Express Remodeling Group, Inc.

Very well. Wagner is very easy to work with and always responsive and communicative. He had a reasonable price. He gave us lots of different options with different price points we we could make a good decision without pressure. He even helped us determine not to do some of the work on the back porch, which saved us thousands. We think Wagner's best quality is the ease of working with him and being able to sort through any complications that arise during a projects. He can improve on attention to detail. There were a few items that were not right (wrong color of composite decking delivered, wrong type of railing delivered, etc). But as soon as we brought these to his attention, he took care of them right away - no hassles or arguments. So I'd recommend paying attention to materials and paying attention to the project each day as it progresses. I don't think this is deliberate shortcutting on his part - probably just an attention to detail matter as he manages multiple projects. He provides lots of detailed information when he discovers an item not up to code from a previous project and gives lots of options and consulting so you can make an informed decision about any change orders. We would definitely use him again for future projects. We got 4 estimates but what set him apart was the ease of working with him and you have to value that for all types of remodeling projects.

There was not even an estimate. Through a few e-mail exchanges where I was asked twice to provide basic information about the job it turned out that they are booked 5+ months into the future. I told them that depending on the results of the estimate and meeting them I may be amenable to waiting. The response was that they were just too busy and that I should look elsewhere. I'm not sure why they asked for so much information in the first place if they weren't interested in doing the job. It was for a room addition to a home so its not like it was going to be too small a job for them. Given they are in such high demand I expect it would have been pretty expensive.

Our project has not yet been completed, but so far our experience with this company has been fabulous. Cristina was very quick to reply to my original email requesting information. We were able to set an appointment for an on-site visit with Wagner at our house for the next day. He was prompt, professional, tidy, extremely knowledgeable, and friendly. We had some questions with our contract and the scope of the project, and they encouraged us to visit their office location. We were shocked that they actually had an office location (this doesn't seem like the norm for contractors). The office was easy to find and very comfortable and welcoming. They had samples of their materials and examples of previous projects. Wagner seems very aware of our budget for our project and very willing to complete the project to our standards within our price-point. The project will commence as soon as we receive the windows that have been ordered.

My husband and I own a one-bedroom condo in Back Bay that was in need of a major update between tenants. As we live in California, I was especially concerned with finding a contractor who could be trusted to do excellent work (and stay on budget and schedule) with no supervision. I worried that I would have to rely extensively on friends and family to check in, take pictures, etc. Wagner with Express Remodeling was our choice for contractor and we are completely delighted with the end result. Wagner replied promptly with a request for a quote and was very flexible in scheduling a time to see the unit. This set the tone for all of our interactions: he updated us on schedule, appeared on-time for every meeting, always returned calls and was extremely professional throughout. The quote that Wagner delivered was detailed and complete. Although it seemed that Express was not the absolute cheapest on the block, none of the costs were unreasonable (given prior experience) and we were impressed with his manner and felt we could trust Wagner to keep the project on track. Wagner helped choose countertops (I am seriously useless with aesthetics) and was also happy to make choices for us in areas that we didn't have an opinion on (cabinet fronts, windows, paint color). We explained to Wagner that, as a rental unit, we wanted the place to look good and stand up to tenants' abuses as well as possible. We put down a 10% deposit and Wagner noted that he would start work the following week and would keep us updated with pictures. Work progressed quickly and Wagner/Express did an excellent job with scheduling (i.e. no lost days waiting around for materials, a pet peeve of mine when working with contractors). Wagner updated us periodically with pictures. On the few occasions that I hadn't heard from him in a few days, I shot off an email and he always replied quickly. We had to make a few changes during the project - most notably that a floor that we were hoping to refinish ultimately needed to be replaced or carpeted over - and Wagner was helpful in giving us options and updated our quote immediately. He got us a great deal on hardwood for the bedroom and was even able to match the original unit floor very well. The biggest advantage of working with Wagner is that we never felt out of touch with the project, even from 3000 miles away. The reno was completed early (!) and exactly on-budget. We finally got to see the work in-person after everything was completed. Express did excellent work overall - perfect floor installation, conscientious painting, excellent fit on cabinet doors, well-installed counters - and Wagner saw to even the little touches, like putting in fresh light bulbs and making sure that the cleaning crew did a good job. The new windows - which we left 100% to Wagner to choose - are gorgeous and efficient. All the aesthetic choices that we left to Express, including fixtures, cabinets, colors, vanity, flooring, and lighting (yeah, we really trusted them) came out beautifully. Overall, we were thrilled. We'd hire Wagner again in a second and would recommend Express to anyone. Wagner seems especially familiar with Back Bay and was very, very savvy about the best way to treat a rental unit. The real test? After the reno with Express, we are now getting an additional $500 in rent for the small one-bedroom. Our rental agent's first word when he saw the reno was, "Wow," Indeed.

Wagner came to get info for an estimate,worked it up and got back to me quickly. There were a few minor adjustments that I needed done and three bigger ones. I asked for two replacement windows,two custom made replacement bathroon cabinet doors and concaveing closet shelvings to be replaced.The doors and shelves were done without problem. Wagner ordered me two well known brand name windows and installed them. Whichever one of his crew does the carpentry is amazing. He blended the old with the new and the place where the wood abuts looks to be perfect. I was painting the window a few days later and noticed a space where the widow was crooked. I called Wagner to report the problem and he quickly came to appraise the problem. He was very surprised to see the defect. He tried an adjustment but then stopped and said it was obviously a manufacturing problem and he was not going to do anything except get me TWO NEW WINDOWS from another well know window company. And that is what he did. He took out the defective ones and replaced them with the new ones (and again the carpentry was excellent) and left me very happy.

It was a pleasure having Express Remodeling Group as our contractors during our first renovation project. We felt like they were partners in the process, and we quickly came to develop an open, trusting relationship with Wagner and his team. Below is some specific feedback in various areas: Strengths ? Quoting the job: Wagner brought his subcontractors through the unit multiple times in quoting the job. He was prompt in delivering his quote and extremely responsive with any questions we had. He was open and honest up front about any parts of the job that might lead to extra costs and how much they might be ? Managing early delays: We had an unanticipated delay in starting the work due to the condo association requiring engineering approval. Wager quickly put us in touch with a great structural engineer who as able to inspect the site and stamp our drawings at minimal extra cost. The delay was our fault, but Wagner was very accommodating and understanding about the delay, even though it put him behind schedule. ? Working team: The entire Express Remodeling team is skilled, experienced and very hard working. They showed up early every day and worked as late as they could. They were always responsive to our requests, and never complained about having to change things or redo any work. For example, the new closets they built were deeper than we expected, so they reframed them to a depth that we were more comfortable with. ? Subcontractors: Marcello (Electrician) and Lester (plumber) were both great. Marcello discovered significant issues with the electrical and essentially redid the entire electrical system at a minimal incremental cost. When we realized that some of the lighting in the bathroom was not what we expected, he was responsive and made the changes required. He was also creative in his ability to deliver power to our entertainment area without having to open up the walls after they were completed. Lester had significant plumbing work including 2.5 bathrooms, a kitchen and a new bar area. His work was excellent and he was always a pleasure to work with. ? Responsiveness: We never had any issues reaching Wagner with any questions or concerns. We did a lot of work in picking out tiles, flooring, fixtures etc. on weekends and Wagner always made himself available to answer questions. One Saturday when we were picking out flooring, Wagner spent a half hour on the phone with me making sure we were buying the right flooring and the pricing was reasonable. ? Work quality: Express Remodeling?s capabilities were quite impressive. We wanted to install a half bath in our lower level which sits on a concrete slab. The team essentially jackhammered a 20 foot trench to lay all the necessary plumbing. ? Extras: All jobs have unforeseen expenses. We found Wagner to be fair and reasonable in pricing all extra work. For little things, he didn?t even bother charging us or even notifying us. For the larger extras (e.g. unforeseen electrical work, carpentry on existing damage to floor joists) he clearly communicated what the issue was and why it was extra, and always was reasonable in what he charged to fix the problem. ? Creativity and problem solving: We thought Wagner did a great job of navigating roadblocks and proposing creative solutions. Potential areas for improvement: ? As ?first-timers? to the renovation process, we would have appreciated more notice for when they needed our input on various items. ? Understanding this needs to be balanced with completing the job on time, there were instances when we felt the team could have been more deliberate with some of the finishing work. That said, overall the place looks great and as homeowners we tend to notice more of the imperfections that others would Overall, Express Remodeling Group was instrumental in making our renovation a success. If you are considering hiring Express Remodeling Group for a large job, please ask Wagner to put you in touch with us. We would be happy to provide a reference, including some tips on how to best work with the Express Remodeling Group team.

Price was about 50% higher than any other contractor, felt that Wagner was a bit pushy with upgrades and opinions. When I asked him for a breakdown of the estimate since he just gave me a number in total he refused, even after a number of requests trying to understand the $25k he was giving us and he still refused and then offered giving us a $500 discount if we did the upstairs bathroom too. We are not using him for the remodel.

This was our second major home renovation and based on the my previous bathroom job, which was done by some friends of ours, I can't thank Wagner and his team enough for making the process go as smoothly as it did. From the estimate to the last piece of finish work the entire experience was positive. I don't want to say that tearing half of your home apart is not stressful, but in all my dealings with Express and crew I always felt good about their progress and workmanship. Wagner did not make any false promises and told us what we should reasonably expect. Especially with these older homes, once you tear down a wall you never know what you are going to find. He told us that there might be other issues outside the initial estimate and that we should be prepared for them. We had to get some of our plumbing and electrical up to snuff, which wasn't a huge shock or anything, so the overages outside the estimate were an easy pill to swallow. From the start of the demolition Wagner and his guys were NOT messing around. They would show up like clockwork at 7:30-8:00 AM every week day and work till 5:30-6PM. Wagner was great about getting the inspectors in and having everything organized so that the project progressed smoothly. There was hardly any downtime. I would also like to add that his crew were some of the friendliest guys I have met. Everyone who works for Express, as well as plumbing and electrical subs, were as polite and nice as could be. Even when one of our cabinets was the wrong size, due to a private architect's mis-measurement, the work was still progressing at a nice pace. I especially liked working with Wagner because he is great about communication. I would receive text-messages and emails every morning telling me which part of his team was coming by and what they were there to accomplish. For every step of the project it was easy to communicate with Wagner and have him help us with our wants and needs. Wagner even seemed to address issues before my wife and I were able to tell him about them. I would also like to add that Wagner and crew finished the project right on schedule. I don't ever want to tear up my home again for 2 months, but I wouldn't think twice about contacting anyone else to do construction work on my home. Wagner and Express Remodeling Group are AWESOME!

I meet with me in august and like him right away. he was up front and honest. his crew was on time and very clean. I would hire him again! I am very happy with his work. !!!

They were very responsive, did an excellent job, and completed the work in a timely manner. In fact, I plan on having them back for future work.

I had a very strict move in date, and my closing kept getting pushed back at the last minute but Wagner was very understanding and flexible. I think i ended up pushing back his start date three times, but he was able to accommodate. With the changes in the start date he only ended up having one weekend to get everything completed. He brought in probably 8 guys to put up a wall where there was once a closet door, take down a wall to put up a new closet door, sand, clean and paint every well as all of the trim and doors. At one point I was in the condo trying to change the locks and do some other little things, and Wagner and his team happily offered to help me. He even offered to have a painter come back after move in day to touch up any scuffs we may make on the walls. I was extremely happy with the results and with the service that I received with Express. A few weeks later I needed a gas pipe extended and called Wagner. He came out the next day with his plumber to give me an estimate and he came back a few days later to do the work and install my new gas dryer for me. I received the same great treatment the second time as i did the first time. I would undoubtedly use them again and probably will. I have already passed on their business cards to other condo owners in my building who were impressed with their work.

It went very well. We discovered the hole in the roof of the porch Ion Tuesday. called Wagner after looking him up on Angie's List. He had good reviews and he had done work in my area. He responded very quickly and sent his guy Luis to check out the problem. He got back to me the next day (Thursday) with a quote and was reasonable about his pricing. I double checked his price with two contractors I know and they confirmed it was a very good price for the work being asked for. His team showed up on time on Saturday and worked all day despite the fact that it was raining. They did a lot:: they moved all the breakable stuff in the back yard they jockeyed their vehicles around with my tenant who needed access. the destroyed the deck (at my request) and took care of all the debris they cleared out alll the vines and growth that was over the porch the replaced the eaten through wood with new wood the laid down the roof tiles over that after preppping it they put the gutter back in better condition than it was in when they removed it to fix the roof they put the flashing in and the bottom wall tiles over the flashing then they cleaned everything up and left the place spotless and took all the debris They were exceptional in my opinion. Professional, polite, and they seemed to do very good work. I plan on using them again to fix some other things around the house next month when I have more money! :-)

Called Xpress Remodeling for a total attic renovation. Their company was doing a large project on my street and their work appeared of high quality. Wagner came over, listened to my project outline and e-mailed me his estimate a week or so later. Unfortunately, his price was so out of line with other quotes that I assumed he just didn't want the work.

The home turned out beautifully. We are located on a street where many people pass by by car and on foot. Compliments from passersby were frequent, and a few people literally stopped their cars in front to comment. The transformation was amazing. Wagner Pinhiero is the owner of Express Remodeling. Wagner is a great person to work with. He desires to make the customer happy and is a joy to work with. He is very skilled. His crew are also courteous and professional. They attempted to keep the workplace clean and were attentive to the owners needs as were extremely punctial and responsive. There were a few bumps along the way and Wagner handled them like a professional. Nothing is perfect, of course, but when issues arose, Wagner discussed them and worked toward finding a solution. One major bump, not caused by Express Remodeling, was when some of the work required a variance from the City of Cambridge. The architect that we had hired (independent of Express Remodeling) was not prompt in pursuing the permit. This caused the work to be delayed until the next year, at cost and inconvenience to all of us. Wagner was great about this, and demonstrated patience and courtesy and worked with us despite this set back to obtain a successful result. Wagner held to his estimate and when extras were necessary, was very reasonable and didn't attempt to gouge us. I highly recommend Express Remodeling and its owner, Wagner Pinheiro.

Wagner was a pleasure to work with. Aside from being a super expert, he is just a nice, honest guy. Since our very first meeting he demonstrated his professionalism, and that was carried throughout the whole remodeling process. He has always been very responsive and punctual. Another of his characteristic that always caught our attention was his interest in making things better. Our apartment was a bit tricky because it's in a really old building, built in the 1920s, and all walls are made of concrete. Wagner always made suggestions and proposed solutions to things that sometimes seemed complicated. Augusto, his painter is also a great guy. He did an awesome job and was always willing to make repairs, making sure things look good! Overall we had a great experience and would for sure work with Wagner again. We are glad we found him here!

Wagner never showed up (nor did he ever contact me with an explanation/apology).I changed my schedule to be home that night, which meant I had to squeeze 2 errands into one night later that week. If he had been professional enough to cancel, then I could have done one of those errands that night instead.

Wagner is great! Nice guy; very professional; keeps his promises. He responded to a telephone request to come to our house to give us an estimate on a 2nd story porch, which has floor-to-ceiling screens on 3 sides. It is the width of the house - and a terrific space but was no longer functional - the framing was falling apart; the screens were flapping in the wind and the railing was \shaky. All of these elements had be removed and replaced. Wagner sent us an estimate by email very promptly. He said he would be able to come in three weeks and arrived when he said he would -he had 3 fellows working on our porch for 2 1/2 days, including himself at various times. The crew arrived each day at 7:30am. They were very meticulous - in terms of taking apart the old porch frame, and rebuilding it from scratch; rebuilding the railings; aligning the new screens, and removing the debris. It took 2 1/2 days. The final result looks absolutely terrific. I am really glad we found him through Angie's list.

We could not be more pleased with our ultimate good fortune. Wagner’s crew did a fantastic job. They were professional and efficient, and the job was completed on schedule, at a reasonable cost, and the end result is beautiful. Wagner was completely comfortable working with the Historical Commission, and we found working with him to be a most pleasant experience. Older houses, like ours, are often in need of some type of repair, and I anticipate working with the Express Remodeling group again as the need arises. Thank you, Wagner.

The entire project start to finish went extremely well. The finished product looks spectacular.

Wagner was great to work with, Before he started the job we had an unforseen delay in getting the permit. Wagner called us right away to tell us the town had just changed its wait time for permits. Once we received the permit, Wagner & his crew were here the next day at 7am to start. The work took a total of 3 days and the crew was here from 7am to at least 5:30 pm each day. They were very nice & always cleaned up after they were done for the day. Wagner was available at all times for questions we had. He also made great suggestions on how to make our deck look better. The deck came out better than we ever imagined and all the work they did looks great. We are so glad that we decided to use Wagner.

The project went well. His electrician and plumber were meticulous and did what appears to be a phenomenal job on some difficult installations. Wagner handled all the permits and inspections, and we had absolutely no issues. His team was good about cleaning up every evening and made sure the carpet runner on our stairs was extremely clean at the end of the project. The tile work, drywall work and paint were all done fairly well. We had some minor issues with all three which is why I gave a B rating for quality. There were issues with paint getting on some of the fixtures and tile, some areas where drywall was not patched extremely well, and some mis-matched coloring on the grout. That said, the minute I mentioned these minor issues to Wagner, he was quick to address them as best he could. His customer service is fantastic. In the end, Wagner is truly a pleasure to work with. He has done exterior porch work for me at some other properties and I have only positive things to say about working with him as a general contractor. He is always punctual to any proposed meetings or workdays. His estimates are always priced competitively. He is very responsive to any questions, change orders, or concerns, and will do his best to resolve them quickly and thoroughly. Above all else, Wagner is trustworthy which is extremely important to me in hiring a contractor.

I contacted Express Remodeling in October and they responded within a few hours. Wagner came out and met with my husband to look at the work we wanted done. He was very polite and knowledgeable. My husband called me to let me know how much he liked him. I was working witha city program so there was a waiting period to start the work. He was familiar with the program and very patient during the process. Once the all clear was given we set a date to start the work. When Wagner told us he could start in March I was suprised because I thought it would be too cold, but the weather didn't delay anything. They got started on a Monday and was finished by Thursday. The project was supposed to take a week. I was so pleased with the progress I shared pictures on Facebook. They worked fast and the men were so quiet I didn't realize they were on the property until I heard the saw. I will be using them again for some other work I have planned for my house.

We called Express Remodeling (and several other groups) to get an idea of how much the job might cost as well as to get some input on some of our ideas. We weren't exactly sure whether the attic conversion was a good idea and were interested in the opinion of some one who did this for a living. Wagner arrived on time for the consultation and had many good ideas / suggestions. He was clear in what he thought would work and suggested alternative ideas for what wouldn't. We received the quote from Express Remodeling by email and decided to go with them as our experience with other contractors hadn't gone as well. A start date was set and the team (with Wagner) arrived 5 minutes early on all work days. Work was carried out swiftly and finished in 2 days. Wagner checked in twice to make sure everything was going OK. Final results look great and we couldn't be more pleased. A lot of the correspondence was by email but Wagner is available by phone as well. We are planning on having Express Remodeling give us a quote on replacing our deck next.

I called Express R.G. and received a call back the next day.I made an appt to discuss what I needed. Wagner came on time as became the usual, saw, discussed & had an estimate emailed in a week. He came back 2 more times for my tweaks and concerns and then we signed. He couldn't have been nicer or more pleasant. He is enthusiastic and respectful.He seems to love what he is doing. The words no & I can't don't seem to be in his vocabulary. The project started when he said it would and ERG came on time every morning and everyday !!!!. The men are all quiet (except Brad the Plumber-he is robust) and proficient and work tirelessly under Wagner's direction, staying until the day's job is done. They then clean-up, go home and return again the next morning. I was nervous about such a big project so I asked many questions all answered nicely with never a hit of intolerance or aggravation. Things went along well until it was time to take down a wall, we needed 15" of space but only got 6",Wagner warned me of this. I thought the project was doomed,but Wagner, without skipping a beat, asked a few questions and quickly came up with a terrific solution. He could remove the fireplace and chimney that we never use and that would give more than the 15" needed and enlarge my living space. This was the first of a few unexpected problems, all handled just as easily with Wagner's expertise. Then there was my mis-communication, twice, on the same item. Did Wagner get upset, no! He just said no problem and fixed it twice. Wagner's communications were excellent he answered every phone call and every email more than promptly. He also called my cell when he needed questions answered or needed to give me information. He inspected the work done by his crew daily to insure that it was done properly. I'm probably leaving out other wonderful attributes of Wagner's and ERG's ---in short take all the positive reviews of Express Remodeling Group and Wagner Pinheiro and multiply them by terrific.

For the gut remodel of our kitchen, we got several bids from reputable contractors. Wagner quoted us the best price as well as having a personality that made us feel that we could trust him to do exactly what we agreed on. We have a 100-plus-year old house that we have been renovating over the past two years and we wish we had found Wagner earlier. We have worked with all kinds of contractors from the worst to the best and Wagner tops them all in terms of professionalism. He listened to what we wanted and made suggestions about what he thought would work within our budget. Like many homeowners doing a renovation, we were very budget-conscious and worried about unseen extras. A couple of things did take us slightly over budget, one of them being new heating which we had not planned for but are now glad that we got, and an honest mistake by one of Wagner?s crew over the size of the fridge cabinet. The mistake was fixed to everyone?s satisfaction, including Wagner generously giving us a discount to cover the additional expense of getting a fridge that fit. We are very happy with the eventual outcome. Also, Wagner did hang up two new doors at no additional cost, as well as a beautiful stainless steel framing for our range hood support, so it all evens up in the end. We got a farmhouse sink and were nervous about the installation, but Wagner personally ensured that that sink can now sit an elephant with no problems. The electrical work, plumbing work, plastering and painting were all done to a very high standard. The hardwood floor is a beauty. Once Wagner realized how uneven our old floor was, they gutted the entire thing to build a new, safe and level sub-floor, even though that was not in the original plan. He went above and beyond by driving several hours to fetch our hardwood flooring from a warehouse. Very impressive! The crew was very quiet and courteous and respectful of my privacy ? I work partially from home and had no choice but to be in my office upstairs while they worked downstairs. They showed up on time and worked hard all day. Wagner was always available by phone or txt to answer questions, soothe rattled nerves and seriously has to be one of the most patient people ever in terms of understanding and easing a homeowner?s fears and worries about the job in progress. Wagner is truly that rare breed of skilled, professional, responsive and above all, HONEST contractor who, like Bigfoot, we thought existed only in people?s imaginations. He always did what he said he would do and we could tell that above all, his goal and focus was total customer satisfaction. He said the job would take 7 weeks and it did, though various Somerville City inspections (through no fault of Wagner?s) added an extra 2 weeks. We would definitely use Express Remodeling again and highly recommend Wagner and his crew to our friends and family. He made what is usually a vexing experience go so much smoother and easier while delivering great results. Our new kitchen is absolutely beautiful and overall, my husband and I are very impressed. Definitely an A+ experience.