Straka Contracting LLC

It is sturdy and looks great.

Great job.

Fantastic! Very helpful!

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He came when scheduled to do the estimate and emailed a proposal in a couple of days. It took a long time to schedule and then he postponed a couple of times before work was completed. From estimate to completion took 4 weeks. Karel did good work, used high quality materials, had a competent assistant, and cleaned up debris. The railing looks great! If he had completed the job more quickly, I'd give him an A rating.

Karel Straka showed up within the expected window of time to meet with us and go over the project details, and provided a detailed estimate to us very fast (within 24 hours or less). We asked him if he would want to take notes with all the details and he said that he could remember it all in his head (wow!!!) Surprisingly, not only did the estimate include more details (regarding the materials etc) than some of the other contractors, but there were even a couple of things included that we didn't ask for (such as replacing some kitchen ceramic tile that was just installed a couple of years ago and were pretty happy with). In the end, the estimate for the parts of the job we wanted was significantly higher than some of the other bidders even though it didn't include all the services we wanted. It may be that his work is good enough to merit a higher price, but it appeared that using Straka Contracting we would probably not be able to come in at the budget we wanted, so we decided to go with someone else. All in all he was very professional throughout, and had some innovative ideas that I hadn't heard from the other contractors we spoke with. He seemed to be a bit of a perfectionist and I can tell that he takes a lot of pride in the quality of his work. Also, it was a plus that he seemed to know a lot about the local building codes in Columbia, where the house is located.

My experience with them was excellent! They were wonderful people. They knew what they were doing. They were polite, and they were on time. They took very conscious care. The quality of their work was what I am looking for. In addition, their pricing was fair. I would absolutely use them again in the future. I guess I am going to recommend them to our neighbors. These guys are good!

Came one day to review the work that needed to be done. Scheduled day for work. Came on time, did the work.

The contractor was polite, professional and competent. The final outcome was good and I would use this company again.

On a 20-year old townhouse, the existing second-level rear deck had settled and was quite unlevel. Some of the siding had water damage and was deteriorating. The project went smoothly. Straka was very good to work with. I had very specific design drawings, and Karl was open to working with me on details such as a custom bench. The new upper and lower decks Straka built are solid and still look good almost five years later. They also did a partial siding replacement and full paint job on the three-story townhouse. I thought they did a great job with thorough prep and caulking prior to painting. I appreciated the attention to detail throughout the whole project.

Karel returned my call the same day I left a message. He came over the next day which was a Saturday to look at the scope of the work. He came the day he promised to start the work but 2 hours later than promised saying he got hung up on another job. He had to come back to finish the painting. We set up a day and time. He came that day but 5 hours later than promised. This didn't matter too much to me because all of the work was outside. However, if you have to take off work to have him do inside work for you I would be adamite about being there on time. He takes great pride in his work and even added some finishing touches that we didn't ask for. Also, his coupon says, so much for a contactor for a day. I f the scope of your work requires 2 contractors (as did ours) that will be 2 times however much the coupon says. Overall, we are very pleased with the quality of his work. Everything looks brand new.

Overall, everything went extremely well. There were hiccups here and there but Karel quickly overcame the difficulties. Several times, Karel went with me to select products and transported them in his truck for me. Karel's thoroughness and good planning ceertainly paid off. Some of the projects took a little longer than he originally anticipated mostly due to unexpected surprises that could not have been known until encountered. Karel did not rush the job just to finish it. Instead, he maintained a high quality of skilled craftsmanship and care. There were summer days that he and his crew worked ten hours as well as the weekend. Karel always inspected the work as it progressed and would keep me apprised of the results. Though most of the big things have been done in the house, I will continue to employ Karel for the smaller jobs and the on-going maintenance. Most of all, I truly appreciate Karel's integrity and skills and abilities. His pricing is very fair and he is worth every penny and then some. I have trusted him for years to do the job correctly and to keep the house safe when we went away for a week while the siding was being put up. I am available to anyone who wishes to communicate with me directly regarding Straka Contacting LLC.

I moved into a new place a few years back that was only 3 miles form the townhouse I had been living in. I saw Karel - the owner and operator of Straka Contracting - working on another townhouse in the community and we struck up a conversation as I was in need of someone to spruce up current my townhome so that I could place it on the market. Karel was able to make time to finish a significant amount of work in a timely manner so that I could put the residence on the market. Initially since I was still living in the home he started on the outside siding, shutters, window frames and doors. The siding was completely replaced, while the shutters, doors and window frames were repaired and repainted. The windows and frames in this particular house were actually constructed from wood in keeping with the stringent requirements of Ellicott City's historic preservation committee, so there was a lot of detailed painting and maintenance required for the windows and frames. All the exterior work was completed in well under two weeks, just about how he had predicted. Although the deck was in reasonable shape structurally, it had spent a significant amount of time in the shade and was consequently in need of a refinish. Karel power washed the entire structure, coated the decking surface with a waterproofer and painted the railings. Like the windows, the railings were all wood with a somewhat detailed pattern in them which required a patient and fastidious effort to properly clean and repaint. Once I vacated the residence he began a thorough refinishing of the entire interior. There were myriad different colors in the different rooms as well as as a need for significant drywall repairs because the house had settled quite a bit since the original build and there was water damage on the middle floor from an upstairs plumbing leak. Straka contracting performed all the drywall repair necessary and then a complete repaint from top to bottom including closet interiors using a uniform neutral color. The house still had original builder's grade vinyl floors in the kitchen, foyer and powder rooms. Karel was able to wrangle an excellent deal on a laminate wood-look product which he used to redo these areas, which ended up being a vast improvement over the vinyl. I was also interested in replacing all the carpet and Karel was able to give me an excellent reference which I used for this task. I'd like to mention that Karel's company is a small enterprise with a few reliable employees and he is directly involved in performing and overseeing each and every task he undertakes. I appreciated this one-on-one interaction on a daily basis which ensured things were completed expediently. Any specific concerns or questions I had were promptly addressed and he was never hard to contact. He always answered his phone when I called him or immediately returned any voicemails. I have recommended Straka Contracting to many friends, family and acquaintances in recent years and have never regretted it. Karel seems to have a genuine interest in providing a positive experience. I know it seems trite, but he really does show an interest in doing things in the proper manner and considering whatever options and concerns may come up.

We contacted Karel and he was very responsive and came out with an estimate which we agreed on. He set up date to work and delivered as promised.

Karel is very professional, capable and knowledgable. He gave us a very competitive quote and was willing to help us with whatever was needed on our house. I would highly recommend him.

Overall experience was excellent. Very responsive and right on with schedule. Quote was competitive and stuck to the quote.

Our major project was to have Straka Construction rebuild our deck. Karel Straka previewed the dimensions and explained the proposed process, which included demolition, digging new footers, and rebuilding a new deck from scratch. Karel took care of all county permits and inspections. We encountered an issue where the existing rim joist on the house was in bad shape with water damage and rot. Karel needed to do extra work to repair the damage. His approach was to do it right, fixing all the problems and reporting progress to the county inspector. His price for the extra work was very reasonable, and he did the work immediately. Karel also replaced the existing rain gutters with new aluminum gutters with an integrated debris shield. The color matched perfectly, which made the HOA happy. Again, his price was fair and the work was completed on time and with very good quality. A section of our roof edge was damaged by an overhanging tree. Karel replaced several shingles with a very good color match, redid the flashing, and replaced damaged trim boards. He also redid some siding boards damaged by squirrels, matching the paint colors and making the repair look like a natural part of the house. Karel has worked on several other homes in our neighborhood, and we will bring him back if we need anything else. His prices are fair and the quality of his work is superior. We highly recommend Straka Construction.

I actually use Karel Straka for just about everything I need done at the house. I generally interview others, and in the case of the new roof, I interviewed 6 others over the course of 2 years. Karel doesn't do all the arm twisting and harrassment that I've experienced with others. He comes in with a fair price, explains everything he is going to do, and I know he will be very thorough and do a great job. The 6 roofers that I interviewed wouldn't leave for hours--they kept trying to get me to sign that very day -- and they came up with higher prices than Karel. It was painful. I love my roof. I also recommended Karel to a friend and they love their roof. I'll be sticking with Karel from now on!