Cut Above Construction and Design LLC

While we ultimately didn't use Cut Above for this project (through no fault of theirs), I will absolutely use them in the future based on the experience with them I've had so far.

I wouldn't use them in the future.

To sum it up, we have had a horrible experience with Cut Above Construction and Design. My husband and I do not take pleasure in writing negative reviews and we do like to support local businesses. We consider ourselves honest people (my husband is a veteran and firefighter) and I am a social worker and we hope that no one will have to go through with what we went through with Cut Above Construction and Design. We entered into contract with Cut Above in 2014 to have our shower remodeled due to an extensive leaking problem that caused substantial damage. Contractor and owner of Cut Above, John completed the framing himself and then used a subcontractor to complete the major renovation. The cost was $7600. The cost of the renovation was pricier than other estimates however we naively thought that you get what you paid for. In 2015 we noticed that the shower was leaking again. We contacted John and he agreed to repair the shower. We took it at his word that this was something that had never happened before. John seemed to direct the blame on the subcontractor who was used (who had since passed away). However, isn’t it the owner/contractor’s ultimate responsibility to make sure that the job was completed properly? Cut Above said that the leak was coming from the shower step and that portion of the shower was repaired (2015). Sure enough, this year (2016) we noticed that the shower was leaking again! We contacted Cut Above about the leak once again. This time they performed a simple shower pan leak test and discovered that the leak was actually coming from the shower pan. Why didn’t they perform this easy test last time? The shower was repaired for the third time. John let it known to us that he was doing us a favor by fixing it a third time as he was doing it at his own cost. The repair process was drawn out as it was considered a low priority for them. The end result of the third repair was unsatisfactory to us but John is not returning our phone calls! We are now left with a shower that looks like it has been repaired twice, shower glass that is uneven and unsealed with caulk smeared on the glass, a moldy basement ceiling due to the current shower leak and silicone footprints all over the bathroom tiles. We do not know if the shower leak has been fixed this time as John has never returned to perform a leak test. We are finally going to ‘cut our losses’ and fork out more money to get the shower glass fixed. We contacted the glass company ourselves (who did the shower glass on the initial shower remodeling in 2014 and did a great and professional job). The glass company have come and looked at the shower glass and were disgusted by the way it was caulked by Cut Above. The glass company has kindly agreed to help us with the shower glass repair even though it was botched up twice by Cut Above. The extra cost is well worth not having to deal with Cut Above again.

I really wanted to give a glowing recommendation for Cut Above Construction because I do believe they are an ethical family-owned business and try to do good. However, they built a beautiful shower for me that is virtually unusable because there is no room to stand in it. The project I hired Cut Above Construction (CAC) to do was to replace an existing glass brick shower because a leaky seat seemed unfixable after years of failed attempts. It turned out that CAC subcontracted the building of a custom shower pan, laying all ceramic tile, and installing glass shower surround. So all they had to do was frame the shower and benches on the existing footprint and serve as general contractor for the subs. They did an excellent job as general contractor. They communicated with me well, letting me know when to expect things to happen and answering questions I asked. They managed the schedule very well and chose good subcontractors. But the work they personally did was unprofessional. They installed a bench that was twice the depth of the old bench, leaving only about a square foot of space to stand and still be under the shower spray. When replacing the external bench that abuts the shower, their joints were not mitered, had huge gaps, and were rough-cut and splintery. I had to ask them to sand down the splintered end cuts as best as possible. They created nail holes in my linoleum that could not be repaired. The end result is that I paid almost $7000 for a shower that creates a safety hazard for me when showering because I don't have enough room to stand or turn around in it.

First of all, we never received an estimate, therefore no work has ever been done. We called several weeks later and was told that they were sorry but have been busy. We had to leave the state for a while but still had email access and to date (two months later), we have not received an estimate, a phone call or anything. Also, we asked them if they could recommend a company that pumped septic tanks, as we knew ours had not been pumped in 4 years and should be pumped. They suggested a company and told us that they would make the contact for us. That, too, did not happen. We contacted the company on our own and had the septic tank pumped. Picture us - still waiting!

I enjoyed working with John and Jennifer very much. Knowledgeable and professional.

I think that the job went very well. I needed to remove a cement incinerator, a sidewalk, fence posts, clothesline posts and a network of sumac tree roots. John and his son arrived Tuesday morning and finished four days later on Friday. All the debris from the excavation was removed and taken to the dump. The cost was higher that other bidders' but I chose John's company because he had the equipment to do the job done right. They also estimated a longer time period to do the job. Other bidders' estimated that the job would take two days. That seems too short, and they didn't mention using a Bobcat Excavator. Both men were friendly and professional.

From start of remodel from initial design to finished product Cut Above Construction were very professional in all aspects of project. It did take a little longer than anticipated as we had to wait for our custom cabinets but once they were delivered everything else started falling into place. The prep work before cabinet arrival was quite extensive as they had to tear down some columns and a wide shelf like item that went from one side of room to the other, rewired and placed new can lights and special plug ins for a charging station, also had new lights installed in living and dining room, new sheet rock, tape and mud, new porcelain tile was laid on floor, gas lines were rerouted to go to island area for new cooktop, the making of the drop down from ceiling for the new hood over island. They were very conscious of keeping the area clean especially when they were done for the day, hung plastic sheeting from ceiling down to keep overspray from getting on any furniture or belongings when doing texturing. We had a new electrical panel placed for all extras going in. John, the owner of Cut Above Construction was there almost everyday and personally checked in all cabinets when they came in to be sure all were there and not damaged. Once they got started with cabinets we could really begin to see the kitchen coming into shape, they made sure all cabinets were hung or placed perfectly level and matching to cabinet they were attached to. Once the appliances were placed it was really starting to show the excellent work they were doing right down to the most minute piece of baseboard to the crown molding and all the caulking of floor tiles and backsplash, finish strips along cabinets, making sure all cabinets and drawers were closing properly. Everyone that has seen our new kitchen or pictures of it stated it could be on the cover of a magazine as perfect as it is. We would highly recommend Cut Above Construction for a kitchen remodel. The cost quoted above does not include appliances, most of cost went to materials and subcontractors, the labor charge from Cut Above was very reasonable. Overall this was a great experience and we would like to commend John, Jennifer and Elijah for an excellent job, they have every reason to be proud of their work and it shows well.

They did an okay job. I asked them several times to bring a ladder to look at some more work on the upstairs to the house. If you're a construction company, you should have a ladder. That tells me that maybe they don't want to do the work on my house. I just had them finish the job and that was the end of it. I also asked them to take some things with them and they said they would, but they just did the work and left.

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In August we discovered that the front porch of our 1910 farmhouse was falling off. We were terrified. I searched reviews, and narrowed it down to two contractors. I called them both and Jennifer from Cut Above returned my call the same afternoon. She was friendly and professional. The appointment for an estimate was set for two weeks later(my delay, not theirs) All of our phone calls were returned within 24hours before the project started, and within minutes once it was started. They worked with our timeline, and kept the job within our budget. The entire crew was professional and polite. (They all had impeccable manners.) The finished product was better than we ever thought it could be. They even bought color matched paint and touch-up painted the eaves, when none of the new deck required any paint. We have several other projects that will need done around the house, and we will be using Cut Above Construction for all ofthem.

unknown

was on time cleaned up work did very nice job

Great! They were very cordial, prompt, responsive, good combination of witting and glistening, and really nice people. I got a high mark for good reason. I talk to them regularly because we are doing work together. I have been seeing them since summer.

I am really happy with the work they did. They covered all the carpet with the sticky plastic covering and used the floor to ceiling plastic barrier to keep the mess contained. I was all smiles when I came home and saw how fabulous the media room looks. I would highly recommend Cut Above Construction, especially if the problem is tricky.

John McDonald is great. They did excellent work for me.

It went great. They did professional work. they were on-time.

They worked out well. They did what they said they would do, and they did it quickly, and they did it well.

It went well and as expected.

Cut Above Construction replaced the framework for my patio cover. The estimate was done in a timely manner. They explained in depth what needed to be done, and written estimate outlined this again. Once they received downpayment, they started and completed the job in less than a week. They finished sooner than estimated, worked all day, did more than they said they needed to do, and didn't charge me extra. The clean-up was well done. When they were done I had a question about 1 piece of wood, they were out and replaced it within a week, so their follow-up was good.

John and his helpers are the best you can find. They had recently remodeled our kitchen and we did not hesitate to call them back. They repaired walls. Moved electricity. Installed tub in one and shower in the other. Both bathrooms were tiled and grouted very professionally. We had fans installed also. I could not be happier with my new bathroom and would not hesitate to call john again

wow what a contractor. If you are looking for a perfectionist this is the company to choose. The wall was torn down and reframed just as we had asked.His skills in electricity and plumbing were commendable. The installation of the cabinets was as perfect as they get. The counter installers even commented on what a great job was done on the cabinets. John and his staff were very professional, always on time, and cleaned up every night before they left. I was very pleased with all of his work and would call on him again when needed.

John did a home inspection before we bought this house. We knew it was going to need quite a bit of work, but $105,000 for a 3600 square foot home on an acre- what a deal. He had some great ideas on how to open the house up by moving some walls around and removing support columns and wall. There was a garage that had been made into a family room, but didn't feel connected to the rest of the house. I did some of the tear out and things I new how to do myself- not a problem with John. He worked full time for us when needed, gave me time to do what I could when we came to those points, and has been back when things are beyond my ability or just takes to long for me to do. They have been very professional, doing a great job and great to work with. They have always shown up when they said or let me know if they weren't going to be able to make it on time. I'm a pretty picky person, but John seems to be even more meticulous than I. I will definitely continue to use Cut Above as I finish this remodel. We are extremely pleased with their work.

My wife and I decided it was time to update our kitchen. We ordered our new cabinets through Lowes. John came to our house to make the initial measurements. After looking at the blue prints, John made several suggestions that saved us several hundred dollars. During the entire installation, we found "Cut Above Construction and Design" to be highly professional and very courteous. My wife and I designed a complex kitchen. John's knowledge and experience allowed him to do the installation skillfully and accurately. From cabinetry to plumbing to electrical, John did a wonderful job. He is truly a skilled professional. My wife and I would use "A Cut Above" again in the future and would recommend them for any home improvement job.

We had no problems with John & his company at all.