One day in the fall of 2020, while walking across our porch, my husband's foot punched through a…read morespot of rotted wood. We promptly decided it was time to have it replaced...better than ever before!
We got a couple bids for the job. But Charles really stood out because:
1. After walking the job, he promptly sent a detailed bid and CAD drawing. We refined the scope several times and every time he would promptly refine the quote and redo the CAD drawing. Very good follow through. Not pushy, just responsive.
2. He had a large book of color photographs of his work that helped us choose finishes and make design decisions. He has done a TON of patios and pergolas in different styles. I love this book because there are a lot of decisions to make -- it's easier to point to the picture you like more vs. having to imagine if you want feature A or B.
In terms of price, Charles was in the middle -- not the highest bid and not the lowest. But we got the best feeling from him, and that's what is important to me. We redid our kitchen two years ago and our general contractor (not Charles, obviously), fled the country in the middle of the job after a progress payment! Yikes, bad memories.
I am very happy with how my patio and pergola turned out; we seriously live outside now. We have a plexiglass cover (to protect from rain) and fans (to help somewhat with the Texas heat). Charles and his crew were great overall.
Pluses:
- They only do outdoor patios and pergolas. This is what they are good at and they are fast.
- Charles was here a lot, especially at first to get the job started. He didn't just oversee progress, he was out there working and sweating with his men.
- Charles helped to perfect the design while the job was in progress. He had his wife paint several different colors of grey stain onto sample boards so we could choose the right one. We spent a few hours perfecting the brick pattern on the columns. He wanted us to be happy with the final outcome.
- Flexible with changes with very few change orders. I must have added 10 electrical outlets...didn't get a bill for it. So unusual for a GC.
- Open to feedback when we felt like something wasn't perfect. Because they were outside my kitchen window, I would do dishes and watch progress unfold. And let him know when I didn't like something. Absolutely never got push back from him. He would call his crew or come by and fix it immediately.
- Follow through has been great. Even after we were all paid up, he sent over a crew a couple times because rain was getting through my plexiglass cover. Again, so unusual for a GC.
Minuses:
- I wish they would broaden their scope from just outdoor patios and pergolas to other things. I have a bathroom I would love for them to remodel. Ah well.
Anyway, check out the pictures. One of the prettiest patios and pergolas I have ever seen, and I'm lucky enough to have it in my backyard.