We used them about a year ago to redue our master shower, we recently had a problem with it. They came out assap to fix the problem. Very happy with the fast response and fixing of the issue! read more

We worked with Tony at advantage for a remodel of our home before putting on the market. We had the entire house and cabinets (kitchen and 4 bathrooms) painted, countertops, backsplash, and several cleanup (handyman) type tasks. From start to finish, Tony worked with us to ensure we were happy with the results. Their guys Juan, Paul, and Aaron did a superb job. I would trust them to do another project in a heartbeat. Honest, reliable and straightforward; rare traits to find these days. read more

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arrogant, judgmental, dismissive and rude- openly stated that we could not afford a small bathroom. If, like us, you don't have great wealth and don't overspend your income so that you can build wealth, don't call them. read more

I've been using Advantage for a number of years now for small handyman jobs, and they have always sent out reliable, professional people. Most recently, they patched up all of the drywall in my house after a major plumbing repair. Tony was easy to work with on the estimate, and the repairmen who worked on the house were personable, professional, thorough, and did an outstanding job. Moreover, they came in on time and under budget. I'm definitely using them again and recommend them. read more

Don't trust Sean... Even though Advantage Home Contracting was quick to come out and make an estimate, and make a quote, we had concerns. Despite that, we were willing to give them the contract. We had a few questions which I emailed, but the questions were totally ignored. My wife was concerned because, even while he was here finding out what we wanted for the initial estimate, a third of his time was on the phone trying to tell a previous customer that what they had understood would be done, was not what he was doing. After ignoring my emailed questions in his responses, I then sent an email with an exact copy of his proposed contract, with my changes for the items he had ignored in my previous email clearly highlighted in red. He does not read emails, and came back with "Just forget your spreadsheet and tell me what exactly in my quote what you want to do. Copy and paste or highlight if needed in MY estimate." But that is exactly what I had just done (and he had included in his response), with the changes highlighted in red in his proposed Contract, but he does not actually read your emails or questions. Luckily, I found this out before signing the Contract, and went with Charlottesville Handyman instead. But since then, when I say what has happened, he insists that I never existed in his records. Either he keeps bad records, or he is lying in his responses. I've had my own business for 23 years, and I remember all the clients we've had (or at least can easily look them up)... After I wrote my review, Sean said to the BBB and various places that "we did not exist, and he had never written a quote for us, and we were just a competitor filing a false review.." I remember, and can easily find, all the quotes we've made in 23 years for our own business. They gave us this quote, to let him finally look it up: Advantage Home Contracting Class A Contractors License # 2705090297A 516 Brookway Drive Charlottesville VA 22901-3711 Tel: 434-817-7222 Fax: 434-817-7220 Service Contract October 26 2020 Contract For: Dan Smith **** Charlottesville, VA. 22911 Scope of Work: Deck restaining (hot tub area) with pergola $2,880 Labor 2 coats of solid stain recommended. Material paid by the customer Includes power wash to prep. Board replacement as directed by customer $95 per hour plus material. Build one step by the hour $95 not to exceed 2 hours. Needs to be placed on footer to stay in place. $1,000 at start Balance at completion Replace doors on porch $95 per hour labor Remove railing on the side porch and connect to the porch entering the house with a landing area to connect the 2. Then stain both areas and landing 2 coats . $2,480 if doing other jobs $1,000 at start Balance at completion THE ABOVE PRICES REFLECT OUR MOST CURRENT VAL PAK COUPON. Terms: 1. Start dates are subject to change due to poor weather and delays on prior jobs. Every effort is made to keep the customer aware of any delays. We plan to start within 30 days of contract signing. Thanks again for your estimate. I was ready to go with you above all the other estimates we received, but then it seemed you did not read my emails. No acknowledgement at all to my question about the possible cost of materials, even to say that you do not do that. I was trying to compare your estimate to others which included all materials. That was the purpose of the spreadsheet. But your response was: "Just forget your spreadsheet and tell me what exactly in my quote what you want to do. Copy and paste or highlight if needed in MY estimate." which I had just sent you, and was included in your email, with the changes I wanted highlighted in red. I then told Charlottesville Handyman, who had materials included, to go ahead with the project. read more

I am 3/4 finished a major renovation project that included a complete kitchen overhaul, floors throughout the whole house, and complete reno of the master bath. The bath hasn't started yet . I had four bids for this work and Advantage came in upper middle cost. As an aside I lived in the house as the reno was taking place. As is the case with many ( if not all) major projects once we got into the walls there were challenges tied to the age of the house. Here is why this company gets a top rating from me. When problems popped up, the flu hit the teams, delays occurred with deliveries I was always kept informed. As with any project it was important to be present and stay on top of details but communication was always timely and clear. They were accommodating of my schedule and changes I suggested along the way. They stay in top of the subcontractors and manage warranties so as to streamline documentation and work. I would call them again in a minute to do another project. By the way I love love love my new kitchen and floors. I can't wait for the bathroom!!! read more

I contracted with Advantage to build custom book cases in my 1897 Victorian home. They were fairly expensive and overall did a good job. However given the amount I paid, I expected there to be no problems with the details. All the shelves are 1/2 inch short, not much but enough for some books to fall through. In addition, some of the shelves are sagging in the middle and one of the doors on the cabinets they built below the shelves does not close. I contacted Advantage about this and was told the shelve gap is industry standard (which is 1/8th inch) and that all shelves sag. I guess all cabinet doors are supposed to be ajar since they never responded to my mail about this. Needless to say, I am not impressed with their customer service. I gave them 3 stars because overall the workmanship is good, but I would not use them again given the amount they charged me. read more

Overall: Poor quality for the price, lacking customer service, other irregularies. They do return a phone call and show up when scheduled though. Initial impressions were positive, but went downhill considerably once the job started. Did a couple small projects with them last year as a try out for a bigger job, but decided not to do si based on my experience. Quality-wise, I've obtained better from general handymen in town, and at a quarter of the price. They left a bit of a mess, and my husband spent a long weekend fixing some areas in the bathroom project they'd botched. As an aside, the contract was quite odd.... so read that with a critical eye and either go elsewhere or insist on changes. Aside from quality, professionalism is lacking from top to bottom....I listened to workers arguing during the job, one of the managers put a hand up in my face during a discussion, managers moved onto discussing another customer while in a discussion about my job, various rude communications.... briefly, little true class at all company levels. My home truly felt a little toxic while they were there, and it was a bit of a relief when they moved on. Big customer service theme, but little actual follow-through in their interactions. read more

Advantage did a basement remodel that is going to cost at least half of what they charged just to fix the mistakes they made! Flooring has to be replaced, a pocket door totally redone, I shudder to think of what might be hidden behind the drywall they put up. This company has been a nightmare to deal with, especially the owner of the company who appears to suffer from egoism and delusions of grandeur. Stay very far away read more

THIS, ladies and gentlemen and anyone else, THIS is a contractor. We've had this team do various things in our home, most recently a complete bookcase/cabinet reno in the living room. The quality of craftsmanship, timeliness, courtesy, and price are simply unmatched. Perfect installation in a difficult spot with odd measurements. They can pretty much do anything you need, and you should. Never before have a trusted a contractor like this for home reno. INCREDIBLE SERVICE. read more

Advantage Home Contracting - General Contractors Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Our house had some water damage. AHC was able to determine that the roof vent for our radon pipe was leaking around the seal. They had someone out with in a week or two and had it repaired. They are very professional and have great technical people. I will use them again. read more

We learned about this contractor from our neighbors. We'd been looking for a licensed group to do some third story gutter cleaning, and AHC was the only option anyone in the neighborhood could find. Apparently, the work they did for our next door neighbor happened quickly and smoothly, and the company agreed to a reduced rate for others who were interested in this unique service. I reached out to Tony via email. He requested a $50 deposit before the work could even be scheduled. I did this over the phone immediately and followed up to tell him we had done it, but he didn't respond. One week later, when I still hadn't heard from him, I emailed again, and he said the scheduling was 2-3 weeks out, but wouldn't finalize a date. About three weeks after that (when I still hadn't heard from them), Steve just showed up completely out of the blue to clean the gutters. It was only by pure chance that we happened to be home. Steve also didn't bring a ladder tall enough, despite our three story gutters being the only reason we hired this company. He cleaned lower areas, helped us identify an area that needed to be repaired, and said the follow up (final cleaning and repairs) would be scheduled soon. Two weeks after that, we had not heard anything, and so I reached out to Steve again. The final part of the story is that they scheduled the work, then called off the morning of due to staffing issues, then rescheduled, and finally got the work done. My first email contact was on September 2, and the work was finished on October 31. I found the whole situation extremely frustrating and unprofessional, but unfortunately this is the all too common reality of working with contractors. They did perform a service that we couldn't get anyone else to do, so I appreciate that. Their charge for the gutter cleaning was consistent from quote to final product. The charge for the repairs was more than quoted, but I think that's because the contractor who quoted it wasn't actually aware of what the company billing structure is like. Ultimately, I pretty much hate situations when I have to aggressively track people down to pay them hundreds of dollars. I don't really understand this business model, though I suppose I played into it. read more

At the beginning they were very helpful and positive with estimates, design, and pre-work phase. Their design measurements were wrong and therefore my purchases did not fit. Their original estimate was reasonable but the cost quickly increased once they started work. Their craftsmen were pleasant but they work on a set daily rate with less than 8 hours per day of labor. Their work day also includes multiple trip for supplies which extended the project completion date. They threatened to stop work when I questioned their cost increases and extended project schedule. read more

Tony was the estimator, and we tried working with him to get a design to replace our treated wood 6x6 timbers that were starting to rot. The steps were badly designed to begin with, and we needed a railing. We did not get a definite design, and Tony was difficult to keep contact with, but we decided to go ahead. Advantage sent Gary and Larry to do the installation. They ended up doing a fabulous job, always making sure we had access between driveway and house. (This was our only way in, due to slope and garden.) It took three days, looks beautiful, and they even put in a step for access to the garden. The price, less than other estimates, seemed high, but in the end was fair, given the quality and appearance. Gary and Larry would get five stars. read more

I'm updating my review because Tony reached out to regarding my concerns and sent someone to repair everything. The person he sent was considerate and did an excellent job. Tony also mentioned that he rebuilt his team to be more customer service oriented. Give that Advantage made everything right in the end I would consider using them again. read more

We used Advantage to turn unused space and offices into 2 training rooms. Both times they did excellent work. Showed up every day, worked nonstop and cleaned up at the end of each day not only in the space they were working but the lobby area was always swept. They finished on time and both spaces were beautiful. Highly recommend. read more

Tried doing an estimate, they gave me a 3 hour window on a weekday morning. Woke up early and Waited. Tony knocked once. Didn't wait 2 minutes or tried knocking again, I got to the door and he is no where to be found. Just left his business card with no cell number. I immediately left a message at the office. They got back to me 5 hours later saying sorry he missed you. I was right there. He didn't wait for someone to get to the door or better yet, call the contact let them know you're on the way or at the house. 3 hours is a long time waiting behind the front door, especially when they show up towards the end of the time window. Wasted morning, literally cleared my entire morning with little sleep to just get the slip. read more

George the painter does great work, the management is terrible. My wife and I had contracted with Advantage to have some drywall and painting work done. everything seemed to be good until it came time for the work to begin. My wife met with Tony, the vice president and received a good quote on the work we were asking to be done. It was not the lowest or the highest that we had been given. I though it odd that there was no written contract to sign, this is the first time I have every had a contractor not have me sign a contact and just make a deposit. We booked the time for the work to begin with the office and my wife took the week off to make sure one of us where there in case of issues. A few days before the work was to begin my wife received a call stating that the painter was on vacation and the work would start a day later than expected. This was ok, because we had built a few days in to this project for unexpected issues. This is not our first or last project on this house. So the day that some one was supposed to start the project my wife waited and after a couple of hours call the main office and she was told that the painter did not show up for work and they would not be able to start. This brought us to starting the project on a Thursday and that the during negotiations it would be a 3 to 4 day job. The office assured us that they would be able to finish the job on Saturday. On Thursday the painter George came to our house and started working. His work is great and he made the drywall fixes look like it was brand new. He worked a couple of hours on Thursday and Friday and he was professional, detail-oriented, and polite. Upon finishing up on Friday and when my wife asked when he would be there on Saturday morning he said he could not come over the weekend because he had a sick relative and had other obligations. But he would be back on Monday (Labor Day) to continue the work. So now a job that was supposed to be 3 to 4 days was extending into a holiday that we had already made plans for. We called the office with our concerns and told them we might consider voiding this verbal contract given the continued scheduling issues When my wife reached out to the Tony this is what we received from the Vice President Tony: "I hope this finds you well. I apologies for the scheduling issues. In fairness, giving you five days notice on the 22nd we would be starting a day later is an appropriate amount of notice. Further, to have to delay a project start by 24 hours typically is not uncommon as projects do not always finish exactly on the day due to closing issues. I understand people have work schedules and we are very cognizant and respectful of this but the reality is we can only do so much to accommodate this. And calling the office and being aggressive with receptionists does nothing to rectify any issues. There is a very simple way to solve this problem. Go to work. You have spent a day with George and have gotten to know him. He is not going to do anything at your house but paint. He just wants to come in and do a spectacular job for you but you do not need to be there. George normally works on weekends but he is having a family medical situation he is assisting with and simply cannot be there this weekend. When I told you he was coming on Saturday I was unaware of this situation at that time. Making the assumption you are off on Monday, George will return then to continue the work and you will be able to be there for another day with him. He should be very close to being able to start applying finish coats by Tuesday. He informed me there were some prep issues he was dealing with which may hold him up a little. His brother is is helper and his brother is the one who is ill he is helping with. We don't have a stable of painters to send to jobs, we have two small two man crews. I want George on this job because he is the best and he has started the job. You will get the best result with him there as I am sure you have noticed. I implore you to exercise trust, reason, and patience in this matter. Allow George to come in and finish your project and you will not be disappointed. You do not need to be there. We work for some of the wealthiest people in the area including celebrities and they are not home while we do work. They have never had an issue. George will be back on Monday morning to continue working. If you choose to void the project I will send him Monday to collect the materials purchased and we will walk away. I hope this is not the outcome you choose. Please email your intentions. Thank you." So basically we should trust you because you deal with very rich people and this is ok with them to enter a home with no oversight. The job is done it took much longer than quoted and the head ache of this was not worth it. This company is not worth the headache. read more

On time, here when they said they would be, and exceptional workmanship. John (partner / project supervisor) regularly on site and clearly invested in the project. We had a porch converted to a screened in room. Advantage handled coordinating all the subs and kept us in the loop on their schedule, too. read more

Get a second estimate. They were 4x the the quote. When I questioned then on the quote they were pushy and offended.

I would be cautious doing business with these people There estimates are way over priced I had an estimate for painting and it was almost double of the other two estimates I received read more

Did a bathroom tile remodel job. The 4 hrs with designer was helpful but they did not provide a plan the installer could figure out any issues that came up like the height of the shower. Was not done well, our shower floor had to be redone twice but didn't do it accurately, so floor still give and can hear creaking of the floor. Doesn't not drain and puddles up along the edges. Installer dripped mud throughout house and didn't clean, still finding issues with that. Since shower was cut out at 7' but tile didn't reach 7' there was a gap that had to be accounted for and it came to an issue that we had not purchased material for that so at one point I thought it was just going to get left that way. Management literally yelled and fought with us when we brought up issues and indicated we continued to find issues and they could not keep coming out to fix. At one point tried to take off part of the project because it was taking them too long and said they had not contracted for the surround of the tub which was the main reason we did this project. They underbid the project then tried to cheap it out with the installation quality. Floor also was not discussed that would raise the height of the floor so that you couldn't fit foot up to cabinet and that there would be a ledge transition to the carpet. Should have been discussed with client. We were on our own to figure out a lot of this project and to assist with advice. But we not happy with some of the issues, mostly the shower floor not being solid and not draining, but also grouted differently, different heights so doesn't feel good to step on. Just wish they had more of a professional process and plan and discussed what you would end up with using certain products which we were required to order. Supposedly there was product returned that we were going to be credited which have not seen that yet either. We're done complaining to them because they are not willing to fix the main issue properly. They brought in another tile person who did do a good job but couldn't fix the floor properly because management did not want to buy enough material to fix it. Just my opinion. Happy to send pictures if requested. read more

Abysmal service. I called at the beginning of December 2018, requested a gutter cleaning and let them know our house is 3 stories from behind. AHC knew the job would require 2 people and a longer ladder. They took my deposit. Twice they sent out one person with a regular ladder, and both times the individual left because he knew he couldn't complete the job. I've called repeatedly only to be told that "Tony" was working on it and would get back to me. I've never heard from Tony once. I called again today and Crystal said the job requires 2 people, and I explained yes, that has been known from the beginning. "Tony" hasn't found time in the schedule to send 2 people out. I demanded my deposit back. I will never consider AHC for anything, all over a gutter cleaning. Very short sighted on their end. read more

I paid Advantage to fix a leaky gutter. The gutter still leaks. On the plus side, they showed up when they said they would, which seems rare in their business. read more

I was so excited to work with this company as the designer had talked a big game for our kitchen. They were also half the price of other contractors/designers I had bid on the project (I found out why later). Work started ahead of schedule but that was one of the last positive aspects. Many things were verbally said they would be taken care of but of course when the time came they were not in the contract, cost more money, and I was never given a price ahead of time. They installed a brand new floor before doing any drywall work, did not cover the floor, and got drywall mud all over my brand new expensive floor. The same kid who did the drywall also accidentally turned on a burner on my range and left it on (it was glowing red when I came home). They say they never use subcontractors and yet had a subcontracted plumber on my job who did not do anything right (I had to fix almost all of his screw ups) and buried a LIVE wire behind my dishwasher. The workers were constantly bouncing from job to job often only spending an hour or two on my project per day. I had to constantly check bills as they came in as often there were mathematical errors and discrepancies on the hours worked on my job (I was home for most of the project and would see charges on days that they were supposed to work and never showed up). The owner of the company, Sean, came by the project once to see what was taking his crew so long. He was very rude to myself and to his crew in front of me. I asked that he not come on to my property again. For additional work I was given outrageous quotes that I was easily able to find other skilled contractors willing to do at half the cost. Many of my cabinet doors came damaged, took a long time to replace, and Better Living had to come out several times to address issues on their very expensive cabinets (some of which I am still not happy with but don't want to deal with it anymore). While the end product does look good, it is still incomplete do to miscommunications in the contract, and I am left never wanting to deal with this company again and very leary of contractors. The name of the company should be Take Advantage Of! read more

Advantage Handyman or whatever they call themselves these days are horrible. They messed up a seemingly simple repair job for us and then fought us on every criticism we had of their work. The VP for exterior work is a jerk and was out to get us the whole time. He nitpicked every small detail and seemed insulted that I would even try and negotiate with him. They stole our $1,000 for what they left us with. I have a ton of work to do to finish the job they started. And to think we were even return customers. Cavalier Power Washing did the same work for us a few years back charged us less and did and stellar job. I so regret not going back to them or go with anyone else. Compared to them Advantage are amateurs. Don't go anywhere near this company. They will steal your money and fight you every step of the way if you complain. read more