John Himchak Construction Company Inc.

John was prompt with his estimate and remained on schedule during the entire project. He was very clear in communicating potential problems during the project and offered solutions to resolve them. I was on a tight timeline to complete this project and John exceeded my expectations on timing. Initially, he suggested I contact a structural engineer to sign off on the project. We both worked with the engineer to develop a plan for the basement that was sound, safe, and maximized the living space. The engineer is listed on this site and I plan on rating him as well. After the engineer signed off on our basement plan, John stuck to his schedule and got the job done in less than 2 weeks, including permitting. He worked every business day, even some weekend days, and was always available for questions via phone. In my opinion, a good contractor must be 1) reasonable in price, and 2) on schedule. John exceeded my expectations in both of these categories. In fact, when issues did arise that required John to work outside our contract, he was always willing to do so, communicating these issues with me along the way. For example: I have cast iron waste pipes under my basement floor. Upon digging, he identified these pipes as rusting and weak. He brought in a team to replace the entire waste line with PVC before pouring the new floor. All he asked in return was conpensation for the PVC pipes - he paid for the labor. Not only did he identify and correct a potential issue, he did so without charging me an arm and a leg. Another example: I have wood decking and fencing in my back yard. Some of the posts are weak and wobbly. The concrete truck bumped into one and knocked it over during the concrete pour. He replaced the post and improved the gate swing with stronger hinges than previously existed, all before I even noticed the problem. John prefers using the phone instead of email. Contracts are usually sent via fax. Again, this was never a problem because he was always available to talk through any issues. I had only one reason for not giving John 100% A ratings: there was that some concrete and gravel left on the brick walls after the project was complete. I had to chip it away myself before adding drywall. This was not a major issue - I enthusiastically recommend John for any basement project. In fact, I've asked him to provide additional estimates for other projects I'm considering. UPDATE (10-27-10) - John stopped by and chipped away the rest of the concrete free of charge. He did an excellent job and I plan on using him in the future.

Bid within 24 hours of calling. Work completed within a week and checked for quality AFTER bill paid.

They were good. They came when they said they were going to come and they were good about cleaning up after themselves.

I think the job went fairly well. I was kind of working on a dead line, so these kind of had to work as a default.

They contacted us very quickly and they were able to come out to the site within a day. They did all the work and cleaned up really well. The actual quality of the work was really good. We would use the company in the future if we needed work done.

John Himchak, JHI's owner, prepared 3 bids for me. He explained how each proposed solution would solve the problems I had been having. I chose the midpoint bid, and the new driveway is a combination of concrete and flagstone. JHI demolished the old driveway, removed all construction debris, and built the new driveway. After completing the driveway, they fixed/replaced mortar in the bricks around my house and in a stone retaining wall. They also built a flagstone path from the driveway to my front door. JHI's employees were very professional and took great care at every step of the project. They showed real pride in their work and no detail was too small for their attention. I am extremely happy with my new driveway and it is performing as promised -- it is well engineered, quite beautiful, and was obviously built to last a lifetime.

We called 4 masonry services and JHI was the only one that promptly got back to us. I appreciated that and how quickly they were able to come out. John took a look at the house and said right away that the leak wasn't related to the bricks or mortar. He took a look at some of the holes in the mortar and said he could fix it but that it would be purely cosmetic. He could have really taken us, but he was honest about the work that needed to be done and it saved us quite a bit of money. We were very grateful to him for his honesty since we just moved into our house and only wanted to spend the money if necessary. If we ever have issues that we need to have fixed, we'll definitly call JHI.

i called the owner and he stopped by my house, measured, wrote up an estimate, and left in my mail box the very same day! the quality of the concrete and materials quoted were exactly the kind i wanted (based on research).

John Himchak came out promptly to give me an estimate. He quickly assessed the situation and gave me a verbal estimate. While I thought about it, he wrote up the estimate and gave me his card and said call if I decided to proceed. I'd had a previous estimate which was similar in price. I called in a day or so and he scheduled me for a week later. The crew that worked on the job was extremely hard working. Demolition required pick axes and jackhammers. They dug out the long railroad tie lengths, cleaned the area, built forms, and poured wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow of mixed cement. The job looked backbreaking as workmen loaded debris, hammered out air pockets, smoothed and then carefully textured the steps. Everything was picked up, swept, and cleaned on departure. Two of the crew worked till 7:30pm. All this was done in a garden area that required care not to damage extensive plantings of iris, lilies, azaleas, and hydrangeas. Big guys, with big loads, had to carefully carry in and out long and large materials along a stone path through a narrow back gate. If there was a grade above A, I would have given it. I'm already thinking of what can I have these guys undertake next.

First, I have to say that I am a property manager for a host of buildings that uses many different contractors for various jobs. I found John on Angie's List and although I read many good reviews, I am very skeptical about "ALL" contractors, having been burned many times over. John's first star was when he called me from the property on a SUNDAY with suggestions and faxed over a proposal the next day! Not only was the pricing right, but his professionalism (his workers, too) was amazing! The job was done on-time (they worked in the rain part of the time), and "exceptionally" well done. I'm happy and the residents are happy. I will be using JHI on many projects to come. Thanks John....

Very pleased with quality of work. Dealt well with unforeseen conditions. Professional crew; kept site protected from weather; completed job in a timely manner.

John, the owner, gave me an estimate over the phone. He was very friendly to do business with. After accepting his offer, they came within a couple of weeks. They were here working 2 days and cleaned up on the 3rd. I'm very happy with the look of my new sidewalk, I think that they did a very good job. I had a little bit of clean-up and paint touch up to do after they left, but it was minimal. Overall I am quite happy with their job.

Did a good job in spite of running into some unexpected problems. Satisfied with the job.

Things went great. They were on time and they got it done well.

Great experience from start to finish. John was able to provide the estimate within days and scheduled the work within a week. His crew was punctual, polite and clean. The finished product is fantastic -- we've gotten tons of compliments from neighbors.

John Himchak provided a written proposal the same day that I called. He explained the details of the job and what to expect. He kept us informed every step of the way, so there were no surprises. He's easy to communicate with and met every commitment that he made.

Very well! Mr. Hamchik is honest, thorough, responsive and technically proficient!

The estimator told me to call him a day or two before I wanted him to show up. When I did call, he said he wasnt available to the morning of the 3rd day. That morning of the 3rd day, he called to reschedule and said he wouldnt be available till later that afternoon. When he did finally show up, he was very professional and brought a book of references and pictures of their work.

I had already hired Mr. Himchak for another job and was pleased with the work. He gave me an estimate that was much higher than I was expecting to pay, but because I had had such a good experience with him previously, I went with him regardless. Mr. Himchak went through all of the proper channels to get permits and drawings done, which was a surprise to me in terms of the estimate, but because the work included tearing up part of the public sidewalk, it was necessary. I'm not sure that the other contractors I talked to would have gone through the permit process, so I begrudgingly agreed to the high estimate. Regardless, Mr. Himchak's work was excellent. The work was done over three days, and the crew was thorough in their work and cleanup. There were a few aesthetic details that I wished he had given me some suggestions on to achieve the best possible result: I was trying to match the brick of the columns to the brick of the house (the bricks of the house are no longer made), and in retrospect I wish he had made some alternative suggestions other than brick in to trying to complement the look rather than match it. This was perhaps out of his level of expertise, but he might have said something regardless, at least to get me to think a little differently. On the whole, I am very happy with the work, and he built exactly what I asked him to build.

Mr. Himchak is a terrific contractor. He scheduled a time with me, and called before to confirm. He showed me pictures of his work and handed me references right from the start. Once I showed him the job that I wanted him to do, we talked through it, and he strongly suggested I have a structural engineer look at the piers to assess the state of disrepair and to find the best way to do the work without damaging the structure of the house. Mr. Himchak was the only contractor who made this suggestion, and I am extremely glad he did so - the engineer found severe fissures in the piers and damage to the footings, indicating a complete rebuild of the piers and repouring of the footings. The engineer then created drawings from which Mr. Himchak did the work. The work was done over the course of five days, including two days of lousy weather when they couldn't work. His crew was very respectful and cleaned all the debris. Mr. Himchak's estimate was the highest of the three that I received, but his initial suggestion gave me the (correct) indication that he would be overseeing the work in complete detail, and would be offering a level of quality that the other contractors to whom I spoke wouldn't be able to achieve. I hired him again for another job right away.

The job was delayed one day by rain but the next morning John and his crew showed up exactly on time. The job foreman Hosea was a very experienced concrete person. He and his two helpers worked all day until 6:30 PM to finish the job. The wood sidewalls were carefully installed and then re-bar was installed (none of the other estimates included re-bar). The concrete arrived at noon and it took about 90 minutes to pour. The crew then a fantastic job on the finish work (see the photos). They also cleaned up well and removed all the debris. Overall, I couldn't be more pleased.

John was nice and his estimate came in a couple thousand under a competitor, but we decided not to use him. He seemed a little rushed and the quote was a written estimate rather than being itemized showing a separate cost for labor and materials for the various projects. He never talked to us about our options on various materials and costs, but supposedly those costs were included in the estimate.

John Himchak responded to my request personally and promptly. Prior to the work, he provided a written estimate and asked that payment be made once the project was complete and I was satisfied with the results. He also provided references. Once we agreed on the project, John set a time frame and delivered on the results. I was very satisfied and would recommend him as a contractor. You can see the results at 117 Kentucky Avenue, SE.

I think they are very fair in the price that they charged for the work that they did. The work that they did was excellent, and I liked the outcome of everything. They came on time and cleaned up very well. What I liked the most is that they had very good manners. I will definitely use them again for some more work when we find something for them to do; they are very good.

Expenditure over 2003, 2005, 2007. Mr. Mimchiak and his crew were on time, very patient with my questions and concerns. His price was very competitive and the final result on all the projects I hired him to do far exceeded my expectations.