We had Capitol Hill Masonry perform several jobs for us: leveling of a severely sloping basement…read morefloor, tuck pointing, tidying up of missing bricks and replacing a concrete pad. They took their time and did an incredibly thorough and excellent job. We are really happy with the result and felt that it was a high priority to deliver a high quality product. Michael was great to work with, very communicative and willing to pivot as we added more work. He used high quality materials too, honoring the needs of the old CH row houses. Definitely recommend.

We are grateful to Patrick, Myles, and their team for their great work. We were experiencing water…read moredamage from poor workmanship on the exterior of our building. Capitol Hill Masonry redid the exterior wall, made sure the brick and mortar were in good shape, and did an excellent job painting and cleaning up the job site. They also added weepholes to allow better drainage from our yard. Capitol Hill Masonry offered us the fairest price at a higher experience level than other contractors we found. Our wall still looks great after a recent downpour.

We hired Ramirez Brick Repair for two masonry projects, and the quality of the work was outstanding…read moreboth times. The first project involved repointing our heavily deteriorated front porch brick steps. Javier and his team carefully restored the brickwork, matched the mortar beautifully, and made the steps look solid and refreshed again. The second project was a complete restoration of our flagstone patio, including removing and replacing all of the old mortar and resetting the stones. The patio now looks fantastic and is level, clean, and professionally finished. Throughout both projects, the team was reliable, hardworking, detail oriented, and respectful of our property. It's clear they take pride in their craftsmanship. We're extremely happy with the results and would absolutely recommend Ramirez Brick Repair to anyone needing masonry or stonework repairs.

Non responsive until contacted multiple times and when he did respond; he made an appt that he…read morecanceled last minute. So yep, I took off work for nothing...nada. He didn't even try to reschedule diligently. He must have made enough money that he didn't need more business? At either rate; I can't take a business seriously that does this. I'm sure this was a blessing in disguise!

Mairtin is a professional. He completed my project on time and did a great job. Competitive value…read moretoo. Thanks, Mairtin!

Martin did excellent work for a reasonable price on an unusual job repairing our basement concrete…read morefloor. He completed the job quickly and neatly, keeping dust to a minimum by enclosing the space in order to power grind and prep the floor. We appreciated his attention to detail in applying a self-leveling compound needed to restore a smooth surface. He was very personable and professional. I'd definitely hire Martin again.

Rather unprofessional lack of communication after an estimate…read more I met the estimator and we spent about an hour looking at the work needed at my property in June. They said it would take 1 week for them to send over the estimate. They've completely ghosted me for the last 2 months. I've sent three emails requesting updates on their estimate and no response. I'm disappointed that I took a day off from work to meet with their estimator, and now will need to get more quotes. IDS initially responded quickly to scheduling time to come out for the estimate on multistory porch rebuild, roof deck replacement and tuckpointing on my property in DC. They had asked about the scope of the work prior to coming out, so would have known if it was too small for their company. A simple "sorry we are too busy to take on the project" would be the minimum expected professional response from a real company.

I started working with Jeremy and IDS in December 2020. They took over an ongoing issue I was…read moretackling with a contractor/friend who moved to Australia. Jeremy picked up the project and was able to solve for the moisture trapped in the plaster walls. Having a 100+-year home is challenging and solutions aren't always direct. Jeremy and team stayed the course. The quality and craftsmanship of their work is exceptional. They have become a trusted resource when it comes to fixes and home improvements. Last year, they converted my claustrophobic 4X7 bathroom into something livable. I consulted with other contractors and even an architect on possible solutions for making the space feel more open and liked Jeremy's approach best. He listened to what I wanted and found a way to successfully make it work. IDS even referred to an outstanding electrician this summer to upgrade my home from 60 to 200 amps. Jeremy, Junior and Adan are a great team, making the experience of owning an older home manageable. I can't thank them enough for all their hard work and dedication.

Blue Collar Scholars did excellent work on our fence and gate project. Juan and Gustavo are…read moreexcellent craftsmen -- the workmanship is top-notch and everything was done with real care. Nicholas was an excellent thought partner as we worked through design options, and Laura was a great project manager who kept the whole thing on track and communicated clearly throughout. Highly recommend.

Very disappointing experience, especially given their high rating…read more We signed an agreement with Blue Collar Scholars at the end of June for a new front and back fence and paid several thousand dollars toward the project. We understood that permitting could take time, particularly because our home is in a historic district, and our contract did not guarantee a completion date. My issue is not that the permit has taken time, it is how little they seem to have done during the time they could control. Before hiring them, my wife had already attempted to submit the permit application herself. It took her about two hours to put everything together, and the application was returned because an architectural drawing was required. We gave Blue Collar Scholars all of the paperwork from that attempt when we signed, so they knew exactly what was needed. Yet throughout July, we were repeatedly told they were "gathering documents" and "finalizing" the application. The architect they work with didn't come out to take measurements until August. Since coordinating their architect is within the contractor's control, we cannot understand why this wasn't done in July while they were supposedly "preparing" the permit application. It is now September 29, more than three months after signing and paying the deposit, and we have no fence and no approved permit. We've now been told there were comments on the application and that installation will take another 3-4 weeks AFTER the permit is approved. I don't blame them for DC permitting delays or historic-district requirements. I do blame them for failing to use the time efficiently and for providing vague, noncommittal updates instead of clearly communicating what was actually happening. After more than three months and several thousand dollars paid toward the project, having no fence and no approved permit is an extremely frustrating experience. Based on my experience, I would not recommend Blue Collar Scholars.

I want to thank Gerber and his team for doing a great job on the exterior of my home ... which…read moreincluded hardscaping, lighting, and landscaping. They delivered excellent craftsmanship and top notch design experience at a fair price. I initially hired Gerber to tune-up all my existing pavers, add a new paver driveway, and add some new path lighting. Adding the new driveway was somewhat of a challenge as the adjacent paver sidewalks were initially constructed over 10 years ago. So, Gerber was able to find a great match to my existing pavers and masterfully piece the new driveway together in such a fashion where old and new appear seamless. Amazing!!! During the process, we learned that his team also offered landscaping. So as the hardscaping and lighting was coming to an end, his team met with us for a design consultation. Both Kathy and Katherine brought some great experience/knowledge to assess our current situation and offered wonderful ideas to the overall design. We loved what we heard and proceeded with the landscaping work immediately. In the end, we could not be happier! And we look forward to using Gerber and his team should we have any additional hardscaping, landscaping, or lighting needs in the future.

We had a couple of cracks in the mortar of our home built in 1939. I didn't really know what I…read moreneeded and did some outreach to different masons in the area. Gerber responded very quickly, was prompt in coming out and telling me what he thought I should do. While he was there, I asked if they did stonework on walkways and patios as that was also part of what I needed. The work they did on the house and the walks was excellent. The team was great to work around, completed everything beyond expectations. Would recommend!

So happy with out fireplace. This company has great communication and they completed in 2 visits…read more My fireplace was in bad need of repair with cracks and unusable dampner and they did a great job. They even fit me in before Christmas ahead of schedule. Wasn't cheap but considering amount of work done I think it's been totally worth it. We've enjoyed several fires during this abnormally cold winter. Would recommend this company they know what they're doing.

We wanted to get our Chimney inspected. It took about two months for me to get my inspection…read moreappointment. They don't follow up on paperwork easily. I had to call back to receive my invoice. I called again so that I could make an appointment for the work they said need to be done on the outside of our Chimney. Still waiting for a response. This is something that has to be done in warmer weather because of the bricks and outside Chimney work. I will update my review when the job is completed. Which includes setting up an appointment for the additional work need outside of my Chimney with the brick work. I do appreciate their honesty about for safety reasons to not use the fireplace.

My brother and I recently (September 2024) contracted with Alberto and his crew at Stoneman…read moreConstruction and Landscaping to build the following at my Mom's House in West Springfield Va.: * New Carport concrete foundation (See picture) * New concrete front porch * New concrete driveway * Huge new (42x15) pine backyard deck (Raised) See picture * Huge new (42x15) concrete patio (under deck) See pictures * New concrete retaining wall (for patio) See picture I can't say enough about how well this experience went! He was one of the most affordable and dependable contractors I have ever dealt with. His crew worked exceptionally hard and everyting came in ON TIME and within budget! If there was an issue Alberto was on top of it immediately! I highly recommend Alberto and Stoneman! Call me (Scott) for questions. (408) 504-3530.

The Stoneman team knocked out my small project of turning a flower bed into a raised concrete porch…read morealong with pouring a concrete pad for a shed. Great value with quality work. The project turned out great and it was clear that they are use to larger projects but glade they took on my project and knocked it out in a day! Will be calling Stoneman again for my next project.

Unprofessional, Sloppy Work, and Broken Promises - Cost Me $19K Total…read more I hired this contractor for a $15,000 project to parge the rear of my rowhouse. I chose his middle quote and specifically showed him my neighbors' well-done walls for reference. He assured me he could provide a nice, even gray sponge finish to match the front of my house. Instead, he cut corners and delivered completely unacceptable work: Bait-and-Switch on Materials: His quote explicitly included adding metal lathe to the exterior using stainless steel fasteners. On day one of the job, he abruptly changed his mind, claiming he had a "better way to do it." It wasn't better--it was just cheaper for him. Sloppy Application: The mortar was applied unevenly, leaving splotchy colors and completely exposed brick in several areas. Visible Brick Lines: Because he skipped the proper preparation, the brick lines were completely visible right away. He claimed it just needed to "dry," but 6 months later, it still looks terrible. Refused to Complete Repairs: When confronted, he admitted the walls were uneven and claimed painting would fix it. He painted only the back wall, then flat-out refused to paint the two larger dog-leg walls, stating he was "out a ton of money" and "didn't have the funds." Financial Pressure: Halfway through the project, he pressured me into releasing the second payment early, citing his own "cash flow issues." Validation & Extra Costs: I had to pay an additional $4,000 to an independent painting company to finish the dog-leg walls. Even the professional painters pointed out how poorly the mortar was applied, specifically highlighting that it was applied "very thin" at the top of the house. Paying $15,000 for a botched job, cutting corners on the contract, and then shelling out another $4,000 to clean up his mess is a nightmare. Avoid this mason at all costs.

Tom was one of the best contractors I have hired. He installed a short retaining wall in the front…read moreand back of my row home. His prices were more than reasonable for the quality of the work. He showed up on time, did not bother us at all, and left no mess. Most importantly two years later, the wall looks great.