Lofft Construction Inc

Overall, this was a very good experience and I am very happy with the results. The workers were very professional and hardworking, and left everything clean at the end of their work day.

We are thrilled with how the project turned out. We have used Lofft before and would use them again. The project was completed ahead of schedule and within the cost estimate we were quoted. Lofft was very responsive to our calls, emails, and text messages.

They had to follow EPA regulation. They had to tear up my wall and the floor was removed. They didn?t have my appliances covered and the dust was all on my appliances, basement, etc. I then had the project manager come out; who advised will have it done. Unfortunately, 3 weeks and things remained the same. They had to replace the stove and the person couldn?t speak English. The wooden pieces were all over in my lawn and the dust was emptied near my oak tree in my yard. The countertops were not installed in level and blamed it on the countertop people, when it wasn?t their fault. The refrigerator which was installed damaged the floor. They cut my drain pipe with a unprofessional axel. They then advised me to get a new sink. The drain pipe looks horrible in the basement. I will never use their services in future.

Our overall experience with Alex and Co. was very satisfactory. The lead on-site contractor was Eric, who was very competent, and very responsive to queries via text messages and phone calls. It was our first major house renovation project, and Alex helped walk us through the myriad choices in bathroom appliances and fixtures. We went over budget with our choice of fixtures, but we knew full well what we were doing. Alex was good in giving us advice on the range of options, and even accompanied us to Home Depot, Lowes, and Fergusons to make selections. As with most projects, there was some follow up work that needed to be done post-project. Alex and his team were very responsive and got his team out to fix the problem within one or two days of my contacting them. What I was also happy with is that they had adequate cover in case Alex was out of town. This made it easier to coordinate and get things moving along on schedule. I would definitely use them again for a project, and am happy to provide more details to any other Angie's List members if anyone wants it.

very high quality work -- on time, very clean and very easy to work with. deliver what they promise and really nice guys. using them for the 2nd time and will def use them again. a bit pricey, but its obvious its also better quality (or the work and also the interaction). will definitely recommend

The work was excellent. I think they are very professional and nice. If there was any kind of problem, even minor, they were always fix the problem with no questions asked. The owner, Alex, was terrific. he was always there when I needed him. The foreman, Manuel was always able to understand everything I needed. He could answer questions even before I asked. Their pricing was very resonable. I had other estimates and they were the best price. Normally constuction experiences are awful and they made the experience as pleasant as possible. I would recommend them to everybody. They were able to hire very good subcontractors, particularly the those that installed my tile and granite countertops.

I have recommended them to others. They were very professional and timely each day.

Overall, we had a positive experience with Lofft and would use them again. We had some communication issues during the process, but this was mostly related to working out details of the contract and agreeing to a date during the holiday's. The work contracted was performed as agreed; the workers showed up on time, completed the work in the timeframe they said they would, and cleaned up after themselves. Our project manager, Luis, was generally reachable and we had open, frank discussions about pricing and timing for the project, which was appreciated.

I was renovating an apartment for my in-laws who were out of town. Meeting with Alex was great the first time (even though he was 30 mins late). He said we could do all for the estimated price and was very pleasant and accommodating. Our second meeting - to sign the contract he was 45 mins late - this was becoming a major problem as I live 20 mins away and wasted a lot of time waiting around. Things seemed to go well until I received a letter from the Condo board stating that there had been many complaints from residents about noise, overwhelming toxic smell due to lack of ventilation during floor finishing, damage to the service elevator, littering by the crew and working on a Saturday even though that is verboten (I had told Alex this). I was mortified to hear all this... not a great way for my in-laws to meet all their new neighbors! Arriving the next day I discovered that the newly painted baseboards had been ruined by the floor refinishing - black tar-like substance all over them (this was the order Alex suggested was best). As I was examining the boards I realized that the paint on all the trim and built-ins had been so shoddily done that in many places I could see the original paint through the new coat. There were supposed to be 2 coats everywhere, but there was clearly only one. In the living room there was a long paintbrush hair sticking out of the new paint - visible from several feet away. I arranged to meet the painter on site and went over the issues - he said he would fix everything. A few days later I got a call that the work was completed, but when I went to examine it seemed like nothing at all had been done to the built-ins even though we had discussed this very explicitly. The hair mark was still there and I could still see the original paint through. Then the real trouble began... I called to ask that the paint be redone. Alex arranged to meet me at 10 am but he didn't show (again, I had come from my home 20 mins away). I called the receptionist who said she would have him call me, he didn't. I called again, she said same thing and refused to give me his direct number. He still didn't call. She then called back and pretended that I was on the books for 11am, I have trouble believing this to be true. At noon Alex called me and we remade appt fpr 6pm. When we met he was dismissive of my complaints but agreed to send the painter again. ALex asked me to meet the painter again the next day at the apartment - I wasn't sure why as the instruction was very simple - paint second coat on all trim and built-ins! But I didn't want anything to go wrong so I agreed. I called the office to make sure they knew that the painter needed to bring paint as there had been none left in the apartment, even though I thought they would surely know this. They said no problem. The next day I turned up to meet the painter (a different one) at our scheduled time of 10 am - he was not there. I called and called and finally found out he would arrive at noon - another morning wasted.... I left and came back at noon to discover to my great disappointment that he did NOT HAVE ANY PAINT! So while he set up i went to the local paint store and got it myself. This final painter did a great job and I was very grateful that it was finally all done. What a nightmare! I would not recommend Lofft.

When you hear horror stories about contractors, you never expect to live them yourself. My unfortunate involvement with Lofft Construction was an unmitigated disaster. An important preface to be fair: I purchased my home through NACA, a non-profit HUD-compliant lender that offered an unbeatable deal: an incredibly low interest rate, no money down, no closing costs, and no PMI on a 30-year fixed interest rate. I expected such an offer to be a slow, bureaucratic, painful process, and it was. But as far as Lofft was concerned, they simply needed to provide a bid to repair the items listed above and upload it into an annoying web-based system. Lofft sent a representative named Leon to inspect the property and develop an estimate. Leon was prompt and patient, even as my broker was an hour late. We used the time to examine the external aspects of the project: the windows, the HVAC unit. Leon was good humored and even provided unofficial ball-park figures for other renovations I wanted to do after the sale was complete. Leon provided the estimate promptly via email. After some fruitless negotiations on prices for the windows, I explained that he needed to submit it through the web-based system. With some support from NACA and coaxing from me, he managed to submit it. That was September 26. NACA responded with several follow-up inquiries regarding details of the bid. I tried to follow up on those requests by repeated voice and e-mails, but was unable to reach Leon. After repeated calls into Lofft's main office and repeated promises that Leon would be in the office later or tomorrow and would get back to me, I finally asked to speak to a manager on November 4. Leon had been incommunicado for over a month at this point. A member of the Lofft management took my call. He explained that Lofft was no longer interested in my business. Leon had been let go, and they could not stand by Leon's estimate, which had pricing that he said was incorrect. He claimed that had Lofft known this was a HUD purchase, they never would have bothered. Trying to remain civilized, I asked why I had not simply been told this earlier rather than stringing me along for weeks. I also explained I took a risk on Lofft because of good Angie's List reviews -- and I would be forced to explain this horrendous treatment on Angie's List so future homeowners could avoid this nightmare. He responded that he could ask Lofft's owners to reconsider if I were willing to pay 50% of the project's cost up front. I explained that drawdown requests for materials at the outset of the project would probably cover 70% of the costs. He said he would check with the owners and call me back. I never heard back from Lofft again. It is probably for the best. This is truly one of the most astounding experiences of unprofessionalism and poor customer service I have ever experienced. Buyer beware with Lofft.

My experience with Lofft Construction started on a bad note but concluded in an extremely positive way. Earlier this year, I filed a negative report on this company because one of their employees failed to appear on the appointed day to perform work. The employee offered to repair a drywall issue at no charge if I removed the report, but then failed to respond to subsequent e-mails and phone calls after I had removed the report. In late November I spoke to Alex Sanguinetti, Project Manager at Lofft Construction. Mr. Sanguinetti apologized, saying that the employee I had dealt with was no longer employed by Lofft Construction. He also offered to complete the drywall project that the previous employee had promised, and at no charge. In two visits, Mr. Sanguinetti's assistant repaired the drywall, even adding an access door to the wall for free. They were prompt, courteous, and did professional drywall repair. It now appears that my problem was related to the former employee and not Lofft Construction. I would use them again without hesitation. I thank Mr. Sanguinetti and his employee for their good work on behalf of Lofft Construction.

My experience with them was good. I had a little problem with the young man they picked, but it worked out. Sometimes people don?t always want to do what you ask them to do, but overall he did a very good job.

Lofft did a superb job adding n entire 3rd floor to my home. The job was coordinated well, they installed all hardwood floors, painted, wired the addition and built a gorgeous full bathroom on the 3rd floor. The job went smoothly and Lofft employees were professional throughout the process. I will definitely be using them again on my next home improvement project.

Lofft was hired to replace all window and door trim, install hallway recessed lights, and renew the bathroom with new cabinetry, granite, tile work, and new lighting. Painting of all new surfaces was also required (including prep, sanding, caulking, trim). Due to weak communications and management primarily by Leon, one of their managers (who quit) and job managers Gustavo (was fired) and Rameiro, a job which was scoped for 2 weeks expanded to 11 weeks. I removed scope several times because I lost confidence in Gustavo's competence. I found caulk and prep errors everywhere and had to basically train their newly hired workers to do things with high quality. They would leave work at 2-3 pm regularly and gave me conflicting stories of when they would return. The management is very nice and professional (e.g., ALex and Maryam) but job quality was not what I wanted unfortunately. The outcome is dependent on who you get for a job manager - some are strong some are not. KEY EXAMPLES: The door and window trim still has some nails that poke out of the wood, not all have been well sanded, and the wood has already warped over the project so caulking is cracking and full of gaps (note: Lofft has 100% guarantee for a year so they came back and fixed it 5 mos later, thus I upgraded this report). The grout work in the bath is uneven unfortunately. I was basically a project manager even though there were 2 managers (Gustavo and Rameiro) who were supposedly driving the work. So be prepared - I've heard other Lofft project managers are very good, and they fired Gustavo so that may solve most issues. KEY LESSONS LEARNED: - Negotiate 30% of payment as the Final Payment. This forces the contractor to watch their quality and ensures you can walk away if the quality or scope changes. - Pick your project manager! ask for recent references - Pay for your own materials otherwise face a 20% "builders fee" which is 100% markup - Hire another designer/manager who will keep them focused on the right materials - If you are replacing cabinetry just go to Home Depot where the outcome is more consistent and lower cost - Finally, just be clear that Angies List is not the most accurate source of info; don't just rely on Angies List ratings or you will be sorry.

Alex Sanguinetti came to our house. I described the work that needed to be done and Alex provided an estimate for how much ithe job would cost. Alex agreed that i would supply all the tile, cement board, thinset and grout and Lofft would supply all other material. Eric Zapatel, working with his wife Inez, removed the linoleum tile and installed ceramic tile in the bathroom. This involved removing the vanity and toilet, removing the linoleum, removing the luan board underneath the linoleum, banging down flooring nails, installing cement board, spreading thinset, installing the new ceramic tiles, installing the grout and reinstalling the vanity and toilet. The bathroom tile design was intricate but Eric and his wife were evermindful of symmetry and did a beautiful job in executing the design. Eric and his wife then removed the linoleum tiles in the basement, and did a fine job in executing an intricate design in the basement. Eric had done tile work for me in the past that I was very pleased with. I was quite pleased with the work he did on this job as well and would be glad to hire Eric in the future if I needed additional tiling work. Thank you Alex, Eric and Inez for a job well done.

There seemed to be a lack of communication between the office and the foreman. The foreman used the wrong tile glue to put the first tiles down and after 2 days of drying, my husband noticed that some of the tiles were still loose! As a result, most of the tiles had to be completely re-laid after he had already grouted. There were several other issues that occurred from mis-communications while work was in process. One real concern of mine was that the foreman did not clean up very well. When he finished the job and left there was grout on our cabinets, walls and doors. He also left a lot of small pieces of debris on and around our patio and we found other pieces of material (tile, packaging etc.) all around the outside area. We wound up cleaning all of this ourselves. However the work he did is beautiful and it was a very reasonable price.

A long painful ordeal. More than a year from contract to job resolution. I am too tired to dredge up the whole issue again, so this will just document the finish. Filed a "D" report in early 2010, used Angie's List dispute resolution. Would give a variety of grades in various categories (some F, some D, some C, no A or B) but following the resolution process my understanding is that Angie's List expects me to rate with B minimum (prior report was removed). Post-resolution notes: - The day I sent in the final payment, Alex (project manager) said he was sending me a copy of the deck drawings. I have not received them (it has been over a month) - Today I learned that Evergrain rails require supporting "crush blocks" 25 inches on center uner the rails to provide support. Lofft did not install these anywhere. Based on prior hassles with the builder, I will repair the rails myself.

We bought our house because it's small, but after a few socially awkward incidents, we decided that we needed to be able to fit more than two chairs around our dining table. And we needed more storage room, because someone (that'd be me) needs to use the unplanned part of the basement for a bike repair area. So, we looked around and talked to a couple folks and decided to go with Lofft Construction for the project. One of the things we really liked was a separate, obligation-free design phase for the project (and we'd own the designs once they were completed). I'm sure that most people that end up using Lofft for design do go on to use them for the building, but the flexibility was nice. We went back and forth a couple of times on the design; it was easy to work with Leon and Rick (the architect). While we did have meetings to discuss the project, choose materials, etc. we did especially appreciate being able to use email for a lot of the incidental communication. The actual contract for the addition was extremely simple. Maybe in retrospect surprisingly simple (in contrast, we had some 40-page contract from cabinet installers). What I will say is that despite having a very simple (& somewhat general) contract, Lofft never attempted to short-change us on anything or hide behind the contract for any reason. Having a wall torn down and an addition added was a lot more invasive than we had imagined. Working with Luis was really fantastic. I think our only "constructive criticism" would be that communication could have been a little better on day-to-day activities since we often needed to coordinate around that (my wife was home pregnant at the time). Since there wasn't a "communication" category, I used "punctuality" to reflect this. On the whole, though, we were really happy with the work and would easily ask them to do other work for us -- or recommend them to others. And on a personal note, we really enjoyed working with Luis.

Gustavo came to our house to provide a quote on a back patio and the replacement of two windows. He was professional, but took very few notes and very few measurements. There was a limited amount of information documented from his visit, so I shouldn't have been surprised that when I received the quote for the work, it also had limited detail but an outrageous price tag (which included me purchasing several of the materials). I have had several other contractors look at this work and this quote was easily 2x anything I had seen before. When I asked them via email to separate out some of the costs of the work, all I received was a dollar amount for replacing one window that was astronomical. I would recommend that if this company wants to get work based on quotes like this, they pay more attention to the work required so that their bids are closer to reality.

After the old porch walls had been demolished and new walls framed in, a whole slew of problems arose over the permits (most of it due to the fact that my father-in-law had never bothered to get a permit for the original porch 50 years ago). The job came to involve far more work and expense than the original estimate had included. Through all of the problems, the guys from Lofft hung in there and did not bail out on us. They did great work and gave us a beautiful, comfortable room. I would especially like to commend the project manager, Luis, who was never more than a phone call away and kept on top of things all the time.

Alex was great to work with: he was a good listener, patient, was willing to discuss and consider options and adapt to last minute changes and additions that I wanted. Manuel led the crew that was very efficient, very neat (paid lots of attention to making as little mess as possible). They removed a wall to open a small room up to a hallway, and installed a header to assure sufficient support. In another room, they removed awkward closet walls and had to solve problems as they were discovered. Old gas plumbing came out of the walls in three places; they cut the plumbing back and finished the walls perfectly. Finish and painting (by Mario) was perfect. Alex and I miscommunicated regarding what I wanted done with a window, but that is being resolved. I am very pleased with the quality of work, the level of accommodation to my requests, the care taken to be neat, and the finish work. My only complaint was that the scheduling of my job overlapped with other jobs, so there were some days that no one worked, and other days when they worked just a few hours. The job took probably a week longer than it needed to. But all in all I was very pleased and enjoyed working with them. I would definitely consider using Lofft again, especially if I could work again with this crew.

We are very satisfied with the outcome of the project. We contacted Lofft and another company requesting proposals for the job. Lofft had the most competitive price and they were available to start the project at a convenient time for us. They performed all the jobs in a very professional sequence, not disturbing our daily living. The remodeling was completed on the day stated in the contract. The crews were reliable, efficient, and all the finishes are high end. We are very satisfied and are definitely considering doing an additional job with Lofft in the near future. Alex was our Project Manager. Eric and Edwin were our field guys. All of them very reliable and easy to work with.

After receiving several bids from other companies and waiting for insurance to provide due diligence on the repair estimate we chose Lofft based on their price and rating on Angie's List. We received the initial estimate several months before the work began; Luis was assigned as the PM for the project once we got started. Demolition of the remaining existing structure went as planned. Haul away could have been a little quicker; we received a ticket from the city for debris in our back yard viewable from the alley after requesting the crews haul away some debris on a couple of occasions. To their credit Lofft paid the fine no questions asked. Once the initial crew began repairing the existing framing and re-drywall I had to step in a couple times to address what I considered sub-par materials and workmanship. Luis immediately addressed the issues and brought in his "A" team to make sure things were done correctly. Work continued uninterrupted except for some supply delays, I was able to check in on the project as it progressed. Along the way some additional items were added as change orders to the contract (new window trim, new threshold, access panel in the basement). Lofft worked with us to ensure that we got what we wanted; pricing for this new work was fair and in keeping with the original estimate. The in-floor heat and much of the plumbing was sub-contracted out, and the work performed there was absolutely professional. We were apprised every step of the way about issues that needed resolution and were given input to make decisions on changes. My only major complaint was about changes to the additional scope-of-work and some communication between Lofft, the heating sub-contractor and us which resulted in some back and forth about additional charges and how they were approved and billed. In the end we came to agreement but not without some negotiating after the work was complete and the crews were off the job. I would not hesitate to hire Lofft again based on the work performed and the pricing estimate. However in the future I would ask for more communication with us, the homeowners, concerning additional items that we assumed were part of the original scope based on our conversations and the original estimate.

We contracted with Lofft Construction for a major renovation of our 1895 rowhouse in DC. Altogether, the project cost was $106,700, and Lofft was responsible for $53,300 in work. Lofft supplied labor and raw materials (lumber, drywall, copper piping, wiring, etc.); we supplied finished materials (cabinets, refrigerator, light fixtures, door hardware, etc.). Our contact was with Alex Sanguinetti, the foreman was Manuel, and the estimator was Leon (who is evidently no longer with Lofft). COMMENTS: First, we wanted a very high-end and historically accurate renovation? and we are beyond perfectionists! Second, whenever you decide to re-pipe and entire house, re-wire major portions, and completely gut and rebuild a bathroom and kitchen, you are asking for trouble? no matter who performs the work. Now, our experience was no less stressful; however, we cannot in any way imaginable report that the people at Lofft were anything less than cooperative and professional. Alex and Manuel bent over backwards to assist us with anything that we wanted. Moreover, they often would anticipate issues that didn?t even see coming? such as relocating HVAC piping ? and corrected them prior to the problem occurring. There were problems that delayed work, but none of it was Lofft?s fault: weather-related (re-pointing), supplier related (cabinetry and the front door). Even though we were responsible for the cabinetry, Alex jumped in and assisted us when we had a huge issue with the supplier (REICO of Springfield ? Do not under any circumstances deal with Stephanie!). Time after time we sought Alex and Manuel?s opinions and guidance, and we never once regretted it. Alex and Manuel were always on top of everything. The only significant delay that was actually caused by Lofft was the week that Manuel took off because of the birth of his daughter, and we were certainly understanding of that. Otherwise, he personally stayed as long as necessary to get the job done, often well into the night. PROBLEMS WITH LOFFT: The only problem that we faced was cleanliness. While the crew often installed barriers to prevent dust, they were generally ineffective. Other times, they cut wood and drywall directly next to the primary intake of the HVAC air handler, so it spread to all three levels of the house. Other than those two very minor issues, we found no fault with Lofft. SUBCONTRACTORS: There were other relatively minor issues that popped up all the time? misaligned light fixtures, light switches mounted upside down, debris falling into the back yard French drain, etc. The electrician (name unknown) was extremely nice and amiable, but he lacked the skills necessary for any complex job. I have no idea how he was paid, but he took days to do what should have been done in hours. Manuel and Alex quickly had him correct his errors. You cannot avoid these issues; you can only avoid a contractor that doesn?t follow-up on them. Lofft aggressively pursued these few issues to the point that they actually made the painters come back and paint over again because of poor quality ? We didn?t even have to tell them! Best Subcontractor Award goes to Francisco Merino, the granite countertop guy. Quick, on time, on cost, and the finished product was absolutely remarkable. He was recommended by Lofft, and we?re ecstatic with his work. MONEY: Contract: $51,600 ? Actual: $53,300... We?re happy. The only overage was because we wanted a frameless glass shower enclosure in the bathroom. We told Leon, but it wasn?t in the contract. We paid the extra because we didn?t catch it. SPANISH: Finally, it probably helped that we speak Spanish fluently. It is a matter of fact that you are going to deal with Spanish-speaking labor in any meaningful renovation. However, every employee of Lofft does ? in fact ? speak some degree of English.

Lofft Construction was responsive in getting us a proposal and working with us on how to stay within our budget. The actual work took some time to get started due to the architectural design and fabrication of the trusses, but it was within the period of time that we had figured it would be completed. The quality of the work was good and the project manager was nice to work with. Lofft seems like a good, honest company that cares about making sure their customers are satisfied when the project is completed. This is the second project we have used them for, and we have been happy with the results of both.