Contractor Recommendation: Chris Lombardi, STELLAR Bathroom Renovation

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Chris Lombardi and his small team did a STELLAR job on our bathroom renovation!  We found Chris via Brownstoner.  Someone on the site wrote a glowing recommendation so we gave him a call (original post: http://forum.brownstoner.com/question/YPYoG7KO63g=/frustrated-trying-to-find-contractor-for-bathroom-remodel) We found Chris to be responsive, meticulous in his craft, and very tidy and considerate.  He works on only one job at a time, and starts the job once all the requisite materials have been delivered.  Chris does much of the work himself, and he was on site most days.  Chris delivers very good value– not the cheapest quote, but also not the most expensive.  He will also deliver much higher quality workmanship than what most other contractors would and he doesn’t cut corners.  He has been doing this a while and has great suppliers which helps with the overall pricing (e.g., we tried to source the Marvin window on our own, but Chris’ supplier was about 30% less expensive).  A former cabinetmaker, Chris custom-built our cabinet based on a magazine cut-out we liked.  Fernando did most of the tiling (using a very difficult-to-install handcut White Thassos tile, installed floor-to-ceiling, and Nero Marquino tiled floor).  The tiling is impeccable — every corner is perfectly cut and spacing is uniform throughout.  Every day by 5pm, the team wiped down all surfaces, swept, and generally made the place livable again.  Some of the best work is behind the walls.  They gutted the bathroom down to the beams, found another 12-15 inches by removing the drop ceiling (giving us space to add an exhaust fan), installed a new window, replaced bathtub with a walk-in shower, moved all the fixtures and installed all new plumbing, leveled the floors and installed radiant heated floors.   Although Chris can do the plumbing work himself, we asked him to hire a licensed plumber.  We don’t have any more bathrooms to renovate, but if we did, we would skip the licensed plumber (and added costs) and just have Chris do the work himself.    Chris advised us on various design details (e.g., size of wall niche, placement of lights), and surprised us with a few others (e.g., installing beautiful Nero Marquino saddles even though he could have easily bought cheaper marble and/or used [cheaper] tiles; running tiles higher up the wall for a better look and to avoid cutting tile; installing a custom Corian window ledge [vs. tiles] to prevent water pooling/mildew; ensuring great eyelines throughout).   We were also pleasantly surprised by Chris’ project management skills and attention to detail.  For example, the switches for the lights, the heating and the exhaust fan are centered.  This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s so telling of a good manager!  Typically, the related work would be done by three different people.  Having gone through a gut renovation using a GC, the more typical outcome, and what we have in our kitchen, is a wall with three switches haphazardly installed and at all the wrong heights.  Because Chris was there almost everyday, he made a point of asking us about desired placement, and planning ahead. Overall, Chris is very easy to deal with, super responsive, and an all-around nice guy, too. We recommend him without reservation.  I don’t think he has a website, but he can be reached at **Lombardi Interior Renovations**   lcrivolitorino@hotmail.com Office: 718-825-2266 / Mobile: 516-322-9060 New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) License No. 1306929  Architectural . Woodworking **.** Renovations . Painting Cabinetry . Kitchens . Bathrooms . Tilework