If you only read the first sentence of this review I want you to know that Ritchie Brothers Construction is a fantastic contractor and we were 500% pleased with the end result...and working with Jeff was a great experience and we will be calling him the next time we need work done.
We interviewed 6 contractors to complete our kitchen renovation and we weren't happy with any of them. Many of them were more like project managers/designers that would never get their hands dirty. They would drive up in their BMW dressed in their GQ attire...and would ultimately charge us an additional 15% so they could make money on the deal. I had a vision of what I wanted my kitchen to look like so I didn't need a designer, I needed a contractor...someone to bring my vision to life. We were ultimately referred to Jeff Ritchie by a co-worker and when he showed up he was in his work truck and work boots. After having a conversation with him about what we wanted, we knew he was the one. That's the best part about Jeff, he's a regular guy with some pretty amazing construction skills.
Our renovation entailed removing a 20 ft load bearing wall, removing another wall, re-routing the HVAC on both floors, electrical panel, plumbing, re-running gas line, rebuilding our back wall, installing two 14 ft sliders, opening up the stair wall, finishing work on the fireplace, installing flooring, building pantry and pantry shelves, crown molding throughout, and lighting throughout.
I had all of my finishes chosen and many of them purchased, but was still questioning some of them. I bounced questions off Jeff and he convinced me to go talk to some of "his guys", places where he sources many of his products, such as Marbolis, Cabinet Factories Outlet, and Kim's Iron Works. (Don't listen to the reviews for these companies on Yelp. If you have a contractor like Jeff, these companies will bend over backwards for you). His recommendations turned out to be the best decisions we made.
One great quality about Jeff is his attention to detail. I am a perfectionist and would point out the smallest blemish that no one else would even see and his team would have it fixed the next time I walked through the door. He never made me feel like I was being a pain or that I was inconveniencing him. He made me feel like I was the one in charge and that anything I wanted, he would make happen. I even took on a little bit of the work myself and Jeff coached me on the best ways to accomplish the results I wanted. This advice was invaluable and taught me a lot.
Our renovation cost us more than we expected but we knew that was a possibility with any contractor. Our house is over 50 years old and had never had work done to it before but in the end, we have a brand new first floor, approximately 1500 sf. Jeff wasn't the lowest bid, but he was on the lower end and I have no doubt that Ritchie Brothers Construction was the best choice. I only hope his team will let me cook them the steak dinner I promised them in my new kitchen!!!! read more