JOSEPH DEVILBISS CONSTRUCTION

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Job only half finished, drywall damage in foyer still, hardware still laying in foyer, repairs still not painted. I had to be stern to get caulking done before the first snow, thank goodness or I would have been stuck doing that too. All the doors and trim have been exposed to the elements for a year now unpainted or stained. Lessons learned, do not hire based on a good reputation, and if you have a thermatru door then call the manufacturer and they will send you replacement seals for free to fix things. Even the old door sealed better than the new one is. I hired them because I became disabled and could not do the work myself like I used to, instead I was left with having to climb ladders and such anyway to install seals myself, and paint the bay window first so vegetable garden could be planted without being trampled by ladders and such. So choice is either to leave project unfinished, risk health and wellbeing doing it myself, or take a gamble and hire someone else. Doesn't anybody do their job to the absolute perfection anymore? Had a contractor here last week for estimates and he asked if we did the work ourselves, I asked why, he pointed out all the things wrong. I subsequently told him this story. What also stings is that I wanted a Mahogany finish on the door, and they convinced me not to order it finished from manufacturer because their painter did it better, now I'm stuck with a orange/cream plastic unfinished door. Worse, I found out from thermatru that it had to be finished inside, before being hung, and before being exposed to outside elements. In summary, both my house and myself (and elec bill) would have been better if I had left everything alone. Now the hunt to find somebody that can do quality work and complete it in a timely manner.

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In the spring of 2014, we decided to renovate the exterior of our 1965 split level home. We purchased the house in 2000 and the previous owner had built a 2-door 31’ X 36’ garage where a car port previously existed. It was always my desire to add a third garage door to optimize the use of all this space. Additionally we wanted to replace the existing asphalt driveway with concrete so that we did not have to seal the already crumbling driveway every couple of years. As a result, we requested bids from 4 contractors including Devilbiss. Devilbiss was the lowest with the additional benefit of accurate itemizing all elements of the work into individual projects with cost assigned to each. We had never gotten a bid like this from any previous contractor but were very appreciative as it clearly broke down each item. Joe Devilbiss explained that they would submit invoices as each project was completed. We found that extremely refreshing and helpful. To be honest, on previous jobs with other contractors, no one took the time to itemize things as Devilbiss did. Most will provide you with a grand total of $XXXXX and then request a down payment and partial payment as work is completed but there would be no way to determine what you’re actually paying for and why. Devilbiss was also very good about coming out to the house repeatedly to help my wife and I plan the shape of the new driveway. The other items we renovated were a brand new front door and storm door, new columns for the porch, new railing where none existed previously, painting the exterior of the house, and slate for the porch. We could not have been happier with the work that Devilbiss did. Their quality is impeccable and we have transformed our house into the 21st century!! All of the subcontractors they used were top notch such as their painters, brick and tile companies, and concrete. At each step of the way, they consulted with us to assure that they clearly understood how we wanted a project executed- there were NO assumptions or errors. They cleaned up their work areas and were very considerate regarding minimizing impact on the lawn, gardens, and other areas where they worked. If something was delayed, we were immediately updated. We would highly recommend Devilbiss Construction to anyone thinking of renovating their home and we will use their services again.

Overall the job went smooth. Mr. Devilbiss showed great pride in his work and was greatly concerned in my satisfaction. When asked to take a second look at something he obliged without contradiction. I feel Joseph Devilbiss Construction is a very professional organization with knowledgeable personnel. The entire experience was much better than expected. I am very pleased.

We had heard great things about Devilbiss Construction, so we felt that they would be one of the best options to rehab an older home we just purchased in Frederick. We were looking to spend ~$30,000 on improvements and updates prior to move-in, including new molding for the main floor of the home, lighter carpentry work including removing a column within the entryway, hardwood floor refinishing, fireplace and front door facelift, roof repairs, and interior painting. Although it was always easy to reach a receptionist when calling, I usually had to be put through to the voicemail for Matt the sales representative rather than speak to him directly. Calls were not always returned and I did not receive any response to an email I sent. When we arranged for a time to meet Matt out at the house to review the work we wanted done, he was prompt. He was courteous and helpful during the meeting and spent approximately 1 hour obtaining information about what we wanted to do and looking over the home. This was on a Friday approximately 6 weeks ago. Matt said he would need to come back to look at the condition of the roof on Monday. I called on Tuesday to inquire as to when they thought they might have an estimate available and explained that we were very interested in them doing the work given their great reputation. The receptionist said "oh, you were the one he just did yesterday, right?" (which was potentially somewhat true) and put me through to Matt's voicemail again, where I left a message stating that we were hoping to receive the estimate soon and to discuss timing of them starting the work so we could finalize our move-in timeline. I have never heard back. Needless to say, we proceeded with the work using other Frederick area firms. I am not sure whether the Devilbiss staff felt that our budget was too low, our timeframe would not work with their schedule, or if they were just too disorganized to follow through on an estimate. Regardless of the reason, after spending an hour reviewing the job at the home, all customers would expect some communication regarding the estimate. The communication "black hole" left me feeling frustrated and like we had both wasted our time.

Have used JF Devilbiss contractor before--to build a storage shed, replace a sidewalk and also to upgrade a wooden gazebo with vinyl and aluminum screening. They do a very very good job-- experienced craft and tradesman, hard working and creative when they need to be. You won't find any fancy uniforms or advertising -- but their reputation for quality, trustworthiness and reliability have proven themselves several times over. Not always the cheapest estimate.-- but you get what you pay for. This job involved tearing out everything to the walls, moving shower and tub locations, long vanity cabinets, lots of electrical work etc. and of course we were living there during the project and had animals to work around etc- they were always very considerate. They did a fantastic job from beginning to end. Coordinating electrical and plumbing was very good and the project went faster than I expected.

My second review of this contractor-- have used multiple times before on both indoor and outdoor work. Full basement finishing-- parging walls, studding it out, electrical and plumbing for a bathroom. Good help on the design from the experienced business owner- some simple but valuable ideas--design to create potential for a basement bedroom for down the road, turning wasted space into storage space etc. Work was efficient and clean-- hard working small crew-- but amazing what can get done in just a day or two when you have skilled craftsman that are hard workers. They worked with our flooring contractor, had some good ideas for a laundry area/utility cabinet, and most of all -- we could trust their experience and work in the home without reservation.

It went just great. We had a little bit of dampness in our basement. When Joe came out he pointed out just a few mild repairs to fix the problem.