SILMAC Construction Inc.

Joe was responsive from the first email and visit. He was easy to schedule and the team finished in under a week. The team was helpful and polite and cleaned up the work site everyday to minimize the challenges of living during construction. The final product looks fantastic and they're even stopping by next week to put in trim that has to be installed after the wardrobe has been set up. I'd definitely recommend SILMAC for your project.

I contacted Joe by email with a description of the work I needed done. He came to my house to provide an estimate, and I was in touch with him by phone and email to further discuss the work. He was knowledgeable about the work required and the town codes. He was also friendly and easy to talk to about the work providing suggestions while still listening to my ideas. He provided a detailed quote, and always responded to questions. His quote was competitive but slightly more than another contractor, therefore I did not offer him this work. However Joe was very professional and I would have felt comfortable hiring him.

Good follow up. Although we didn't go a head right away we expect to in about 30 days. Would recommend this contractor.

I will update this as our process continues and share all the details. The good, the bad, and the ugly!

I really have to say that SILMAC, together with partner vendors and subcontractors, did a wonderful job for us in this very complicated and tricky project. Since the first day we talked to Joe, SILMAC's team was very engaged in the project and did everything they could to understand our needs, provided ideas and solutions, walked us through the design and permitting process, and coordinated materials and vendors. SILMAC recommended us the architect, consulted quotes from different lumber vendors, and coordinated the fabrication of cast iron support and steel railings. In SILMAC, you don't just get a good contractor, you truly get a network of professionals that assist you in every facet of the project, from a napkin sketch to city inspections. During construction, SILMAC's team was very careful and considered of our needs, recognizing that my family was living in the unit while the work was ongoing, trying to minimize the impact in our daily routines. Joe coordinated all the equipment and special tools that were required to get the job done, given that the space was very tight and we were dealing with an existing building structure. They truly go above and beyond in carefully protecting areas, furniture and appliances that could be damage or impacted by the construction work, as well as are very sensitive to the condo association rules and noise/interruption with neighbors. In addition, Joe has a very good relationship with city inspectors, so he knows before hand what needs to be done to get the approvals in a single visit and avoid delays. The end result was a exactly what my wife and I had in mind at the beginning of the job, with a very high standard of quality and special attention to materials and finishes, within budget and schedule. I have to say that I never write reviews, but this time I felt compelled to put out a good word for a Joe DaSilva and his team, who did did an excellent job to get this project done. It is really hard to find a good, honest and responsible contractor, but I think we found more than that in SILMAC. I would not hesitate to call Joe again or recommend him to friends.

Joe was very always very prompt, on time and responsive right from the start. For our first meeting he showed up on time and made very thorough notes of the numerous small details I wanted. He sent me a very detailed proposal with broken-down estimate in the next 2 days as promised and every single thing I mentioned was in there. He priced each task and item separately in a way I could understand. He worked with us on the budget, and made sure he accommodated all our needs both in terms of the work, time and the price. He was patient with all the back and forth during this time. He brought in skilled workmen that knew what they were doing, did the job well and finished the work very fast without any kind of inconvenience to the family. Most important of all they finished their work on time, especially in a busy time like summer they worked long hours. Joe was very helpful in talking to us about the various projects as they were happening, advising us on what kind of fixtures and tiles would work the best, giving us all the information we needed to feel safe about the job. There were a couple of things that we did not talk about during the initial proposal. Eg: An additional wall needed painting, a shelf was needed in the laundry room, the baseboards in the basement needed to be changed, installing new lighting fixtures, etc. Joe took it upon himself to finish all this to make the work more useful to us. We had a misunderstanding in the job regarding the walkway. It was not what I thought we had agreed, but in this case Joe took full responsibility and redid the entire work at no extra cost to us and it has turned out exactly the way I wanted. All said and done, the best part of working with Joe for me was how I could always reach him. Throughout the duration of the job, he was very professional, flexible, answered all my questions, responded to all my calls and emails within an hour or two, always within reach. He also visited the house very regularly in order to make sure things were progressing in the right fashion. If there was to be delay or change of any kind, Joe always notified us and talked to us about it ahead of time. With Joe, you can be assured of leaving your house in good hands and have the peace of mind. He will treat your house like his and work with you like family. I am very happy I found Joe, I have recommended him to all my friends and will definitely go to him for every future job.

It was good. They had the best price and did exactly what they said they would. I would recommend them.

We hired Joe DaSilva early October, 2013 to renovate a bathroom and turn it into "a little jewel". Joe worked with us to fulfill our hopes. The tile design we wanted was somewhat complicated, requiring patience and creativity. Joe hired the perfect tile craftsman for the job. We especially appreciated the care Joe took to consult with us through the different stages of our project. Joe was always approachable when we had questions, and he was easy to reach. Our business dealings with Joe were friendly. As well, Joe's men were very nice; we were never bothered when they were working in our house. We now have we had hoped for, a "little jewel."

Joe DaSilva was great. On short notice he came out and walked through the property with us while our home inspection was happening. He gave us some great ideas on things we could do to the house, but never tried to upsell us. In fact on multiple occasions we would propose an idea to get his thoughts and he would talk to us about a more cost effective way to accomplish the work so we didn't go over budget. He easily could have talked us into a pricier renovation but he had our best interest in mind and tried to help us keep costs down as he knew this was an investment property for us. Unfortunately during the home inspection the inspector found significant termite damage that had previously been unknown. After finishing the home inspection we asked the seller to take some money off of the purchase price to make up for the previously unknown and extensive termite damage, but they refused. We ended up backing out of the house based on both the recommendation of our home inspector and Joe. He could have easily low-balled the number to fix the damage to get us to buy the house and then we would have been stuck wtih a bad investment. Instead he gave us a very honesty assessment of what we were up against, recommended what we should ask the seller to take off of the purchase price, and was super understanding when things ended up falling through. We ended up finding a much better property a few weeks later and are planning to have Joe do the work for us there. I will post another review once that job is completed.

We had water damage from a window upstairs. Joe was timely and efficient. He worked around the schedules of the movers and our crazy lives. The design decisions that Joe suggested were in line with the themes and the style of our home. We are very happy with the quality of the work and very happy with the responsiveness.

Joe DaSilva and his team were awesome. Joe came to inspect and gave us detailed recommendations and quote, then when we got back in touch with him he was responsive and punctual. He was also true to his word about timing and scheduling. He and his team had to reinforce our foundation and install some emergency lights to satisfy a time-sensitive inspection, then his team replaced some lost shingles on our roof, caulked and sealed various windows and areas on our decks and roof, and installed a storm door at one roof-deck entrance to help us get to the bottom of leaks that have been going on for years. His diligence has been really appreciated and our house (6 units) is better sealed now than it's ever been. No one ever gave us the recommendations that Joe did. We've been throwing away money on contractors for years - I think we've finally found our man.

My experience with Joe DaSilva and SILMAC Remodeling was extraordinary. My friend and I purchased our first investment property. The home was in very bad shape and being the novices that we were we thought we could act as our own general contractor and we would sub-contract out each job. One of the biggest parts of the job that we needed done was the complete remodel of a full bath. The bath needed to be gutted to the studs and then rebuilt with the tub, sink, shower, and vanity being completely rearranged. While we were in the process of closing on the home my friend and I began interviewing different contractors to look at the bathroom. The first thing I did was go onto Angies List and start calling the highest rated contractors. One by one we met with different contractors and while most were nice, they all felt more like salesmen than construction people. We met with and got bids from more than a half a dozen contractors for the bathroom alone. We also began the process of meeting with flooring contractors, electricians, drywallers, plasterers, and structural contractors to replace posts in the basement. I cannot tell you how many hours I spent sitting in an empty house waiting for contractors to show up only to have them call and be late, or not show at all with no call. And when people did show up they walked around super-fast and brushed off my questions like I was bothering them. I get that the top rated people on Angie?s list are probably very busy, but I just could never imagine running a successful business like that. Throughout the course of talking to these contractors we met Joe DaSilva. What a breath of fresh air. He came out to the house on time, spent a lot of time walking through and looking at the bathroom. He presented us with a number of different options to us and allowed us to make the choices based on the budget we had. He explained what the process would be with pulling permits from the city. After our initial visit with Joe we felt so comfortable with him that we ended up calling him to see if he would be willing to take on some of the other jobs that we had to get done. Even though Joe had just met with us the day before, he agreed to come back the next night and again showed up on time. He didn?t rush us and we walked through each update we wanted for the house. He asked us to give him a day or so to get us his bid for all of the work. He separated out each portion of it and put a price on each so we could pick and choose what we wanted him to do. In the end we hired Joe to completely remodel our full bath, do some minor remodeling to a second ½ bath, blue board and plaster 90% of the walls in the home, fix the structure of the floors so they didn?t sag, lay new hardwood floors, and replace structural posts in the basement. This being our first project we were super stressed about timelines and budgets. Even though Joe was extremely busy he agreed to take on our job with the understanding that because we weren?t living in the house they would most likely work on off hours to squeeze us into their already hectic schedule. From day 1 Joe and the guys were amazing. I would get a text message each morning telling me what they were planning to do, and each night letting me know what they got done. I?d also get periodic pictures texted to me throughout the day and if there were ever any questions Joe would text or email me immediately so I could let him know how to proceed. I know it sounds like a small thing but to find a contractor who will communicate by text was HUGE! I have a full time job and can?t be stepping away to take calls all the time. But I can quickly read and respond to a text during my work day and it made the project go that much smoother. His crew was amazing as well. They worked long hours 7 days a week. They were always kind to us when we came by and if Joe wasn?t there they would stop what they were doing and show us around to see what they had done. It was great because they were excited to show us the work they had done. These weren?t just your average worker collecting a check at the end of the day. They were all proud of the work that they did. At one point we were coming up on a deadline and one of the guys worked until 9PM Saturday night, only to go sit in line all night so he could buy his son a new iPhone for his birthday the following day. To say they were dedicated would be an understatement. We are thrilled with the results. And here is the best endorsement I could ever give. When the work was finished we put the house on the market and we got an offer within the first 7 days! I attribute this almost entirely to the work that Joe and his crew did for us. I?m so excited to have found a contractor like Joe. With this house ending up a success I know that there will be more in the future, and I know that Joe will be right by our side helping us along the way.

Joe Dasilva is the best contractor I have ever hired. I hired Silmac in 2005 to do a complete remodel of my bathroom in my previous home and they did an excellent job so I did not hesitate to contact Joe when it was time to remodel the bathroom in my new home. The main bathroom in my house was very outdated (circa 1940's, blue tiled everything) and had a weird layout that made the bathroom feel very cramped although it was an 8.5 ft X 7ft room. I had already decided that the entire room needed to be taken down to the studs and rebuilt, especially since the house is a Victorian built in 1900, and build the new bathroom to code. Since we had no idea what surprises we would find once we demolished the old bathroom, Joe gave me a quote for the work to demolish and rebuild the bathroom assuming no additional work would be needed to correct any structural or other problems. Note#1: The quote for the bathroom does not include the cost of all the finish materials i.e. tile, flooring, fixtures and paint. So the total cost for my new bathroom was about $20,000 with materials. Joe is very responsive to phone calls and emails. Joe came out for an initial meeting to discuss the project within a few days of receiving my initial phone call requesting an estimate. I received the estimate within a few days after our meeting. I paid the deposit as per the contract and the work began about a week later (which was early April 2013). Unfortunately after the demolition and initial plumbing and electrical, the project was stalled for about 3 weeks due to the lack of availability of the city inspectors. The initial timeline for completion was 6 weeks but due to the inspection delays, the project actually took about 10 weeks to finish. Joe's crew and subcontractors are professional and friendly. If anything was not to my satisfaction, they would correct it. They are also open to suggestions on the details regarding my design and layout which is that often the case when working with contractors. Most importantly I did not have to hesitate regarding giving them full access to my house while I was at work. They kept the work area tidy throughout the project and made sure the house was secured every day, which was not easy when the room under construction is smack in the middle of house and my family and I still needed to live in the house during the construction--- they even made sure my dog was not in harms way. No te#2: I was the interior designer on this project so I made every design decision with input from the contractors. I make all the design decisions by choice because I know exactly how I want the room to look and feel. If you are not picky about where and how things are installed, Joe is very capable of handling these project details for you. My new bathroom is beautiful! I would not hesitate in hiring Silmac again for any remodeling projects.

Joe came out to look at the project and was honest enough to explain how it was not something he and his team specialized in. While he was kind enough to explain how it could be repaired, I credit Joe for being honest upfront with project he doesn't feel he has the right skill set for. I would recommend him based off my experience and would call him back if another project arrises.

He’s a general contractor and he helps provides these kinds of services. He was very responsive and timely. He was just overall helpful. I’m going to use him again in the future.

I scheduled an estimate with Joe a week in advance, and without any reminding he showed up exactly on time. Joe was very thorough reviewing my needs. He is extremely knowledgeable, a clear communicator, and was more than willing to patiently explain things and devise solutions that met my budget. In the end, I was unable to hire Joe. I needed work on my project to start in the next few weeks, and like any decent contractor whose services are in demand, he was not able to start that quickly. Joe was very upfront about this fact. I really appreciate this, as I have dealt with many contractors in the past who want the contract, guarantee a short lead time, but don't live up to their word. I plan to contact Joe for my next project, which hopefully will not have such a time crunch.

Joe DaSilva was very prompt and professional. He made it clear he wanted to satisfy my needs and that they would do a good job. The work was done efficiently and I was very pleased with the results. My only complaint was that the wall plugs were not reset properly, but it was an easy fix. The results look great. Bottom line - I will use them again and highly recommend them.

Silmac is very cost conscious and responsive. We consider them our most reliable general contracting contact.

Overall, we were very happy with the work and the results and would recommend Joe. Joe responded quickly to our call and discussed the various options. He was very knowledgeable and made a number of good recommendations, and the pricing was reasonable, so we decided to hire him. Once engaged, they built the entire pool house and shed from scratch. All of the people that worked on the project were very professional, friendly, and good to deal with. One of the things we were impressed by was their flexibility. As the pool house and shed were being built there were things in our design that we realized we wanted to change and they were able to make changes to accommodate us. For example, we were originally going to use off the shelf doors for the shed, but for a number of reasons we later realized they wouldn?t work well, so they ended up building the doors themselves. Similarly, we were originally going to use store-bought columns for the front of the pool house, but later decided they wouldn?t really work, so they built columns from scratch. They checked with us a number of times during the building process to make sure we were happy with the way things were turning out. The project was more than 90% completed in the Fall, but once the bad weather came we mutually agreed that it made sense to wait until the spring to finish it off. They returned in late April and finished off the project. This actually gave us a chance to see how everything held up over the winter (no problems). We are very pleased with the final results. The construction was done very well and both the pool house and shed look great. Joe was very focused on ensuring we were happy with the end result. We would recommend them.

For me personally, I've used Joe as a handyman for my apartment. I tend to get things stuck in my garbage disposal and Joe is always Johnny on the spot. His responsiveness is absolutely fantastic even though it's such a small problem. When I first moved into my apartment (Sept '11), there was an issue with the heat in the building and Joe actually called me back on Christmas day to talk with me about it. Pretty impressive. The unit that I moved into was actually redone before I moved in by Joe. I have these beautiful new granite counter top in the kitchen and that was one of the biggest selling points to me for the apartment. The kitchen was redone in Sept 2010, the bathroom was redone in 2008 and the hardwood floor was refinished in June 2011. The apartment looks brand new even though it's an older building.

,Joe and his workers are very responsive, punctual and clean. He will definitely work with you for budget, schedule and ideas.

Joe did an incredible job. It was a pleasure working with him and I give him the highest possible recommendation without reservation. Joe was professional, the work was done in a timely manner, the clean-up was excellent and he was always reachable & responsive to both phone & email. When we first discussed what needed to be done at my house, he understood exactly what needed to be done and he came up with a plan and design that was better than anything that I was able to imagine. I would not hesitate to use Joe again.

Joe and his contractors are superlative contractors. Joe masterfully orchestrated his various subcontractors (his electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and plastering partners were particularly skilled and efficient), solved a number of tricky structural and design problems, and offered useful advice throughout the process with only minimal changes to the original quote. Electrical code required an extensive wiring upgrade in two adjoining rooms, but this was inevitable due to the age of the existing wiring (the cost of this additional work is not reflectred in the cost above). This work only added two days to the project and we were charged well below typical rates for it. His team was courteous, attentive to our neighbor's comfort (e.g. starting and ending all work between 9 and 5), worked will with building management, came in on weekends when our schedule required it, and consistently left our place clean and orderly. Depite the extent of the job, we hardly notice their presence most days. Joe and his colleague Marcus personally attended to the most delicate components of the job, especially the finish work. They gave us a new bathroom we can be proud of. Notably we had a problem caused by the marbel tile supplier that involved a significant amount of shipping damage, and rather than having to re-order the tile or settle for another style, Joe managed to salvage the materials, working remarkably around the damage to create a beautiful and flawless floor. Joe really understood our design choices, and his advice was spot-on. He communicated clearly and regularly with us from beginning to end, giving us real options when decisions needed to be made, and helped us avoid bad choices that we would have regretted. We had some timing challenges between the initial quote and the start of work, hence the small ding on punctuality, but these were the result of unforeseen scheduling conflicts at Joe's end that could not have been avoided, but once work started the entire process moved consistenly and efficiently from beginning to end. We give Joe and Marcus our highest marks. Thank you!i

I was not a believer when Joe said everything should be built in two days. But they did it. Only Joe and a helper. Started with the frame, drywall, panels installation inside of the office, ceiling and a storage room on the top of the office. Unbelievable how fast they did it. And very well done, worried about details.

Excellent - I was very pleased with the work. (see above).