James L Graves Construction

They came out on the date scheduled to do the estimate. Said he would need to talk to his contractors about pricing. The only person who came out was his plumber and that was it. Only heard from them once after about 2 weeks and he was still working on the estimate. After a month and no estimate I hired someone else. I did try contacting them twice but it was after hours and was not able to leave a message. My schedule did not allow for contacting them during business hours.

it went extremely well. We could not have been more pleased with the end result and every interaction we had with the company. Once the project began, we witnessed progress on a daily basis. It was very encouraging as disruption was kept to minimum. Their response to mid-project changes (nothing major) was excellent. They were very responsive and fun to work with. When we found a few items needing touch up....they responded immediately and without questions. Everything is done to our satisfaction. the James l graves company came highly recommended to us and they did not disappoint. if and when we make other improvements to our home, we will call them first.

Jim did an excellent job of talking us through the entire process of how he works each job. This was done right up front so all expectations were set and managed. He also explained his costs and fee structure, which was open and honest - we knew exactly from the beginning what we'd be paying and what it was for. Jim has a showplace in Gambrills on Route 3 South where my wife went to see many different styles of products and get ideas on how colors and textures would work together. Folks there, especially Stewart, were very friendly and helpful throughout the selection process. Getting under contract was easy, but Jim has lots of projects in the works so we had to wait a few months before work actually started on our remodeling. In looking back on the schedule he presented us versus the actual amount of time it took to complete our job, they were only off by a few weeks, and this included the December holiday season when Jim's crews and ourselves were not available. When the demo started, his crews covered all our hardwood flooring and stairways and quickly removed all the old items. Some damage (water leakage due to failure of the old grout) was discovered and quickly taken care of as part of our package - a very nice touch. As reconstruction started, Mike, our lead, kept us informed of who was coming when and for what purpose. All subcontracted crews came as planned, did their work, and cleaned up after themselves. All were very courteous and professional at all times. When changes were needed or requested by us, Mike kept Jim in the loop and us as well regarding how they would be accomplished and when. Jim came to our house almost daily to inspect things and make sure all work was to both his and our satisfaction, and this gave us a chance to really be a part of the entire effort - again, a very nice touch. As with all jobs of this size, a few items needed redoing and a punch list was generated for wrap-up. Both Jim and Mike worked to ensure we were satisfied with the end results. All-in-all, we were very pleased with the quality of the workmanship, the overall price paid, and the thoroughness of James L Graves Construction. We would highly recommend them to anyone.

I've been using James L Graves Construction for ten years now. They have assisted me with everything from replacement of damaged siding on my house from a storm, to a complete renovation I had done on the main level of my house. I had the kitchen and family room completely bare and they came in and put down hardwood flooring in many rooms, put in a brand new island and granite countertop which they helped me choose, a new stove and cabinets. They have also installed the flooring in my basement. Over the years there have been many jobs, big and small, which I reached out to Jim for and I've always had a n extremely quick response time and professional work done at a fair price. I highly recommend them to anyone in need of their services.

I did not hire the company---or even get an estimate. Apparently Waverley neighborhood in Baltimore city is 'out of service area'. The phone rep was very clear and rather rude about this. I realize not all companies can work all places, but their offices are just north and just south of the city. And I can't help but wonder what the answer would have been had I lived in Roland Park, Guilford or even Hampden. Definitely got the feeling I was being red-lined.

We have used Graves for our bathroom renovations so we knew they did quality work. They helped us with the design of the kitchen, which involved the removal of a wall and the combining of the existing kitchen and dining room. In addition to the cabinets and countertops, they relocated a gas stove and installed new lighting. Stuart was very helpful and patient as we had difficulty deciding the final specs. The renovation was managed by Tom and he did a great job with everything. They followed the schedule that they set and we didn't have any issues with delays. We couldn't be happier with the finished product. It's been over 4 months now and we have not had any issues at all. You can probably find other contractors who will offer a lower price but we didn't want to sacrifice on the quality. We have been extremely happy with the two projects that Graves has done for us and we would use them again in the future.

James L. Graves Construction was very patient with us, as it took us well over a year to get our ducks in a row for this project, and we spent a lot of time working with their designer, Stuart. Once we'd finalized the design, made all our material selections, and got our finances ready, it was "go time," and they were able to get us on the schedule within 2 months of us signing the contract. Our project was a complete kitchen remodel, replacing all cabinets, appliances, countertops, and light fixtures; sanding and refinishing all the hardwood floors in the house; and making some moderate layout changes. The lead on the project, Matt, was very pleasant to work with and responsive, and the quality of the work was excellent. As with all projects, there were some hiccups along the way. There were some issues that came up with the floor work, and Jim acted quickly to resolve things to our satisfaction. We had to reschedule our appliance installation because the electrician and plumber were running late, and the installers couldn't wait for them. (They came back the following week and finished the job.) As our project began to wind down, our lead began work on a new project, and there was an instance where he said he'd come by to work on the last few items, but he didn't come when he said he would. However, Jim helped to resolve that for us as well, and our lead worked very long hours to get those last few things finished for us. He cleaned up everything on his last day. We truly appreciate the time that Stuart put in to helping us come up with a design that fit our lifestyle and budget. He was very helpful to point out which bells & whistles were worth the money and which weren't, ways we could maximize space, how we could make our kitchen more usable and efficient (we cook every day), and how best to trim our expenses. Beth was always very friendly to us and pleasant as well! In the end, our kitchen is absolutely beautiful, and it is a pleasure to work in it. We're pleased with our decision to go with James L. Graves Construction!

This experience could not have been better. The professionalism and detail nature of Jim Graves from day one told me he was the correct contractor to take on our project. Jim was at our home to discuss the details of the project for almost three hours and this was the first consultation after contacting his office. He was completely open and thorough in assessing and listening to our needs and requirements. Please understand we historically have not had contractors in our home and we are very particular about anything that we do. We asked Jim about who does the work and whether they are in house employees or contracted out.. Jim has a mix of workers, some in house and other trades contracted, but those other trades do much of his work, so those folks meet Jim Graves standards of quality per his initial feedback to us. The results of this first meeting resulted in a very detailed specific contract of what would be done should we decide to use his services. Details were straight forward and included specific pricing of the individual components that made up the project. Having this detail helped us to decide if we needed to make changes to the contract, we could easily tell what the impact would be plus or minus. This was extremely helpful to us as we assessed the contract. We did get three different quotes for this project and Jim was in the middle of the three, but his attention to detail sold us that this project would go the way we wanted. Part of our negotiation once we finished our analysis was that we needed our project to complete before Thanksgiving. We were in the summer when we started negotiations and Jim told us completing before Thanksgiving would be accomplished. We also wanted to make sure the job started in the fall and miss the summer heat, this worked perfectly for Jim and his team and allowed everyone to get on the same page. With these agreements in place we signed the contract and waited for Jim to contact us. Like a clock Jim contacted us in an appropriate time and we came into his office and selected some of the materials he would be providing. This was a very comfortable process and we got these details worked through easily with his office design team. Between the months of summer and the fall, all of the material was selected at his office or purchased by us and was in place to begin the job when it was time to start. No problems and everything was in sync. We got a call from Jim in September 2015 targeting our job start to be in the October time frame somewhere around the middle of the month. He was expecting approximately five (5) weeks for the job to complete once started. Jim informed us there would be a job start meeting with his designated Project Manager approximately one week before job start. Jim trying to make sure everything was in order for our project made sure he had two Project Managers attend our session so they would both be familiar, and he made that happen. The project started in the Middle of October as planned. The Project Managers for Jim are also his in house carpenters and both of the guys I met Matt and Tom were great. They were timely and engaged in the project. Matt wound up being our our everyday contact in general and was the liaison in general between the trades and us and Jim. Jim was still fully engaged and popped in fairly frequently. Our project was fairly complex because they had to tear our our foyer floor and tear out our master bath on the upper floor, three floors up. They worked these two areas in very good sync in trying to minimize our living space issues while they were here. The Bathroom was begun first and to his word, they cleaned up each day and kept our home in pretty darn good shape while construction was underway. We had no problems living in our bedroom after they completed each work day. Once the Bathroom was demo'd by the carpenter and any re framing was completed the project manager called in the plumber and electrician to do their rough in work to move or rearrange as necessary per the contract. Our experience with these sub contractors was just as Jim promised. They were professional and did a great job. We fully trusted them being in our home and a part of the project. Once this rough in work was completed Jim sent in his in house tile expert (Mauricio). Mauricio re-constructed the shower and Jacuzzi area and tiled the entire bathroom. I cannot explain how exceptional his work is, but it is a masterpiece of skill, experience and caring about everything he does. Mauricio is truly a craftsman !!! He was in our home the longest and was a pleasure to have on a day to day basis. Dedication was what we saw day after day. Jim Graves certainly makes sure he has the right people to do the job and the right people to be in your home. During the bathroom rehabilitation the coordinated effort to tear out the tile in our large foyer floor was accomplished and the leveling out of the concrete surface had to be accomplished as well. The tile work was completed and the floor turned out beautifully. Jim Graves team minimized the impact to our home and accomplished the floor work in concert with the bathroom modernization. His overall team was outstanding on a day to day basis. The contract price was adhered to, other than changes I initiated once the job was underway. Any changes made were specifically priced out and offered to us for review before proceeding. All of these were done quick and never took the project off its target of completing before Thanksgiving. We cannot begin to tell you how thrilled we are with the project results in total. It is not a normal occurrence in today's experiences to say that our expectations were exceeded, but that is exactly the case with our project. We highly recommend Jim Graves Construction if you are in need of work done in your home.

What more can I say? Every worker who worked on the job was excellent--prompt, professional, and conscientious. Tom, the project manager, kept everything running smoothly and even had additional suggestions for preparing our home for resale. Julio, the "tile man," was a master of his craft, as were the plumbers and electrician. Everyone in the office was responsive to our concerns, but a special "shout out" goes to Beth Hall who handled so many details about the materials for the job

Great job of planning and review by company owner and helpful planning by bath designer. The overall project went very well, within the time estimate we were given. The main hall bath was taken down to the studs with new tile, tile flooring, vanity, electrical and plumbing. Everything was delivered as ordered and installed perfectly. It is beautiful. As the project progressed, we asked to add some work in the powder room downstairs and replaced the countertop and commode as well as faucets and mirror. This too was done beautifully and within a hitch despite being added late. We'll definitely ask them back for future projects.

They were very easy to get along with. They did everything that I asked for and whenever any issues came up, they were happy to tackle them. The work was professional and of high quality. The pricing was fair for what was done.

I first contacted this company approximately a year and half ago to receive an estimate for multiple projects around my house to include entry door replacement, entry stair replacement, foundation repair and water damage repair. At first they were quick to respond, and sent and representative over to look at the scope of work and write up an estimate. After looking at my home, they informed me they would like to come back a test the roof to determine if/where the leak was coming from that caused the water damage. The follow up appointment never happened. At first it was due to inclement weather, and no fault to them. My issue during this time was the lack of communication. After each cancellation I had to call to attempt a reschedule, and I did ask for the estimate on the items not related to the water damage until they were able to complete their roof test. I never received a reply or an estimate. Fast forward to now, and I recontacted them hoping to get an estimate for at least the foundation repair since I have some of the other work completed by others. I spoke with Beth who remember me and since the beginning has been great, and pleasure to speak with. She informed me the representative who I originally spoke with was no longer with the company, and she would have Jim contact me regarding setting up a time for an estimate. A week went by with no contact. I called back and requested an update on setting up an estimate, and was told I would be contacted by someone who was familiar with my request. I received an email a few hours later stating they would not be able to send anyone out to provide an estimate until March 2016. I am glad others had a better experience than me.

Mr. Graves and his team were exceptional. From the beginning visit, he was professional and very helpful in the design and utilization of our space. He was always receptive to our ideas and his suggestions were thoughtful and only added to our overall design. We met with his design team before work started and made all our selections so that when we signed the contract, the contract was detailed and the cost was exact not allowances so there were no surprises during the construction process. The workmen were polite, respectful of our home and easy to work with. Mr. Graves was on site and quick to respond to any questions or concerns we might have. The project was completed on time and on budget and we couldn't be happier with the final result.

The project manager, Tom, was extremely professional and showed up on time as he communicated to me. The work was very high-quality and met my standards. There were a few change orders but I think they were priced fairly. I am resolving one issue with the company currently but they have been very cooperative in addressing my concern. Because I had hardwood floors installed in the entire downstairs of the house, I had a toilet replaced in a half bath. After the toilet and floors were replaced, the rest of the bathroom looked pretty shabby. There was enough of the countertop used in the kitchen (Cambria quartz) to make a countertop that was replaced on an existing cabinet along with a new sink and faucet. So while I did not plan to do a bathroom makeover, it was the right time and the result looks really great. The vast majority of the work was completed within two weeks, including the floors. The company met its commitments with respect to the timeframe for work completion which was very important to me as I was scheduled for major surgery and I really needed to have this done before the surgery. I truly believe that I healed faster because I did not have to look at the old kitchen and floors while I recovered.

Our project began in March. Jim provided a detailed line item cost estimate for the remodeling of our two bathrooms. Jim and his people were very helpful in the process to select materials for the project. Materials were delivered in April when the project work began. Throughout the process all of Graves' people were very professional and were clear in the explanation of what they were doing. The craftsmanship for all the work was exceptional. Every day, when work was concluded, the area was clean and ready for the next day. Because we were having two bathrooms remodeled, it was necessary to have one available at all times. All work was coordinated and this was successfully accomplished. At the conclusion of all work, there was a short punchlist for follow up. All items were addressed promptly and completed to our satisfaction. It was a pleasure working with Jim and his organization on our project. We are very happy with the final results.

We are very pleased with all of the work done by JLG Builds. Everyone on Jim Graves' team, from designers to subcontractors, was professional and polite. The work involved gutting the kitchen and re-routing the air-conditioning duct, as well as removing all flooring from the foyer and powder room. We requested a last-minute change in the layout of the new flooring, and JLG, and the subcontractor, easily accommodated this. JLG Builds will not leave the job until the homeowner is completely satisfied. Because of their terrific design, attention to detail, and thoroughness, we are completely satisfied. We would not hesitate to recommend James L. Graves Construction, or to call them again for additional work on our home.

We had a great experience with James L. Graves Construction. We chose JLG over six other contractors to remodel our master bathroom. This was our first renovation project as home owners and we went thru a lot of due diligence. Everything went more smoothly than we expected thanks to JLG. We selected JLG for their positive angie's list reviews, responsiveness, pricing transparency, and design service. JLG visited our home, took measurements, and came back promptly with a design proposal incorporating their experiences, the idiosyncrasies of our home, and our ideas & preferences. JLG mocked up blue prints with before and after images of how the bathroom would look. Importantly the proposal pricing was structured in a very transparent fashion breaking down labor, parts, profit margins, etc. The project was delivered on budget. The only marginal cost over runs were either of our choosing (installing a rain head) or well rationed by the requirements of the project. The workers were courteous, respectful, and we never ran into any issues dealing with them over three weeks. The craftsmanship, particularly the tiling, was top notch. JLG's owner himself came to visit after the project was complete to walk thru for quality control. My extended family has experience in home renovations and confirmed everything on this remodel was done to a high standard. The only minor thing is we had to do a deep cleaning of the bedroom for post construction dust control. The worker's cleaned up every day but home owners will always have their own preferences (we are admittedly picky in this area). A deeper cleaning of the work space would be the only possible constructive feedback I have to improve the overall service. As reflected in our 'A' rating this doesn't impact our overall positive impression of JLG. We have a couple other projects in the years ahead for our home and JLG will very likely be our first (and only) call. Thanks to the team for a job well done.

Mr. Graves is a very busy man, but he is also very professional and is prompt and keeps his appointments. His initial visit was very thorough and we went through a lot of options and what-ifs; he had many good suggestions and we wound up acting on many of his ideas. A preliminary drawing was completed and basic materials selected before a cost estimate was provided. During this phase we worked with the office staff who assisted in the plans and the materials selections. This was in contrast to most of the contractors who either gave us a back of the envelope figure at the time of the visit or provided a written proposal with lots of "allowances" for the materials via an email which usually arrived after a day or two. Graves' proposal was not the cheapest, but it was comparable, and with many of the specifics nailed down, it is hard to tell whether the other proposals would not have grown to even higher than Graves' once their "allowances" were specified. Once work started, we were impressed with the professionalism of both the office staff answering questions and responding to our requests and the team of craftsmen who were meticulous in minimizing impact to the rest of the home while demolishing and then installing everything. They worked with us to address our suggestions and requirements within the scope of the proposal. Several minor changes were re-negotiated in the midst of the job and this was handled by the office and the crew seamlessly. The crew was highly respectful and friendly and courteous and worked with us to get things done to our satisfaction. Mr. Graves did an inspection during the critical phase of the tile-work, and came over to provide direction to ensure the "balance" of the room and tile work was maintained Once the job was near completion, our punch lists were handled with grace and promptness. Mr. Graves came over to give it his final inspection and he found a number of minor touch-ups that we hadn't caught. He also ordered some minor adjustments to re-hang the entrance doors at our request, even though the problem was a material issue and not a workmanship issue. There is nothing trivial about having a crew of workmen invading your house daily while first demolishing and then reconstructing a major section of your home; however Mr. Graves and his team make it about as painless and non-intrusive as possible. Being highly pleased about the final results also helps.

The team at James L Graves Construction did a great job on my bathroom. Jim did the estimate and initial visit, but the day to day work was done by his team, of course. It did take some time to get started after that first visit, but that was as much on me for taking my time selecting finishes and fixtures as anything, and Jim was clear on when they'd be able to get to my work when we first talked. The project manager (Tom), office manager (Beth), and tile installer (Mauricio) were all great to work with and I couldn't be happier with the results. When minor issues came up they discussed them with me and gave me good options for handling them. Mauricio did truly beautiful work with the tile I selected, which was not the easiest to work with. I live in a condo building with restrictions on when contractors can do certain types of work, and the staff at the building were happy working with the team, who followed the policies even when inconvenient to them (such as delayed starts for major noise). I'll sum it up by saying that as soon as this project was done, I started working with them on my second bathroom and a partial kitchen remodel, which is currently underway with a different team but going just as well.

James L. Graves was able to do all the work needed, including mold remediation due to water damage in the in-law cottage. Jim, the owner, gave us the most comprehensive estimate of the work needed. He was very knowledgeable and friendly, and explained every aspect of the job to me. His approach is that he only repairs what needs repairing (unlike another contractor who wanted to tear everything out including the roof). They removed mildewed/moldy areas, treated with mold inhibitor where needed, replaced 3 windows, drywall, and sections of outer walls and floors in two rooms. They painted the whole interior, replaced carpeting and tile, changed light fixtures, and installed a hose bib. They were very good at staying on schedule and keeping us informed about the job. Jeremy did most of the work for us, and he was great--very skilled in a number of areas, and friendly and willing to do whatever we asked him to. He called me whenever he discovered issues needing more work (which means more money), so we never felt blindsided by them. The owner of the company, Jim, stopped by several times to check on progress and address additional work, which I really appreciated. We will definitely use this company again. It is hard to find good customer service these days, and James L. Graves Construction provides the best. This is a company you can trust.

Jim is very knowledgeable and has an excellent group of people working for him. He made suggestions when we asked for help and explained when he did not think something would work the way we wanted it to. We were very satisfied with the designer, the project lead and the workmanship. They demolished the old kitchen, saving the cabinets and appliances so they could be donated to Habitat for Humanity when asked..The work crew blocked off areas so that there would not be construction mess in other rooms. They cleaned up daily. They communicated well throughout the whole project and answered any question or concern. The office staff was very helpful too. The entire project took about 3 weeks and we're very pleased with the results. We had one concern about something after they were done, and they came back and fixed it. We have used them for two construction projects and would certainly recommend them and would use them again.

I had a wonderful experience working with Graves Construction. Everyone they employ and work with are professional, polite, and prompt. I had great communication with office staff, and the estimate process was thorough and detailed. I had no surprises in terms of cost, work being done, and work time tables. All of Grave's subcontractors are true professionals who are polite, accomodating, and self-starting. I only had to give a few ideas for what I wanted done and they were able to execute in a timely and skillful manner. My whole project was completed in a week, from framing to finished drywall and trim. I even had special sound-isolating drywall installed, and the drywall subcontractor knew exactly how to use the special adhesive and joint sealant. I would absolutely recommend Graves Construction to friends, and will look to them in the future for more work to be done in my home.

This project took many months from the beginning to the end. The actual construction took about 2 months. The finished kitchen looks terrific. After the cabinets were ordered there was a known delay of at least 8 weeks until the cabinets were made. There was an additional delay in the starting time after the cabinets were ready due to other JLG jobs in progress. Once the project started, the workers came regularly to make progress until the finish. As the house was built in the 1930s, there were a few unexpected issues that came up. The biggest was probably the need to reinforce the support for the ceiling once the oven partition wall was removed. Jim and his team proposed an excellent solution and were able to modify plans and complete the work at a reasonable cost. There were quite a number of subcontractors assigned to complete te various tasks. The contractors, mostly, protected other areas from dirt, debris and damage. They put covers down to protect the floors in the foyer. There was more dust and dirt from the floor work than we expected and the area could have been protected better. At the end of the day, the work area was cleaned up and any trash removed. When we were not here, the house was always properly secured. We selected 3 different paint colors that were applied as requested. The edges are clean and the paint looks great. Additionally, the painters helped us remove some large pieces of art that were hung above the regular ceiling heights. To our surprise and delight, they took photographs and rehang the art when they were done. Since we are home most days, we interacted with employees of Graves Construction and the contractors. Everyone was very professional and rightfully proud of their work. At the end of the project, as noted above, the old refridgerator and microwave were removed and also an old TV that was very large and heavy--above and beyond our expectations.

I am very happy with the work that was done. We went through the process of designing and ordering all the cabinetry and countertops for the kitchen renovation and everything came out looking great. The granite countertops and cabinets are beautiful and the space is very usable and comfortable. The floors in the kitchen match the original floors in the house which were sanded and re-stained. Jim is very involved in the process and I felt like I was taken care of from beginning to end. I couldn't say much more other than I'm very happy with how everything looks and feels.

I was pretty satisfied with their service. There were just minor issues. When they said they were done, I found a few spots above the garage door trim and the door trim so they had to come back the next day to finish the work. I found another company that was willing to do the work for $100-$150 to do the work but they were a bigger company so I went with them.