Cosgrove and Sons recently completed a complete renovation of our master bathroom. We had been planning this renovation for a few years and had gotten bids and plans from two other contractors, but were never able to come up with a plan which reflected what we really wanted done. After working with Stephen Cosgrove, we designed an Asian influenced bathroom which was just what we had envisioned and hired Cosgrove and Sons for the renovation. Cosgrove and Sons gutted our old bathroom, installed a new subfloor, tiled a wall, the floor and shower enclosure, moved a floor vent, installed recessed lighting, did electrical and plumbing work, installed a new tub, vanity, vanity lights and mirrors, faucets, towel heater, ceiling fan, toilet with washlet seat, hung up shelves and robe hooks, built a custom shower, built recessed wall niches for the shower and tub and painted the ceiling and walls. No subcontractors were used; the work was primarily done by two Cosgrove employees, Felipe and Miguel. They did a fantastic job. Felipe was careful to explain how things were being done and always consulted with me about any issues. Both workers were very polite and professional, cleaned up after themselves, and as a bonus, were nice to my dogs! The only real issue during the renovation was a delay in completing the shower enclosure. One of the pieces of glass was cut incorrectly twice, which delayed the project finish by two months, and when it was finally cut correctly and installed, we discovered that the piece of glass on the side was too tall, so there was another two week delay for a replacement. To make up for this delay, Lisa Cosgrove gave us free labor to replace all of our bedroom and front entry closet doors, which have been broken for several years, so I was happy! My husband and I love our new bathroom and are very satisfied with the work done by this contractor. I would not hesitate to hire them again. read more

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We hired Cosgrove & Sons to handle a major renovation for us in the fall of 2015. They did a FANTASTIC job. We were very pleased with the quality of their work, which involved gutting the first floor of our old colonial, opening up walls and adding beams for structural support, building a brand new kitchen, adding a new powder room, and installing new windows, doors and wood flooring. We were also thrilled that they completed the project on time, in 10 weeks from start to finish. Phillip Cosgrove was our project manager, and he was excellent. He was on-site every day and did the bulk of the work himself with the assistance of one, sometimes two other employees, who were also great. He managed the various subcontractors and vendors who were needed for plumbing work, electrical, appliances, etc. He interpreted the architect's plans and didn't balk when we asked for a few changes mid-way through the project. When we encountered unexpected issues in the house (rotted wood, vents in odd places), Phillip and Stephen Cosgrove helped us come up with solutions and kept the project moving. We didn't live in the house during the renovation, but we stopped by almost every day and were impressed with how they contained the mess associated with a gut job and minimized disruption to our neighbors. We encountered a few bumps along the way (some miscommunications, some extra costs), but ultimately everything was handled professionally and to our satisfaction. It's been almost four months since we moved back into the house, and we couldn't be more delighted with the new space that Cosgrove created. We are very glad we hired Cosgrove for our renovation and would not hesitate to hire them again for future projects. read more

1) Professional Expertise Issues: a) Inadequate Knowledge of Code: Cosgrove did not pull some permits until after construction started & some were not pulled until authorities issued notice of violation. Cosgrove was not aware that local Code required R49 insulation in ceilings for new construction. I had to find insulation product that met Code & contractor to install it. Some electrical & plumbing work was performed by general workers and not performed by licensed professionals. b) Drawings Issues: Cosgrove agreed to provide all architectural & permit drawings. At least 4-sets of incomplete architectural drawings were submitted. Each was promptly returned with many notes questioning dimensional & factual errors, omissions, discrepancies, & questions - almost all of which were either ignored or not discussed or corrected on subsequent submissions. Drawings were never completed or accurate leading to delays, misunderstandings, etc. c) Poor Scheduling: Contract called for 9-12 weeks. Work began in February 2015. It is now almost 1-year & the job is not finished. d) Poor Communication: Contract calls for timely and regular communication with owner and a weekly in-person conference with owner - this almost never occurred & Cosgrove seldom visited my job site. I made a typo error in one part number, & the manufacturer told Cosgrove it could not provide this item. Rather than tell me Cosgrove 'guessed' at the "correct" part number. When the product arrived it didn't match & was rejected by me resulting in a 6-week delay & extra cost. Cosgrove told me to omit exterior trim from windows & doors since 'these could be fabricated on site at lower cost'. When Cosgrove installed them they had no exterior trim at all. Two windows arrived with damaged sashes - this should have been a warranty item but has not been resolved. Many changes resulted from the lack of the repeatedly requested drawings. Most of the changes were verbal and not documented by Cosgrove as stipulated in the contract. Therefore, when Cosgrove's invoices included items previously deleted, duplicated, inconsistent pricing, incorrect quantities, missing credits, & billing for items specifically included in the contract, etc. 2) Poorly Managed Subcontractors: Work was frequently inefficiently scheduled - trades were scheduled one-at-a-time, often with days or weeks between visits & often with only 1 day notice. a) Heating System: The contract included changes to the existing hot water heating system. Cosgrove's subcontractor was either unwilling or unable to provide the calculations for the new radiators. Rather than discuss the issues with me or find another subcontractor Cosgrove told me to find my own subcontractor. . I located a subcontractor who did provide the necessary calculations, could schedule the work, & provided a cost estimate. However, Cosgrove objected to his estimate since it was higher than his original, but he still didn't suggest he would find his own alternate & offered only a fraction of the added cost as a credit even though a completed heating system was included in his contract. Only after I indicated that I would take this issue to arbitration (as stipulated in the contract for disputes) did Cosgrove agree to credit the full amount of the new estimate. b) Kitchen: One day I noticed that Cosgrove had installed a Formica type countertop material in the kitchen. It was crudely installed & when I inquired Cosgrove told me this was 'temporary' so he could schedule an inspection (an inspection that could trigger a progress payment for him). I objected to this & subsequently found out that the kitchen counter top material was delayed due to Cosgrove not having ordered it in a timely fashion. In the meantime, I had to take more time off of work to be present during the rescheduled countertop installation. c) Flooring: The flooring subcontractor was required to reinstall flooring in the sunroom because many of the boards had rather large flaws (knots, shakes, uneven joints, etc.) that he proposed to fill - a solution not agreed to by me for practical reasons (since the floor was installed in the middle of a hot, humid spell when the wood would have swelled it would be subject to the maximum amount of shrinkage in the dry, cool winter & the seams would open up). Proper supervision of this work would have either had the materials protected or the work done under more climate controlled conditions. There is more but space is limited read more

I recently worked with Cosgrove and Sons on a redesign project and was extremely pleased with the professional service and positive energy, especially that of Lisa Cosgrove, the chief designer. The staff members working on site were prompt, courteous, and conscientious, making sure to clean up the area and any debris at the end of each workday. Project turned out great within the timeline projected, very happy with their work. Recommend highly. read more

Cosgrove and Sons are amazing!! Our home required long-overdue updating to the bathrooms and kitchen, electrical and plumbing work, and replacement flooring, and they did it all! We could not be happier and just love the results! From phasing the priorities with budget planning, to choosing and recommending materials that worked with our home, they were professional, thorough, and dependable every step of the way. After contacting several other companies in the area, right after I met with Lisa I felt a confidence that Cosgrove and Sons was a business I could trust, especially since most of the time I would not be home while they worked. I have had them back several times for additional work and I just cannot say enough about how grateful I am for everything they have done. Thank you again! read more

They did a fantastic job !!! It was for our master bathroom. They completely redesigned they jbathroom and gave us a clean, contempary updateed look. Lisa was a big help in choosing the fixtures and tiles. The quality of the work was excellent and we love showing it off to visitors. I would highly reccamend them to others. read more

We bought a beautiful arts and crafts style house constructed by Cosgrove and Sons in Bethesda. Very nice finish, we really love our home. Cosgrove and Sons are very responsive and very helpful; they are always ready to provide assistance as needed. read more

My first remodeling job was the installation of kitchen cabinets and countertop. Everyone I encountered during this process was very pleasant and exhibited professionalism all the way. The owner always kept me abreast as to what was going on and when it would happen. This went for the team that actually performed the job as well. They were always punctual and very efficient in performing the job. I especially liked how they always cleaned up behind themselves each day upon leaving. For my very first time, I was well pleased with the end product. I look forward to them doing other projects for me as well. read more