1st Choice Home Improvements

Made two appointments. Wasn't able to meet for either appointment. One no call no show,...therefore not able to hire. Too unreliable for me.

We initially spoke with Rich Russell in April. There was no rush and we requested a new roof, all new siding, new windows and new exterior doors. After a short while Rich Russell gave me a 5 page estimate that broke down all the work being done. Rich (and Paul Nee) made 3 trips to our home with explanations on what will be done and what unknown factors may be exposed during the renovation. They were right on the mark with a few replacement plywood panels and minor additional repairs. Included in the estimate was a new chimney which is now up to code. As the work progressed Paul Nee & Mike (crew) made suggestions and I made requests which included a new outside light, an awning and all new blown-in insulation. The new windows included new framing and sills. The men cleaned up after themselves and vacuumed daily. At the end of each day the exterior was completely raked and cleaned up.Rich was not able to get the storm doors as noted on his estimate, so he upgraded to a heavier, more solid door at no cost. My house was never a mess and I kept my dog out of the way for the most part; but after the first day, Rich and his crew were like part of the extended family and she accepted a pat on the head and went back to sleep. The crew did most of the moving of furniture and covered everything in each room they worked in. I was able to communicate via email (or cell phone if urgent) and received timely responses to my questions from either Rich or Paul. With all my additional requests and upgrades (insulation being one) the end total was slightly over the original estimate; and well worth it. We now have a new home that will be sooo energy efficient. The only negative factor was the noise on some days. Actually I expected more discomfort with this type of renovation. I was home during most of the work and still able to bake and cook during the day. Now that the work is almost done (waiting on insulation), I'm bringing Rich back to do some more maintenance projects; such as replacing the old bulkhead and replacing stairs. I already know the job will be done professionally and I won't be taken advantage of. This was my first time using Angie's List and I'm so glad I used their research.

Estimate received one day after posting a not-so-good review. Don't know if the two are related, but at least we've heard from the company.

From the day Paul Nee first visited us to discuss our project everything went great. From ironing out the quote details right through completion of the work. Everything was done in a timely manner and right on quote. They also do a great job of cleaning up after themselves at the end of each day, which was very important to us as we did not vacate the house for the work to be done (until the floor refinishing was taking place). Paul was also very receptive to add on work as we went along. For example, the bathroom painting, kitchen faucet and downstairs shower work were not in the original quote. He did them upon request at very reasonable prices. Paul and Jason (a real keeper .. great worker!) did a lot of the work but they do subcontract out a number of things (plaster work, plumbing, tile). All of the subs were respectful and cleaned up after themselves. The one and only time someone didn't clean up (the plaster guys), Paul was already there cleaning up after them when I got home from work. So you know he keeps an eye on his subs. They did such a great job it's almost like having a new house. Many thanks to Paul and crew! I know who I'll be hiring for any future home remodeling work. 1st Choice.

Paul was great; he came out to my house, took measurements and talked about our options for the pool room. He was always responsive to my phone calls (and there were many). No matter how many times I called him to change something, he was professinal, pleasant and made the changes quickly. Fortunate for him, but unfortunate for me, he was very busy and couldn't start the job for about six weeks so I had to go with another contractor.

The project was my first attempt at a 203K as well as my first home purchase. It started in Feb. 2011 and ran through June 2011. Rich and Paul were very knowledgeable, understood the process thoroughly, and were extremely patient and helpful throughout the renovation. The project began within the timeframe that we had discussed and Paul was extremely prompt, courteous, and communicative the entire way through. 1st Choice does use sub-contractors for electrical, plumbing, roofing, floor refinishing, and plastering, but the demo, framing, wallboarding, window installation, cabinet installation, etc. was handled by Paul and his crew and they did a great job. The electrical contractor was very professional, efficient, and prompt and we were very satisfied with the work. The plumbing contractor, Owen, also did a great job and was very personable and competent. We had a small problem with one of the bathroom fixtures that he installed but he promptly addressed the issue and we were very much satisfied. The roofers also did amazing, thorough, and quick work. There had been some water damage to the sheathing, and the roofers identified the damage, replaced any rotted sheathing, and shingled the roof with a quality product. 1st Choice used two different plasterers during the project, and one did excellent work but the other did sub-standard work. This was brought to Paul's attention and he agreed that the work was not performed to standard and quickly brought in a different plasterer to correct the original work. In the end, we were very satisfied with the finished product and with Paul's response to the situation. Paul and his crew quickly, efficiently, and competently replaced all 20 of the windows on the first and second floors with quality vinyl replacement units that we are very pleased with. One of the windows had been damaged in transit and one other window did not come in with the rest, but Paul notified us of this and he was able to get the windows in a timely fashion. Again, very much satisfied with the quality of the work and the quality of the products chosen by 1st Choice. The floor refinishers that 1st Choice brought in were also very efficient and the finished product looked amazing. We chose a medium gloss finish in hopes that the family dog would not scratch it up as easily as a high gloss finish, but it is starting to show some wear after about 6 months. We don't necessarily blame the floor refinishers for this; it's more likely the result of a very active and playful 75 lb. dog. The gutter and fascia board installation went very well and it looked and worked perfectly when finished. All of the crews were very good about cleaning up at the end of the day, communicating any issues to us, and doing their best to control dust and debris while working on the house. All were professional and respectful. During the estimate process prior to securing the 203K, Rich was very helpful with advising on what work should be done to our new home. I never felt pressured by him, nor did I ever feel that he was trying to write up a proposal for anything more than what we needed or wanted done. His knowledge was excellent and he has quite a bit of experience with 203K projects. Throughout the renovation, we added some work and made some minor changes where necessary. Some of the additions were items that we had either not foreseen or that we had failed to ensure were included in the original proposal. The additions were primarily out of pocket expenses for us but they were changes that we wanted and we were happy to pay extra for them. Rich worked with us on this and was accommodating and pleasant. Overall, the 203K renovation process was much easier than I expected it to be, and I give a lot of the credit for that to 1st Choice Home Improvement. The project came in right on budget and Rich and Paul were a pleasure to work with. I would gladly hire 1st Choice again in the future and would absolutely recommend them to family and friends.

The job was started one week later than planned due to the contractor's commitments on a previous job. The demo went well, although it took a bit longer than expected. I was surprised when early on, framing was done for the new shower before the floor had been leveled. It had to be removed the next day and re-done. After that, things went smoothly until close to the end. The tile guy was competent but complained about the difficulty of working with the granite tile and also raised his price because I wanted it laid on the diagonal. (that was not passed on to me) When he was finished, he left a lot of grout on the shower tiles and told me I could clean it off with vinegar. Paul immediately told him to come back and do it; and in doing it, he left a large stain on the new marble shower stoop and on one of the new vanity tops. Paul then had to call in a company to repair the new marble. (Again, the cost was not passed on to me.) That caused some delay in the project and a lot of stress to me! I felt that Paul was always responsive and wanting the job to be perfect and I appreciated that. If I were to do it again, I would choose a time when I could be home to check up on the work and to ensure that everyone knew what the final design was to be. The marble fabricator did not know what I had planned to do over the marble back-splash and rounded the edges of the side pieces making my design unworkable. He had come to measure when only the plumber was on site.

I had talked to Rich about this project last year, and had been thinking about it for 7 years. I wasn't even sure it could be done. I wanted a full bathroom downstairs so that I could have a guest suite in the basement. Since I had removed the tub from the upstairs bathroom (put in a shower stall), I felt I should put one in again. Rich and Paul figured out how to locate everything without disturbing the heating ducts. They found a wonderful air-jet tub, while I found a great Ikea sink, and some nice tile. Everything went very well. When I had a question about location of something, they responded immediately, and we met and talked about it. I think I am spoiled now. Rich and Paul make it a first priority to be responsive, professional, courteous. They are very skilled at scheduling subcontractors, with very little down time. The only delay we experienced was waiting for bullnose tile. The resulting bathroom is just beautiful, I can't wait to use the air-jet tub now that cold weather is here!

They were on time. They kept me updated throughout the project about what's happening and what not.

The quote was very professional and detailed. We found Rich, Paul and their crew to be very professional and courteous. The price was reasonable and their work was excellent. We have Harvey windows throughout except for a huge Palladian (1/2 round plus base) window that Rich mentioned would be better replaced with a stronger fiberglass Pella window. I appreciate the detail that they put into this and all the work. There was quite a bit of custom trim work needed for our windows, and they were still able to complete everything in less than two weeks. Actually, they would have been finished in only six days except that they had to wait for a custom trim part for the half-round window to be delivered. The 1st Choice crew always arrived right on time and finished on time or early every day. They cleaned up several times a day during the job, so was little cleanup required from us! I recommend their services for any project and I plan to use them for further work in the future.

Quality of work, professionalism, and desire to do it right is simply outstanding. Some customers have not followed through with 1st Choice's quotes or estimates due to pricing. Trust me! They are worth every penny and then some! You will not be disappointed. More than a few times, the workers AND the company had gone above and beyond what was quoted in the contract in order to accomplish the best effects. All with my involvement of course. I was always informed of choices, given full and comprehensible details as to what my options are at all times. I am planning future projects and will definitely use 1st Choice as my only contractor. I've had numerous sub par to adequate at best jobs in the past from other contractors. None of them can come close to the satisfaction my wife and I have had with 1st Choice.

My daycare suffered significant damage due to ice dams that developed from all the snow storms . I needed to have all the walls completely replaced. This was a very daunting task for me. I used Angie's List and found 1st Choice Home Improvement Associates. They did an amazing jog!!! I couldn't have been happier with their work. Rich Russell was very prompt and thorough when he came for an appraisal. I felt that the price was a fair rate for the amount of work that needed to be done. Rich was great about answering any questions I had. He would always get back to me right away. Paul, who was in charge of the construction was great to work with! He was very professional, and made sure that every detail was completed. I was very happy with the end result!! You could not even tell that there had been any repairs! They really went above and beyond to make sure I was satisfied. I plan on using them again in the future, and would not hesitate to recommend them!

Great experience even though we didn't end up using them. I would have loved to go with 1st Choice but the estimate was too high compared to a couple other estimates. That's the main reason we didn't select them. Paul was EXTREMELY professional and courteous, calling as soon as he knew he'd be late (due to bad weather, not anything he could control). When he arrived, he was very patient with us. He came out on a Friday around 5pm and we didn't feel rushed with him at all. He even let our 3 year old son help him collect his measurements. My son loved it! I have no doubt that 1st Choice would have done an outstanding job, and I will not hesitate to call them for another estimate again.

Like many homeowners in the area, we had problems with ice dams that soaked a 30+ foot back wall and ceiling in the house. Paul from First Choice immediately responded to our phone call, came out to provide an estimate within a day, and immediately won us over with his professionalism and sincerity. By the following week, Paul was at the house, replaced all wall board and the ceiling four feet up from the wall. They were in and out within 2 days. Everything was done with the highest quality and attention to detail. In fact, when unhappy with the quality of work from his plasterer (and it was not that bad), he made them come back out. It was a pleasure working with Paul. He did exceptional work, but most importantly he is a genuinely good person who was so great to my family. Thanks Paul!

Rich and Paul are true professionals and know their stuff. I chose them because of their Angie's list reviews so I didn't get other estimates, but I gave them an A on price because I feel that they deserve whatever they ask. I really can't say enough about the work they do. They don't just do what's listed on their estimates if the job requires it. For example, when the electrician moved the chandelier, he saw that there was knob and tube wiring, which is considered a hazard now. He updated the wiring and there was no extra charge for that. Also, when installing the door, the old door wasn't level, so they repaired the frame for a perfect fit. The quality of their work is outstanding and I will use them for all of our remodeling needs. and they're just plain nice guys.

Working with 1st Choice was a fabulous experience for us. We were about to move into a new house and wanted to get an estimate and work done quickly. They were able to do this for us, at the best price and in the best way! I was able to easily communicate with Rich via email (which is important with 2 small children at home) and get all my questions answered quickly. Paul was on the job the minute they said someone would be at our house. They even came across an unexpected surprise - a mice nest! - when replacing our door and Paul immediately called me and was already doing what needed to be done to get rid of it and fix the damage that was done. Our Harvey windows are great so is our new door. We will definitely call on 1st Choice again and highly recommend them.

From the beginning, Rich and Paul were prompt, courteous, and up front about all aspects of the job. Rich sent email updates frequently, informing me of progress and asking questions about details. He kept me on schedule selecting the fixtures and tile. He has a great group of subcontractors. The only problem we had was with the tile supplier (my choice), who failed to order enough wall tile, so Rich and Paul had to reschedule everyone several times. I was pretty upset, but both Rich and Paul kept their cool, and calmed me down! They were prompt and courteous when I had concerns about details, never refusing to try to correct or change them. I am extremely happy with the bathroom, and would certainly retain their services again.

In searching for a professional, I was referred by the Better Business Bureau, 1st Choice Home Improvement Associates. They were responsive to my questions and worked with my schedule to get the work done quickly. The cost was very reasonable and the work was top notch. I will be referring this company to my friends and family. In addition, I have Paul's cell phone stored for all future jobs as my top choice. He was friendly and easy to work with on this job.

I had actually hired Rich and his crew to renovate my bathroom. During our discussions, he told me that 1st Choice is an authorized Harvey Window installer. So we switched gears temporarily: he measured all the windows, ordered them, and installed them within 2 weeks. The installation took just 1 day. The windows are beautiful, and the crew's clean-up was perfect. I would not have known they had been there but for the new windows. A very good experience all around. I am looking forward to the bathroom renovation!

I found Paul Nee to be very professional and curteous. Their price was reasonable and their work was excellent. They found additional wood root that they relayed to me so it could be replaced. Paul had given me alot of advice regarding work to be done. I recommend their services for any project and I plan to use them for further work in the future.

Things went well. He explained things well. There was a delay in getting the sliding door installed, but he explained it to me. Everything was done to my satisfaction. They have competitive prices. They keep you well informed while coordinating the project.

This company is very punctual, responsive, and professional, but they provided me an estimate of $25,000 to finish a small basement while other contractors provided me with estimates around the $10,000 range for the same job. I am not sure why this company's estimate was so much higher, but, needless to say, I went with one of the other contractors. Always get more than one estimate!

Great: He promptly made an appointment to visit the house and responded with a proposal within a week. He also said that the door could be fixed for cheap by bringing it to a glass place and having the pane replaced but we wanted to get a new door that was more efficient and locked properly. Once we accepted the proposal, he promptly emailed back asking for 50% deposit to order the door. The ordering the door took about a week and a half but as soon as he knew it would be delivered, he emailed to set up a day to install it. He arrived in the morning before I left for work and it was done when I got home around 4:00 PM. The workmanship was great and the interior trim was back in place without any damage. He also fixed the exterior trim and adjacent siding as we had discussed. I sent him the check the following day for the remaining 50%

Paul and Rich and the guys at 1st Choice were incredible. They took no shortcuts, finished ontime or early, and were always a dream to work with. The project was in depth and complicated and and they handled everything with grace and professionalism. The loan we used required lots and lots of paperwork from them and Rich always was on the ball. They are THE BEST. You really are in good hands with them. We've reccommended them to everyone we know.

They were good overall. I will use them in the future.