AES Builder & Home Improvements

The responsiveness and punctuality of this company seem to be outstanding. Looking through their previous projects and thier rating here on Angies List and elsewhere, I have no doubt that they are a quality company that would have done an excellent job for our remodeling needs. The estimate was higher than we expected, but nevertheless seemed comprehensive and fair. I would not worry if hiring this company that they were going to do a shoddy job. HOWEVER, I found the sales "tactic" used by our estimator Jeff extremely off-putting and wanted to share my experience so that other Angies List members may be prepared. Whenever completing remodeling on my home, I get several estimates, usually 3-5 from well-rated companies. I think this is wise general practice and helps me choose a company I am comfortable with and at a price I know is both reasonable and competitive, but not so low that I should worry about work quality. Throughout our estimate experience, Jeff kept saying "I know I won't be back" and "I know I won't be hearing from you again" and "I know if I leave here today you will choose another cheaper company." It was actually rather offensive and while he also continually said that he does not judge people, we couldn't help but get the impression that he was doing just that. In addition, they offer an aggressive "incentive" (discount off the estimate price) if you agree same day. They basically called it a one-day sale. Which in essence forces the buyer to either choose right then or go with another company. Becuase why would I choose AES now - knowing that I could have paid a price thousands of dollars cheaper for the same work? I have decided in advance that I will NEVER sign a contract with a company the same day they provide me with an estimate. I want to think things over, compare estimates and companies, and make an informed decision. And yes I know it costs your company money to send out an estimator to my home for a free estimate - but an hour of your time (less if you didn't spend 30 minutes telling us we won't hire you) is not worth $2500! Overall - if you are willing to overlook what I consider to be serious deficiencies in the "Professionalism" department, I think that they would do a high quality job at a fair to moderately high price.

It went very well. This was our only bathroom in the house and we wanted a quick but thorough remodel. They were able to accomplish this. Cudos to Mike. He did a great job. We love our newly renovated bathroom. It is so nice to have a modern bathroom that is beautiful in design as well.

For our bathroom remodeling project, we requested and compared estimates from 5 companies. Bill Minor from AES gave us a very detailed estimate for a full bathroom remodel project. He was punctual, professional and polite. He covered everything from demolition of bath walls to providing recommendations on tiles and fixtures. He provided us with a comprehensive estimate on every item of the remodel process including labor. He also talked through about AES extended warranty on labor. In the end we chose another contractor that was cheaper than AES. We would recommend AES to anyone looking to get a competitive estimate and would consider them for our future projects.

It was two young men that did the entire job for two weeks, so they didn't change crews. They did a good job and they were very responsive. They were done right on the two week timeline that the said. They were good about cleaning everything up, especially since one of the bathrooms was the master bathroom so that we could still use the bedroom without having stuff everywhere. They were always concerned that we were satisfied with the way they were doing everything the way we wanted, especially when we were looking in on them. We also talked with them at the end of each day to discuss what was going on for the next day, so that was nice. They were very easy to get along with. They did a good job, were prompt and on time. One of the things that we were looking for in a company was that they would use their own employees and not contract the work out to other companies. So that way we would know if there was ever any problems we could just go back to the one company to have any problems resolved.

I loved everything that they did. Didn't care for the salesperson. He didn't give enough flexibility

The estimate was based on removing the damaged flooring that may have to include removing cabinets above refrigerator, side panels on each side of the refrigerator and the cabinet to the left of the refrigerator with the granite top in order to replace the floor. It was estimated to take 3 days. The workers, Steve & Kim, arrived on a Fri afternoon to assess the damage and removed the affected wood from the floor. They did not need to remove the side panels, or any of the cabinets or granite saving a lot of time and effort. They arrived on Monday to replace the wood and completed the work the same day. It only took about a day and a half for the repairs but it did not change the estimated price. They did a great job and I'm very pleased with their professionalism, work ethic and quality of work. I was not too happy that I had to pay for 3 days of labor for 1.5 days of work.

I chose another bid based on some very specific requirements.

AES customer service was excellent from start to finish. Bill Minor (provided the estimate) was wonderful to work with. He visited our home twice and was flexible with our busy work schedules (offering evening appointments). He was patient and came up with a great design for a rather challenging space. The estimate was fair and reasonable, given the amount of work required. He even assisted us with obtaining information about financing options. In the end, we decided to hold off on doing the work temporarily, in order to save additional funds. We were very pleased with our AES/Bill Minor experience and fully intend to contact Bill as soon as we are ready to proceed.

I started this project by speaking with one of the "big box" stores and I found their responsiveness appalling. I then contacted AES via online, and I received a call the next day. I had heard of them through advertising on the radio as well as on Angie's list. David Hill (410.733.5535) came out and met with us to do the initial review of the project. He was not a high pressure sales person. He listened to our goals, asked great questions, and understood that we were on a budget. We signed the contract that night - in the fall. David and I spent one day going to different vendors so that I could learn about wood floors, granite (that was a fascinating place to watch them move the huge slabs), and tile. He also connected me to another vendor for all of the bathroom things. I felt like I became a really educated consumer. They began work on January 6 which was actually 2 weeks earlier than the contract date. Our project manager was Brian, and he was truly a craftsman. He was ably assisted by Mattie and John. The crew arrived every day on time and worked efficiently throughout the day. At the end of the day, Brian would review what had been done, and then would tell us what would be done the next day. They encountered several problems in the bathroom as they had to tear out a closet in order to install a longer vanity. By the time problems were identified, he already had solutions. Our bathroom ceiling is textured; inside the closet was not textured. When Brian finished, you would never know that that portion of the ceiling had never been that way. He always asked what I would like when there were options - for example did I want the porcelain tiles in the bathroom laid in straight lines or off-set. I hadn't ever thought about that one. He recommended off-set as he said it's more interesting that way - he was right. He was not satisfied with anything that was not perfect. I chose a slate backsplash for the kitchen and decided that I wanted it laid on the diagonal. A backsplash like that is much more time consuming and he designed the layout of the tiles in a way that made the most of the natural color of the stones. It was fascinating to watch him lay the grout using a bag that reminded me of a frosting bag. it's more time consuming to grout slate than tile. I purchased on the tile store's recommendation a particular sealer to be applied. Brian did a test on one of the tiles and wasn't happy with it. He said we needed a sealer and enhancer. After the end date, he came out this past Saturday to apply the new product which was must better - (I wish you could see the backsplash!) As far as cleanup, remodeling is a messy project and dust is everywhere. Each day, all materials, tools, etc. were neatly put away and the areas were as clean as they could possibly be. We gave Brian the key to our house, and we never worried about that. In short, if I ever remodel anything in the future, AES would be my first choice and my only choice. It could not have gone any better, and we felt like we have made new friends with these folks. BTW, AES provides a 5 year warranty on all labor - the state only requires one year. That's pretty impressive also! A great company - you can't go wrong with them.

Start to finish this was one of the best shopping experiences I've ever had. Scheduling was very easy, and Jeff - our sales advisor - was prompt and communicative at every step of the way. Jeff had to deliver some bad news to us immediately - our dreams exceeded our budget. But he was very quick to work a solution that we could afford and still be very happy with. Jeff didn't play any games and I believe he gave us best and final pricing at our first meeting. Jeff was a real pleasure to work with all along, meeting us at AES' recommended suppliers for cabinets, tile, and counters. He was patient and helpful - giving us honest advice on design and price, and spending as much time with us as we needed at multiple supplier visits. Jeff met when we were able, and was very respectful of our schedules. If you're going to use AES, I'd recommend asking for Jeff! Jeff and our Senior Carpenter Steve met with me on December 23rd - Steve was just as personable and helpful as Jeff. Steve instilled confidence immediately, and we quickly got down to details - I love working with people who you can tell are solving problems quickly in their mind (I'm an engineer). Jeff had braced us for a 5 week project, and Steve was clear on that first visit that he was going to finish much faster. Steve and his helper Kim arrived promptly at 7 AM on January 2nd. By Friday the 3rd all rooms were completely demo'd. The pace was fast and furious throughout the project - in a very good way! Kim greeted me every morning promptly at 7 AM with a smile and a firm handshake. Steve usually got there a little later - I'm sure spending the early morning on all of those details that foreman manage. So Kim was always on the front lines of my 100 questions/concerns from my hours of inspection each night after they left. And there were some legitimate concerns at times (more on that in a moment). No matter what I had on my mind, Kim would instantly set my mind at ease, and always advised that he would huddle with Steve and that they would make sure I'm happy. And they did every time... Steve was there to give us daily updates when my wife or I got home, and stayed to work through whatever we had on our minds. All in all it was very collaborative. We did have a bit of an issue with the floor grout we collectively chose. Mosaic Tile sold us what they said was the best of the best - Tec Power Grout. It was touted by Mosaic as never needing sealant or even additive. I quickly discovered that it was curing very slowly, and a few drops of water on the grout would soften it - even after being set for days. I was mortified! AES assured me all along it would be OK. I did some research and contacted the manufacturer, while AES huddled with Mosaic. They allowed me to be a part of the solution process, working with me. The solution from Tec was to apply a product to each and every grout line - about 700 sqft. of tile - with a little tiny paintbrush. Twice. AES took care of all of this without increasing my contract amount, focusing on making it right. It worked, and all was well. Another issue we found was that I had been having water leak in my patio door for years. The floor was a bit rotten after 12 years. Steve and AES could have easily used the opportunity to take advantage of me. Instead he helped me identify a few areas in a transom window that may be the cause (caulk should remedy), and he repaired the area sufficiently to continue without impacting budget. I also need to mention - they had a LOT of tile to cut. There were two major tile cutting days - once for the floor, once for the backsplash. And wouldn't you know it, both days were about 5 degrees outside. Rather than cutting inside and making a mess, they remained on schedule by grinding it out and cutting tile in my cold garage - with a wet saw - for 2 full days. Poor Kim did most of the cutting, but I don't think I could have pulled a complaint out of him. Kim - with your skill and work ethic, you will go far in life. AES, you have a true gem under your employ in Kim... Once the floor was down - I guess that was about one week into the project - work continued to move very quickly. Despite the pace, the work was *by no means* rushed. Steve and Kim are *very* meticulous craftsmen. Their work was precise, detailed, and outright perfect. Throughout the process, Steve and Kim were very respectful of my home. They removed their shoes when moving off the work path, they were extremely polite, they cleaned up extra on Fridays so we could maneuver better on the weekend, etc. They also played a very diverse and eclectic music mix - all family friendly - and sang quite a bit (very well I might add). Be warned - Steve is an album guy, Kim is a playlist guy. It's a generational thing! My entire job took three weeks and two days. They gave me a chance before their last day to add any details that needed addressing - I found a few things, but they were *very* minute things. By then end of the last day, my job was PERFECT. PERFECT. They gave everything a very nice cleaning, and left it 'move in ready'. Also, I will admit, they destroyed my garage - with all of the cutting and such, to spare my home from the mess of course. I wasn't sure the garage was going to bounce back. And you know what? They even cleaned out the garage and restored it to a similar condition at which they found it. My job was on budget, and there was no haggling about scope. Steve probably did a few extra things that were out of scope, just to push the job from an A+ to an A++. Every person I interacted with was completely professional, pleasant, and polite. That includes Mr. Munson - who would confirm appointments with me, and Karen - who made my milestone payments a breeze by taking my credit card info over the phone/or email. This is the second most expensive undertaking of my 40 years on this earth - second to the house itself. We saved for years to be able to do this. I cannot emphasize enough how grateful I am to have found AES, and how happy I am with their work.

My bathroom looks bright, cool and very up to date. I've been raving to my friends about my new bathroom. Bessie Yvonne Everett

I hired AES to complete a full master bathroom remodel (the first such project I have ever done). Andy Lange, Estimator, came out to the house in August 13 and had a long discussion with my boyfriend and I about layout and budget. We had a limited budget so we reached an agreement where we would do our own demolition, as well as purchase all fixtures, tile, etc ourselves. Andy was very helpful, available and easy to work with. It was our first major demo project so he even stopped by once or twice to answer questions for us about the demolition. We hired AES in August but due to their busy schedule work did not begin until Nov 4. We knew up front that the work would not begin for a couple months- that was OK with us as it gave us time to do the demo and buy the materials. Andy was always available during this time to refer me to vendors and approve my fixture selections (ie, I sent him links to the vanities I wanted to confirm they would fit appropriately in the space). When work began Brian O'Dell was assigned as foreman and was my main contact. Brian and the other guys who worked with him were all great. Very polite, professional, and clean. Luckily we were able to give them a lot of space to work in (garage and uninhabited bedroom), so they left a lot of materials and tools at the house overnight/weekends, but every single night they thoroughly cleaned the areas, vacuumed, and left everything very clean and organized. Brian, Andy and I communicated throughout the process to work through a few minor issues, they were both very easy to work with throughout. The original timeframe quoted to me was 2-3 weeks. It became apparent after week 1 that was not going to happen. The difficult tile patterns I selected pushed the end date out even further. I believe the overall time for completion was about 6 weeks. This was not a problem for us- we were willing to have it take longer as long as the job was done right! The final product is gorgeous, exactly what I had envisioned. I had a small concern about the temperature and pressure of the showerheads and AES came right out and adjusted them- problem solved! Very VERY happy with my new bathroom!

After gutting the basement, they started installing new wiring and enough outlets so we were not outlet challenged They also installed 2 and 3 way light switches so you could turn the lights on and off as you walked around the basement. This also included light switches for the circular staircase that they almost completely rebuilt . The next step was to put studs up and install new basement windows. Then over the course the next several week the sheet rock was hung, the bathroom was completed remodeled. This included all plumbing, electrical and s grinder sump pump. Then the ceiling lighting was installed the painting finished and the drop ceiling put in place . They also installed 3 doors and a set of by bi-folding doors. The baseboard was installed so the carpet would fit under it. After the carpet was installed they came out and shaved the doors so they would not catch on the carpet. Also we developed a tiny leak in the grinder pump and they were on top of that. They came out and did this under their 5 year labor warranty. Not the least expensive, but well worth the money. Steve and his crew went way above what they needed to do to satisfy their client.

Our situation was different then most of their regular clients. We had signed a contract with another established and well known company that notified us that they went out of business. They advised us they would deliver some items they had for us. We originally had an estimate from AES but didn't go with them because my wife was recovering from a stroke. She was not up to going around with the salesman and selecting the items we would need. We recontacted AES but were not sure if the salesman, Bill Miner, would still want to do business with us since we did not originally select AES. However, as soon as Bill heard our predicament, he checked & rescheduled an afternoon appointment. He graciously came out the same day & brought one of the contract proposals we had previously discussed. There had been a price increase but AES would honor our original contract proposal. We signed & were told it would be 6-8 wks before work could begin. Tim Munson, the president, contacted us with an earlier start date than expected. We discussed the materials that had been delivered and agreed the kitchen would be the 1st room to be remodeled. Bill Miner came back back with Mike Rafferty, the contractor who would do the work. Bill willingly wanted to assist us with our selections. However, we had a copy of the contract with all of the manufacturers, style and color data from the original company we selected. I would be able to get most of the items via the internet and delivered to the house. Bill did help us select our kitchen and bathroom floor tiles and bathroom wall tiles. He also suggested what to look for when we replaced our dining room light. Part of the wall between the kitchen & dining room was being shortened & the dining room light wall switch had to be moved. While this was being done we got a new dining room light which looks great! Bill made suggestions for kitchen under counter lights which have definitely added to the ambiance. With Bill's great eye and expertise in aesthetics, he helped us pull everything we already had or were getting together! The bathroom wall tiles are great! The water just rolls off of them like he said. Mike said while he was cutting them that he never saw anything like them before. The water just rolled off of them while he was cutting them with his wet saw. My wife is always cold in the bathroom. Bill suggested we get a wall heater which is working out great! Didn't know where to get our bathroom lights, sensor vent and wall heater. Tim Munson took the information and gave it to his office manager. He advised that she would contact the lighting company they deal with and order them for us. They both provided excellent service. Love our lights. The sensor vent is working great! The office manager also ordered our cast iron tub for us. It's ADA approved for handicapped people and larger than most of the ones local stores carry. The contractor assigned to us was exceptional! We are just "RAVING" about "MIKE RAFFERTY." He is a " MASTER CRAFTSMAN." Mike can do it all: carpentry, electrical work and plumbing! He's careful and works to do everything right! Mike is highly organized, so meticulous and skilled in his efforts! He has keen observation! Mike had questions about the refrigerator's printed specifications. He had me take him to the nearest store to resolve his questions. Mike is a neat worker! He's very thorough while working. Mike cleans up during and at end of the day! This was important because my wife has asthma and dust can trigger an attack. You could hardly tell he had been there except for his tools. The quality of Mike's workmanship is exceptional! He's a master craftsman! Mike's dedicated and a hard worker! He's a nice person to be around and made the remodeling process easy and pleasant! The new kitchen has granite counter tops which are great. The granite installers said the cabinets were level so they had no problems installing the granite. Also had a new pantry cabinet installed. The heat vent had to be moved to blow out from underneath this cabinet. It's working well and we have so much more cabinet space with our new pantry. Mike aimed to please! He put up our kitchen back splash tile in a diagonal pattern which was harder for him to do but it looks great! When he had serious challenges getting the cast iron tub up the split foyer steps and too large linen closet ordered from another company, he was able to resolve issues with ingenuity! There was a bathroom window over the tub. We had it replaced with obscured glass blocks. So far it's working out great! No need for curtains and rod so it's easier to maintain. Mike installed handicapped grab bars above the tub and in place of the towel bar. The finished kitchen and bathroom projects are high quality! The overall renovations went relatively smoothly and we were pleased with the time frame and completion period. Mike provided outstanding service! Everything looks awesome!!! Overall, "RAVING" and "v ery pleased" with "all" of MIKE RAFFERTY'S work!!! When someone signs a contract with AES, you HAVE to ask for MIKE RAFFERTY!!! My wife & I feel that AES provides outstanding overall customer service from the president (Tim Munson), salesman (Bill Miner), Office Manager and contractor (Master Craftsman - Mike Rafferty). We were given an earlier remodeling start date than expected. The quality and execution of work is exceptional!!! We would definitely recommend AES to our neighbors and friends! We would use AES for future work! Wanted to get this rating in before end of year since they provide exceptional customer service, quality and awesome workmanship. Couldn't provide rating until now because my wife fell after remodeling was finished on right side where she had stroke in 12/11 and was previously paralyzed. Now wears arm & hand garments for swelling. She fell on arm below elbow and hit shoulder. Couldn't use keyboard and then both of us have had other medical problems. Wife actually prepared rating but we usually put accounts in my name.

Jeff, sales, responded to our call and met with us within 2 days of our initial request; met us at Home Depot and assisted with ordering cabinets introduced us to Josh the contractor and checked in to make sure all was well and that we were happy with the end product. Josh, the contractor is very young but he is amazing. He followed thru , made sure I was happy with each detail. The crew was very conscious of our privacy and they cleaned up at the end of each day. AES is awesome and we highly recommend for any type of remodeling.

Estimator arrived on time and began with explaining how expensive AES usually is in comparison with other companies. I found this to be a discouraging way to start but I figured he was just making conversation. Next, it was time to take measurements of the two rooms and a bathroom in my basement. The largest part of my basement, the recreation area, is fully finished and the two rooms I want finished are framed and insulated. The bathroom already has the rough in for shower and sink. After taking measurements, I was reminded several times how much AES is really pricey and downright implying that the estimate was going to be inflated. Then the showed me photos of AES' work and provided me an estimate of 60,000 which was 3 times as much as I've read they charge for a complete basement finish with other customers. He explained how he usually knows within the first 10 minutes if a customer would contract with such a high end company. He validated my thoughts of his judgement that I couldn't afford the job even before he saw the space. I ended the appointment wishing they would've sent someone else who actually seemed like they wanted to earn my business.

From the beginning, this was a very positive experience. Prior to the work being done, Bill Minor spent an entire day with us, taking us to a marble company, tile company, and Home Depot. He helped us to choose all of the aspects of a brand new bathroom. He was available to answer additional questions whenever we contacted him. Roger and Andy, our installers, were exceptional in their professionalism and skill. They felt free to offer creative and thoughtful ideas and seemed totally involved in our job from the start. During the time they spent in our home, Roger and Andy made additional repairs that they noticed needed their attention. They cleaned their work areas nightly, and we had very little clean-up. Their work is perfection, without a doubt. We have enjoyed our bathroom, and to this day find not a flaw! Our cabinet and sink top from K and D Kitchens are beautiful and add so much to the room! We would highly recommend AES and would not hesitate to use their services again. We felt that we saved money by being able to purchase items on our own and with Bill's assistance. Kudos to AES and their exceptional installers!

AES came by our hose and gave us an excellent overview of the basement remodeling process.

Preparation and construction began immediately once the final design had been decided upon, and the cleanliness and professionalism of the crew was incredible. Josh and Frank worked dilligently to ensure that every single detail was worked through with my wife and I, and we could tell that they were more than willing to adjust every portion of the build to meet our wishes. We initially thought that we would be required to drop our ceiling in the hallway on the main floor to accomodate the new plumbing, but Josh and Frank were able to locate a wall that would allow for the plumbing stack to egress straight down through an existing wall. While this was more difficult than the previous plan, Josh and Frank worked harder for us to ensure that the impact on the rest of the house was minimal. Once we finalized all of the additional details, Josh and Frank worked long hours to ensure everything was up to par and inspection ready. They even made professional recommendations on where we should purchase the finishes for the bathroom. Our experience with AES was absolutely perfect, and we plan on using them again in the future for any other large scale projects that we may have. Of note, if you are not financially prepared to pay the entire amount upon completion of the job, AES works with a lender that offers 12-months same as cash as a financing option. This was extremely helpful for my wife and I as we have two children and a single income.

AES is very professional, honest, caring and does high quality work. The owner/President Tim Munson made initial contact with me. Mr. Munson was always very curteous, patient and very responsive when I called. An AES estimator, Andy Lange, came out and was very knowledgeable and thorough in his evaluation of work needed to be done. Mr. Lange also came out a couple of times when the custom counter maker came out and during the walk through with the project foreman, Mike Rafferty came out. Mr. Rafferty was very hard working, easy to work with and did a very quality job. I am very appreciative with the job and responsiveness from AES. When the duct work was discovered Mr. Munson was very fair in his pricing with me for the additional work that was required. Also, Mr. Rafferty was very flexible with working around my schedule when I had an unexpected death in the family. I highly recommend AES for any project that needs to be done. I would use them again if I needed additional work done.

They NEVER called back and it's been over 2 weeks. I wouldn't use this company now if they offered to do the work for free. If they can't be depended upon to return an initial call, how could I depend on them to start and complete work. Apparently, they just don't need the work.

November of 2012, my wife and I moved into our 4,000 square foot, 9 year old dream home. It had a large basement that was 2/3 finished. We wanted to finish the rest with a full bath, a hobby room, a train room, ceiling fan, additional outlets and a number of other things. Truthfully, I wanted to do all of the work myself since I had done it in our old house. However since I had become slightly incapacitated, my wife put her foot down and said no. We proceeded to interview four different companies. Three of them were either high pressure, didn?t seem to have the proper knowledge of correctly building what we wanted without using too many short cuts or just didn?t appear to be completely trustworthy. When I met Bill from AES he really knew what he was talking about. With Bill there was no pressure. We also spent about 30 minutes interviewing Tim, the company owner. We were quite impressed with him. We took several weeks finalizing the project with him. Bill took us to different places to get the best products at the best prices. Bill spent 6 hours taking us to the different suppliers, one being Lowe?s, where we ended up getting 35% off our purchases with coupons that we had and by signing up for their credit card. Then Bill introduced us to master builder Steve and his crew. In a short period of time we felt so comfortable with them. We were so impressed with their honesty and knowledge of the project that we felt comfortable enough to give them a key to the house so that they could start work before we got up in the morning. The crew cleaned up after themselves as the project progressed. The neighbors even commented about how courteous the crew was. After three weeks the project was finished to our satisfaction. We would highly recommend Bill and Steve from AES for any home project you might have. Don?t forget to ask Bill to show you the pictures of our marvelous project. And if you want you can call us, just ask Bill for our telephone number.

We had Bill from AES out to the house to quote our master bathroom remodel. Bill was on time and incredibly friendly when he arrived at the house. Bill worked with us to develop a plan and what kinds of design features would work in our space. He worked up a labor only ROM on the spot and then delivered us a formal quote in about a week. Bill's prices were on par with all of the other builders that came out on site, and were quite reasonable. In the end we did not select AES due to scheduling. We have an aggressive schedule that needed to be met prior to their ability to free up their builders. Overall, the experience was great and we would happily use AES in the future.

AES worked with me initially to try to keep the total cost down. I was able to find exactly the fixtures I wanted and to shop for quality and price. They worked with me so that some items could be shipped directly to my home but due to some space constraints we arranged to have some larger items (e.g., hall bathtub, master bath shower door, etc.) shipped to AES directly, and they brought them out as they were needed for the job. The entire project was collaborative and customer-centric. Once work began the project went beautifully. It started right on time and all work was completed in four weeks, which was two weeks earlier than the time estimate of 6 weeks I was given initially. These men worked hard and efficiently, no fooling around ever. I think they work too hard, to tell the truth! I was able to follow their progress and see how the bathrooms (including walls) were both completely removed, then ultimately replaced. The crew were more than construction workers; they were craftsmen that did beautiful, careful work and took pride in it. They consulted me regularly to make sure everything was as I wanted it to be, paying attention to the smallest details,even on things such as the angle of the safety bars near the end of the job. They worked in this manner for the dressing area as well. They were clean and careful to use dropcloths to protect my floors and rugs, and cleaned up when they were finished each day. There is inevitably some dust, and I protected some other areas myself (for example, book cases, so I wouldn't have to dust each book at the end of the job). But they cleaned up their work both inside my home and outside where they cut tile, flooring, etc. They were careful and considerate of my neighbors as well (I live in a condominium so neighbors are close by) and were as careful as possible not to disturb them in any way. And as I said, they are more craftsmen than construction workers. They care about details of their work and want it to be as perfect as I did. On top of that, they are friendly and nice. I feel like no matter how nice the salesperson is (and he is!), it is the crew who are in the home every day--they are like ambassadors for the company to the homeowner. These men are wonderful, and their work is truly beautiful. I highly recommend AES for any home improvement job you may have. (I first met AES in 2002 for a different job estimate when I was in a different home. I didn't choose them at that time and regretted it then, and was determined not to make the same mistake every again. I still did a lot of research on contractors, interviewed other contractors for this job and seriously considered all of them, but ultimately it was clear that AES was the best. It was absolutely the right choice and I am glad I chose them.

I contacted this company after doing a fairly extensive review on Angie?s List for companies that provide windows and siding. They were very polite on the phone and worked with me to set up a convenient appointment that was within a few days of my call. Bill was the estimator that came to look at our project. His first visit was on Aug 17 to get an idea of what we were looking for as well as taking measurements. We scheduled a follow-up visit on Aug 29 to go over the products he wanted to offer us. He seemed set on only presenting the ?top of the line? products even though we had discussed during his first visit that we did not think that those would fit in our budget. The proposal was received on Sept 2 and it was the most expensive of the proposals by far. When I emailed them to ask if they were interested in putting together a proposal for less expensive products, Bill called to talk about what he wanted to do. He did not want to offer bids on anything but the top of the line materials. He did not seem to understand that no matter how much he extolled us on the virtues of the products he wanted to sell, if they did not fit into the budget, we could not buy them. When I specifically asked if he wanted to provide an estimate for anything other than the top of the line materials, he indicated that he would, but then ended the conversation by saying that he hoped he was able to teach me something about the products available for my projects and I never received another proposal. I do not think I would use this company in the future as they do not seem to value the client?s input.