I took a chance on these guys in that I had no word of mouth reference, and I'm glad I did. I can't say enough good things about Orlando and his crew. Knowledgable, professional, skillful, capable, polite, friendly, and honest. Replies were always prompt.
You want details? Ok, greedy, read on.
I contacted G&A about repairing an exterior brick wall that I normally don't see, because I have to impose upon neighbors to access it. Damage from neglect had accrued over time and rainwater was getting in - we could hear it. This was an urgent situation.
Unlike most of those whom I contacted about this issue, Orlando responded and actually showed up to look at the wall. I could tell from our first conversation that he was knowledgable about masonry and that he could see what needed to be attended to beyond what I pointed out.
He gave me the option of merely patching or doing more long-lasting repairs and of course I opted for the latter, which he recommended. People who patch don't write reviews.
At the very beginning, there was a brief misunderstanding about the total price, perhaps because of the way I worded the question. Specifically, I thought the figure given for the cost of waterproofing option was the total cost. No matter, because when I saw the true total cost in writing on the contract -- I still had a chance to opt out at this point -- it was still fair. In fact, I will say it made more sense.
With that ironed out I signed and they got to work on the day that they said they would. The time it took to complete everything was very close to the time estimated, even with bad weather in between work days.
I'm used to poor communication from contractors, what millennials call getting "ghosted". That happened a lot with a painter in the past. Not so with Orlando. He texted before arriving, and on the one day that he couldn't make it, he told me well in advance. Good communication.
Both of my neighbors (two separate households) who had to provide access to the wall commented on how Orlando, brother and crew were easy to deal with and that they did a good job of cleaning up afterwards. I would have been surprised to hear otherwise because I spent time with them, four guys for this particular job, and I found them to be friendly, easygoing and funny. Orlando can talk!
They did come back on one additional day to do a bit of caulking after the contract was complete. It's not something I would have caught by examining the wall myself. They could have just shrugged and thought "Whoops, I forgot that part" and left me to think the job was complete. Maybe I'd find out years from now Instead, they showed up and got it done. This is the sign of someone who wants to to the job right, and who wants repeat business + a good reputation. They earned it. A+ read more