Bennington Builders

I was very impressed with Dave and his design team. They suggested creative ideas for making my small kitchen more functional. We moved the refrigerator, moved the stove and vent and expanded the working space. They reconfigured my pantry area to not only be considerably more functional, but it opens up the space and is a vast improvement. Although Jenny's quote was not the lowest, nor the highest, I felt they would give me the best value for my money (and they did). From the first day, they were very considerate of my home. They laid down a protective floor covering to keep my hardwood floors from being damaged. I was on vacation during the demolition phase (would recommend this to anyone), and was pleasantly surprised to return home to a house that was not a complete mess. Dave estimated 4 weeks to complete my kitchen; I was functional in my new kitchen in 3.5 weeks, with only the punch list remaining. Throughout the process, all the guys were courteous and cleaned up the site daily. My neighbors even commented about how nice they were. After just spending the day cooking in my new kitchen, I can't believe how much more room I have. I started out looking to replace my cabinets and appliances, but what I ended up with was my dream kitchen.

I'm upset and feel like I've been treated like a second class citizen with no money. My husband and I are very close to retirement and have to be careful with our money.

Great. The workmanship (especially the tile) was excellent.

Dave was personally involved in every detail in the planning and design of each room. In addition, he came to the house virtually every day to be sure that the work was up to his high standards. His experience became obvious to me early on through the many thoughtful suggestions he made for the built-in cabinetry in the library. There are many, many choices available. I think that solid advice from someone like Dave is essential, if such a project is going to be really successful without a lot of stress. I like the fact that Dave offered suggestions and alternatives to us, but was always careful to step back and have us select what we felt was right for our needs and taste. I was very surprised at how clean Dave's workmen keep the house. I assumed that there would be dust everywhere from the sawing and drywall work. Instead, the house was remarkably dust free and Dave's people picked up after themselves every day, so construction clutter was non-existent. All of his workers were very polite and very professional. I cannot fault in any way the quality of the work that they did. All of the library base cabinets and shelves were installed with perfect alignment and I could not find even a small scratch on any surface. The same is true in the wine cellar. There was considerable drywall repair and repainting required in the library and kitchen areas. The work was done so well that I cannot identify the areas that were repaired, although I know where the holes were originally. The overall quality of the work and the final results certainly exceeded our expectations.

This work went very, very well. When we decided to add the seond floor laundry, we never thought the job would be completed so well. When we first contacted Jenny's DesignBuild, we got an almost immediate call back and an estimate the same day. Jenny's DesignBuild made everything flow so easily. Estimates and invoices were very clear and concise as well as accurate. The work was all completed in a very timely manner. The work crew were efficient and highly professional. No mess or debris was left to deal with! Anytime we had a question, it was answered promptly. In fact, all communication was excellent so there were no misunderstandings. When they were working in the master bedroom (painting & drywall repair), they made sure to move the furniture back so we could sleep without problems. We are very pleased with the second floor laundry and painting. This might not have been a large job but we can only say that the work done was excellent. We hope to use Jenny's DesignBuild again in the future. Jenny's DesignBuild did an absolutely beautiful job.

I emailed them and waited a few days, since it was the holiday weekend. No response, so I called and left a message. Received a call back about 4 days later. Received a verbal estimate via phone of approx. $18K to remodel a 5x7 pre-gutted bathroom, which I thought was too pricey. My later research found that $8-$10K is a more common price range in the area. No other companies came close to $18K. I felt as if the job was too small and they really weren't interested or maybe they really do just charge that much. Their work is very impressive, and I know they have good ratings from many Angie's List customers. I cannot justify the cost for my small project.

Jenny's Design Build answered my request for an estimate promptly and arranged a meeting that accommodated our schedule. The owner and the kitchen designer were prompt and courteous. However, for our budget they felt we would be getting basically a facelift and not a true improvement to our space. We are putting the project on hold for now.

We developed drawings for the project by using an architect we found before searching for a builder/contractor. Using the drawings, we solicited bids from four different companies (two from Angie?s list, one suggested by the architect, and one suggested by a work colleague). Of the three bids that were received, we decided to go with Jenny and Dave Bennington because of their Angie?s list reviews and knowledge of houses in our neighborhood. It was nice that they provided a calendar with the project?s event schedule along with the contract. We were surprised to see the projected duration of the project would be three months since we expected the project to take up to six months. Once we moved out of the house, work began as scheduled on October 1st. (Actually removal of two trees happened before the October start date.) Our primary concern with this project was that the underlying construction would be durable for decades, and Dave and his subcontractor, John Vorce, met and exceeded our expectations in this regard. Indeed, our architect commented that we got a ?first-class framing job.? We also wanted our home to continue to fit in with our postwar neighborhood and our economically and ethnically diverse neighbors. Although Dave did not always understand our desire to honor the heritage of our home, he heroically worked with his crew, his plumbers, and the city to reconfigure the 1980s-era plumbing in the existing second-floor bathroom. The framers and drywallers also did a fantastic job of capturing that awkward space under the eaves of Cape Cod homes in creating wall-length closets for the existing second-floor bedrooms. Our neighbors commented that they were impressed on how quickly the demolition, foundation, and framing phases of the project went. In addition, they commented on how friendly the people working on the project were. In fact, some of our neighbors hired Dave and Jenny to work on their houses before our project was completed. Even though we were not living in the house throughout the project, Dave and his subcontractors kept the worksite cleaned throughout the project. While the project was nearly completed on schedule (about 2-3 weeks late) and coordinating the subcontractors largely went smoothly, we do wish that communications between the clients and contractor had not added stress to the project. Although our architect provided drawings for the project, many of the materials were not determined when the contract was signed. We would have appreciated more guidance from Jenny?s Design Build in this regard. The vendors they suggested did not seem to coordinate with each other, and we felt that only Shonda of Architectural Ceramics demonstrated a genuine interest in our tastes and preferences. If we ever attempted another project of this scope, we would work with an interior designer as well as with an architect before selecting a builder. We also found that Dave?s approach, which comes across as ?my way or the highway,? was very effective in dealing with the subcontractors but tended to discount our observations about the architectural and design features that were most practical for us in our daily lives. Despite these challenges, we really are looking forward to enjoying many years in our ?new? and improved house.

We spent a lot of time selecting a contractor to renovate our 50 year-old kitchen. We are very grateful that we first discovered Angie?s list and through Angie?s list our contractor -- Jenny?s Design Build. We read Consumer Reports, Washington Checkbook and visited manufacture web sites to make sure we were getting what was best appliances and floor for our needs. Up until finding Angie?s List we had been very satisfied with recommendations from Washington Checkbook. However, things changed when we were ready to make some modifications to our house ? the economy was (is) in a big downturn. If we waited to do the work, we are certain that there most likely will be double digit inflation for many years. Therefore, we wanted both quality construction and now even more important was finding a contractor with a solid credit-business rating. Angie?s list provided this type of information. Jenny?s Design Build got great ?A? reviews from clients (that had actually used them) but also provided information from the Better Business Bureau and others that we could readily check. Bottom line ? we couldn?t have asked for a better contractor. Instead of just going forward with our kitchen design, one of Jenny?s Design Build?s Vendors (Montgomery Kitchen and Bath) suggested making several significant modifications including changing the range and refrigerator location and installing a wall mount stainless steel chimney range-hood. We couldn?t be more please with the beauty and functionality of our new kitchen. All of Jenny?s Design Build employees that worked on our project could not have been better. Their finished work was very good. They all were polite and kept the work-site clean and neat when they left. Dave Bennington, the contractor of Jenny?s Design Build, did an excellent job of scheduling the various activities ? suggesting appliances etc. yet final decisions was always ours. He never pushed on anything. Dave responded quickly to any concerns we had, reviewed the progress on the work in detail and did ?special? things we never had thought about. The polite neat workmen ? the quick response to any questions ? the careful design of the whole project made this so much better than we had envisioned. Dave completed our kitchen just in time for Christmas (12/23/09). This is what you would expect from a professional group of people ? no real ?headaches? and we were grateful they took into consideration our cost restraints and helped us stay within our revised budget! We plan to have a bathroom expanded with a 5th bedroom finished. Based on our completed kitchen, we also hope to work with Jenny?s Design Build on these projects.

One of the key reasons we hired Dave and Jenny?s designBuild for our project is the consistently high record of performance we found documented on Angie?s List. Other contractors that been recommended to us simply could not compare and, frankly, could not even be considered in light of this work?s importance to us. We have not been disappointed in any way. Rather than repeat all of the glowing accolades from other satisfied Jenny?s customers, which I could do with complete honesty, I?d like to stress what I see as the differentiators that set this company ahead of the others: ? First and foremost, an honest and sincere commitment on the part of everyone, not just Dave and Jenny, to complete all, and I mean everything, to the customers total satisfaction. As this project approach completion, I have absolute confidence that we will be delighted beyond words. ? A proven emphasis on communication. All phone calls to Dave?s phone are answered, and all emails, returned. His responsiveness, to what I sometimes called the ?Nightly Nag?, not only let us review and deal with issues on a timely basis but also significantly reduced our level of homeowner stress. ? Commitment to schedule. Our projects had a hard completion deadline driven by guests arriving for the holidays. When the inevitable glitch occurred in the material delivery, Dave was able to rework the plan to fit everything in, completing everything except for the final shower glass installation?it wasn?t easy. ? Top notch team on site. Skilled. Experienced. Pleasant. Clean and easy on the home. Electrical work--quick and correct. Wall work and painting--flawless. Master bath tile--perfectly executed. Minor plumbing issues were quickly identified and resolved. ? Experienced, expert design team. Design consultants from Montgomery Kitchen and Bath, Ivis Marble and Granite, Architectural Ceramics, Ferguson Enterprises, and River Glass each made important contributions to the success of our remodeling. At this point, the hall bath is completed and is beautiful. The master bath is nearing completion with the shower glass installation remaining; we are amazed at its transformation. Although there are a few unresolved issues, we are confident that Dave?s team will complete this final phase to our satisfaction. I will update this report when we closeout the project.

Jenny's Design Build was asked to take a 1954 kitchen and bring it up to date: Prologue must be mentioned here...In late August or early September we tried to get Jenny's Design build to do an initial consultation on out kitchen remodel and Dave thanked us for the inqirery but very politely and clearly said that he was too busy at the present time and it wouldn't be fair to us to have him come in at that time. We looked around and asked a few other folks to look at the job and we were quickly introduced to the odd world of the kitchen remodel from people who thought they knew what we needed or would simple see our sketches and plans and 15 minutes later give us a price with very little excitement or entusiasm. Then October rolled around and we called Jenny's Design Build again and they, at this time, were able to see what they could do. Before any contracts were signed we met with Dave Bennington and Keith from Montgomery Kitchen and Bath for them to hear what we were looking for and what our needs were. They were the first contractors that we felt actually heard our vision and understood what sort of family are - Keith and Dave were the first team (actually they were the first remodelers to show up as that: at team. Keith represented the design side and Dave represented the actual builders and installers) to repeat back what we had said to them and proposed a few choices: what we had given them and what we had in our heads but also some ideas that we hadn't even imagined that actually answered our needs and desires much better than we had originally conceived. We chose cabinets and flooring and gave Jenny's Design Build our budget. Very diligently Dave and his teams crunched the numbers and came to us with a clear and concise contract. The real work was ready to begin. First, they removed the orginal kitchen, took down a dividing wall and removed all the debris. Next, Dave Bennington and his team opened up one doorway that leads from the living room into the kitchen and built a pocket door from the kitchen to what will become the dining room. Everything ran like beautiful clockwork, the electrician, the sheetrocking and plastering, the plumbing, the painting, cabinets and granite all happened in perfect order. We found some amazing deals on appliances from Appliance Builders Wholesalers (ABW) and Dave was able to iron out any size or installation issues through and with them. We were always kept well aware when certain crews would show up...and they always did just that. From our initial meetings with Dave Bennington he was always very clear about making sure that we were happy with his and his worker's work...and on various occaisions he would adjust, fix and explain very cleary what could be done, what would be done and when it would happen. For example, at one point Dave mentioned that his regular flooring people were unable to give him what he needed to see our vision through so he found another one without missing a beat. Or when the stove wouldn't fit in correctly by a quarter of an inch because the original walls of the kitchen (we did a partial demolition and retained some of the idiosynchrasies of the original architecture in order to keep our costs reasonable), David brought the marvelous folks over at Ivis Marble (lots of great things to say about Manny and his genius crew who guided us through the granite choosing and design process) back to work their combined magic to make our slide-in range fit nicely into where it belongs. I took it upon myself to design and create the backsplash and the arched entryway and, again, Dave and his crew were right there to guide me through basic and quite technical aspects of plastering, painting, duct collaring, mastic, tile cutting and grouting. I've done all of these things before in my youth in some form or fashion but Dave, Alvro, Ed, and Steve were always willing to share some of their trade secrets as well as the most obvious basics that I had overlooked (ie. two fingers on the back of a plastering trowel when applying plaster will save you tons of sanding time later and Home Depot is deffinately not the answer for everything). At the end of the job there were a few odds and ends to be fixed and Jenny's Design build was right there to make sure they were taken care of and sorted. We are now able to cook, bake, wash, prep, organize, eat, drink and be merry in the most fantastic kitchen we could have hoped for. (One small note must be made about the grading for the price. I gave the price a "B" because it was and is a serious chunk of money but we really feel that we paid for what we received: the best kitchen this house could have ever dreamed of having. If it was less a price we wouldn't have gotten that...so really I have a problem with Angies List's grading system. Perhaps if the question were presented instead of "Price" the question should really be: "Did you get what your paid for?"...I would have given it an "A"). Along the way we learned a great deal and now have some added appreciation as well as skills to take on to our next venture: the bathrooms. This was our first remodeling experience and I can't recomend any team better than Jenny's Design Build. Thank you.

He called and followed up right away. Every time he said he would call he would. He gave us some really good suggestions and he gave us some referrals. His referrals have been good. They were very responsive and we liked what they had to say.

In short, my wife and I are absolutely thrilled by the end result of both jobs. She is threatening to move into the kitchen because of the inner peace she gets from being there. I am only kidding a little. My expectations for working with a contractor are generally: 1. Does the estimate describe the work in sufficient detail for the customer to gauge its accuracy and track changes against it? 2. Is price in the original estimate plus any approved change orders held to? 3. Is the job schedule held to? 4. Are materials quoted in the estimate delivered as described? 5. Are the inevitable misunderstandings that occur handled in a professional way? 6. Are all punch list items satisfactorily addressed? Working with Dave and Jenny, the answer to all of these was "YES, absolutely". There were in fact very few punch list items, all were minor. Dave's estimated schedule was shorter than those from other contractors, but not only was the schedule met; he had time to take on additional unrelated jobs within that schedule. There were inevitable differences over materials and design, but Dave and his crew handled all of these situations objectively and was happy to see things our way, although we were smart enough to take a lot of his suggestions. To the list above, however, I can add a few more expectations for any future contractors, courtesy of Dave and Jenny's professionalism. 7. Are the contractor's suppliers and subs first rate? 8. Do the contractor and his suppliers provide added value in great ideas that the customer would not have thought of? 9. Does the contractor perform his work with the least disturbance to the customer's household? 10. Does the contractor think of ways to make the experience better than the customer expected? 11. Is the contractor a stickler for maintaining a thorough paper trail of contract transactions? Dave's employees and subs were all as dedicated as he is. They all worked fast and well. Dave pointed us to a number of trusted suppliers, who provided a lot of the good design thinking that resulted in the finished product, and with minor exceptions, delivered everything on time in perfect order. Dave is very particular about the suppliers he does business with, because their performance affects his reputation. If only all contractors understood this as well. Dave's innovations (things we would not have thought of) included using a pocket door in the bedroom closet to save space in the two rooms, using a nifty standard light switch with a slider button to replace an old rheostat knob, adding and rewiring switches and outlets for greater availability. In both jobs, Dave spent the better part of the first day securing the work area against foot traffic, dust and noise. Throughout, we had very little dust, and my wife was sometimes unaware that the workmen had arrived in the morning because they were so quiet. Dave taped masonite paneling on all approach area flooring - afterwards the floors were in perfect shape. At the end of each day, he ensured that all the work area was secured and clean. If there was any question as to the responsibility for a particular task, Dave invariably took it on. In fact, without asking, he and his crew did some project tasks that I thought were on my plate, which was an unexpected, but great relief to me, and were done a lot quicker and better. Dave and his plumber, after performing a separate plumbing job in our lower bathroom replaced suspended ceiling tiles in the next room that I had removed due to a leak. I was more than willing to pay them additional to install two outside hose bibs, reinstall cut-out tile in an upstairs bathroom, fix a leaking three inch copper drain pipe and patch and paint the ceiling that the leak had ruined. They did all of these additional tasks within the schedule. That was a new experience. Throughout months of working with Dave and his crew, regardless of any curve b****, Dave was patient, knowledgeable and pleasant to work with. Jenny's accounting and paperwork was thorough and consistent throughout. When we agreed on a possible change to the scope of work, a change order for my signature appeared before any work was started, and when I returned them for minor changes a couple of times she corrected them quickly and pleasantly. She and Dave work well as a team - work items we discussed with Dave were stated accurately on the estimates, contracts and change orders. Very little information was lost, which exceeded any prior experience I had had. They really make sure that they understand what you want, and communicate that to you. Jenny's Design Build not only met but far exceeded our expectations and we recommend Jenny's Design Build without qualification for any job that they are willing to tackle.

Dave and his crew were always on time and communication was excellent throughout the whole process. The majority of the work was completed within 2.5 weeks. They worked 7 days in a row the first week to prepare for the appliance delivery. It was really impressive that Dave offered to come on a Sunday to paint!

I called for some tile work and was told they don't "do" that. "We'll rip out your bathroom, but we don't do minor repairs." I asked if they could recommend someone who could, and was promised an email with other names of someone who did "minor repairs" but never heard back.

The work began as soon as we were ready. The crew showed up promptly and work progressed quickly. Since we had a lot of exterior work in the beginning if a day was missed due to weather they would arrive on a weekend with our approval. Dave had a great plan to keep us in the existing space as long as possible and did as much as they could to keep our lives normal. I received a lot of help with the selection of the items I needed. I appreciated being able to draw on Dave's extensive experience with remodeling. He always answered my how and why questions. The framing and insulation of the new addition went quickly, which was very important considering this work was done in winter. Every effort was made to seal off the construction area from the rest of the house. Materials and subcontractors all seemed to appear on schedule without any time lost. I did my best to make my selections on time, but Dave and his crew were able to accept any changes I had without major disruptions. The calendar I was given was very helpful and Dave was always clear when I needed to make my selections. He would meet with me at vendors and help me choose items that would work well. The suggestion of heated tile was brilliant. Jenny provided the statements in a timely manner and was always available for phone calls and emails. They remembered the little details that were important to us, such as a charging station for our cell phones etc. They always seemed to find good people for each aspect of the job. While I was often present during the construction, I never felt uncomfortable leaving my house to Dave's crew. The work began at 7am as agreed and clean up occurred at the end of each day. It was always tempting to add to the project because I knew they could do it! I really enjoyed working with Dave and Jenny, they can give full service without the drawbacks of a larger company.

I was a little disappointed because they didn't listen to my specifications. As a result, I did not choose them.

Jenny's Designbuild gave us a fantastic master bathroom. Dave was very helpful during the entire process and the work was completed on schedule and on budget. Dave's crew was professional, friendly, and courteous, always keeping the work area very neat. The finished product has lovely tile work, cabinetry, and a very cool large glass shower. It is just what we wanted! We highly recommend this company for their quality and their personal touch, and appreciate the work they did on our home. The two smaller projects they did turned out great too.

We were very disappointed because they charge by hour without specifying how many hours it would take to do the jobs.

They were incredible. Showed up on time, worked diligently, were perfectionists about the installation, and cleaned up all saw dust and tools each evening before leaving. They were courteous, professional, kind and in a word, delightful. I can't recommend them highly enough.

Excellent service and high quality work from start to finish. Good communication by both Dave and Jenny regarding supervision of onsite work and handling work order changes and pricing. Dave was very creative in helping us find ways to achieve a layout that worked the the space and provided the functionality we wanted (multi-use playroom with good storage). Work crews were punctual, polite, and left the worksite clean each evening.

The contractor was really responsive and addressed any concerns we had. The cost that they gave was pretty much what we paid. They were upfront with everything.

Overall, it went well. We would have liked more suggestions by them.

We had serious leaks going through to the dining room ceiling below the bathroom so the work needed to start quickly. We had mold damage in the floor and walls. Dave gave us an excellent description of the problem and what needed to be done, a reasonable quote, and started the work in a few days. The bathroom was stripped to the studs, the floor and walls replaced with mold resistant drywall after mold treatment to the underlying studs, new tile put on the floor and walls around the bathtub. All new fixtures were installed and the bathroom painted. Throughout, the work was only delayed by the shipment of new cabinets. Dave had some excellent ideas for shelves in the shower, tiling. This was the first renovation we had ever done and it went faster and better than we expected. We also had the front entryway to our house repaired and tiled-also excellent work.

Quick and friendly responses. Detailed answers and suggestions to my questions about building a small deck for our home. Gave a referral for a contractor for a different small job I asked about. Did not hire because still in the process of HOA approval.