Of the various contractors that I have used for projects around our home, Dave Richards Home…read moreImprovement is the supplier we are most comfortable endorsing to our friends and family. We had gotten multiple quotations to have our basement finished, and their quotation was competitive versus the field. However, what I think makes this team stand out versus others:
1) Speed: The team works quickly to get the job done with minimal days on site, basically working as long as it was convenient for us. We have a young daughter, so having the crews end work so she could sleep was huge for us and they were always respectful of our home and time. While we ran into a few snags with materials, Bruce communicated with us throughout the process and ensured we got what we needed.
2) Flexibility: When we asked to make some adjustments throughout the build process as we saw the framing or other items go in, they were able to accommodate them and actually worked with us to ensure we were happy with the result. Flabio, the framer, came out a follow up time to change some of the soffits for us, not because he had done anything wrong the first time, but because we preferred the look of framing out our soffits slightly differently after looking at them for some time. While I am sure they do not want everyone constantly changing the scope of the job, I truly felt they wanted us to be happy with the basement and did not force us to continue with an initial plan just because it was what was written at the very beginning. While other suppliers may have had more elaborate drawn up plans, the flexibility Dave Richards afforded was actually more valuable to me as the ability to make adjustments when we saw how things actually looked in our basement was helpful. No plan on paper can substitute this and Dave Richards did not throw change orders at us even if we asked for some small adjustments.
3) Transparency: They did not nickel and dime us after their quotation was done. We also had the ability to provide our own fixtures if we wanted. Alternately, they passed through their discounts on fixtures (e.g., toilets, vanity, shower) from Lowes directly to us. I would guess other companies would charge retail prices and keep that margin for themselves. Any incremental costs we paid above the first quotation were from an explicit request we made (i.e., asked to replace some standard doors with glass doors) and we were provided with a quotation prior to any invoices.
4) Clean: Their team always brings drop cloths to protect the rest of our home when working and maintains good communication with us throughout the day. They also cleaned out materials and even when leaving the worksite day to day, vacuumed and organized tools and materials for the following day. Mike, one of their team leads, even saw a small paint drop on our main floor (where they were not working) and offered to help us get it off.
5) Integrity: Based on the points above, we just feel that Dave Richards Home Improvement is the type of company and team with whom we want to do business. Hardworking, capable, and respectful teams that just want you to be happy with your project and done at a fair price. As a fairly sizeable project for us in terms of scope and spend, we were happy to do it with a company that worked with us to ensure we realized our vision for our basement and was not looking to get every dollar out of us that they could.
Bottom line, Dave Richards and his teams are just good people and the type we love having in our home. We will definitely be calling Bruce at Dave Richards Home Improvement anytime we have a home project and would recommend them to others for any of your home improvement needs.
A special Thank You to Bruce, Mike, and Flabio for their hard work and professionalism throughout the project.