Lofft Construction Inc

Requested a couple of quotes for this project. Lofft's bid was lower, they were more responsive, and they were better at follow up. Though we got the initial quote in late April, we were not ready to begin the project until late May due to scheduling issues on our end. They stayed on top of it, checking in about once a week until we were ready to start. I let them in but wasn't home when they did the work. When I returned home, you could hardly tell anyone had come by. They completed all the caulking and insulation neatly and called to follow up when completed.

Although Lofft gets high marks from other users on this site, we would never again use this firm. We had a very stressful renovation that took five times longer than Lofft estimated--five months instead of one. The entire process was marked by too many mistakes and very poor communication. * First, let us say that there are some things to recommend this firm. The tile setters we had did a nice job laying natural stone (travertine). The hardwood experts Lofft uses (Byron and his crew) do excellent work. On the whole, the people you deal with at Lofft are very pleasant. Alex, the owner, is a very personable guy--although he seems stretched in too many directions. And despite the fact that our renovation was fraught with so many missteps, Lofft did correct almost every mistake?except near the end, when they seemed as tired of us as we were of them. Another contractor might have walked away on a project like ours, where, in the end, they could not have made money.* Our project manager claimed that our job was not representative of the firm's work. That could be true. But we could only take his word when he said: "If every job went as badly as yours, I'd be in another line of work." * So what went wrong in our project? Just about everything. Here are just some highlights: Shower and wall tile that was cut and installed so poorly that all the tile had to be taken down, re-ordered, and redone. A burst pipe that caused us to have to replace sub-flooring. A medicine cabinet and light fixture that had to be re-cut and re-installed repeatedly because Lofft could not, for some reason, center them over the sink. A window that was not properly sealed on the outside. A terrible paint job in all three rooms--we had to repeatedly point out areas that needed redoing; the painters they used didn't seem to properly prep the walls, so they had to bring in another painter. The wrong trim installed around every window and door, although we had specified what trim size we wanted. A tile floor laid straight instead of on the diagonal, as we requested--and which we had to have redone. The wrong lights ordered and installed in a ceiling--and once the holes were cut, we were stuck with them. The wrong exhaust fan installed in one bathroom, and then, in the other bathroom, a "whisper quiet" exhaust fan installed so poorly that it's louder than the old one we had.* We could go on. I should point out this was our first major renovation--maybe we weren't prepared enough for how disruptive and challenging remodeling can be. But almost every day we came home to a mistake. Some were ones we made, we admit. But the vast majority were Lofft's. It got very tiring very quickly. Alex liked to say that "everything in construction can be fixed." Our motto was: Please do it right the first time. The communication with this firm, as others have noted, can be poor. They seemed to be juggling so many projects, we didn't always hear from them when we wanted to.

I live in Parkfairfax and other than a sloppily done slate floor by the previous owners, my bathroom had not been remodeled since the condo was originally built back in the 1940's. Besides being out of date, the walls were plaster, tiles were cemented on (couldn't be removed with a normal chisel) and the plumbing was very outdated. Plus, my bathroom is TINY (5'X9') and demo'ing in such as small space would require brute force. I met with Alex, the general manager, to go over my needs in regards to the bathroom remodel. I felt that he understood the special needs of a job such as mine. Additionally, Lofft had done work in Parkfairfax in the past. The estimate he gave me was based on my providing the bathtub, sink, toilet, fixtures, accessories and paint. All other supplies (plumbing, baseboards, etc.) were provided by Lofft. We scheduled the job to occur while I was out of town on business. Prior to my departure, I met once more with Alex and with Manuel, who would be the person doing the actual remodel. We went over the job once again and I left them with the keys to the condo. While away, I was in constant communication with my neighbors who were monitoring the progress. At one point, Manuel had to stop work as he couldn't get my condo association to shut off the water to my unit and they told him they wouldn't be able to do it for several days. I was able to resolve the issue after I was informed about the problem. Unfortunately, this delay caused Manuel to have to work well into the night in order to get the bathroom done prior to my return. I found the work to be done very well and except for some miscommunication on the painting of the trim, there were very few items to address with Alex when we did the walk-through together. I was so pleased with the work that Lofft did, I contracted with them to do some work on my kitchen and to patch the plaster and repaint my bedroom. Manuel will be doing this work for me.

Leon came for the estimate and he was very knowledgeable. I wanted to hire the company for a basement remodel but wasn't sure. I decided to start with a smaller project and assess the company's performance. My project was opening a wall to enlarge the closet and then installing custom closet doors (9ft) in two bedrooms. I was quoted a price of $1100 without the cost of the doors (thought it was expensive). The work crew was sent to start the work and they were subcontractors...and wasn't certain what they needed to do. Lofft says they DO NOT use subcontractors but they DO. I also had a difficult time trying to contact past customers. Martha (in office,nice but slow) gave me emails of past clients and no one reponded to my request for information. It was a lot of "waiting" for answers to questions. I was calling Lofft more than I thought was needed if they wanted my business. Finally, Martha sent telephones numbers of past customers but, by that time, I had no interest in pursuing the information. I was a serious potential customer and with all the "waiting around time" with my small project, I got a hint of what probably would have happened with my big basement project. I hired another contractor for my closets and basement project.

Leon came out for the estimate as scheduled. But he was not prepared to give us the estimate despite the fact I had explained what repairs we needed done when we scheduled it. He was very nice and seemed to know his business, but he said he would have to get his concrete person out to make the actual estimate on the two jobs. He indicated that this person would call and schedule something. We never heard another word from Leon or anyone at Lofft. This was a fairly large job (by our standards at least), and there are only a few companies that we could locate that do the flowable concrete, so it was very disappointing that they did not follow through. This was especially true as we had indicated some other remodeling work that we expect to be doing and would be glad to have Lofft give an estimate on this other work once we had the foundation taken care of.

Our initial experience with Lofft was positive. A member of the Lofft team took measurements and provided us an estimate in a timely manner. He then met us at separate sites on separate occasions to help us pick out the tile and fixtures. There were a number of delays when we ordered our materials, most of which were due to mistakes beyond Lofft's control. When problems arose Lofft always made sure that the problem was fully taken care of and that we were satisfied with the results. Our only complaint is that communication between Lofft employees and with us could have been better, which could have made the process move along more quickly. Overall, however, the work that was done is excellent and we are very happy with our new bathroom.

The project initially got to a slow start, but once it began, the pace picked up quickly. The company had a bit of bad luck with some subcontractors who could not handle properly some of the most complex technical aspects of the project, such as installing the new high-efficiency hydrolic heating system boiler. These problems considerably delayed project completion. Under these circumstances, the person originally in charge of supervising our project was not as responsive as we think he should have been (this person no longer works for the company). However, once Lofft's owner, Alex Sanguinetti, personally took charge of the project, he went out of his way to make sure these problems were properly addressed to our satisfaction. In the end, the project was very well done, and all work was completed to high standards, although it took more time than we had originally planned.

We hired Lofft after a bad experience with a previous contractor who had done the demolition and left us with a mess. Lofft was very responsive and prfoessional. They always arrived on time, worked around us as we were living in the house and it was pretty messy but they kept it as clean as possible. They were very courteous. They anticipated problems and pointed out alternatives. They were very accomodating with changes. They got the job done quickly. Their price was very resonable, as we compared it with several other bids.

Great experience. We were out of town durring a big part of the project and everything worked as planned.

It took over a month before any real work on the project started. The project manager warned us that it may take 2-3 weeks to get DC to issue a permit. We also had to get an additional permit, since the house is in a historic area. We finally got the ok to proceed 4 weeks after signing the proposal. They came on Friday to chalk where foundation would be built, cut out the existing parking pad for the wall foundation the following Monday. We had to wait till DC inspected the foundation before they could proceed with building the actual wall. We got the approval on Wed and they started building the wall Thur morning. They spent the entire day building the wall and actually worked till about 7PM to finish the entire project instead on working the next day (Saturday). The construction crew cleaned up the area everyday they were working on the site.

They redid the entire fourth floor. They quality of the work was fantastic. The responsiveness of the customer representative was awful. When he came out to do the estimate he was responsive, but after we signed the contract it was a nightmare to a hold of him. They sub contracted everything out, which was fine, but since we have skipped the middle man and hired the subcontractor instead. I thought that the price was good for the work that they did.

The experience was good. They charge by the hour but everything was finished very quickly. They did a very clean job. They were a little bit late to show up but it was nothing significant. I called them and they called me right back to inform me that they were running late.

It was OK. I understand now that you can't get an estimate because a contractor can't see the foundation itself, to know what shape it's in, and local governments require the structural engineer's report (which makes the engineer, not the contractor, responsible if the structure fails after repair). So the contractor provided some useful information. But his assessment of the problem was somewhat vague compared to others. I asked questions based on recommendations from others, but got little explanation of how the work would proceed. He recommended installing helical piers under the house, but I didn't learn enough about how they're installed or why he recommended those over other approaches (helical piers, dig a trench and build retaining wall around foundation to relieve pressure). He had no solution to the serious bowing in of the basement wall.

I had this contractor out to give me an estimate. First, the guy showed up 30 minutes late then told me he would get me an estimate via email the next day. I never received it so I followed up via email a week later. It is now two weeks later and I have heard nothing back regarding the project. No phone calls, no emails, nothing. If you are looking for responsiveness, I would not select this company.

Nelson gave a detailed estimate and worked to make the adjustments we requested. The estimate was very reasonable. Work started on time, and Lofft nimbly handled the many delays and errors produced by the vendor, Ferguson. Nelson had us meet after hours with a granite vendor after work about an hour away. The person we were meeting did not arrive, although Nelson tried to contact him. On a second trip we were able to choose our granite slabs. When errors occured, we spoke with the lead worker, Nicolas--who was always professional, responsive, and tireless. He completed most of the work including the tile (some painting, plumbing and electrical work was done by his crew). He was the main reason we would consider the company again. His work ethic, professionalism and expertise ensured we were happy with the final result. A family emergency put Nelson out of communication for some time. Nicolas stepped into his role smoothly. After our final payment, we had a tile shelf fall from the shower wall, and our showerhead had a major leak. Nelson came back quickly to address those issues. UPDATE 5/18/12 After finding a water stain on the first floor wall under the master bathroom we contacted a plumber who informed us after opening up the wall, that an incorrect shower drain was installed and the shower liner was not properly installed. The receptionist Martha asked for a copy of the plumber's report and said a supervisor would contact us today. She also noted that we have only a one year warranty on labor. We are optimistic that Lofft will take responsibility for incorrect work. I will chronicle their response here. UPDATE 5/22/12 Was told someone would call today, and indeed we received a call this morning. We are scheduled for a home visit on Friday, and work may start on Friday. So far so good!

The interview went pretty good, Leon was punctual and very knowledgeable, and provided me with some creative and impressive ideas (which I liked) for both areas. At times, I found Leon a little abrupt when I raised a question about one style as opposed to another, for example: vanity sink or pedestal sink in the powder room or one or two alternate styles in the kitchen....where by Leon responded "its all the same to us" whatever style you choose. However, overall I was very impressed by Leon and looked forward to getting estimates. As of today, I have not had a phone call, letter or an e-mail of the estimates. I can only assume that they are not interested in these small projects and I have moved on.

I took the morning off from work to meet with Lofft and one other contractor. A very nice man named Alex came to our house. He was a little late but called to say he was in traffic. After spending 45 minutes with me he left saying he'd get me a quote within the next week. That was about a month ago. I even followed up with a call and an email and he never responded. If he wasn't interested in the work he could've simply told us. I had read in the most recent review of Lofft that the same thing happened to someone else but everyone else seemed pleased so I thought it might be a fluke. Apparently it is how they now do business. RESPONSE TO RESPONSE: Lofft responded to my review by stating that they sent an estimate and that they called. NO estimate was sent and no calls were recorded in my phone. It's a cell phone gentleman (we don't have a hardline).......not hard to check my phone records to see if you called.

Loft Construction came by the day after I called. They gave me an estimate with the discount for being a member of Angie's List. Their estimate came in 500.00 higher than the other 2 estimates I got from other companies, which happens to be the exact amount of the discount. I gave them the contract because I liked the customer service and they recieve high marks from the List. The subcontractors came in and proceeded to demo the wall. They erected a plastic wall to contain the dust. The subcontractor(Mendez Carpentry)was on time but they workmanship was amateurish and their attempt to fix it left me unsatisfied. The built-ins were not square and the wood was left primed for paint but unsanded. The retangles for the fireplace and TV inserts were not smooth and the edges were uneven. Mendez Carpentry seemed to be like any other contractor who comes in starts off good and end up rushed to get to the next job.

We are satisfied with the final result and are enjoying the renovated spaces in our home. A renovation in general can be overwhelming and a bit frustrating at times, but we found that LOFFT was willing to address problems as they arose and everyone was very courteous and responsive. Regarding the quality of the work, we particularly thought the basement and kitchen results were very good (kitchen is pretty and we love the new tile and beadboard in the basement). One area we were not completely satisfied is with our bathroom floor, which has a lot of small pieces and have been told was difficult to install (this has also been confirmed by people outside of LOFFT). Thus, several of the small tile pieces are misaligned or out of place - as a result we will probably end up replacing it. Because of this, and the fact that the project took a little longer than expected, we gave LOFFT ?Bs? for quality and punctuality. However, we gave LOFFT an ?A? overall because the positives outweighed the negatives, and we would recommend them.

We asked them to come by and give us an estimate on a rowhouse that we were thinking about purchasing and remodeling. He came by and was very nice to meet us at the house, but the house was already under contract with someone else. So, we asked if they also do smaller jobs such as fixing a little water damage and sealing the vent on the exterior of the building. He came by promptly and gave us an OUTRAGEOUS estimate to repair a 4' x 5' section of drywall (basically taping and compounding) and resealing the vent on the exterior of the house (source of leak). I had the job done by another company for $400.

I contacted Lofft by phone and by email. I heard from them a week later. They sent a estimator out to discuss the project and to provide an estimate. That was on Friday, March 6. I was told I would get an estimate the following Monday by email. I did not receive an estimate. I contacted Lofft to ask if I would receive one or if they would let me know if they are not interested in the project. I have not heard from them. I am moving on.

Received several estimates for this project in late fall 2008. Decided to wait until early 2009 to proceed with work. Loftt construction contacted us regarding feedback and status on their proposal (they were the only company to follow up on their submitted proposal). I shared their estimate was on the high side compared to other estimates. Mike Cantrall, Sales Manager came to our home to evaluate estimate. He was very professional, discussed scope of work and promptly submitted another proposal, which was very acceptable. Work was able to be scheduled within a week based on our request. Loftt provided a double team of staff to complete the work in one day. The staff were polite, professional, cleaned the work area well. The team leader of the crew asked if we were satisfied with the work prior to leaving. The finished work met our expectations.

A crew of three or four young men came to our house and they were shown the two types of wallpaper and to which room they were to be used. At the outset, they seemed competent enough and were left to get on with the job, which they finished by mid afternoon. Before they left, I quickly checked the two rooms and all seemed clean and tidy. Upon closer inspection, it was apparent that they were completely incompetent. Both sets of wallpaper had repeating patterns, which they had totally ignored. They had not removed any of the wall fixtures before papering, including a towel rail and toilet paper holder, which seemed utterly stupid. I left a voice mail with the company that evening and received a follow up call the next day from John Cantrall, their construction manager. He visited the house and acknowledged that the paper had not been hung correctly and asked if he could return with the leader of the team to show him the problems, which I agreed to. When they returned this young man at first refused to acknowledge that there was even a repeating pattern, which astounded me. Mr. Cantrell took some time to demonstrate to this man that I was in fact correct. Some days later Mr. Cantrell telephoned to assure me that the company would be taking care of these problems. We subsequently received a message from Mr. Cantrell saying that he presumed that the young man had contacted us and arranged to fix the problems. I called back and left a message that I was away on business but that nothing had been done. This was the last communication with Lofft Construction and I presume that they just wish to wash their hands of the whole affair. Meanwhile, we have had $400 of wallpaper wasted and we are going to have to pay extra to have it removed, re-purchase the paper and then pay for another company to do the work. Lofft Construction has proved to be totally inept, useless in the control and management of their employees and totally inconsiderate of what they have cost us.

Lofft was excellent to work with and I would use them again. Alex visited the house often as the job progressed. The entire remodel took about 2 1/2 weeks from start to finish. Manuel and his assistant were excellent communicators and problem solvers as the job went along, and paid attention to details and craftmanship, which I appreciated. Manuel's tilework was excellent. Most importantly, as is inevitable in an old house, measurements and leveling issue arose, and we all worked together to solve problems on the spot. This was invaluable to achieving the beautiful final results. I appreciated Manuel's suggestions and advice in making the decisions that were necessary, despite trying to be very organized and anticipate problems. I also appreciated that Lofft was willing to salvage the cornice and trim molding around the doors/windows that are unique to my old house, and reinstall them at the end. Manuel was also a very patient teacher, willing to show me how to do certain tile work and easy plumbing so I could do it myself. Lofft's plumber was able to solve the tricky placement of the new shower valve within the wall, and took his time explaining everything to me. Lofft was responsive to emails and phone calls. They honored their projected deadline for job completion and stayed within the contracted price. Lofft also refered me to and got me a discount at ABC glass, which created and installed a custom frameless shower enclosure at the end. My only MINOR criticism of the entire job was that sometimes the lead crew member arrived very late in the day to participate in the initial demo phase, which might have slowed things down a bit....but this was more than made up for when he was willing to work until 8pm at night to complete the ending stages of the job, and would not prevent me from using Lofft again. The crew was unfailingly polite and respectful, and were wonderful to work with.

He called back a couple of weeks later when I told him I needed the estimate immediately. I decided not to go with him. He told me he would have the estimate to me within a couple of days.