Marcellos Design & Builders

Marcello and his team are very prompt and responsive, which is hard to find in a contractor. Prices were higher than other contractors but the job was high quality and Marcello personally made sure to check in with us throughout the entire project, which is valuable in and of itself. He was also responsive to any changes or additional requests that we had throughout. Our project was certainly not the biggest one he had going on, but he and his team didn't make us feel that way. The finished product looks excellent. We would not hesitate to hire him or his team again for future projects.

That was a week ago and we have heard nothing

Another great experience with Marcello and his team. This is our third time hiring him since 2011 and he has always been responsive, polite and competent. We first met about this job in April when Marcello came in-person and gave us good ideas on how we might want the end result to look. We agreed on a plan, pricing and to schedule the work for July when it fit our schedule. Closer to the start date Marcello confirmed the time and which carpenter would be coming. The carpenter (Edson) arrived on-time and was pleasant to speak with. What also impressed us was that he knew all the project details before arriving, and just confirmed a few measurements and quickly started working. He also put up plastic and nicely sealed the work area so no construction dust escaped to the reminder of the house (those with old houses know how easily fine plaster dust can travel). Edson worked solid for three days to complete the work, each day cleaning up the work area and checking to make sure I was happy with the result. The work was done well, constructed solidly and with great attention to detail. Any time an aesthetic decision came up he gave me suggestions and implemented exactly as I requested (I am picky so asked to be consulted for all choices). All work and trim detail was completed correctly, accurately and neatly with all nail holes filled in and ready to paint (which we will do ourselves). He also removed all debris and ensured the area was clean and that I was completely satisfied. Afterwards Marcello also followed-up with me directly to confirm my satisfaction. These guys are great to work with and through big and small projects have continued to exceed our expectations.

As a homeowner that has carried out numerous remodelling projects of various sizes over the past 15 years, I have worked with a variety of different contractors, plumbers, electricians, plasterers, etc. My experiences varied considerably with some contractors providing very good service, while others have been problematic. Marcelo's Renovations just finished performing work on my home. The work was related to demolition, framing of a new master bedroom and bathroom in the attic, finish trim, plaster and tile. In a word, the experience was exemplary. I have never had such a positive experience with a contractor on a remodeling project. There are a few qualities that I value (above all) in a contractor that is performing work in my home. First, I want a company that is going to competently perform high quality work with attention to the finer details. During each phase of the project, I inspected the work myself and found the results to be amazing. The lead carpenter made helpful (subtle) suggestions to the framing plan to ensure best layout of our new suite. The framing was square, plumb and level (as noted by the tile installer when he went to install the tile). The tile install exceeded my expectations. Not only was the work clean precise, the installer was also very patient and spent extra time with my wife and I to think through different tile layouts and review options. Members of Marcelo's team went out their way to ensure that the work was performed to MY satisfaction. Very refreshing! Second, I would like the workers to have respect for my home while performing the work. Before beginning the work, the workers were careful to put down paper on my hardwood floors. While performing demolition, the team actually stopped every once in a while to clean up so that small debris would not get tracked around the home. This attention to detail is what seems to separate this contractor from all of the others I have worked with in the past. Third, I need a person that will remain in contact with me throughout the project. Marcelo was in touch with me during each phase of the project and the team showed up ON TIME every day they were scheduled to work. The quality that I value the most is a person's integrity and sincerity. Undoubtedly, this is the most difficult quality to gauge when selecting a contractor. When I met Marcelo during the estimate phase, he guaranteed my satisfaction and assured me that his word is better than a written signature. The manner in which Marcelo executed this project proved to me, beyond a doubt, that his word IS better than his signature. If Marcelo assured me that something on the project would be done, it got done. I never had to follow-up with him or provide reminders. I wish that I had met Marcelo 15 years ago during my first major project. It would have made parts of my life easier!

In response to our Email inquiry, Marcello Laurindo of Marcellos Renovations agreed to provide us with a cost estimate, and agreed to meet with us the following week to review our kitchen remodeling project. Marcello arrived at the scheduled time, at which we explained the project requirements to him. He took down information on the project, explained some key issues and concerns, and responded to all of our questions. He agreed to provide us with a cost estimate the following week. Two weeks later, upon not receiving the estimate not having any contact with the provider, we submitted an Email inquiring on the status of the estimate. Marcello indicated that he had been called out of the country on a personal matter, but that he would provide us with an estimate by the end of the following week. We never received the estimate or any further explanation as to why no estimate was submitted.

Marcello's replied very promptly to my request for an estimate - within 24-48 hours - but unfortunately it turned out they were booked until the end of the year, so we didn't get the chance to use their services. Nonetheless, I appreciated their quick response, as it allowed me to move on to other service providers in my search.

Quick, professional. We wanted and got an attractive and simple deck and the price was extremely competitive relative to others. Quotes and timelines were well explained. I'm sure our job was small potatoes but the gentleman who handled our project never made us feel that way. They were responsive to emails and phone calls. There were two very minor errors we didn't notice for a while, but they don't detract from the finished product. Would bring them back for more work if needed.

We hired Marcello?s Renovations to do a complete basement renovation, from demo, to waterproofing, to framing, to dry walling, flooring, and painting and of course electrical and finish carpentry on the stairs. It was a complete renovation. The project contained a significant amount of demolition since the previous homeowner used the space as a contractor workspace. From the first contact with Marcello, we felt we were dealing with a high quality contractor. His responses to our endless questions were very helpful, he made suggestions we had not even considered and helped us come up with the design we wanted. He then made a proposal that was competitive and worked with us to trim and add items in a way that would complement the project yet still fit within our budget. Once we came to an agreement he proceeded to get all of the permits in a timely manner while keeping us informed at all times, something that would continue throughout the project. Once the permits were in, the door was sealed to the basement to prevent dust from coming into the house and the work began. It was painless. We went to work, they would come in through the bulk head and every night was an adventure as we discovered what they had done. We immediately met the project manager for our Basement who worked with us as the framing and construction were done. We asked for minor adjustments throughout the framing and within a day the changes were incorporated into the design and building. Every member of the company had a customer satisfaction attitude and no request was met with anything but a resounding yes we can do that. The talent of his company was evident in that even unusual changes such as rerouting a water pipe during the framing of the basement, were done quickly and exactly how we wanted it. Flooring, dry walling and electrical were done to our specifications, where the company really showed how great they are was when they noticed that our bulkhead needed sealing. They mentioned to us they would seal the bulk head for us. Did they ever!! They dug out around the bulk head and sealed all the way down, and around the doors, they laid out cement around the bulkhead to redirect any water away from it and sanded and painted the doors, with never a mention of extra money. As the project neared completion they took it upon themselves to refinish the stairs leading down to the basement by laying new steps, and hand rails and working with us to determine the coloring and finish. The steps were not even included in the original contract but were thrown in as a goodwill gesture to us. WOW!! Marcello?s Renovations followed a schedule they had set out at the beginning of the project and followed it very closely. We were given a six week timeframe and basically that?s how long it took. The last few days of the project they worked with us on color choices, and even helped with extras such as help with an outside staircase, hanging up a TV and installing a cat door. The last day of the project they had a cleaning crew clean out the house ?in case of dust getting in the door?. It was a wonderful and unexpected detail. After working with Marcello?s renovations for our basement we would not work with anyone else, and neither should you. This is a great company with excellent people and we were delighted with them and would hire them again without a second thought.

Marcelo was extremely prompt and responsive, he showed up on time basically the day after I contacted him. He seemed professional. He produced a comprehensive quote within a week. However, the quote was $221,500 - dramatically higher than the other contractor I spoke with and unreasonably high for the task. I immediately contacted Marcelo and asked if we had a mis-communication or if he had made an error in his quote. He replied that he was sorry and that his assistant had made a mistake in inputting the numbers and that the actual quote price was $121,500 ($100,000 lower). This amount was still higher than the other contractor. In all likelihood, this was an honest mistake. However, the magnitude of the error was shocking, and I shouldn't have been the one to catch it. At this point, I couldn't work with him because either a) there is sloppiness in his process/staff which I feared might lead to problems in the job or b) he was trying to fleece me. The lesson here is of course to always request quotes from more than one contractor. I'd like to think that Marcelo would have corrected his own quote, but the only insurance one has is to get multiple data points for the pricing.

Simply put - what a great experience! On on our initial meeting to estimate the job Sergio showed up on time and didn't rush us through a review of our plans. He was thoughtful, patient and provided some excellent ideas for the space that we had not thought of previously. The price was in the sweet spot compared to a number of other businesses we talked to and we decided to go ahead with them based on their ability to quickly schedule the job, their glowing reviews on Angie's List, and our impression that they always put the customer first. We couldn't be happier with the final results! Our basement, built in 1942, now looks like a part of the rest of the house, and in many ways even better. Day to day operations were non-intrusive and we are so happy we could go about our normal schedule with no worries. The team was friendly, trustworthy and showed up promptly at the start of the work day. Email contact was fantastic which made for sending late night inquiries or last minute thoughts easy, with a very speedy response. Any added costs for items and changes we wanted were discussed with us along the way. It's clear that Marcello, Sergio, Claudio, Danilo and the rest of the team love what they do, and their work reflects it. They didn't cut corners, and the high level of craftsmanship shows in the final results. Danilo built a custom bar for us, and we are very delighted with the end result. It looks so great we had to hug the bar right after they installed it.. true story. The staining, precision and overall look is amazing. We have already recommended them to another friend and now we get to enjoy our new space that we had envisioned for so long! We intend to use them to finish the other side of our basement as well as work on several additional projects in the future. In summary, get these guys if you can get them. You will not be disappointed. We've had several bad experiences with contractors in the past and it's heartening to know that there are companies like Marcello's Renovations that put the customer first, take pride in their work, and who will truly act as a partner in your project.

Went very well. Timely, conscientious, courteous and flexible. All contractors were very accommodating and courteous. All work was very well finished and professional.

Marcello's did indeed save the day! Whether it be structural work or installing a new curving handrail, everything was done with precision and care. And the team of people who came to our house could not have been a nicer group of people. Nice, caring, fair, earnest!!! Yes, I am talking about a contractor. After having such a bad experience with our first contractor, we were so happily surprised to have such a good experience with Marcello's. We will be building an addition on our house in the near future and we most certainly will be talking to Marcello's about doing this work. So if you are looking for a great contractor, look no further than Marcello's Renovations. But if you are looking for a really bad contractor, I'll give you the number of my first contractor.

I have an appointment with Anderson Souza on Dec 18 to discuss my project for remodeling my bathroom. In previous email correspondence he seems to be responsive. On the day of appointment, he called and inquired about if I can provide vendor's parking 10 minutes before the appointment. Since this is a residence our building does not provide any parking for contractor/vendor. I let him know where he could possibly park with meters. 10 minutes later he called back and told me he had another appointment and since he could not find any parking he had to leave. Of course, his alternatives include him coming back again or I send him pictures with detailed description of my project. Since I live on the top floor and it's really easy for me to look out from the window, I see tons of meters parking spaces. I do NOT recommend using this service simply because they cannot even stick with their appointments. If you have an appointment with your client, you better make it. (Unless I am obliged to provide parking for initial consultation)

Claudio made this experience awesome. We filled in two windows, cut down and reconfigured a large built in piece, transforming it from a large and bulky TV case to a bar. And last we painted the room. and touched up some of the older outside wood and paint. They finished the job on time and on budget and we are really happy with the results. From the first visit to the last walk through they were on time and easy to work with. Claudio accommodated our schedule and talked us through each step. They returned phone calls and answered questions quickly and and clearly. This was our first project in a new house and I would Marcello's Renovation and Claudio very highly.

They responded quickly to our request for a quote. They helped with designing what I wanted done. They started work promptly after we agreed on the price and scope of work. They worked within the agreed budget. They sent two very professional and VERY polite craftmen to perform the work. They left the site clean and neat at the end of each work day. They showed up when they said they would. We would absolutely use them again. In fact, we plan to next time we want a remodeling job done. Great experience. So glad we found them!

Based on the A grades here, I contacted Marcello's for a small bathroom (8'x8') remodel to include demolition, new tub,sink,vanity,tile and flooring. He came out and did a very cursory "nose in the air" walk through and did not even collect the information on what fixtures or their costs. I got a snail mail estimate a week later for $85,000.00!! That's right...$85,000.00! Marcello's did not follow up to see if their estimate was "acceptable" and so I concluded that it was a "blow off" pricing. If they did not want to do the work, or did not have time, they should have merely said so. If it was a typo, they should have followed up to ask my interest and we might have straightened it out. If they were serious, they should go out of business!

UPDATE 3-11-2014 MARCELLOS PROPOSED BID OF $720K is rediculous, no matter what excuse their company writes. They simply did not want to do the job, and I do not believe they were "talking to vendors" because when I asked for an itemized proposal for our bank, Marcello would not provide it. WE WERE NOT LOOKING FOR 'COSMETIC COVER-UPS' with our investment, we wanted everything redone, from electrical to plumbing. We hired a structural engineer who gave us the green light with the exception to replace the floor joists in the bathrooms, and that was no problem. We hired a different contractor (also on Angie's List) and are more than happy with our experience. Our project is running on budget and should be no more than $200k to complete, including the basement foundation, no exaggeration-- NOWHERE NEAR THE RIDICULOUS $720k QUOTE FROM MARCELLOS RENOVATIONS! ______________________________________________________________________________________________ (Original post) I have a complete rehab and know the cost is going to be well over $100k. I chose Marcello's because one of the reviews had a similar house to ours (built around 1900 with work over $100k), and loved the work Marcello's had done. Marcello met me at the property to assess the scope of work that was to be completed. During his visit, he made very vague comments like, "It's going to be a LOT of money." etc, as if he was trying to talk me out of the project. He gave a really rough estimate of $180k verbally and said he would send the paperwork within the next few days. This was not a crazy number with the amount of work needed, and I said OK. After 9 days without any word from him, I called his cell phone-- no answer. I called his office and was told by a nice woman that she would relay my message to Marcello-- no response. I called Marcello back and left a message-- this time he called me back and gave me a story that so-and-so was supposed to send the estimate, but he didn't know what happened. Within minutes of hanging up the phone, I received an email, and just written in the email was the estimate that the project would cost $720,000. FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT OF THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE!!! I immediately sent an email back to make sure this amount was correct. He confirmed that it was. I sent a reply that I needed a document to give the bank that itemized exactly where the money was to be allocated. That was the last I ever heard from Marcello. This was such a waste of time-- I had high hopes with this company, especially since Marcello went to the property and told me he could do the job. A professional person would have simply explained they wouldn't be able to complete the project. Marcello's Renovations went beyond trying to avoid me--not only did he give me some sorry excuse why it took over a week to receive a written estimate, but he also gave me a rediculous bid without explanation. I'm very disappointed and frustrated for my time that was wasted with this company.

Claudio was very professional and knowledgeable, but have decided to go with a basement system to finish my basement.

Spectacular!! Over the years, I've worked with numerous contractors/builders/tradesmen, and Joe Bertola and Carlos are by far the best I have ever worked with. I am not just referring to their skills - which are amazing (great vision and technique -- the best visionary carpenters I have seen), but they are pleasure to be around because they take real pride in their work, clearly love what they do, and are always helpful and receptive to customer feedback and requests. Great value!!

I called up Marcello's renovation to provide an estimate for remodeling my unfinished basement. Earl from Marcello's renovations showed up at exactly the time he was supposed to. He looked at the basement, took the time to explain what needs to be done and made suggestions. I took estimates from 5 different builders. Theirs came in the middle of the pack but based on previous reviews I chose Marcello's renovations. One thing that I liked is that Earl provided an estimate that included everything and a very detailed contract. He took care of all permit and inspections. A week after we signed the contract, Earl got the permit and they started working on the basement. They quickly framed the walls, installed insulation and added wiring. I inspected every stage of the work. I am overall very impressed with the quality of the work and the materials they used. They did not skimp on anything. For example, they used solid wood doors which are much more expensive. There are two Brazillian carpenters who were amazing. I initially thought that we could directly lay carpet over the concrete floor. Upon talking to a couple of friends, I changed my mind and decided to install a subfloor called dri-core. This was no in the contract. I talked to Earl and he said they would install the subfloor free of charge if I buy it! And true to his word the subfloor was installed by the carpenters within a day after they completed everything. Overall, they did an amazing work on the basement. Take a look at the before and after pictures I attached.

Marcello's Renovations looks great, for the most part, with many recent and glowing reviews. I wish I knew how all those people managed to get this company to work for them. Their page here on Angie's List says not once but twice to contact by email, so that's what we did. We sent an email on August 17 with a few paragraphs describing the renovation we'd like to make to our family room. We also stated that we don't plan to have the work done until the spring but wanted to get an estimate now for budgeting purposes and so that hopefully we could get on their schedule if we decided to hire them. The email didn't bounce back and the address we used matched what is listed here. They never responded, not even the courtesy of an email saying "we're too busy but thanks for your interest" or "if you don't mind waiting a few weeks we'll come by." If anyone out there can refer a decent contractor that is taking new projects AND has the decency to respond to inquiries, please let us know - we are striking out left and right even with service providers that have glowing reports on Angie's List.

In the summer of 2013 we hired Marcello's to completely renovate our main bathroom. The bathroom was the original from the early eighties and was in dire need of repair and remodel. Joe Betola at Marcello's provided us with a prompt quote and luckily was able to fit us in at the last minute due to a cancellation. We choose the fixtures, tiles, etc. with some help and recommendations from Joe and Marcello's expertly installed everything. Everything including the tiles, plumbing, lights & fixtures, and the paint job was done beautifully, and we couldn't be more pleased with the finished bathroom. There were problems such as a town inspector not coming on time, a shipping delay from a vendor we regretted doing business with (which wasn't recommended by Joe), and an issue with the main plumbing for our condo complex, but Joe was able adapt to these situations just fine. We would definitely recommend Marcello's and would use them again in the future.

We were quite happy with our experience. Marcello's Renovations is a very customer oriented organization. They say they want you to be happy with the project and they mean it. Marcello offered helpful advice when we had questions. He acquired and presented sample colors of the Azek materials. The work crew asked or confirmed with us whenever there was a question or issue they thought would matter to us. For example, the width of the stairs for porch 2 (which were shortened). They did fine work on the installation. They kept the work area very clean. Overall, they improved the look and safety of our entrance ways and fully met our expectations.

Made an appointment to do a walk through. Guy came, looked at the basement. Said he'd get back to me with an estimate in a week. Never got back to me.

I was happy with the quote process, but I another company so much and probably would go with them.