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July 9, 2008
contractor for kitchen and bathroom (park slope)
we are thinking of having major redo on the kitchen and bathroom in our apt. does anyone have any recommendation on any good contractor to do the job? and any tips in the process of finding such services? (i've never hired a contractor before)
for kitchen, we may want to extend the kitchen, sink (so i guess plumbing work would be needed here), and the cabinets.
bathroom, changing the whole showering place, new tiling and maybe gut redo too, i think there is problem with the piping behind it. also a problem with one of our toilets.
Comments
Since you seem new at this I hope you have already got approval from the coop or condo board. The board may be able to suggest contractors who have done work in the building.
Posted by: denton at July 9, 2008 12:34 PM
We are in the middle of a reno and highly recommend:
http://www.allrenovation-ny.com
Posted by: hollander at July 9, 2008 12:58 PM
I disagree with denton. Do not take contractor referrals from your board or superintenent.
The reason being you are setting yourself up for problems. The most important one is the job price will be higher because the referrals will be giving money back to the source of the referrals.
(Super, board member) It is ilegal but they do it all over ny.
If the contractors want to give money back, let them buy the super and the board member a nice book instead of under the table cash!
The worst part is the quality of the work will be inferior.
The district attorney arrested several people for doing just that years ago. (managing companies, supers, board members, etc).
Kick backs are ilegal no matter how you disguise it.
Boards are interested in one thing the cheapest price for labor and nothing else matters.
Now you know.
Posted by: Ysabelle at July 9, 2008 1:13 PM
now, when im hiring a contractor, what are the things i have to ask from them?
Posted by: KhuntienNang at July 9, 2008 1:32 PM
- Ask them if they are licensed and insured.
- Ask them how many current jobs they are working on.
- Ask if you could tour one or more of their current jobs.
- Speak with one or more of his current clients (verify it is the actual client by speaking to them onsite)
- Ask to view one of their finished jobs.
- Get 4 references from previous work
- Ask for an "itemized" quote (DO NOT ACCEPT A BALL PARK FIGURE)
- Make sure you sign a contract with ALL deliverables and timeline.
- Figure out whom is paying for materials or other items (such as light fixtures, etc.) If you plan on paying for some of these items have them remove costs accordingly from the estimate or contract.
If you have any further question feel free to call me at 646-207-6940. I also had no one to help when I started. Fortunately I happened upon an honest contractor - same company "Hollander" above is recommending AllRenovation. I highly recommend them.
-Al S.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 2:22 PM
Ask to see their insurance certificate.
Condos and coops require a million dollar liability policy with an additional 2million aggregate.
If they are licensed it should be with the department of consumer affairs.
The lisence should state Home improvement contractors license
Sales is another story.
Posted by: Ysabelle at July 9, 2008 2:24 PM
Please, please, PLEASE review the archives. All of these, and many related, topics are covered there.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 2:27 PM
Ysabelle, you are confused. As usual. I didn't say get a ref from the managing agent or the super. Managing agents were arrested in the '80s for this kind of stuff (and you're right, I wouldn't trust either). Not board members. I've never heard of a board member in Brooklyn or Manhattan being arrested for baksheesh.
Boards won't usually 'recommend' a contractor but if asked the right way, i.e., 'are there any contractors you are aware of that have dome similar work in the building' you might get a coupla names. Boards like to feel comfortable with people who are messing with the infrastructure in the building.
Boards could care less about the price of the job, and in fact, usually don't know what it is.
Posted by: denton at July 9, 2008 4:20 PM
Forget AllRenovation. They are all talk and very little action. Guest Hollander is either lucky or has an interest in promoting that firm. Be also warned -- someone else posted here recently and said that the company is charging $300 to give estimates. The practice of a GC charging for an estimate should be a warning signal in and of itself!
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 4:36 PM
To Denton
Baksheesh or mordita.
Board members do not give out private information about other owners personal affairs. If they do, you have an invasion of privacy. In other words the board can't be trusted. Bad news right there.
If you want a referral from an owner, ask directly.
Don't take building employees or their relatives either.
To the OP
Keep your jobs clean and simple.
After all it is your hard earned cash paying for a comfortable place to live.
The contractors one million dollar insurance policy speaks for itself.
So does a license from department of consumer affairs...HIC#
The above info will placate any board.
SO THERE, DENTON
Posted by: Ysabelle at July 9, 2008 4:57 PM
I have worked with All Renovation (after a long vetting process) and believe I made a great choice. Not sure where the negativity is coming from. They are not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for. They are knowledgeable, hardworking and have an eye for quality. And they also communicate well (very important for first timers such as myself). If you need to trust someone to work in your interests, I would pick them (All Renovation), again and again.
Posted by: guest at July 9, 2008 5:33 PM
I am the person who called All Renovation and was told they charge $300 for a the first two hours for an estimate. Being naive and new at all this I made the appointment for next week. I called other contractors for additional estimates and none of them charge for estimates (Perfect, Transcend and Transition). So on the advice of people here and my friends and family I cancelled the appointment with All Reno and told them specifically it was because they are the only company charging for their estimates. The woman there said "Ok, Thanks, goodbye".
I am looking for a medium to high end renovation, I am a perfectionist and lucky to have as much money it will take to do it. I cancelled All Reno on principle, not because I am too cheap to pay for good quality work.
Posted by: premadas at July 9, 2008 8:10 PM
I did two coop renovations and am also a perfectionist. I have a background in design so pay attention to detail. I can highly recommend the company I worked with. They did beautiful finishes, were excellent at listening and problem-solving, were straightforward, and did everything from the gutted shell to the end. They do NOT charge for estimates and I don't know anyone who does. It's good to have a crew who walk on tiptoes when doing work inside a coop. My contractor was Drew 917-584-7286.
Posted by: guest at July 10, 2008 8:32 AM
give us a call. we have references and give free estimates. Recently renovated a full brownstone on 16th street.
http://colonialconceptscorp.com/
Posted by: steve79 at July 10, 2008 9:00 AM
As the previous post said, you get what you pay for. In the bidding process we had Perfect renovation do a bid and really did not get a good feeling.
The reason why I recommend ALL Renovation is because everyone always complains about their GC and I have found one that we are extremely happy with, so I figure, share the wealth!
As for charging for a bid, we were not charged, however, ALL spent at least 5 hours with us discussing the process and they were the only ones to give us a detailed broken down estimate.
Posted by: hollander at July 10, 2008 10:43 AM
Ambiance 917-907-1100
The owner is a perfectionist, the quality of their work is great. Not a design company, but helped work around some design challenges. Highly recommended.
OP: The more specific you can be with your scope and specs, the more accurate your bids will be. Otherwise, contractors will low ball you to get the job and then hit you with huge change orders.
Posted by: guest at July 10, 2008 12:04 PM
I agree with the poster who is happy with All Renovation.
They do very good work and they take pride in getting a job done correctly. I find them to be willing to communicate, responsive and very honest. Wonderful contractors to work with, in my experience. One of the few contractors that I can recommend and sleep well at night! I know that the job will come to a happy end.
Posted by: DebraS at July 15, 2008 10:36 PM
Our customers have made us aware of this posting so we are responding to clear any miscommunication.
All Renovation would like to further clarify our estimates procedure. OUR ESTIMATES ARE FREE. We ONLY charge a fee for estimates if the property is being reviewed for purchasing purposes only. Based on our estimated cost for construction the client usually goes forward with the purchase or passes on it.
We make it known that the fee is pro rated if the client purchases the property and hires AR as their GC. This information appears on our website. As a contractor, the time involved in consultation and preparation should be considered. We understand and respect that everyone has a right to their views but we are firm believers of putting into practice quality service and customer satisfaction as reflected in our pictorials, references and our history.
Thank You,
AllRenovation Construction LLC
"NY's High End Renovation Specialist"
http://www.allrenovation-ny.com
Posted by: allrenovation at July 18, 2008 3:20 PM
I'm sorry I never got back to read the responses sooner. Contrary to what All Reno wrote here, I already owned my home and it was made perfectly clear up front that I would be charged $300 for the estimate which would be taken off the price if I went with them for the job. Perhaps they just don't like working in Bay Ridge.
Posted by: premadas at November 18, 2008 5:08 PM
Hiring a proficient contractor takes more than looking for ads in forums, local newspapers, or yellow pages. These ads tell you nothing about the contractors work experience and history. Here is a good link about the subject: http://www.helpful-kitchen-tips.com/kitchen-blog/2009/05/14/how-to-find-home-improvement-contractors-you-can-rely-on/
Posted by: Eric22 at May 27, 2009 10:23 AM
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