Richard J. Ventura

Rick is a master craftsman and has very reasonable pricing. As it turned out, the installation was more complicated than originally thought, but he got the job done to the highest quality standards, and at the originally quoted price. Sometimes his schedule is really full, but it's definitely worth it to wait for him to fit you in.

Return customer of Rick's. His responsiveness has declined a little, but that can be attributed to more work due to the warmer weather. He is still our #1 choice and gives us great price for good quality.

Set up an appointment for an initial consultation by email and did not show. Did not provide any notice to cancel.

Rick and his team did an excellent job on our kitchen & bathroom remodel. This was our first major remodeling project and we did some research and met with a few contractors before making a decision. Rick was calm & patient, helped answer our questions and had good suggestions. He provided a fair quote and we liked his approach the best. Rick and his team were great. They worked hard & kept us informed of progress. When an issue arose, Rick found a solution (at no extra cost to us) and helped keep our project on track. There were a few days when Rick and his team were off to work on other projects, but Rick had informed us of this upfront and it was not an issue for us. Rick selected the subcontractors and coordinated their work. At the completion of the project, we noticed a hairline crack in the new ceiling. Rick promptly returned our call & repaired the ceiling beautifully. It has now been 6 months and everything looks great. Overall, we are very pleased with the results and we have since referred friends to Rick. We'd consider using them again for our next project.

Although we did not initially expect such a huge project Rick was great about it all. We were able to break the payments apart over the span of the work. His work is extremely thorough. Even from his initial consultation he spent 45 minutes reviewing the issues and taking pictures to make sure he had a good handle on the work. Other contractors either blew us off or told us we had to spend money to get an estimate. We are happy to say we no longer have any leaks and have one remodeled bathroom and new walls that were perfectly painted with new trim work that looks great. He helped us more than we could have expected and made our home beautiful again. Could not be happier. Will definitely use Rick again!

Install storm door at my Aunts house in Wethersfield, CT

First off..Rick Ventura and his company is EXCELLENT, recommend him without any reservations. He worked with us to remodel a 1200 sf house we bought in foreclosure that needed a complete overhaul. Attached are some before and after pics so you can get an idea of how extensive the remodel on the inside was. Prior to Rick coming onboard, we already had the roof, siding and windows replaced. His focus was the interior rebuilding. Very professional, I picked him from Angies List and did not know him prior. He spent most of the summer 2013 working with us, and unlike many contractors, he gives you accurate and realistic time lines and stuck to them. He ended up doing way more than we initially contracted with him for, and cannot express how grateful we are to him for sticking with the job as it expanded. There were some points he had to dedicate days, or a week to another job, but he utilizes his coworkers well and communicates well to let you know where things are at. Again, we ended up asking him to do far more add on work than the original contract and he was super accomodating. The kitchen came from Home Depot, and the installers screwed up so it was going to be delayed for 3 weeks...We asked Rick and he installed them, came out beautiful including the trim to the ceiling. He tends to call you each day when he is leaving the job to give an update which is nice. We moved into the house in September 2013, just love it, and everything Rick did is working well. Our friends think it looks like a before and after HGTV show... I have absolutly nothing on the downside to mention about Rick Ventura. I would recommend planning ahead if you are considering him for a project because he is in high demand due to the quality of how he operates. Looking forward to having him back soon to finish the basement and deck.

Mr. Ventura redid the frame and re-installed the to our satisfaction.

Rick is a MASTER! This is the fourth major project he has undertaken at our home, and we couldn't be more pleased at the out come. The room was too small to have a larger crew complete work in a short time, but Rick and his partner, Jim, worked tirelessly in the horrific July heat and humidity to remove an oversized cast iron tub, walls, vanity, ceiling, tile floor, etc. from our 20 plus year old former remodel of the original 1920's bathroom. When our search of available sources for tile, flooring, vanity did not yield any exciting results, Rick was able to guide us to sources that provided the perfect materials to create the bathroom we won't want to give up when we retire and downsize! Whenever we ran into a snag, and there were plenty; like my kids' stuffing of the crawlspace that Rick needed to access to install the bathroom vent. or the inadequacy of our outdated electrical panel (Rick had an electrician there the next day to update and repair, as well as making sure generators were on hand to run fridge and air conditioners while services were rendered). The toilet didn't fit the old plumbing set up...no problem! Rick found a perfect alternative for a small increase in price over Lowes' . His tile work in the walk in shower is fit to be featured in House Beautiful, with custom niches for supplies and razors. The new showerhead has even my reluctant grand-daughter eagerly jumping into the shower to shampoo and pamper herself! Now we are enjoying a fabulous and luxurious space that feels like a million for a price that fit our 'big family' budget. I cannot praise Rick and his colleagues enough to really communicate his perceptive anticipation of what you need to consider, his guidance every step of the way, without being didactic or overbearing, his willingness to work with you through any obstacles, and his consummate professionalism enveloped with good natured patience, and a positivity that reassures you even in the most distressing kink that everything will end well. It does when Rick is in charge. He makes it happen...every time! That's why we say, "Mr. Ventura! You're the MAN!"

Great work. Rick's replacement section is better than the original construction. Reasonable price given the extent of the damage and the intricacy of the work required. Excellent clean-up afterward. I heartily recommend this professional.

It went well. Rick seemed very professional and skilled and had some good ideas for our projects, but we ended up going with another contractor based on price and versatility. I would consider him in the future for the right job.

Very Well. I hired Rick to install a new attic stairwell and to replace the two storm doors that I had for the entry into my covered 3 season porch with a steel entry door. Rick was professional, his price was well below the other quotes I got, he showed up on time, and was able to acomplish the job quickly. There was 0 deviation from the price he originally quoted. A couple weeks afterwards, we were working on remodeling our master bathroom. We planned to do the work ourselves, but ran into some issues with levelling the old floor. We again contacted Rick to come out and complete the flooring part of the job. He gave us a great deal on the removal of the old subfloor. I was expecting the installation of the new floor to be a little less, but ultimately, it was a good deal. My brother is a carpenter and he came by and inspected the work and complimented on the quality. I absolutely plan on hiring Rick for other jobs in the future.

Mr. Ventura took time between visits to allow for drying of plaster, paint, etc. versus rushing to get it done in order to get paid. He also gave me an unexpected discount due to a small change order. Beautiful job.

I was more than happy with the work that Rick completed in my home. He was very professional...arrived on time, cleaned up every day before leaving, listened to my ideas and was very accommodating. He patched cracks in three ceilings, installed two closet doors and designed/created a banister/stair rail for challenging stairs. I would highly recommend him and would not hesitate to use him again.

I am very satisfied with Rick?s work. He pays excellent attention to the details and gave very good advice when the project got into trouble. He was easy to talk to about changes, gave his honest opinion about my ideas, and guided me through a really challenging rebuild. He is extremely calm and patient. As you can imagine, an older home comes with unexpected expenses, and he was very realistic about the costs, helping me keep within my budget. I had no problem keeping in touch with him, and we spoke almost daily about the progress of the job.

I had done some of the starting work and found myself over my head. Rick came over for an estimate, and was easy to work with. We agreed for him to start the following week. He used some of the materials I had bought, and bought others on his own. The original estimate was exceeded because material cost more than he thought, but I agreed to it anyway. He was very punctual, work started and ended on time, and cleanup was good. He did exactly the work we talked about. I wish I had had him paint the siding before it was installed, as the weather has not been conducive to painting, and it will be until spring till I can do that. But the barn is in much better structural shape, and I will probably call upon Rick again.

I contacted Rick by phone and told him what I needed done. He said he would come out to my house the next day to take a look at what needed to be done and give me an estimate. He showed up when he said he would and called me that evening with his proposal. We agreed on a price and that he would be at my house the next day at 1:00 to do the work. He and his helper showed up on time, did a great job, and cleaned up after they were done. I was really pleased with how quickly the whole process went since snow was in the forecast in the next few days.

Rick called after I left a message and came over the next day to give me an estimate. He said he has replaced attic stairs before and we scheduled to have the work done. Rick called on Friday and said he would have to re-schedule for later in the week. When he came later that week on Thursday, after a phone call letting me know he was on his way, things did not go as expected. This was a small job, but Rick ran into a few unexpected issues and would have to come back the next day to finish the job. Rick and his son, Jimmy work well together and were able to work through the issues that had unexpectedly come up. They stayed until the job was completely finished. Cleaned up everything as if they were never there. It was a pleasure to work with Rick. When I have any other projects that need to be done, Rick will be the person I contact first.

The sliding door had failed- it looked like a sauna inside that glass. I got several estimates from different contractors. A few of them I researched right here on Angie's List. That's where I found Rick. They all itemized what they would do but Rick's was the most detailed- that impressed me. It tells me he really thought about what the work would entail. I called him up and told him he got the contract. We made up a schedule and he kept it every day. Was on time every day- 8AM sharp- he was at my front door ready to work. He put down dropcloths where he was working to protect the floors and even put up a plastic wall to keep the heat in while the door was removed. He matched the siding perfectly. He (and his associate) put in a full day. And now the best part. As I said before, I had gotten several estimates. Rick had the best price. By far. He was 35% less expensive than another excellent carpenter. To put this another way- if you calculate the total hours worked (two people) divided by the total job cost, you get a rough hourly rate. His rate was a little more than half what the highest estimate was. In plain English: Rick is an excellent carpenter/remodeller and his pricing is the most reasonable I've found. I'll use him again. (But I expect after this review, he'll be pretty darn busy!)

Rick was very nice. We didn't wind up using Rick because he is very busy and our situation was a bit urgent. But we look forward to working with Rick in the future.

Richard came to estimate the job. He was very professional taking copious notes and pictures. He provided a written estimate within a few days. We agreed to the terms and engaged him. On the first day, at the time that he said he would arrive, he arrived prepared. He had a helper with him. Both individuals started to work immediately, took only a short lunchtime and no breaks any day. They were extremely neat and very professional. Because the job began on a Thursday and they didn't work weekends and multiple days to complete, they left their tools and materials but always as much out of our way as possible and always neatly. The work required multiple coats of repair material and paint. Every efforts was taken by Richard to be a little disruptive to our home as possible. Richard did more than was required based on the agreement. The work was exceptional and we are very pleased with the results. We couldn't have asked for a better, more conscientious and professional a contractor.

We are very pleased with the result of the work Rick did. He was punctual, friendly, and professional in all aspects of the work...from the estimate to the completion of the job. The job took two days and Rick and his assistant did excellent work with little to no mess in either of the rooms. We are especially pleased with how Rick made the box-in of the ductwork in the master bedroom seamless with an existing box-in of an old chimney...you can't tell where the seam is at all. We would highly recommend Rick...and plan on calling him again for future projects around the house.

The work was outstanding, reasonably priced and greatly improved the curb appeal of the house.

My overall experience was one of the best I have ever had with any type of contractor. Rick will always be my go-to for any home repair or remodeling in the future. I have also recommended him to everyone I know. Thank you very much Rick for the wonderful, professional job you performed.

I have an antique outdoor lamp that fell and was heavily damaged because the pole had become rotten. I decided to have the lamp repaired at Restoration Lighting Gallery in Hartford (who did a great job by the way) and I contacted Rick for advice and to get an estimate. Rick was punctual, knowledgeable and made suggestions on where to find a good selection of lamps (if I wanted new) and lamp posts. Once the lamp was fixed , my wife and I picked a post and Rick provided a price quote which I thought was fair. The following week he came to our house as promised, removed the old, rotten post and base, installed a new base with concrete, rewired the lamp and when I came home from work it looked better than new. My wife and I are pleased with the results and work performed. I'll definitely call Rick again for any carpentry or home improvement work.