best practices take more time than less-than-best-practices, best practices cost more. Although this is true up front, over time best practices actually become the most cost effective way to build... because the work will last a long, long time! In the end your best value is spending more up front. Over time your best value lies in investing in best practices. On top of best value monetarily is knowing that the ecological footprint is minimized by maximizing the life expectancy of the materials invested into the project. Timeless design; best practices; long life cycle... that's our high dream!"

"To be clear, we gave him a price range and our actual cost came in below the top of that range. When doing repairs it doesn't get much better than that. All too often we'll find MORE damage once we open up a wall or roof or foundation. In this case, he lucked out! We like that."

"This member said it so well: great subs, good humans, best practices, and fine materials are not, and cannot be, inexpensive. It simply takes more time to do things correctly and since time is money, quality construction costs more. As consumers we all wish this were not the case, and this motivation often presses us to reach for a price that's 'too good to be true'. Reality proves this false. Great subs, good humans, best practices, and fine materials are not, and cannot be, inexpensive."

"There's no other home improvement project that better proves the adage 'the devil is in the details'. The decisions-per-square-foot in a bathroom are over the top -- probably more than in kitchen remodels. In order for a client to give straight A's on a bathroom project each and every detail needs to be addressed and thought out... carefully. It's not a coincidence that our design division is called ADAPTATIONS. There's an ecology that emerges for each home improvement project -- each decision or detail affects so many other decisions and details. To get them right usually requires a pro... like Tristen. As in nature, adaptations emerge as organisms adapt to their environment. So often clients write our design division name as Adaptions, just like [Member name removed] did in her review. It's Adaptations, not Adaptions. Think nature. Think Darwin. Think ecology and the incredible beauty achieved as adaptations emerge within Mother Nature."

""PRCE" stands for 'Pre-Remodel Condition Evaluation'. Why do we offer this? All too often a client may be unaware of pre-existing problems around their home. Often these are festering issues that accelerate in cost to repair if left alone for more time. So when we're called in for a home improvement, like a bathroom or kitchen remodel, and it's been a while since someone knowledgeable has studied their home, we offer them a PRCE. Sometimes the PRCE drives a mid-course correction -- dollars may have to be spent on newly discovered 'have to's' instead of 'want to's'. We too would rather upgrade a kitchen or bathroom, as opposed to fixing exterior wall rot discovered during the PRCE, but so it goes. All we can be is attentive, ethical and logical. To us a wellness exam for one's home is as important as for one's body. We recently heard this metaphor: structural rot in one's home is much like bone cancer in one's body. The sooner it's resolved the better. It's the right thing to do."

"Rodents can be a real issue around here... especially in areas more rural than urban. In this particular case eliminating the unused chimney chase was so smart. After all, the unused chase offered rodents a super-highway for traveling throughout their home, so why not get rid of it? Anything to interfere with unwanted creatures is a good move!"

"A tough choice for contractor and homeowner alike is whether or not to spend dough on repairing substandard or rotten deck components, as opposed to replacing the deck entirely. There's no right answer but the discovery process usually defines the best scope of work. In this particular case repairing the existing structure made the most sense and the repair project progressed well. This decision is so much like the 'move or improve' decision so many homeowners run up against... invest in one's existing home versus move into another home that may already be aligned with one's needs. A tough decision to make... one we're very experienced in helping our clients resolve."

"We completed her project in October of 2014. 9 months later this review arrived (today is 7-14-15)... with no prior knowledge of a problem or issue with our performance. An overall "C" with no further comment makes it tough to know what's wrong or to make amends. 9 months after a $400 job is completed; so strange! Sure wish we knew more. I challenge the reader to study our other reviews. Formulate your own opinion about whether this review is consistent with what you read."

"Thanks, [Member Name Removed], for this comment. We sure hope you complete your review once construction is behind you."

"How often do you hear about a fine craftsman who's in business... and shouldn't be? It's hard to find a fine craftsman who is a fine businessperson. Or visa versa. And how often have you heard about someone who lived through a remodel whose designer argued with their builder, oftentimes trapping the client to resolve discrepancies they shouldn't have to? "Consistency" is a very high value here, and this member's review expresses compliance with this critical success factor... from initial sales call to punch list completion. Beyond consistency, though, we're a design/build company, so there's no firewall a client must experience between designer and builder... there's simply one point of accountability for both design and construction. One source. From Rick and Cindi's initial visit to this member's home, until our last vehicle pulled away, this member's review describes a consistent, quality feel to our operation, one we're so very proud of. This Angie's List member made our day! We so appreciate these words of appreciation."

"Yes, much in demand. As you can see in some of our other responses to member reviews, demand of late has stressed our ability to maintain our normal level of responsiveness. We heard this loud and clear and have amended our ways. Our normal level of responsiveness earned us the 2014 Angie's List Super Service in the 'general remodeling' category. 'SUPER' service means that we want to maintain outstanding responsiveness; a "B" is simply not good enough."

"This member knows how to incorporate a professional into a project yet hold their overall cost down! While he did all of the painting down low, he had our dude handle the hard to reach places. Worked out well and went smoothly for all concerned."

"Yes, our responsiveness and punctuality was less than stellar. Twelve Angie's List BIG DEALS sold in a matter of a week, well exceeding our expectations. Instead of throwing the wrong person at these projects, we did the best we could trying to get caught up. We wanted to send the right person, but demand for him was at an all time high. Although we too wish we could have jumped on their project sooner, our company philosophy is to do it right the first time, with the right people. So demand exceeded our capacity and our responsiveness suffered. We prefer this strategy over sending out the wrong person sooner. Had we done that responsiveness and punctuality would have improved but quality and performance would have suffered. And THAT is a lot harder to fix!"

"This Angie's List BIG DEAL, in which a client buys 6 hours of our time for $199, was perfect for [member name removed]. She had gathered up a bunch of small maintenance tasks and had us knock them all out in one visit. Glad we could help her out!"

"Indeed, quality and peace of mind do take a little longer; having the right people doing the right thing costs a bit more dough; the right materials simply cost more. If the prior builder had taken a bit more time to purchase and install the proper flashing, one of the least costly building materials on the planet, [Members name removed] would not have had to shell out their hard-earned money to pay us for this repair. Build with the future in mind. Price is simply one of many variables in any construction project. Sure, it's important. Dough is a finite resource. That said, our clients understand the high cost of failure."

"Yes, the owner did go out of town, just when a large number of Angie's List BIG DEALS like Paula's sold online (she purchased 6 hours of remodeling and repair time for $199). Twelve BIG DEALS showed up in our owner’s inbox in a matter of a week!). Even if our owner hadn't been out of town these BIG DEALS would have overwhelmed our staffing. Instead of throwing the wrong person at these projects, we did the best we could trying to get caught up. As the member admits, we DID send the right person, but demand for him was at an all time high. Although we too wish we could have jumped on Paula's project sooner rather than later our company philosophy is to do it right the first time, with the right people. So sorry demand exceeded our capacity, but sometimes success yields its own set of problems!"

"Thankfully for our client the toilet leak didn't create much rot... so that her pre-purchased 6 hours of our carpenter's time (the Angie's List BIG DEAL) was sufficient to take care of her situation. She lucked out! It's so important for property owners to take care of readily apparent moisture infiltration as soon as they see it. Waiting to deal with such an issue costs people dearly. Why? Because the damage done accelerates over time... wet rot reaches the sheathing and then the framing; wood-destroying organisms find good habitat; repair costs escalate. Do what [removed member name] did and get it fixed as soon as you see the problem!"