This was the first Kitchen Renovation of this apt in maybe 40 years and my first ever. I wanted it to maintain the history BUT bring my own spark into the Design. I knew what I was looking for but wasn't sure I could fully communicate that spirit. Luckily I was connected to the Designer-William-at KBR and he GOT IT from the very beginning! Grateful that the final result is the Revision imagined in my mind's eye that will be with me for the next life chapter! read more

KBR Design & Build - Small window cut into original wall - General Contractors Near Me - New York, New York

See all

The design work and initial build was on-schedule and professional. then the "change orders" started coming in and it was clear that the "design" was, in actuality, incomplete and the extra costs continued to balloon. Our concerns were brushed off with a healthy does of condescension. They were dishonest in how they sourced materials. Through independent verification, we discovered that we were overcharged by 466% for the windows. We had receipts. We arranged a walk-through with the owner and, even with receipts in hand, they maintained nothing was wrong. This led us to believe that ANY materials sourced by KBR were of interior quality and KBR just pocketed the difference. The other one-star reviews here line up perfectly with our experience. Take them seriously. read more

TLDR: Avoid working with them. Money grabbing contractors that subcontract everything and work product is sub par. They use KBR and also "1625 Design" as their various entities Quick comments: 1. All the 5 star reviews on this page are paid ads by the company. Read thse peoples other reviews because they are bot generated 2. The company is very poorly run and you can tell by the constant staff turnover. I had multiple point people for my contractor, their supervisors have switched couple times, and my designer was fired. Person that pitched me on the project is also no longer there. Before you hire them, ask them about their recent turnover, you will get the idea very quickly 3. The boss, Noam, only cares about money (examples below). When you get the original scope of work, you need every minute detail listed because if it changes in any way, it's going to cost an arm and a leg as a "change order." My apt was a full gut reno (demolish everything), and because the scope didn't specifically list to remove a built in hamper in the bathroom, they wanted to charge $1k. Hopefully that gives you an idea of the nit-picky change orders that you are signing up for. You want additional outlets because the original person doesn't know NYC code, that's another $1k per... stuff like this... I'm sure this is their way of quick upsells Other money grabs: - They charge a % delivery charge on retail prices for all materials, while they get industry discounts - Noam wanted to collect my final installment before the project was completed. Noam never stepped foot in my apartment but will hound you for the next $ installment 4. Quality of work is sub par. I had a glass panel break 1yr+ post reno. Understood that this is out of their "warranty" time frame. I spoke with the glass manufacturer etc and ordered a replacement glass, there were pads that needed to be installed which were not during original installation. KBR didn't even come to inspect or anything, but said it was installed correctly by looking at a photo clearly showing these pads were not installed properly. Andreas (contractor), Edison (second designer) were good to deal with, relative to others at the company. Avoid paying the 25% down payment before the project even starts. This is 100% my fault. Once you make the payment you won't be able to get it back and essentially are in bed with someone you don't want to do business with. DM if you want more additional details read more

Check out the 5-star reviews from people who joined just to post a single review or are from people outside of NYC. We hired KBR for a project that needed an architect and mechanical engineer. KBR markets themselves as an "all-in-one" team but disclaimed all responsibility for coordinating with the architect and mechanical engineer saying it's on the owner to handle. As a result, I spent several hours per week reviewing engineering plans, asking questions about construction feasibility, and asking for guidance on material availability (all questions that I thought an "all-in-one" team would be able to proactively handle). KBR's actual "design" process was sending website links to products and asking us to choose. There was no virtual mock-up to show the overall design, and limited recommendations on design aesthetic. Every recommendation from KBR was "whatever you want". I terminated my engagement with KBR before construction started and lost a majority of the deposit in the process. Afterwards found out that at least one other neighbor had a similar experience of terminating KBR's engagement before construction as well. If I had a choice to do this again, I'd still choose to lose a deposit than partner with KBR. Draw your own conclusions about KBR. read more

KBRNY did an incredible job on our full gut renovation in DUMBO. They provided a skilled designer to help us choose gorgeous materials, a dedicated project manager who kept everything on time and on budget, and an exceptional team of contractors, electricians, and plumbers who delivered flawless work. The result is stunning and exactly what we envisioned. Highly recommend KBRNY to anyone looking for a luxury renovation done right! read more

See all

I felt like my search would go on forever until I found KBR. They have been completely professional, transparent, and communicative since the very beginning. I am really impressed with their work and coordination among their team of professionals. My project is still on going but so far they have exceeded my expectations and I know I will be satisfied with the final outcome. I will definitely recommend them to my friends and family. read more

Worst. Decision. Ever. I wish I could give a half-star or no stars. After a very good sales pitch from KBR (earning the single star), I signed a contract in June, 2021 to cover the popcorn ceiling and install recessed lighting, sand and paint the walls, change the doors and change the floors. Not all rooms were touched and the Scope of Work specified what should and should not have been done. The work did not begin until December, 2021. They had a total of 42 days to complete the work, and NO WORKERS SHOWED for 21 of those days. Everything that was supposed to be "excluded" from work was done. Everything that was asked to be done, was done poorly. When the walls were sanded for painting, nothing in the apartment was covered. Six months later and there is still plaster dust in the blinds. There were three bi-fold doors in the apartment that sit within the doorframe opening. The opening is 38". The tried to install 44" doors and rather than shaving them to fit, they installed them 6" away from the wall (looking like a barn door). When the furniture was moved back in, the doors would not close. The ceiling started to sag almost immediately ... it turned out it was never done to code and had to be re-done. They installed broken flooring at the entrance to the apartment. They never cut the flooring to fit around door frames and left large holes around those areas. They also threw out all my additional flooring (including saved flooring from a job they did not do). They broke the window treatments so the blinds do not open. They never once listened to the client, there was NO supervision of the workers and they just shrugged off the fact that they were doing things that they were asked not to be done. When they were "finished", I was left with broken floorboards, an apartment that was only partially painted, bi-fold doors that would not close, and as I found out later, a ceiling not done to code. Additionally, I was fined twice by my building, because they did not put out the correct carpet protections in the hallway. Clearly I could not allow them to finish the work, and had to hire a second contractor (TimeLine Renovations who were FANTASTIC) to fix everything that they had ruined. Their response? They have refused to engage. I would never recommend these people to anyone. They were flat-out horrible. read more

See all

KBR is an untrustworthy company that provides unfinished work. First is the complete lack of professionalism. I can not count how many meetings Yosi missed, forcing me to continuously take off from work. In order to complete the job I had to take off 3 days of work to make sure the job got done. Even having to complete some of the work myself. On the final day of of work the contractor refused to dispose of the 10 bags of construction waste. I in turn had to take the bags myself to the dump. Second is the poor quality of the workmanship. It has now been 8 months since the complete of the project and we have to redo some electrical, reinstall a toilet and resleeve the air conditioners. The lights in our kitchen flicker on and off on their own and the only way to stop them is by turning on another set of lights that are near the broken ones. Our toilet was pitched incorrectly and had to be redone 2 times during construction. The solution KBR came up with was to raise the toilet. Now the base is deteriorating and will have to be redone. Also the subcontractor KBR hired to do the mason work for out through wall air conditioners pitched it completely wrong and that to will have to be redone. KBR figured out a way to delete my wife's previous review on Houzz. I hope that this review provides enough information and facts that people choose not to work with KBR. read more

KBR Design & Build - General Contractors Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Unprofessional, disrespectful, lying, sloppy, apartment ruiners! I agree fully with Caroline D. Working with this "company" is among my biggest regrets in life. While Rob the sales person was lovely at the beginning, once the contracts were signed and the deposits were sent, they turned into the most incompetent, pathetic people I have ever encountered. They left trash everywhere. Many pieces of my furniture were damaged, they refused to compensate me. The contract said "paint all walls" and they said that didn't apply to closets or bathrooms. They missed meetings, didn't show up, showed up late. They didn't respond to emails, didn't communicate with my building, didn't communicate with me. They damaged my walls. They forgot items from the contract, said they were done, and then complained when we asked that they do everything we'd paid for. I found nails and other dangerous debris for months after they left. I took several days off work just to supervise and try to get them to stop breaking shit. My marble is permanently stained from where they dripped paint on it. I could go on and on. I put blue tape on the walls where paint had been really messed up (I'm talking workers' fingerprints on my bedroom walls, for instance) and they removed the blue tape without fixing the issue 3+ times until I gave up and will repaint it myself. Again, I have NEVER had such a terrible experience. I do not wish them well. read more

Working with this company was a nightmare. I contracted them for my remodel and every facet of the project was a disaster. Their admin staff delayed my co-op alterations submissions, the designer never ordered my kitchen cabinets, my design team turned over twice with employees quitting. My project management team turned over once. I received incorrect bills overcharging me. I received bills at the end of the project for labor I didn't agree to pay for. The project was supposed to be 3 - 4 months but ended up being 6 leaving us without access to the kitchen and bathroom despite promises that the bathroom would be done before move in. The PM and the Forman hated each other and blamed each other for everything. The quality of work was horrible. I paid thousands for shipping and handling to this company only to leave my doorman to get in trouble for delivering the matierials to my apartment because no one was here to receive them because no one would show up to work. They used no protective materials leading to my flooring and finishes being covered in paint and plaster. I reached out with pictures of all the issues the company left behind. They said "someone will be there next week to fix". That was months ago now. The customer is 100% always wrong and the staff is horrible to deal with. They outright lie, are unprofessional and caused myself and my husband extreme stress. read more

This was a horrendous experience for us from start to finish - the worst customer service experience we've ever had. We strongly recommend enough that you stay away from KBR. We had a relatively simple job - redoing a very small bathroom and a medium-sized kitchen in a high-rise apartment building - and they managed to turn it into what felt like an endless, stressful ordeal. The actual quality of the work was...fine. We haven't had yet any major problems in the plumbing or electricity that they installed (knock on wood, considering some of the experiences below). To the extent that we're happy with how our kitchen and bathroom came out, it's mostly to do with the quality of the materials that we believe that mostly we (not our designer) picked out specifically. Our main complaint is that every individual at KBR with whom we interacted was some combination of unprofessional and incompetent. There were instances of their overcharging us where it was unclear if their mistakes were a result of their incompetence or dishonesty - I would hope the former, but eventually it came to feel like that latter. Worse, they routinely would lose their tempers...with us! The clients! Our designer got upset at as when we expressed frustration that she was slow in responding to emails and putting in our orders, when from our very first meeting KBR knew we were on a tight deadline. My wife had to have a telephone therapy session with our project manager after we dared question that $400 seemed like a lot to install 3 or 4 closet shelves, which somehow caused him to be offended that we didn't "appreciate all the hard work I'm doing." But most important - and I can't stress this enough - we strongly recommend that you not hire KBR if you are on ANY kind of tight timeline. Our project was completely finished nearly a month after we were led to believe it would be, and even that was the result of us resorting to relentless nagging after we learned not to trust their assurances. They blamed delays on materials not being delivered on time, even though they were the ones who chose the suppliers, put in the orders, and communicated timelines with them. We believe KBR was late in ordering materials, late in securing approval from our building management, and late in producing the work they promised. That, combined with their unreliable and sometimes nasty customer service, made them extremely difficult to work with. read more

Do yourself a favor and RUN AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!! They are the worst contractors I have ever worked with. Everything was done incorrectly and poorly and is falling apart. The measurements were wrong, damaged appliances were installed, incorrect cabinets were installed, the project was "completed" 8 months after they said it would be, everything cost between 3-5 times more than what they told us it would cost in their quote, we were blamed for every mistake, there was no professionalism, no reliability, shoddy work - I could go on and on but you get the picture. I regret the day I even heard of this company - use a different company. read more

One star is for the on-site project guys. They were quick and are good at what they do. Tom, Margo and on-site project guys were easy to work with. My recommendation for those who are looking to work on small project at their homes: DO NOT pick this company. My project was small (redoing a small bathroom and replacing the wood floor throughout the apartment) yet it still took us almost two months just to get renovation permission from our building - yes our building might be slow and picky, but KBR people are just as slow and unclear in their preparations. The whole experience made us feel like we are not important enough for them to pay attention due to our small project. The whole process working with them took us 3 months. Compared to the bumps during the project, things I mentioned above are nothing. This whole project is a complete rip-off. On the contract, we clearly asked for replacing the old wood floor we had with new wood floor. In reality, they lied to our face that they did the exact thing, except when I found out they did NOT. They actually placed the new floor right on top of the old floor, which saved them a ton of time and energy. How convenient! I told them I found out about this "surprise", they then admitted that is the truth and Tom agreed to process a refund on the labor that did not happen. Not to mention that they did the floor as their first thing on the list, instead of the last thing to do during project (so the floor would not be damaged and dirty). It was even more horrible to think, they can just go ahead and DIY the project on their own without any heads-up for me: What if I never found out? Electricity in the bathroom was working just fine when we first purchased this apartment. However after on-site workers knocked down walls and ceiling, the electricity stopped working. We waited more than a week for an electrician to come in and fix it and were told that we might have to pay extra if the electricity box needs to be changed. Glad they realized later it was not our fault so they didn't charge us. But no big progress during that week. Lastly, paint. Again on contract they never mentioned we needed paint for moldings and living room, so we just ordered paint for the bathroom. They ended up to use the bathroom paint to paint the patches on the wall and the molding throughout the apartment, again without any heads-up. The last week in the project, when we went to check on the apartment, they again lied to my face that they found this paint in the closet and supposedly that is the paint for living room, so the whole room now had two different tons of white (one is yellowish white/beige, new one is brighter white). The project manager Sandy told us now we can paint the whole room with this bright white color, with of course extra cost of labor. Tom called me back after few hours and claimed that Sandy (project manager) told him the paint was left by the previous owner and it(the brighter white) is the same paint as the original wall (yellowish white/beige). The reason we can see two shades of whites is because previous layer is old and now is newly applied. WHAT A STORY! At the end of our conversation Tom got a bit annoyed and did not listen to what I had to say. But my question is AGAIN why none of them gave me a heads-up when they first spotted the paint difference, instead, just painted the who apartment with obvious two tones????? We did not want to argue with them, since they have the tendency to get upset with us instead and threaten to stop working immediately once (Yes it happened!). And we did need to move in as soon as possible, so we paid extra $3925 to have the painter to paint the new color throughout the apartment. This is another example they did not follow the contract. So irresponsible just to make up excuses for their mistakes and make you pay for their mistakes!!! Did I mention, the project manager was always late for our weekly meetings except for the time for the paint check, where she clearly knew she/they messed up due to internal miscommunication/ lacking of internal communication? She was always "busy" and never responded you on time unless they made mistakes on their end. I would not recommend this company to anyone who has a small project and reasonable time window. Avoid this company at all cost. The whole experience was very unhappy, exhausting and costly. read more

Just dont do it. They provided a quote that was much less than any other contractor - which should have been a red flag. Some highlights of a terrible experience include: incorrect installation of a backflow toilet causing waste to back into the toilet. After not using bathroom for 3 days we were able to convince KBR that the toilet didn't just need cleaning. KBR owner came out with a real plumber (overheard owner say "this is what you get when you use a licensed plumber"). Had to redo entire toilet installation. Lucky we caught problem before making final payment. We were not so lucky in finding problems with our new PTAC units. PTAC units were incorrectly pitched, missing parts and overall unsafe. Had another HVAC company in. We will need to hire a mason - they literally left walls crumbiling into our apartment. The draft is so bad from the units that we had blankets under the units during the coldest days so we didn't freeze. We will have to reroute heating, order missing parts AND redo the entire sleeve. We are lucky that heating pipes did not burst over the winter, the units did not fall into our apartment or cause a flood. There are a litany of other issues that we had. Including having to dispose of several bags of construction material that were left in our apartment. All in all an absolute nightmare from start to finish. read more