Bottom Line: I would hire or recommend Paul again in a heartbeat. He provided quality workmanship, impeccable service, a professional demeanor and very reasonable prices especially given the complexity and scope of the project. Additionally, Paul and his assistant Tony are an easy going and likable guys.
I hired Paul Castello to fix a problem with dry rot due to water damage to the floor and sub floor in my house, (circa 1962).
I was concerned with making sure that the repair met current building codes and would pass a home inspection. Paul spent over an hour assessing the damage and covering the various repair options with me. He assured me that there was a "2010 solution for every house repair issue regardless of the age of the house." This was an interesting very reassuring comment.
Once we decided on the repair strategy, we agreed on a price and shook hands.
They were on time and started work immediately by laying drop cloths and sealing up the door to the bedroom to minimize dust. Paul and Tony worked fast and efficiently and I could tell that they knew what they were doing.
It was very interesting to watch them rebuild the floor using modern sized wood. As it turns out, new lumber is sized slightly differently from wood that was milled back in the early sixties.
Paul's work also included some dry wall repair work. Again the decision to use an experienced pro paid off. We cut five inspection holes in the wall looking for the source of water intrusion.
Paul's technique was to apply three thin skin coats of joint compound and two coats of spray knock down texture. This made the repair invisible. Good job. Paul had quoted the job so that it included a return trip to apply the texturing because he knows that under normal weather conditions this time of year, it would take over night for the third coat of joint compound to dry. However, at my suggestion, I mentioned that I had a couple of those parabolic heat lamps which we could use to accelerate the drying of the joint compound and the texturing. Because of this AND Paul's willingness to work until 7:30pm, allowed the job to be completed in only one (albeit long) 12 hour day. This saved him a return trip and me taking off time from my work. Win-win.
Another point worth mentioning is that at the end of the project, Paul and Tony spent time doing a thorough job cleaning up after themselves and the job site. I have used "pros" in the past that were not so conscientious.
Now to costs. Paul and Tony put in 22 man hours of work. That was from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with an hour for lunch. This includes the time to buy the materials. Paul only charged me his contractor's prices for the materials. In fact he gave me the receipts. I won't disclose the computed hourly rate, but the labor cost divided by the 22 man hours was very economical. I would have spent 3 times longer doing the same work.
To summarize:
1. Was communication between myself and the contractor adequate? Yes
2. Was the decision to use a licensed contractor a good decision? Yes
3. Did they show up on time both to give the estimate and to do the work? Yes
4. Did they abide by their quoted fixed price bid even though the work scope increased? Yes
5. Was the workmanship up to my ridiculously high quality standards and professional? Yes
6. Did they work a full day? Yes
7. Did they clean up after themselves? Yes
8. Would I recommend them to others and use them again myself? Yes
9. Was the cost reasonable? Yes
Good luck.
If you have read this far, you may be interested in my take on the negative review. There are always two sides to every story.
According to Paul, the homeowner was only willing to meet after hours, not during normal business hours, which I consider to be 8-6pm. Asking Paul to show up at 8 p.m. to fix a sprinkler issue is unreasonable. I understand that crosswords were exchange. Paul has apologized in writing. Where is the decency of the other party to accept an apology? Paul also said that the $50 charge would only be charged if it turned out to be something not covered by his warranty such as the timer being mis-programmed. If this is true, the homeowner failed to mention this.
I also have an issue with people that write dodgy reviews and are unwilling to sign their name and contact information. Shame on Yelp for not requiring this. These days it is too easy to write hit and run negative reviews and hide behind anonymity like a coward.
If anyone wants to touch base with me they can contact me at:
meltemicaz@gmail.com
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