America's Best Home Improvement - Miami

unknown

Emo and his crew did another fantastic job on my master bathroom, its the bathroom i always dreamed of. I am doing a total home remodeling and if i have found the right guys for the job everything has gone great never thought it would go so smoothly. stay tuned for the next installment.

Mr. Vargas and his crew were very professional they were there on time and got right to work. while his crew was working on demolishing my bathroom Mr.Vargas took  me to a Wholesale bathromm outlet (great prices compared to home depot)(Plus products were of great quality) to pick out the new fixtures for my new bathroom. He offered priceless advice on what would work and what wouldn't work in my bathroom. His crew had my whole bathroom demolished by the time i got back home. the whole job took them 4 days to complete. My new bathroom came out better than anything i had imagined. All in all i was very happy with the job they did. I am going to call them back to remodel my master bathroom so

I made an  appointment to meet him the day before, but he failed to show up at the scheduled time.  He called, and he said was downtown and did not know how to get to my address.  He also said that he was going to pick up a friend to find out the directions.  I waited and waited, but he did not show up or call.  I called him twice more, saying during the last call that I had been there almost an hour and that I was leaving if he did not call me.  He failed to do so, and I left.  Very unreliable and unprofessional.

The project started out as just building a new wood deck with railing. Then I told Emo I wanted. 10' by 2' shelf under the deck next to the jacuzzi structure for my cats to be able to escape bad weather. I wanted them protected and off the ground. The dirt ground was already covered with rock and I wanted the top deck slates to have some sort of caulking so the water would not drip thru to the shelf underneath. I expected to get grief for doing this, but Emo thought it was a great idea and carefully followed my directions. Of course once you start one project it leads to another. The deck is attached to the jacuzzi structure and Emo noticed that the wood columns supporting the gazebo were rotting. When he removed the wood it disclosed a steel post that had rusted totally thru at the bottom lending no support to the roof of gazebo. We figured the other 3 supports must also be in bad shape. He then replaced those and suggested we add two more for better support. Their work was exceptional and all our demands were met and their suggestions were professional and improved the total outcome. He and his crew were easy to work with as I only speak English and have trouble understanding Latinos. We will definitely hire them for our next job.

Showed up 15 mintes late, but was nice enough to call before hand and advise he was running late (this was a first for me).  Then we had made alist of all the things we needed as we had worked with contractors before and new how they operate.  Then they called us back aboyt an hour after leaving and gave us a quote over the phone (no written quote).  Then when we asked for a breakdown of the price they got a little hostile over the phone and started talking about other parts of the project and not what I was talking about.  He then uped the price as he said he didnt know he had to remove the tile.  I asked him "Well we mentioned it to you yesterday."  Then he said he "forgot".  Seriously?!  Tried to tell me that you need concrete to remove and install tile.  I am not a contractor, but we had the tile fo the entire house replaced a few months ago and I saw how they did it and I know you do not need concrete to remove/install floor.  I explained to him that you remove the tile then they added a material that levels the slab, then thin set, then tile, then grout.  When he realized that I knew the process he calmed down a bit and tried to charge me an arm and a leg to remove 125 sq ft worth of tile.  I explained to him that most people charge $1 per sq ft for the removal.  Then when I asked him to give me a price for the installation and he said $1.50-$2.  I told him you need to give me a price not a price range.  Then to make things worst I realized that I wasnt talking to "Emo", "Emo" was driving so he gave the phone to one of his workers and didnt even let me know before hand.  What the h***!

He totally wasted my time and he did not seem to be serious about the way he conduct his business. The whole meeting lasted about 20 minutes when I concluded that we could not do business together. He mentioned that he had been a provider in the Angie's List for many years and that he has a golden reputation which he must protect!.

I originally hired Emo to repair a large outdoor deck.  After meeting with him at my house and looking over the deck in detail, it was obvious the whole deck needed to be replaced (it was falling apart).  This was a big job and I was concerned it might be more than Emo and his crew would be able to do.  Boy was I wrong.  Emo had a crew at the house the next day and they went right to work demolishing and removing the deck.  They showed up on time every day and worked hard.  The new deck is extremely well built, and at Emo's suggestion many cosmetic improvement were added that make it look better than ever (low voltage deck lighting, renovated pillars and trellises, well built trap doors to reach the crawl space).  
I had such a good experience with him I hired him to make many other repairs around my house (built in 1935).  He and his workers repaired plaster, painted interior walls, painted the entire exterior of the house, removed repaired and painted 20 shutters, repaired roof leaks, installed ceramic tile, restored woodwork, renovated the laundry room, rebuilt an outside gate, replaced three windows, and cleared out and insulated an outside air handler storage space.
It was a pleasure working with Emo. He had many, many great ideas for improvements and finishing touches.  His work is extremely detailed. His prices were very fair.  He always arrived on time and if for some reason he was not coming a certain day, he always let me know ahead of time.  He and his crew were always polite and a pleasure to have in my house.  As a result of all his hard work, my house looks better than it ever has in the 14 years I've owned it.  I would hire him again in a minute.

It went very well. The service was excellent and I highly recommend him. The work itself was excellent, and I will use him again in the future.

He presented himself promptly at the appointed time, took a look around,took measurements, gave suggestions, answered my questions as to license and insurance and the haul-away of debris.  I called him back when I decided to hire him.  He returned with a contract and copies of his insurance papers. |  From what I recall, several days later, he dropped his  2 workers off with the materials to begin work.  They worked throughout the day removing the damaged wood and replacing it.  The next day they installed the gutters and downspout.  Mr. Vargas drove by to see how the work was progressing.  I told him the gutters seemed to be too far from the lip of the roof overhang, but he assured me that it was better that way to catch the overflow of water.  I was skeptical but did not question this any further.  On the back gate, the boards were taller than the surrounding fence.   When I questioned him on that, he replied that most gates are taller than the fence. To this day, I regret that I did not take the time to turn in a report.  It might have saved someone from being disappointed. This has given me an opportunity to redeem myself. The first big rain after the gutter and downspouts were installed confirmed my skepticism about their installation.  I called Mr. Vargas.  He said he would send workers by.  I came home that day to find that some silicone caulk had been applied to the ends of the gutters.  No need to say that it was not effective in correcting the real issue. Just this past summer 2013, I took down the gutters and downspouts because the water coming from the roof would hit the tip of the gutters and splash down causing wood damage over time. The corners with the downspouts would overflow onto the walls, eventually causing the paint to blister and peel. The gate has become uneven. Had I written a report I may have had some recourse. I will never again procrastinate on a report of the next individual or company I hire!

We hired Mr. Vargas after reading reviews on Angie's list. He ranked high. The initial job was to repair drywall damage on an interiior wall caused by a roof leak. The work needed to be done on two sides of a wall  and then painted.  When he came to give a quote, he was so convincing and confident that we hired him also to paint a large part of the interior of our house too.
We waited until he had availability to begin so he had complete control over bringing in  his best workers to complete the job. It was on  his schedule.
Well, while his workers were courteous, there work was not conducive  for the work in a private residence. It was all about rushing, rushing, rushing to get the job done in the time allotment he had allowed them for the job. Prep work was sloppy, nail holes poorly repaired before painting, paint just slopped on, double coats not completed in several areas, no plastic sheets used over our new furniture in spite of our numerous requests, no paint tape used even though we were asked to buy it for them (they had a woman wiping up drips behind them with a dirty rag that left a film of diluted paint on whatever surface she wiped).  I had to point out numerous areas that they missed or had to give a second coat to. Had I not, they considered it complete.
The paint job was shoddy at best and, in fact, only three months later is already chipping in certain parts of the house. The drywall repair had to be halted when it was discovered that we still had a leak in our roof . We thank them for their honesty in pointing out that we still had a roof leak. However,  I could tell  that they did NOT have the drywall expertise that Mr. Vargas promised they had. The drywall work was inferior  and still showed the seams of where the repairs where done. I had indicated that my goal was a seamless wall. They would not deliver on that request.

We halted the job to allow time for the roof to be repaired and we never asked them to come back to finish the job. We just completed it ourselves.  Nor did Mr. Vargas call to schedule a time to finish up. We paid him for work performed and he agreed to that.

The work performed was more appropriate for an office or commercial environment where the inhabitants may not care as much about detail.
This job was a  waste of our money and I plan to hire someone else to redo what Mr. Vargas was unsuccessful in accomplishing to our high standards.

The only item that Mr. Vargas completed was the ceiling and the wall patches. The walls that were to be resurface were 90% complete ( shoddy work, he brought in day laborers from our local Home Depot ). He did not apply 2 coats of paint to the rooms, he did not clean the ceiling surface well ( already had 3 paint chips ). He did not clean, I have heavy amounts of drywall dust on ledges and in corners, he tried mopping the floors before removing the drywall dust and not I have to have clean all my tile grout. Poor job, I paid him in full because I needed him out so I could get someone else to finish the work. To any and all that read this be cautious of his charm. He is a pleasant man who I believe wanted me and my family to be happy but his money was more important to him in the end. I am disappointed and don't understand how he could have such good reviews

This is a new house that we purchased and were planning on being in before Sept. We paid an initial deposit of 2500 to Mr Vargas and the work commenced as planned. The project started on 8/13/2013 and was to be completed on 8/23/2013 ( 10 days ). As of 8/31/2013 it is still not complete. He hired his drywall guy that he had been friends with for 10+ yrs ( Jesus ), within 5 days Jesus and his men left the house because of a 1500 money dispute, it was a classic " he said, she said" problem. No documentation to verify payments to his drywall guys. Mr Vargas ( Emo ) did try to get people to finish the work, the level of skill they possessed was lousy, they appear to be out of work laborers and not skilled tradesmen. I am constantly pointing out poor quality to Emo when we go to the house, I feel that i QC much more than he does. They almost raised my living room floor by 2inches because of the lack of skill his replacement workers have, he is now redoing the floor, he has repeatedly told me that certain work is not to be done when it is clearly indicated on our scope of work, such as painting the walls. He likes to point out the good that he has done ( his job ) and will avoid deficiencies by saying that was not part of the work. He touts his word, but if he is trying to manage his dollars it can be at the expense of your quality or scope. He does not include material in his quote, you get a bunch of Home Depot receipts for drywall compound, tape, paint, etc. I had a difficult time identifying materials, they could have been for other projects so it is best to go and buy materials with him, I couldn't I had to work. To date we are extending a lease another month because we had to postpone our flooring contractor and furniture deliveries. My wife likes him, he calls and is always available via phone, his best skill is communicating. Heck I like him personally but would not recommend him at this point. He is as good as the people he hires, if there is a cost error or a team issue he will sacrifice your quality and time, that has been my experience. 7 days late on a 10day schedule with really 5 to 6 days of work. My house is a mess even after he told me it was all clean.

Services not rendered at this point. Intend to hire in the future.

My house has a crawl space. And the floor began caving in. The support beams underneath were rotting away. So... they put new beams in. Converted an old cast iron tub. Into a beautiful shower. And at the suggestion of Mr. Vargas. Put in a seat for the shower. I was very pleased with the overall results. I would definitely use them again in the future.
Sincerely Ron Brooks

Eufemio was on time both days.  He's friendly, hardworking & clearly enjoys his job.  I did find him a bit on the expensive side but I needed the job done ASAP and he was willing to step in and help out.  I would probably use him again in the future but would negotiate a better price.
Great job on painting accent color walls in the house.
Gracias!

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about Emo and his team.  First, Emo always returned phone calls.  Second, we stated a specific date to start and Emo and his team came that day. Actually, his team were ALWAYS on time.   A contract was drawn up where I paid 20% at the beginning and the rest after construction was done.  I  bought all the materials.  Any complications that came up, he spoke to me and thoroughly explained the situation.  I have an old house (1938) so whenever someone opens up a wall, there are always surprises. After  9 days, I had a beautiful, new bathroom.  Jesus was a complete professional, making sure every detail was completed. 
I did have two MINOR problems once the remold was completed.  I called Emo and Jesus returned the next day to fix both problems. 
I am impressed with the cleanliness, professionalism, punctuality, and level of craftsmanship that Emo and his team exhibited. 

Please see above.

The job took 2 days once the rain finally stopped. The crew worked tirelessly until it was finished. They cleaned everything ....Not one piece of garbage left anywhere. They had spilled a few drops of tar on our driveway. I watched as one of the workmen scrubbed it off the ground on his hands and knees. Not only did they do a wonderful job on our roof, but they show great respect with their customer's property. I have already decided to use them again for our next home repair. Thank you, Emo!

Shame on you!!!! You do not back out of a job when you had
agreed to it.
Eufemio was pretty much on time both times I met him to
assess repairs on my condo. 
Unfortunately, there was lack of communication regarding what he needed
for us to do so that he could have assessed the problem correctly.  The second time he came he did not even bring
a flashlight to see inside the wall. 
When I had all parties ready to meet at the property for a third time,
as he had suggested, he backed out of the deal, even though we were willing to
pay for his time and expertise.  I was
lucky enough to find another Angies' List contractor that could step in and perform
this crucial inspection without having to reschedule with all the other
parties.

He sent us a guy who was going to pour the concrete. We had many communications problems. He wouldn't answer calls. I told him to please call me before he came. He came without calling and was upset when I wasn't here.

This is my second time using Emo.  I used him for a smaller job in the past and had such a great experience I invited him and his crew back to perform a much larger job.  We basically changed the entire look of the outside of the house along with some interior renovations.  Everything was touched from walls to roof...they worked on everything and did a fantastic job.  It was a pleasure working with Emo again.  First I'll say that their work is extremely detailed and first class.  Emo really went out of his way to make sure everything was done correctly and on time(this was tough due to the weather, but he got it done on time).  Him and his crew were courteous, polite, and most importantly respectful of my home.  They were a pleasure to have in my house and what a relief to be working with a group of people that are trustworthy and where you just dont have to worry.
One of my favorite things about working with Emo was that every morning by 7 or 7:30 am his crew was there and were hard at work.  Emo always communicated with me about the progress and always stayed on schedule.  We would talk at the end of everyday,  and we would review the work that was accomplished and he would outline the next days work.  Having this type of communication was really important to me.  Emo and his crew were overall a pleasure to work with, they did great work, were fair on price, and just really good people.  Im very picky with the things that get done around my house and Emo always took care of me and made sure things were up to my standards.  Its been such a pleasure working with Emo that Im already planning our third major project. 
Please feel free to reach out to me if you want further info and personal reference on EMO.

I met with the president, Eufemio Vargas, who gave me an estimated price.  After I accepted, we met again, this time at Home Depot, so that I could purchase the supplies (supplies not included in bid).  The next day two guys showed up (on time) to do the work.  They were done within a few hours, but had to come back to touch up the paint.  I noticed that they didn't replace the fiberglass insulation that had come down with the removed drywall.  I called and Eufemio came by and gave me some insulation batting so I could replace it.  The guy is obsessed with his Angie's List reviews, but this makes him extra responsive to any requests.

Great experience.  Emo was really a pleasure to deal with.  He came out and did an entire Detailed assessment of the job.  He gave me my options on how to proceed and educated me on the differences.  That was really kind of him to take the time to go over this and educate me about the current issues and the best solution.  We did review everything in detail.  We decided on a start date and Emo was there on time.  We did get delayed due to the weather, but to my surprise his crew worked around the clock to make sure that the work was done on the time Emo promised.  It was great that Emo kept his word on the time the job would be done even though there was a weather delay. Each one of the workers was professional and a pleasure to have working at my home.  Emo really has a great group of guys working for him.  Even the debris they removed from the roof, was cleanly organized and hauled away that day.  The crew did not leave behind a mess and did an extensive clean up job when they were done.  This was by far the cleanest crew I've ever worked with.  
Finally, Emo and his crew are just a group of really good, skilled, hard working, and even more importantly HONEST people.  It was a pleasure working with him and I plan on inviting them back for future work.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

The work went smoothly without delays.  The workers were prompt and worked very hard.
The company checked on them every day and there were no issues at all.