When we bought our almost 100 year old Wardman rowhouse in Woodley Park in 2000, it needed a new kitchen, and a new kitchen meant an opportunity to install a half-bath on the main level that the Wardmans never had. However, the logistics of a renovation kept us from proceeding year after year. In 2015, after eleven years of renters, the house could no longer withstand the wear and tear, and we contacted Eric Goetz at Blue Star who came highly recommended from a friend who was very familiar with what it takes to do a successful DC renovation. We had spent 15 years trying to figure out how to seamlessly add a bathroom where one never existed. Blue Star's design team improved upon our ideas and helped us transform our first floor into an updated, functional space while retaining the 1920's character of the house. The bigger challenge for our renovation was timing. We needed the project completed in the one month that our tenants would be away on vacation. The renovation was complex - extend the short porch at the back to the house to the shared property line, move the rear entry to the other side, convert a small hall closet into a half-bath, install a new modern kitchen and enlarge it into the porch area, and replace the original hardwood floors. No one including other workmen and the above-mentioned friend thought this work could get done successfully in the limited time we had. No one except Blue Star. Eric and his team worked with us from start to finish to ensure that everything was in place (permits, materials, subcontractors) so that work could begin on the first day and be complete before the tenants returned. Blue Star worked through the inevitable bumps in the road, unexpected complications, and incredibly did it all in 21 days! We now have a new kitchen that is bright, light and open, beautiful new floors, and a sleek powder room for guests. Even more important was how great it was to work with Eric and his team. They were never flustered, even though our tenant made things more difficult than anyone could imagine, including pushing the work off for another year, and, yes, the police were involved. Blue Star stood by us and worked collaboratively. They were transparent about everything that needed to be done and how it got done, and kept us up to date on almost a daily basis with the work's progress as we were not in DC for most of the project's planning and execution. Blue Star knows DC building requirements inside out and worked through all the city's bureaucracy unfazed. They are also incredible problem solvers as old DC houses can throw all kinds of issues at you once the drywall comes down. Blue Star came in on budget and ahead of a very, very tight and critical schedule. We highly recommend them to anyone considering a renovation. read more

Want to see the real work of Blue Star? Look at the house they live in on 231 10th Street SE. A flip job they fouled up miserably. They tried pulling one over on city regulators and the neighborhood by building a pop-up McMansion without the appropriate permits. But they got busted. Oopsies. The 'home design professional.' See link below. https://capitolhillcorner.org/2017/05/21/city-oks-pop-up-in-cap-hill-historic-district-orders-work-stopped-now-wants-tear-down-2/ The construction of the third floor. The city ordered removal of the third floor. The scaling back of the garage into what is one of the most architecturally bizarre looking structures on the Hill. Stop work order after stop work order after stop work order, this dumpster fire of a renovation project went on for FOUR YEARS. read more

Do you use this company. They purposely block the entire street on which they have a job. Their trucks and cars block alleys. They care little about how they do their job. Stay away. read more

Update one year later - my house has suffered more damage as a result of poor detailing and construction. The corner of my house that they attached to has pulled away and they don't seem to know how to fix it correctly (proposing caulk/paint). read more

Blue Star - General Contractors Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Blue Star is a very slow, unreliable company that is sure to piss off all your neighbors. You may end up with a beautiful remodel, but rest assured your neighbors will hate you. read more

If you care about your neighbors, don't hire Blue Star. My neighbor hired Blue Star to construct a garage adjacent to my property. Blue Star's workers repeatedly parked their vehicles and staged their construction on our property without warning or our permission. Every time we complained to Eric Goetz, the President of Blue Star, he would tell us it wouldn't happen again. But it always did. We asked them to give us notice before they needed to use our property to stage construction. But we never got it. Instead, our cars or parking spots would be blocked by construction materials and vehicles. My neighbors and I also got several flat tires from nails and screws that they failed to clean up. While I can't speak to the quality of their work instead, I can speak to their community relations, which is abysmal. If you hate your neighbors, hire Blue Star. read more

They built a beautiful home for us, and we like everyone we've worked with at Blue Star! When things didn't go quite right (as they inevitably will in home construction), they worked with us on solutions. Great people, gorgeous design and good value for your money! High-quality construction. read more

Eric and his team at Blue Star did a third story addition on our Capitol Hill row home. We could not be more pleased with the finished product and the service we received along the way. Our experience was a refreshing contrast to many seeking to take advantage of demand in this area by cutting corners and squeezing every possible dollar out of the customer. First, though not serving as the designers for our particular project, the Blue Star team was a valued second opinion during our design and permitting process. They offered pragmatic advice with respect to how to work the infamous DC permitting system and how to maximize the space available to us. Once our permit was (finally) issued, Blue Star was promptly able to fit us into their schedule, a difficult task given the unpredictability of permitting issuance times. Despite poor weather at the start (torrential rains) and end (blizzard) of our project, they largely stayed on time, on budget, and communicated with us routinely throughout the project. The work done was high quality and they were very responsive to any issues we pointed out that needed to be addressed. Even the one issue we did have with work done by one of their subcontractors was addressed well and in a way that ensured me that Blue Star's main goal was that I be satisfied with the finished project. As a builder's child, I was extremely apprehensive about undertaking a construction project on a 100 year old home without access to resources and familial connections that I trust (due to geography) to complete the work. However, Eric and his team quickly put me at ease and made clear that their goal was that we end up with a high quality addition without anything more than the headaches that simply cannot be avoided in a project like this. Blue Star really does take a "long view" approach to their business. It is clear from interactions with the various members of their team that they want their customers to be satisfied and their work to stand the test of both peer review and longevity. I couldn't be more satisfied with their work, my new space, and the process it took to get here! I would highly recommend them to anyone seeking to renovate or add onto their house on the Hill! read more

Unfortunately, I had a similar experience. Blue Star has been completing a renovation right next to my house, and I asked them to provide a proposal. Their project manager, Kyle, came and walked our house. He said it looked like it would be a great project for them, and they would have their estimator provide a proposal. It took a few weeks, but eventually they scheduled Pamela to come visit. The day before she was scheduled, she cancelled our meeting because they had a few other projects that they needed to attend to. When she did come out a week later, she essentially did the same walk through, indicating that what I had discussed with Kyle was not relayed to the rest of their team. Pamela also indicated that they would be happy to provide a proposal, and would get back to within a week or two. After two weeks, I still had not heard anything, so I followed up. After about a week and a half, I still had no response, so I called them. Pamela apologized and assured me they would get me a proposal by the end of the week. I followed up again at the end of the week, and Pamela responded that the project was too small and they couldn't do it. In total they wasted 2 months of my time that I could have used to work with another contractor. Very disappointing. If you choose to use them, I hope your experience is better than mine. read more

I was very pleased with my experience with Blue Star. The reason for the 5-star is three fold- the quality of the work, the prices they obtained for materials (e.g., kitchen cabinetry) and the design elements. I did a large renovation (kitchen, 3 bathrooms, HVAC, plus knocked down some walls) which took about 4 months. Quality of Work: Wow- what a night and day difference from the last contractor I uses who cut a lot of corners. Blue Star knows how to do things the RIGHT way- for example, when they knocked down one of my walls they discovered there was not a support beam in a needed area- they put one in. In addition, they were able to figure out my crazy HVAC system and suggest a viable solution to ensure even heating/cooling throughout the old, quirky house. The way they did the kitchen and bathrooms- you feel like you just walked into a model home that is in a magazine! Finally, this was a rental house I was renovating- given this team's experience in rental properties, they were able to suggest what made sense to renovate accordingly. They have a lot of knowledge about what adds to your property value, and what doesn't. This was extra knowledge that you don't normally get with a GC. Prices: I guess because they are connected to wholesalers, they had great prices for my kitchen cabinets. We even put in the extra high ones, and the final price for the cabinets was LESS than their estimate to me. Design Elements: This was a rental property and I personally am really bad with design, so I specifically asked Blue Star to help me with this. They designed the kitchen and bathrooms from scratch, from layout to lighting fixtures. They chose modern fixtures and were able to make suggestions on what had be best resell value for when I sell the home. The place turned out beautifully. They noticed things about the house I never would have- for example they noticed that half of my kitchen window was blocked so when they re-did the kitchen they opened up the window and now there is a ton more light. I let them do all the designing because I honestly I just didn't have the time or energy- however if you do want a lot of say in the design I'm sure they would be fine with that as well. Overall great work, and I would definitely use them again. read more

Do you hate your neighbors? Want to really piss them off and damage their property? Hire Blue Star! I can't speak to the quality of their work, but they are working on the house next door, and both my house and the other unfortunate neighbor on the other side have suffered damage. As other reviewers have noted, they are not particularly responsive. They use neighbor's property to stage construction activities without notice or approval. They work on Sundays when they say they don't. This has been going on for months and months now. Eventually it will (hopefully) end, but the outsize design that doesn't fit capitol hill row houses will remain, ruining archetectural lines and blocking the view and the light. read more

This company lacks common courtesy. They are more than willing to waste your time, but heaven forbid that they take the risk that you -might-waste theirs. I reached out to them and was promised an introductory phone call to discuss my project on more than one occasion. They never followed through, though they made appointments and then proceeded to stand me up and waste my time. When I pointed this out to them, not only did I not get an apology or explanation, I got zero response. They don't seem to know how to act like grown ups. read more

I highly recommend Blue Star. My husband and I purchased a Townhouse in Capitol Hill, in September, that was in major need of a renovation. The house had not been touched since 1964 and required some TLC.To give you a good idea the whole house was covered in wallpaper and the bathtubs and sinks were powder pink. Blue Star updated many of the fixtures and finishes but was able to restore and maintain the historical attributes of the house (Restored original pine hard wood floors, crown molding, hard wood doors, and transoms). They renovated the kitchen, bathrooms, and all bedrooms. They installed a much needed HVAC system and were able to hide the ducts so this wouldn't take away from the high ceilings and molding. They completely replaced the roof and stabilized the beams and they did a complete heavy up for the house. They reconfigured the kitchen to create an open and modern design. Finally, they added a master bath with a glass shower and walk-in closet to the master bedroom. They were very professional and moved quickly, making sure that everything was to our liking. They responded to every email and I was able to speak to the owner, Eric, whenever I called. Christal and Pamela, managed the fixtures and appliances and made sure everything was ordered and arrived on time. They also assisted with selections and if something wasn't available or wasn't to our liking, they found a solution. I highly recommend Blue Star and I am so happy to be living in the home of our dreams! Thank you Blue Star Design Build Team! read more