Ant Builders - Shy Nair

Shy Nair of Ant Builders was the general contractor/designer for a gut renovation of our basement apartment bathroom - - and as we moved forward, they agreed to squeeze in a substantial upgrade of the kitchen as well. The work was done in September of 2015, essentially squeezed in before a couple of other major jobs that she already had scheduled.. The price agreed was neither the highest nor lowest of many quotes but the work was ?high-end? as advertised; and it wass always her recommendation that we order high-end fixtures as well. We expect the quality materials, fixtures and workmanship to be economical in the long run. Shy was forthright about schedule and how the work was to be done and it proceeded quickly with delays only as required for permits, delivery, and necessary breaks as materials needed to dry and cure. Very high quality work with close attention to detail. A couple of unusual feature for this contractor. Unlike most other construction contracts we have signed over the years there was no down payment, and even though the plan was for payments as the work progressed, although we were keeping track of the developing expenses, she did not bill us anything until the very end. Moreover, this contract one was "labor only" -- almost all the fixtures were extra, discussed and ordered along the way. A downside of this approach, of course, is that the project's final cost was hard to capture at the outset. We came to rely heavily on Shy?s experience and good taste in determining design, materials and color - - we had our ideas but her depth of knowledge was extremely helpful and much appreciated. The firm?s contacts with knowledgeable suppliers were important as we needed to move quickly. In that regard, the project was done on time -- we have never had a construction project stay on deadline. Shy was always available by phone and e-mail ? sometimes we could hardly keep up with the pace. Workers were clearly skilled, courteous, quiet (for construction), professional in manner, and neat with daily clean-up. Construction is not generally a pleasant experience but we truly enjoyed working with Shy Nair of Ant Builders would highly recommend the firm.

They are a very good company. They were very fast in responding to my emergency call. They came right away and started securing the roof. They worked until 9 in the evening. They started working on the roof two days later. They did a great job and at a very reasonable price. I have used this company quite a few times and they just renovated my bathroom last fall.

Shy from Ant Builders brought her crew in and they found it in no time. This was really critical as it was doing damage and we could not figure it out. It turns out the toilet on the floor above was leaking. Not only did they find it quickly but they fixed it right away and they fixed it properly so this will never happen again. They also cleaned up after the work so I could not even tell the work was done! The entire team was professional and so nice and friendly. I felt very comfortable having them in my home. They even were nice to our dog Penny. This is truly an amazing company. I will use them again and again without hesitation. We used them years ago to remodel several other bathrooms in our home and we were so very pleased with the work. We have also recommended them to our friends and they have done spectacular jobs on our friends' kitchens and basement remodels. I am always willing to recommend Shy and Ant Builders without hesitation.

Shy and Alex were amazing. They consulted me throughout the whole process. They found the door I wanted and made suggestions as we started work. They did a great job communicating with me about the work/complications and decisions that needed to be made. When they opened up my door frame they found that the door had not been framed correctly. They showed me the problem which was that the frame consisted of 2 boards nailed together as opposed to one continuous board. They explained why this was a problem and proposed solutions which they completed quickly. Then they showed pride and thoroughness all the way to the end of the job. Matched the paint on the exterior, found the trim stain on the inside, etc. To top it off, they are super nice people.

Shy and Alex are the best. We have used them twice and both times the work was outstanding (complete renovation of a bathroom and total roof replacement), enough so that we have just hired them again to renovate a second bathroom and plan on using for a kitchen renovation. The workmanship is great, the communication is great, the problem solving is great, the crew is great; clean up every night is great, the contract is complete, timing of the job is on point. Shy and Alex are very knowledgeable, they are very creative, we cannot say enough good about them.

Shy gave us an estimate for renovation of two bathrooms, around $15k for one and $19k for the other. The estimates were very explicit and detailed. She seemed very knowledgeable and spoke quite frankly about issues related to the project which I respect. However we decided to go with a contractor recommended by the designer and saved around $7k ... mostly due to savings on permits but the other contractor included in his estimate things that Shy wanted charged separately. Her charge for permits was $2700 for both baths, in addition to the $15k and $19k. We ended up filing our own permits with the county with the contractor we ultimately used. The cost to file permits is $199, but doing bathrooms on permits also means more down time as you wait for inspection which is probably why she would charge $2700 for permits. Shy seems to be a very good, detail oriented contractor and would probably do excellent work. But her cost estimate was higher than others. And to her credit she told me that before she came out for the appraisal.

Shy is a consonant professional. Shy was punctual for the estimate and asked a lot of questions. I've had several estimates already and Shy was able to tell me things that the other contractors did not notice. For example, she measured the bathtub and was able to tell us that we had a non standard size tub. After Shy took measurements and we discussed what we wanted, I sent her the renovation application from the condo board. She quickly read the application and called me with something that I had not noticed before (I don't think the other contractors bothered to read every word in the application in the past). The condo board added a clause to only use their plumbers because of a recent pipe lining project. Ultimately Shy did not bid on the work, because the condo board insists on using their approved list of plumbers and a process of connecting to the old pipes that Ant Builders does not do. Shy also likes to use her own subs for work, which I respect. For me, this means she has a high standard for quality and does not do business with anyone. Shy spent a lot of time with us during this consultation and even called the building manager to clarify statements in the application within a 24 hour time period which saved a lot of time for both parties. After deciding not to Bid, Shy sent us some options for where we can get our tub since we have a non standard tub and gave us information to provide to the contractor that does eventually do the work. After this experience, I wished Shy was going to be our contractor, but I also understand her perspective. At a minimum, I highly recommend Ant Builders to be amongst the contractors that you are selecting for the estimate.

Shy & Alex were very responsive from our first contact, to thorough estimates on the work to be performed, through to completion. Shy communicated with us along every step of the way, made excellent recommendations in areas to save money, and ultimately saved us money and provided better solutions than the home inspector cited. We had a complete electrical "heavy-up" performed from 100 amp to 200 amp service; new electrical panel (old one had water damage) installed; water pipes and faucets re-routed; all electrical outlets replaced with updated, grounded service; bathroom, kitchen plumbing and fixtures replaced; new water line from hot water heater and replacement of a new water main, to remove corroded galvanized pipes; replacement to code of venting for clothes dryer and bathroom venting; water drainage issue repairs from downspouts into new drainage systems to move water away from foundation; mail slots install in solid core door (small but done as a "house warming gift" as well as other small repairs - where do you find contractors like this!!!). All our work was performed with no oversight by us needed, because as noted, if there were questions on anything - Shy communicated with us quickly and often with solution to propose. EXCELLENT Experience and we WILL use Shy Nair & Aunt Builders again - we give she and her crew a solid recommendation, without any reservations!!! THANKS Shy!

It was a great experienced. Shy knew her stuff, was honest, and was a good communicator. She let me know all issues involved in the project, and her crew did a great job and completed the project promptly.

I very much liked Shy and another construction guy she brought with her, they seemed serious and knowledgeable and non-judgmental and shared my aesthetic ideas. They explained the options, including relocating some fixtures that I had not thought could easily be moved, and the costs. I was also impressed with the business decision to not require a substantial up-front payment, particularly since I've had very bad experiences with previous contractors who disappeared without finishing the work, after receiving sizeable chunks of money. As it happened this time, however, I suddenly faced an unexpected financial expense, so I had to put off the bathroom renovation. When I take it up again, they will certainly be a serious contender.

She was great to work with. She took care of all the permitting and made the process of renovating the home as is easy as possible for me. She brought samples of materials and was always responsive to my requests. She made several suggestions on how to improve our plans. She was always polite to our neighbors (even the one that complained a lot about construction) . Everything was completed on time except for the patio which was not her fault (a neighbor contested the permit). All in all a great experience. I could not recommend her more. I have since used her on another project much smaller in scoop and that went great as well.

We contacted Ant Builders because they had done beautiful work on our neighbor's home. Shy spent an hour with us evaluating our basement and digging into details that other contractors had completely missed. She understood very well the type of project that we wanted to do, and she provided us with a detailed estimate. Ultimately, we have decided not to do a full remodel of our basement for a variety of reasons. When I discussed that possibility with Shy, she took the time to talk to me about other options that we could pursue. I will definitely call Ant Builders for other projects in the future, and I will not hesitate to recommend them to my friends and colleagues.

The roofing job went very well and they deserve an A+ overall, no doubt about it. We have mostly dealt with the owner, Shy Nair, but the crew who performed the roofing job was also very good. They are extremely reliable. I also like that they know what they can and cannot do, and where their expertise lies. If they think another contractor is better suited for a job, or is more knowledgeable about a specific project, they will advise you who they would recommend and why.

I wasn't at home when they actually did the roofing work, but when I dealt with the owner of the company she seemed very straightforward and honest. I got a good feeling that I wasn't getting ripped off. Also, they did a great job cleaning up as well.

We had a fantastic experience with Shy, Alex, Roberto and the entire crew! They tried to minimize any inconvenience to us arising from the remodel, as we were living in the house while it was going on. They accommodated us so that they could do the demolition while we were on vacation. They installed plastic tarp throughout the house so as to minimize the effects of dust. At the end of each day, the crew would clean up quite thoroughly (and at the end of each week, they even applied murphy's oil soap to our wooden floor!) There were very few delays, even though some materials that we had ordered from a third party provider did not arrive on time. Shy tried to find solutions so that we could finish close to the date that we had projected. Whenever any problems came up due to materials, she was extremely transparent in reporting them and found creative solutions. She was very diligent in supervising the job. She came in almost daily. She followed-up with furnishing and fixture providers on our behalf, and was able to get us discounts for many products. The work itself was stellar. The crew was so professional. We are so pleased with our new bathrooms. They did such a nice job with the master bathroom that Porcelain, the company where we purchased most of the furnishings and fixtures, would like to showcase it in their promotional magazine. We will most certainly continue to work with Shy and Ant Builders on any future remodeling projects in our house. We are planning to install a new roof with them in the Spring. I would recommend them highly.

This is the second time we have hired Ant Builders (last year they remodeled a bathroom). Again we could not be more pleased with the work performed, the communication, and the professionalism of the contractor and crew. The work was performed on time and at the estimated cost and our new roof looks beautiful! The quality of the workmanship is outstanding. The crew showed up on time every morning (and even worked Saturday to finish the project), they were pleasant, very hard working and they cleaned-up perfectly every day before leaving. We could not be more pleased with this company -- honestly if there was a rating beyond A we would give it. We will continue to use Ant Builders for all of our projects.

My experience to them was great! I really like them and it seems like they do quality work but their price is a little high for me.

They did an excellent job and I would use their service again.

We needed repair work for our bathroom shower. Ant Builders fixed our tiles. Their work was excellent and fast. I have always had a great experience using Ant Builders. Wouldn't go anywhere else!

We are repeat customers with good reason - Ant Builders are the best. They arrive on time and carry out their work efficiently and to a very high standard with good attitude. They were indulgent of my moving a mirror from one wall to another and then to another - each time involving the installation of a support bracket, replastering and repainting the wall. They are tidy in their work and always clean up, removing all debris and trash. The area under the stairs is clean and neat - I'm delighted to have a drain pipe to carry away any water that might accumulate - Ant Builders think of everything. They worked with us to find a solution to the 13/4 inches extra required by the refrigerator. Once part of the wall was down, they noticed that the support beams for the stairs had been cut at one point and repaired these also. As I said, they carry out their work to the highest standard. It's always a pleasure to deal with them. We recommend them highly.

We were confident they could do the job but did not hire them because we had another contractor we were comfortable with too that was cheaper. We would contact them again for another project.

Ant Builders are the best contractors I have worked with in 10 years of home ownership. We used them to gut and rebuild two largely original 1935-vintage full bathrooms in our house, and they did a tremendous job every step of the way. They may be the most timely contractors in the history of the world: they never failed to show up on time, and they got the job done more quickly and efficiently than we had expected. Communication via email and phone was always fast and easy, and there were never any mysteries about what was happening; even when I went out of town for a couple weeks while the work was ongoing, they emailed me pictures of the progress! On price, they may not provide the cheapest estimate for any given job, but they will provide the most honest estimate, which I think is more important. Our bathrooms were challenging, but they have worked on many similar jobs in old houses like ours, and were able to give us both a detailed estimate and a great idea of what to expect as the project unfolded. When Shy looks at a project, she will tell you very directly what she thinks about the work to be done - there is no hidden agenda or effort to sugarcoat anything in an effort to make a sale. You are then charged only for the work that is needed, so that the price can actually go down if something is easier or less complicated than originally expected. (First time I'd ever had a contractor charge me LESS for certain things than originally estimated.) The work itself was excellent, and the bathrooms turned out much better than I expected. They are so nice that I almost feel guilty walking into them, like I must have wandered into some rich person's house. We had them do some other minor work around the house while the bathroom work was ongoing (install a few ceiling fans, paint a room, change out some door knobs, etc) and that was all done well, too. Shy always told us up front what it would cost, and there were never any unexpected charges. She made great recommendations for products and fixtures along the way. We are already using them for some additional renovation work around the house.

Shy called me within hours...and on a Saturday! While she informed me that she and her crew would be unable to complete my job within the very tight deadline I am under, she was incredibly polite and helpful, offering to refer me to several other contractors who might be a good fit for the job.

Waiting for estimate which will arrive in a couple of days.

From start to finish we could have have been happier -- if there was a rating above A we would give it. We had set up interviews with 4 potential contractors, Shy and Alex were the second contractors we met with. We knew immediately that we would go with them even before we got the bid. Shy and Alex are easy to deal with, full of great ideas and are complete problem solvers when in comes to an old house. They listened to us to understand what we were looking for and then came up with perfect ideas of how to renovate the bathroom and maximize the space. They provided us with a complete list of what fixtures we would need to purchase and guidance on what not to buy. Same thing with the tile -- excellent advice as to what to purchase, what works well, etc. The vendors and their respective consultants Shy recommended to us were also great -- very helpful and knowledgeable. Shy and Alex went out of their way to resolve a delay issue we had regarding tile we had chosen -- they actually went to the tile shop and came up with a work around which actually turned out to be better than what we had originally chosen. The crew that worked in our house for three weeks were great, they polite, excellent crafts persons and they cleaned-up perfectly every evening. Shy's estimate of the time required for the job was completely on point, they finished exactly as estimated. The quality of the workmanship is fantastic, they even duplicate the trim in the house. We feel that we have finally found a "go to" contractor for the balance of the work needed in our house. Another great thing about Ant Builders is that they communicate with you daily -- there was never an instance where we could not get a hold of either Shy or Alex and one or both were at our house every day. When in came to painting the hallway Shy disagreed with our paint color selection and actually went and got paint samples of what she thought we should use and again perfect. Anytime you have a renovation project in the house for more than a day or so it can be overwhelming. I have to say we never felt that way which is a tribute to how great Ant Builder's is to work with. We would highly recommend Shy and Alex and the crew at Ant Builders.