AES Builder & Home Improvements

AES Homebuilders worked nothing short of a miracle in my home! I hired them to remodel my basement. They took a dark, dusty, dated space and transformed it into a contemporary, comfortable and light filled apartment. This was a total remodel that included a tear out, an electrical heavy up, new plumbing, leveling floors, water proofing and tying in a new bathroom to existing plumbing. The space features a bathroom, kitchenette, sitting area, two large closets, a stackable washer and dryer unit, and a bedroom. They converted the garage into the bedroom, cutting through a cinder block wall to install a new window, pouring concrete to level the floor, and creating a new entry/foyer area where the garage door was formerly located. They also redid the railing on my upstairs porch and designed a beautiful façade for the new entryway with window, door, sidelight and siding. The design ties in nicely with my Georgian style brick home My house was constructed in 1947, which means there is not a square wall or level floor in the space due to natural settlement. When you walk into the apartment, you get the feeling you are in new brand new construction. My installer Steve and his assistant Kim were a highlight of my day. I could set my watch by their arrival time. They were consistently there at 7:30, despite their commute from Baltimore to my home which is just outside of DC. They were on the job every day until the work was completed. They consulted with me on important decisions and when they needed to make a judgment call in my absence, it was always right on the money. I had a very good idea what I wanted, as I had ruminated over this space for years. Their experience and keen eye led to recommendations that I had not considered and that significantly improved the flow/design of the space. They were very pleasant, polite and professional. I felt very comfortable with them in my home. AES made very good recommendations regarding companies to work with to purchase my cabinets, granite, flooring, tiles etc. All materials were of high quality and the costs were very good because they extend their contractor discount to me. I purchased some materials on my own as well with the help and guidance of my installer. My experience from the beginning of my interaction with AES to the final sign off was AMAZING. Bill my sales person and Scott the architect were very patient with me as we worked through the details, project scoping and costs. They did not rush me in my decision making process, answered all of my questions and were quite entertaining even after hours of discussion. These guys have worked together for a long time and it?s obvious because they are on the same page which made my experience that much easier. Tim Munson, the owner of the company was very accessible which was impressive. Everyone on the staff, from the women in the front office, to the sales team to the builders were a joy to work with. This is a testament to the company and its leadership. This project was a huge undertaking. I was confident but nervous at the outset. Everyone at AES put my mind at ease, and they delivered in a huge way. I Am So Grateful to have found this company. Throughout the project my friends would ask me how things were going and my reply was always, ?I love my contractors?! My friends would say, Wow. I?ve never heard anyone say THAT before. I have several other projects that I plan to complete in preparation for my retirement and I will definitely be calling on AES! I hope they will work with me again, especially now that they are familiar with all the quirks of my aging home. This was not a straightforward project for even this company, by any means. The only ?negative? experience I had working with AES, if I can call it that, was that my project was delayed in starting. As with all contracting, start and end dates are tough to call. As a project manager by profession, I totally get that. My original start date was off by about 8 weeks, which was giving me a little angst by week 4. I have to say, in spite of this, AES was ABSOLUTLEY WORTH THE WAIT! I will wait for them again for my next endeavor if necessary. Good contractors are hard to find. Finding a great contractor is nothing short of a blessing. My hat?s off to AES. My next project will be installing a laundry room, expanding my powder room and installing new floors and granite in my kitchen. I look forward to doing business with them again.

They are fantastic and do excellent work.

I was 90% satisfied. They had a great team that came out. The quality of work was good. The sales team didn't do a good job at recommending things for the basement but they didn't communicate with the installation team and they didn't finish the job.

After setting up an appointment for tonight at 7:30 they call to tell me the job is too "small" for them. They were going to provide an estimate to rip out and install a new shower. I wasted my Friday evening by canceling my plans and they call an hour before to tell me I am basically not worth their time. Horrible service.

.Tim responded to my email within a few hours. Since I have lots of items needing repair he asked Scott to call and set up a time to look at the projects. Again, within a few hours Scott replied and then came out within 2 days! He took the time to do a complete inspection and listened to what I wanted to do. He also has a great sense of humor. He consulted with his "door expert" Steve and they were both back in my house within a week. Several people had looked at the doors (including Marvin) and either said they couldn't be fixed or wanted to cut through the stucco to reset the doors. Steve and Scott brainstormed and had both doors repaired in 2.5 hours. Steve took off the upper piece of trim inside the house, screwed the sagging frames up and reset the locks. He left the room cleaner than it was when he started. Steve said he'd been with the company for many years and had installed about 60,000 doors and windows. I was very pleased with the quality, price and speed of their service. They aren't able to get to my other projects until January but they made the time to fix the doors before really cold weather got here. Thanks to you all. I will wait until they can come back instead of looking for another contractor who is available now. A+++

Overall it went very well. The folks at AES are very professional and take their jobs seriously. They are happy to take care of all of the details for you, but we chose to select and provide our own materials. One of the company representatives, Dave Hill, helped us through the entire selection and purchase process and that was invaluable. We saved quite a bit of money, thousands of dollars, by purchasing our materials directly. We were flexible with the timing of the project so scheduling was not a problem. Don was the lead on our bathroom remodel and he did an amazing job. In particular, our new master bath looks better than I had envisioned when the project started. I am quick to show my friends the pictures of the finished product!

Work began on schedule and progressed rapidly. Once again James and Perry were great with the children asking questions and being underfoot at times. We are a large, homeschooling family so all of this was fascinating for the children to watch. There was only one "snag" in the entire process. When the half wall was removed, it was discovered to house vent pipes. We were expecting to have revise the kitchen plans of these pipes. AES called their plumbing subcontractor who came out the same day go give us an estimate to move the pipes. The estimate turned out to be very reasonable and we agreed to move the pipes. The next day the plumbers came out, moved the pipes into the outside wall and work continued on schedule. Overall the work was completed in a timely manner and on time. I have recommended AES to several people looking for home improvement work because of our wonderful experiences.

We called AES and David Hill promptly came and gave us an estimate that was below what we expected to pay. We received two other estimates and were not happy with the estimates or the gentlemen who provided them. We have dealt with David in the past and he was respectful and answered all of our questions. We were given a start date, but the work was done earlier. There were some problems but these were promptly corrected to our satisfaction. True to their motto "THEY WERE NOT DONE UNTIL WE WERE HAPPY"!!!!!

David Hill showed up punctually and gave us a lot of information. They unfortunately were too busy to be able to work on our bathroom (we needed work done ASAP to replace a damaged bath tub), but the estimator was nice enough to sit down with us and talk to us about what work should be done and what to expect in terms of duration and scope of work. He was extremely professional and provided invaluable advice about what kind of materials to use and what to avoid. It was a very helpful experience and I would recommend them to others.

The AES Team could not have done a better job. They worked with us from conception to completion and were very responsive to all of our needs. The completed work was well beyond our expectations and we have already recommended them to one of our friends. David Hill (salesman) and Steve Peragallo (project manager) and his construction team were absolutely wonderful to work with. We have given this company the highest ratings and would gladly recommend them to anyone looking for a great remodel team.

Scott Chattin came out to my house and looked at my recently flooded-and-demo'ed basement. (rec room and laundry) He walked through lots of possibilities, listened to my "dream list" and sat with me to give me a rough estimate of the work. He was terrific and very professional. I decided to go with another company not only because AES's cost was on the high end, but mostly because they couldn't begin the work until December and I'm hoping to have a usable basement before then. I would absolutely call them for estimates on future jobs.

I contacted AES Builders to build a shed in my back yard, we had an appointment for Thursday 18 Sep, I called them to confirm one hour before our appointment, at that time they told me they would be there. 30 min later they called me to cancel, with no excuse. This is bad business!

We cannot speak highly enough of Jim, who estimated the remodel for us, as well as assisted with conceptualizing the design. Throughout the entire process, Jim was very responsive to our inquiries and very flexible with adjusting the estimate as we changed the scope of the job. In addition, when we wanted certain wording changed in the contract, Jim made it happen. As for the actual execution of the job, we feel very fortunate to have drawn Ben as our project manager. Ben was very detail-oriented, extremely responsive to texts/emails, and worked very cleanly. He constantly bounced ideas off us and always steered us in the right direction. There were times when Ben double checking with us prevented us from making bad construction choices, and we are very grateful that he gently guided us in the right direction. Of course, as with all jobs of this size, there were certainly things that could have been improved. First, it is fair to say that we were not entirely pleased with the custom cabinetry, which was provided by Hammerhead--an AES subcontractor. While the end product looks great, there are some design features we requested that were not executed appropriately. There were also some breakdowns in communication between AES and Hammerhead. On one occasion, the workers were using old cabinet designs as the basis for planning the under-cabinet and in-cabinet lighting. If not for us noticing the mix-up and correcting it on the spot, serious errors would have been made. Second, some of the change order items AES asked us to pay seemed, for lack of a better word, "nitpicky." For example, we were asked to pay extra money for hanging a TV, installing outlets that were all decora, and relocating a cable outlet. While AES did offer many of these items as concessions at the end of the job due to the problems with the custom cabinets, they seemed like the sort of things that shouldn't have been a problem to do for free to begin with given the overall price of the job. I want to reiterate, though, AES dealt with us in a very professional manner when we expressed our displeasure about the change order items, and they were willing to make concessions when appropriate. Third, the job went maybe a week or two longer than I know both we and AES had been hoping. There were problems with all of the custom cabinet parts arriving, as well as a custom transom arriving. The under-cabinet and in-cabinet LED lighting also proved very problematic for the electricians. Ultimately, all of these items turned out fine--even beautifully--but the process took longer than anticipated. All of that said, I do not believe anyone could go wrong working with Jim and Ben at AES on a kitchen/bathroom remodel. Like any home remodel job, there will be setbacks and miscommunications from time to time. However, there are no two nicer, more professional, more skilled people in the business to navigate the home remodel highs and lows with you than Jim and Ben. AES should definitely be given the opportunity to earn your business.

We hired AES back in February because we were the most impressed with their vision for transforming our basement bathroom and laundry room. For a comparable amount of money to other contractors we talked to, AES had the best idea for making the most of our space. We essentially switched our bathroom and laundry room. They helped us go shopping for all the finishing materials for the bathroom and laundry room which saved us a significant amount of money. The work did not actually start until the middle of July. When the work started, it took about a week longer than was originally estimated and there were some communication issues along the way. These were, I think, all pretty minor. It was amazing to see the transformation of the space, and the quality of the work was awesome. We now have two beautiful, functional rooms and they totally blend in with the rest of our basement. It is like they have always been there. A co-worker commented that our bathroom looks like it is out of a magazine! We would definitely recommend AES.

Below is a copy of an email I sent to the owner of AES. There is a note at the end about finishing the siding on my porch. The job was PERFECT! AES's carpenter (Frank), milled the lumber to match the existing siding of our 1924 home. No one could have done a better job! Hello Tim, I?ve been doing a lot of complaining lately. I want to also take time and do some complimenting. Let me start by giving you just a little background info. This isn?t our first time dealing with contractors. Our current home was remodeled with a family room and gas fireplace, master bedroom with separate bath, a finished basement with an extra bedroom and a conversion from hot water baseboard heating to forced heat with central air. To keep it short, it was a nightmare! So, before I chose your company, I did my homework. I even purchased an Angie?s list membership for the sole purpose of getting as much information as I could about your company and the service you provide. I also clearly can hear your voice on WBAL telling the world: ?When we?re done, you?ll be happy and if you?re not happy, we?re not done.? Forgive me if I miss quoted. Although, I?m no longer in the customer service field, I spent over 15 years submersed in it. I know what it means to provide excellent service and to manage others who represent you and your work ethic. I walked into this project with my gloves on. I know you?re a busy man, so I won?t take up much more of your time. I don?t need to repeat what you already know. What I will say is that I?m Happy. I?m incredibly happy with Ron?s finished project. I?m also very happy that he took the time to stand in front of me and personally apologize for his actions. He offered no excuses but was very sincere in his regrets and his desires to ensure that I was a happy customer. He really did do an excellent job, despite what it took for me to get there. His craftsmanship is beautiful! The electricians you sent to my house (Kevin Marshall) was top notch! I immediately felt like I was in capable hands. His demeanor was very professional yet very warm. His crew worked extremely hard for him. Glen was a work horse!! Finally? Tim, I can?t tell you how much it meant to me that you took the time to come to our home and resolve our issues. You know that saying: ?The customer is always right!? Well, If I wasn?t, you sure made me feel like I was. So, in a nutshell, we got off to a bad start. I think everyone learned from their lessons and I?m happy. I?m happy as long as Frank comes through on Saturday to complete my siding :-) I?m looking forward to when you and Dave stop by and share a bottle a wine with us so we can just shake hands and chuckle. I?m happy to refer anyone your way that asks about our remodel. Sincerely, Subrinia & Michael

My experience with AES was a very positive one from the initial estimation to the end results. David Hill did our estimate for the work to be performed and it was accurate almost to the dollar. Since I was inexperienced at buying products for the bathrooms, Dave spent his entire Sunday helping me purchase products and with the exception of the shower, I got everything I needed the same day. In addition, Dave directed me to a company that could obtain the correct shower for my space. I would most assuredly want David to be my rep next time. The actual carpenter, Mike was just another great surprise from AES. He was professional, honest, punctual, focused, never left in the afternoon until everything was cleaned up and I loved his kind yet industrious temperament. My husband and I are extremely happy with the end results. The fact that Dave and Mike went above and beyond seems to be a standard set forth by this company. Since I have experienced the effort by these two men giving their best even in a moderate upgrade, I will only use them in the future for similar work.

Aes was very prompt in contacting us. The estimator was very fair and his pricing and was very detailed in his contract. Brian and his crew did a fabulous job. He kept us aware of every detail as he was working. He cleaned up after himself daily. I would recommend Aes and Brian for any home remodeling that you would want to have done. Me and my husband are extremely happy and would recommend AES to all of our friends and all of Angie's list members. They are worth every penny they charge.

AES did a great job. The staff were great, pleasant to work with on the project. If I had a question or a concern they answered me quickly. I had some additional drywall sanding that needed to be done and they worked around my schedule and came in to do it as quickly as possible. I recommend them and will use them in the future.

I've had bad experience with contractors in the past who never showed up, so I thought AES would provide better service since they had a guarantee and claimed to be a Christian company. They first painted the living room and dining room then installed the floor. They told me that the job would take one month and it took them more than 8 months. When they laid the tiles, they were so uneven in places that my wife stubbed her toe. There was a transition piece from the living room to the kitchen that had been glued over the kitchen floor. When they took up the transition piece, they did not remove the glue from the kitchen floor. When my wife asked about it, they told her that they could not get it up. My wife was not happy with this answer and spent the evening on her hands and knees with a butter knife and vinegar and got it up herself. They also sealed the living room floor before they completely cleaned the grout from the top of the tiles. When my wife complained, they told us that it would come up on its own in a couple of years if she washed it enough. Needless to say, this was not satisfactory and so we pursued the matter further. They also did a lousy job with the paint lines between the trim work and the walls. After several complaints to the owner, they reluctantly repainted, re-floored and had someone do patchwork on other imperfections. They had to redo almost all the work they initially performed. Tim Munson, the owner, eventually return my calls and finally completed the job after 8 months. Today, my front storm door handle fell off, so I repaired it myself because I know that AES will take weeks to address this problem. We used AES because I wanted the job done correctly even though they cost more. I strongly recommend that you do not hire AES.

It took 3 men 27 days to do the work. The floor was rotten from water damage. The cement surrounding the house was crumpling and allowing water to leak in the basement. It took about 34 wheelbarrows of cement. They did a beautiful job. They replaced the entire roof on the brick walls. I put new gutters and steel doors. I had a custom door ordered and fixed in. I have recommended them to various people.

My salesperson, David Hill, was very pleasant and easy to work with. He was very helpful throughout the entire process. Josh, the person in charge of my project, was terrific. Very high standards for the work and willing to take the time to get it right. He took good care of my home and I felt very comfortable leaving him and his crew in my home while I went about my day. Both projects turned out beautifully! There was a problem with a leak in the sunroom roof after the job was completed, but AES came out and fixed everything quickly and professionally. I have worked with contractors in the past who disappear once they have their final payment. AES couldn't have been more responsive or professional. The mark of a good company is how problems are handled - AES made sure I was happy and treated me like a valued customer.

I called AES for an estimate to remodel parts of our home. The man I spoke with was very professional. I would have liked to have had them submit a quote but they were 16 weeks out before they could work on our home. So he refered me to Handyman from Heaven to help us in the meantime. It was nice that he had a backup plan for customers he couldn't immediately service. I did call Handyman and they are going to help us with some of our remodeling.

Bill came to my house late in the day, which was very convenient for me, and walked me through all the steps it would take to renovate a terrible bathroom. He was very thorough, told me what challenges we would face, and presented me with a vision of how we could turn this mess into something fresh, modern, and useful. I'm still in the information-gathering stage of doing this overhaul, but AES made a strong case and I'll definitely be considering them. I also have some other, smaller projects that I'd like to do, and I'll almost certainly be calling AES.

The repair want well. It took a little longer than anticipated, but the two workers came back after eating their dinner and worked till dark to get the job done. I was very impressed. We had had leaking around our chimney into the ceiling. we waited a while before repairing and repainting. After going through many rainstorms we were confident the problems was solved and went ahead and repainted.

Jim was great. Prompt visit to measure and discuss project. Very timely, detailed and accurate estimate. I decided not to purse the project at this time. Will definitely consider for future projects and recommend to anyone!