Top Notch Carpentry & Remodeling

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They did a good job.

We had a last minute requirement to remove two plaster walls that separated two bedrooms and build a new wall between them. This was very detailed work because the plaster and sheet rock had to line up and match once the rooms were joined. Mike was able to rearrange his schedule and get his crew on it right away. Not only did they get the work done on time, they did an excellent job and the room turned out great. Mike is very professional and conscientious and kept us informed every step of the way. He made suggestions for ways to improve the process keeping our goals in mind the entire time. I recommend Top Notch to anyone looking for excellent carpentry.

My experience from beginning to end can only be described as excellent! Mike responded back to my call the same day and was at my house the next to give me an estimate on the work to be done. What set Mike apart from the other people who came to give me estimates was his enthusiasm and knowledge. I really appreciated the time Mike spent walking around the house and explaining to me the processes involved. Having heard the horror stories our friends had experienced with other home improvement contractors (such as late starts, late completions, quitting in mid-job, coming in late and over-budget, poor quality of final work, etc.), I went into my first home improvement adventure very skeptical. After one day of work my mind was put to ease. Work began on time and wrapped up on time every day. Upon doing the initial walk through with Mike he knew I had a 10 month old baby boy and worked around his sleep schedule on the nursery side of the house. The work was done on schedule and definitely exceeded my expectations! If you came to my house the day after the job completed, you would never know construction had taken place. The bushes around my house were unharmed and there was not a piece of debris or nail I could find. I would definitely use Mike again for any future work and recommend him to anyone who wants an excellent job. Thanks again Mike!

The owner Michael Pietrzak returned my call immediately and got to work the next day. He and his crew worked almost ten hours straight to alleviate what had become a severe ice dam problem. They were extremely thorough and stayed on the job until the problem was completely resolved. We are overdue for a new roof and will be getting an estimate from him.

We discovered a leak in the study on Saturday morning (a mirror fell off the wall, and we saw there was a slow stream of water coming down the wall seam) - and realized immediately it was due to an ice dam on the exterior wall. We also had HUGE icicles on the back of the house that were clearly going to cause trouble soon. And another snowstorm was on the way. Checked Angie's List, called Michael at Top Notch. He had crews out already, but offered to come himself within a few hours. He rounded up two employees, and the three of them cleared our roof and eaves over the course of three hours (it's a big roof). Problem solved, for now, though we'll certainly need to replace the drywall and do something about the roof issues come spring. And we'll hire Michael to do it. He's great, and his prices are extremely reasonable.

I had quite a build up of snow on my roof and the surface of it was ice. When I realized another big storm was coming that could dump up to 12"/16" of additional snow I knew the roof needed to be cleared before the storm. Top Notch returned my call very quickly and because my house is small, they were able to fit mine in at the end of the same day. Micheal arrived with 3 other men. They worked in unison and wasted no timed methodically clearing my roof. The pricing was not cheap however it was very fair for the prompt, thorough and courteous service. Now I am sitting in-house with a sense of relief as the new storm dumps more snow :) on my roof. In past years when I needed snow removed I'd be up on the roof clearing it myself and one year I even drove around looking for road side postings for people who'd shovel roofs. I feel a sense of relief now that I've found a good resource and am on their list for snow removal again once this major storm passes.

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We didn't pursue on using their service because the estimate that they gave us was very high but the guy that came out was friendly and fine. He was very nice and seemed very confident, I'm just not sure if he didn't understand exactly what was gonna be done. It didn't seem worth working with him because it was so far enough.

With the number of contractors out there, it's nice to run into someone who gives you an honest answer and assessment of work to be done. Mike came to my house for an estimate on work we needed to take care of. We had a lot we had planned, from a new addition to finishing a basement, reconfiguring a flat roof to a gabled and replacing some windows along with remodling our bathroom. Mike took it all in stride and made some great suggestions on how we could economize and still get the same result. Mike went around the house with me, going over the items I wanted to have taken care of. I especially appreciated his attention to detail by pointing out areas of rot around our windows I had not even taken into account. He was very knowledgeable and, most importantly, took the time to explain and help me to understand not only the work needed, how long it would take. what was involved to make each piece happen as well as the costs involved. I felt very comfortable with his expertise and demeanor. It's not been my experience with other contractors, to get a quick sense of trust, but I felt comfortable with Mike right away. Unfortunately, circumstances changed for me and I had to delay the work we wanted to get done. I made sure to keep Mike's card handy for when that day returns, as I can't think of anyone more trustworthy I'd want to have working on my house.

Very patient and knowledgeable. Top Notch lives up to its name. I needed some advice on getting my house ready to rent. I received an estimate on rebuilding the furnace chimney the will have to be taken down partially. We discussed an addition off of the back of the house, and what that would do for the property value. He was able to give me a ballpark range to help me prioritize the work needed. We did a walk through of the house and discussed my remodeling options in the kitchen as well. He looked in the attic and the basement for signs of problems. We identified areas where water damage was continuing to occur due to exposed wooden sills around the basement windows. Top Notch gave me some options on how best to fix that. With their advice, we were able to come up with an economical action plan that will make sure things do not deteriorate while I am not living here to keep an eye on things. I am very grateful that they took the time to help me, and I plan to use them in the future.

Michael came highly recommended to us and we had high expectations based on this. He and his team did not disappoint! The service from start to finish was top rate, or should I say Top Notch! The workers were very friendly, hardworking and neat cleaning up at the end of each day. Michael was on the job daily and was involved in the actual work making sure that things were done to his high standards. We are very pleased and will be using Top Notch for other projects in the future.

They were fast to respond and come out to give us an estimate. The estimate was very fair and we decided to forward with the project based the fact that we felt they would do the best job. The work was done quickly and was completed on schedule. The workers were courteous and neat, keeping the property clean thoughout the project. The quality of the work was better than we expected it would be. We highly recommend TOP NOTCH after working with them and seeing the way they operate.

old frames were warped and door were falling apart.He was very careful not to damage other parts of the walls when removing old framings. He covered floors with sheets and cleaned up after the end of the day.He made sure the frames were perfectly square.

Michael responded quickly to my request for a quote for the work at our home. He came on time and we discussed the project and he took measurements. It was some time before we got his price, however. We never got a written proposal but after some prompting we did get a telephone call that outlined his price for the work to be done. His identified price was competitive for the work to be done but he declined to provide a firm price for some of the work and instead quoted Time (@$45/hour per man) and Materials. As a result it was impossible to compare his price with those that provided a firm price for the work. We did not select him for the project for that reason. I suspect that he was not particularly interested in this job.

Michael was very quick to respond to my initial inquiry. We made an appointment for him to come to my home and inspect the property and work that I was asking him to provide an estimate for. Michael kept in constant touch with me and I decided to postpone the work until Spring 2014 due to current financial constraints. I plan to follow up with Michael in March 2014.

I found Michael through angieslist to discuss repairing siding and windows for a residential house. I do a lot of research on construction/repair methods and expect a contractor to take time to answer my questions and address my concerns. Michael, a trained carpenter with experience in a broad range of home projects, patiently discussed various issues and took time to do research on topics he freely admitted to be unsure about as no one can be expected to know everything. He did not push his methods just because that is how he has done things for years or choose to adopt a condescending attitude to suggestions from a homeowner - a frequent situation with a contractor who cannot and/or will not answer questions appropriately. His recommendations were well thought out and consistent with the current best practice methods. Though his proposals were above the budget I was comfortable with and I chose not to proceed at this time, his estimates were fair given his experience, references and high level of understanding of what needs to be done and why. To his credit, he declined to complete lower cost alternatives as he did not think they were likely to be durable enough to justify their expense. I have a high degree of confidence that his and his team’s actual craftsmanship will match the high level of his behavior with me during our extensive interactions during proposal research and discussions and of his reference checks I completed. I strongly recommend that any home owner looking for a thoughtful, experienced contractor consider him for a broad range of home projects and I look forward to working with him in the future on additional projects.

Mike responded right away and scheduled the estimate within a week from our first phone call. At the time of the estimate, I felt that Mike was listening to what my needs were. He then customized a proposal to fulfill those needs. He outlined the Scope of work in person which made me comfortable that we were not leaving anything out. Mike and his team were punctual and neat throughout the project. I was very pleased with the quality of the work performed. I was impressed with how Important it was to Mike to keep me informed at each stage. Overall I am completely satisfied with the projects that Mike and Top Notch have done for us.

He came to the house and saw what needed to be done, with specs and price. We made an appointment and he arrived on time to do the work. The installation was completed to my absolute satisfaction. He was a pleasure to have working at my home. I very much recommend his work, because I am fussy about detail and he was extremely careful and exact.

The results speak for themselves. Top-Notch did finish the skylight installation at the end of the day, on time and within budget. Since then, the house has been sold, but the skylight has never leaked or needed repair. Over the years, Top-Notch Carpentry has completed all manner of projects for me, including structural repairs, window/door installations, porch/deck repairs/restorations and general/finish carpentry. When your contractor can consistently deliver excellent, long-term performance, year after year, project success is nearly a guarantee, and you can't ask for much more than that.

If you are anything like me, you have a hard time trusting people that you really don?t know very well, especially contractors. When I have to rely on their expertise to repair or to construct something new I get very nervous. The best and probably the only way to quell my anxiety is to get a recommendation from someone who has used the contractor and has spoken highly of them. I am a homeowner who needed work done. I had bought a new home and after a couple of years, my home developed leaks and rotting wood around our sunroom ceiling and our front entrance way. After talking with a few friends, the name Top Notch Carpentry and Remodeling came up. With all of the great recommendations that I received, I gave them a call. Mike from Top Notch came to my home and looked over my problems. After assessing my situation, Mike came up with a good plan and an acceptable price. The original construction was done wrong and completed with incorrect and inadequate materials. Mike and his crew from Top Notch started the job on time and consistently came back to the job on time everyday. They deconstructed the sunroom roof and took pictures to explain to us why we were having the problems. They then reconstructed the roof and placed synthetic decking materials over it. They then replaced the railings. They also reconstructed our front portico the same way. Top Notch always left their tools and materials stored and covered out of the way, the job site was always kept clean, and they were very courteous about the noise level or disturbing our household in any way. The team from Top Notch Carpentry and Remodeling are well-educated, fair and a professional team of craftsmen, who have great expertise in carpentry, and a tremendous sense of regard and caring for the work they do.

Michael is a highly experienced carpenter in all aspects of home construction. He has the right tools for every job, and he uses those tools with skill and craftsmanship. Whether it be a window, roofing shingles, railing spindles, or heavy structural components -- such as the support posts for my cantilevered deck and porch -- all of them are fit and aligned with precision. He and I work on a basis of mutual trust. Michael is a man of his word. I echo the detailed comments of the review dated May 30, 2013. Since I value a job that lasts because it's done right at a fair price, Michael will continue to be my go-to man.

I have owned several (five) homes in my life time, and undergone any number of extensive home remodeling projects. This was without doubt THE BEST experience I have ever had with a contractor! Mike and his team were hard-working, efficient and highly professional at all times. Mike did everything he said he was going to do, in all cases on time and on budget. He started the work the day he said the work would be started -- and he completed the work two weeks later, the very day he said the work would be completed. He worked long hours to make it happen, in spite of inclement weather outside his control, and even went above-and-beyond to protect our property as if it were his own home during the bad weather periods. Our good experience started with Mike's quote, which was far more detailed and well thought out than the competing quotes. It was by no means the cheapest -- but it was competitive, and it was very clear that Mike had taken the time to think through the project in detail where others hadn't. Mike was very clear about what was included in the quote, and what would be additional -- should there be additional work needed once the team got into the job (in fact, once he pulled up our roofs, there were indeed a few sections of support beams that had rotted and needed to be replaced --- but because of Mike's clarity up front, there was no question that this was outside the scope of the original quote). Both the quote for the job, as well as the hourly rate Mike quoted for any additional work needed, was more than reasonable... especially considering the quality of work that was done. Mike also went the extra mile to point out areas of future potential problems or concerns as he found them -- but without trying to "sell" us that more than was necessary should be fixed right away. We appreciated feeling that he was truly "on our side" in understanding that we had a set budget, and prioritizing what was urgent vs. what could wait for another day. Finally, I can't speak highly enough about the quality of the work done. I have worked with many contractors who will press and cut corners to get a job done quickly, or who will realize they have under-quoted a job and then try to cut corners to make up the time on the back end. Not Mike. Mike is as meticulous as they come. His preparation is thorough; his measurements are perfect; and his final work is flawless. When the project was complete, we could not find a single seam, gap or ill-fitting joint anywhere -- it was PERFECT! As you can tell, we are very, very satisfied customers and we will definitely be using Mike and his team again and again for our future projects.

Yes, I would hire this company for a future job.