Remodeling Specialties/Fred Sons

Our master shower had a known leak from the shower door that we were aware of when we bought our home. Overtime, the leak began affecting the drywall next to the shower door and the floor, which is carpeted, in front of the door. Additionally, the shower head began a slow drip in the last 9 months that increased in tempo to a fast drip. We interviewed two companies for the repair, and we chose Fred Sons for two reasons. First, his assessment of the shower was extremely thorough and analytical, during which he pointed out several possible, additional causes for the leaks. Second, his estimate was incredibly thorough and detailed (7 pages long), and let us know that he absolutely had taken every possibility into account. We hired Fred to demolish the existing shower in order to ascertain if there were any additional water issues that were hidden from view. We brought in a housing inspector who worked with Fred to thoroughly examine the demo and make sure that we understood the extent of the water damage and what would be needed to repair the damage. Fred welcomed the additional help and worked well with the inspector. Together, they found four (4) water issues: the leaky door, condensation due to the lack of insulation between the shower and the outside wall of our house, a leak behind the shower head and the shower trim and a leak in our tiled shower bench. There was a standing pool of water underneath our shower even though it had been a week since it had been used. Then the remodel began. Fred properly insulated the outside wall and completely replaced the shower floor, drain, the damaged sub-floor and the drywall. He also created two access panels which did not exist before (for the shower rough valve and the motor to our jacuzzi tub), bringing the both the shower and the tub up to code. The latter access panel was visually consistent with the wood trim (half-rounds) that surrounds the tub. Fred went over and above the call of duty in several ways. When we realized that the tile that existed throughout the bathroom was no longer available Fred spent his off hours finding an alternative supplier for tile with the proper color and dimensions to match the existing tile. Without this, the entire master bath would have needed re-tiling, which could have cost an additional $5,000. Additionally, Fred let me borrow his van when my husband's car was in the shop unexpectedly. This allowed me to pick up the marble curb for the shower, allowing us to stay on time with the project. Fred was a pleasure to work with. He patiently and thoroughly answered all of my many questions, and gently advised me against making certain changes to the shower (complete re-tile, wheelchair accessibility) that would have added substantial cost to the project. Instead, he recommended smaller changes that improved the aesthetics of the shower without adding cost. My husband and I are extremely satisfied with how the project turned out and now can rest assured that there will not be any further water damage to our home. We intend to rehire Fred in the not-too-distant future to remove the carpet and replace it with tile and to add a better fan in the same bathroom.

All went well. Job was finished in two visits because Fred had to purchase some materials. Fred is courteous and professional. We are happy with his work.

We had a unique loan arrangement for our project and Fred was very accommodating and willing to work within the constraints. We told him that we wanted to do the demo, get our own flooring and granite contractors. He provided us with a very transparent quote and was willing to discuss it in detail and fine tune it before starting any work. We completed the demo ourselves and once done Fred immediately got to work trouble shooting and reworking our antique wiring. He simplified the electrical system and brought everything up to code and pulled permits when required. He made sure that our kitchen was wired properly allocating dedicated circuits to major appliances and made clever suggestions—hiding the microwave in our pantry cabinet for example. He tore apart the ceiling to put in recessed lighting and added the proper amount of outlets along the backsplash and put in boxes and switches for under cabinet lighting. He then repaired all the walls and ceiling to like new condition. He ordered the cabinets and then installed them completely by himself and purchased and installed the hardware. He suggested some improved window tracks for out old counter-weighted double-hung windows and properly sealed and insulated them. Once counters were in (outside company) he ordered, picked up and installed our mosaic backsplash, grouted and sealed it. He repaired our old, worn trim as well. He hooked up and installed our new appliances and worked with the plumber to make sure the tricky slide in range was plumbed properly. He picked up and installed a new range hood and made it work with the existing venting. He sealed off the kitchen with plastic to limit dust and dirt in the rest of the house and cleaned up every night before he left. For our bathroom he cut out old damaged flooring, replaced it with a new structure and installed a proper base flooring to lay tile on. He repaired a badly damaged wall and installed subway tile that required complicated cuts in a small space. He then installed new plumbing to the new sink and toilet. Fred’s price is very fair –his hourly rate is competitive and the speed at which he works much faster than any other general contractor or handyman out there—making him a very good deal considering the quality of work. He doesn’t waste time and doesn’t just pack up and leave at 4pm if there is still unfinished work for the day. Most importantly he is absolutely trust worthy and always made sure we were satisfied with the work he did. We can’t recommend him more highly and many people (including the realtors that sold us the house) have asked for his information for future work. We will continue to use him in the future.

SAVE THE REMOD JOB FOR SOMEONE WHO WILL LIVE IN THIS HOME FOR MORE THAN A YEAR . WE ARE NEARLY OUT OF MICHIGAN.

He came when he said he was going to come. He gave me a great deal of information about the problem and what needed to be done. I felt a little more confident with him.

Fred Sons was very responsive to our initial contact, and was able to schedule the work the next day. He arrived on time, was friendly, professional, and very capable. His price was not inexpensive, but fair. We were very satisfied and would definitely consider Fred Sons for future services.

He provided a detailed and accurate quote that included the time it would take to perform the work. Fred completed the work in a timely manner and at the price quoted. We will definitely use Fred Sons again and will recommend him to others.

After our bathroom was refinished in mid 2010, the drywall work was not done properly and it was easy to see the joints and the drywall tape in the corners. My wife urged me to call in a professional to do redo the drywall mudding and taping so that the bathroom walls would look as nice as the rest of the bathroom. I called Fred Sons and he was able to come over that week to start working on the project. There was a lot of work to be done removing the old tap (that was bubbled) and sanding and fixing all of the errors in the joints and corners. Fred worked for several days cleaning up after the end of each work day. He was prompt and professional and most importantly he did a great job on the bathroom. The price was fair for the quality of work that was preformed. Now we have a completed bathroom that has smooth walls the complete a professional install and finish.

On his Angie's List profile he says that he offers free estimate. When I called him he told me that the estimates were free, but that he would give me advice and the cost therefor would be $75. At that time he became rude and told me to look elsewhere.

Fred was very easy to work with. He came in under his original estimate. He was always on time. The first thing he did upon arrival each day was to lay down canvas tarps to cover the floor as a path from where he entered the house, to the back of the house where he worked on my stall shower. He always cleaned up when he was done for the day. He had good ideas about how things should be done. I was able to consult him when I needed help working through an issue unrelated to the work he was doing for me at the time.

Everything went well. Fred told us exactly what was needed and stuck to his estimate. He was prompt, clean, and very professional as well.

Went very well. Started with ordering new counter tops and completing smaller tasks while waiting on delivery of tops. Installation of counter tops was tedious work due to my having large box window coming off of the sink and the counter was 1 piece. Completed work on trim items.\ and installed task lighting under cabinets. Fred is very professional - protects your flooring - and accomplishes a great deal in the time spent. He was,also, very tolerant of my 2 yappy terriers.

We did not choose to use him because we got the impression he didn't want the job. We also got the impression that because it wasn't a big job, he did not want to complete the service for us.

He was absolutely straightforward and honest with the work that needed to be done and what it would entail. Also, he anticipated problems that might come up when you open up a wall. He has a very good idea about those sort of things. His prices are good and he works like a maniac. He's very meticulous in his work and in cleaning up after himself.

We couldn?t be any happier with his work. He did a wonderful job on the floor. He has come here a number of times for working on the previous job. We have actually been using his services for a couple of years now. We have done extensive renovations in our house and so he has done quite a lot of work over the years. He is absolutely honest and straightforward with the work that needs to be done and what it?s going to entail. He is also good at anticipating problems that might not come up until the work is actually done and he has a very good idea about such things. I think his prices are really good. He works like a maniac. He is a hard worker. He is very meticulous. He is good at cleaning up after himself. I can?t say enough good things about him. My husband is an architect and is very picky about things like the detail work and trim carpentry. However, my husband is thrilled with Fred?s work. We would absolutely use his services in the future too.

Fred was able to come out and provide us with an estimate very quickly after we first contacted him. When he met us at our home he was very professional and was also able to provide us with a few suggestions which were definitely appreciated considering that neither my wife nor I are very design orientated. The estimate that we received was slightly higher than the other contractor who we got an estimate from but judging from Fred's other reviews on Angie's List, we felt that we would get a better overall experience through him and were willing to pay that premium. Plus, his estimate was much more detailed and he seemed much more professional than the other contractor. We wanted the work done relatively quickly and Fred was able to accommodate us with that and he came out to do the job about a week after we got the estimate. Once he arrived, he was set up promptly and got right to work. The job was completed the next day as scheduled and the finished product is great. It's nice finally being able to close the closet doors after being in the house for a year! He cleaned up all of his sawdust, paint chips, etc. and left nothing behind but a couple of satisfied customers.

Fred remodeled my 1 room basement into a bedroom for my oldest son. He removed two old windows and replaced them with new ones and he drywalled and installed lighting and trim. He also painted the ceiling and made a place for my son's tv and stereo system. Fred was always on time and very professional and his estimate was good.

Fred is the creme de la creme of remodelers on Angie's List for a reason. He knows how to do practically everything and how to do it well. He's trustworthy and honest. He's not the cheapest, but he's also certainly not the most expensive, and his pricing is fair and transparent. He's also just a nice guy and I enjoy chatting with him when he's around. I will certainly be calling on him to do my next project.

KITCHEN: In early October 2009 we had Fred repaint our kitchen and repair a damaged door jamb molding. My wife wanted to have the upper and lower walls different colors. We wanted a molding separating the two colors. I wanted molding something like one I installed in our den. He found identical molding. He had to repair some badly peeling paint on the ceiling and walls before he could paint. He also repaired the door jamb. He installed the wall molding and painted the ceiling, walls, and window and door moldings. We also asked him to paint the walls and ceiling above the stairs to the basement. There were a couple paint problems my wife wasn?t comfortable with. She talked to Fred and he came back a couple weeks later to correct them. He again cleaned up the mess and the bill was within our expectations.

We decided to redo our living room. This including adding recessed lighting, moving speaker wire and a custom made mantel, surround and framing of a tv above the fireplace. Fred came in gave an estimate and was able to start right away. He was always on time, professional and a pleasure to work with. Fred was able to be creative and use this for problem solving, and always explain what he had in mind. He was patient when we made small changes. He was always thorough and efficient, takes pride in his work and even came in under estimate.

Where to start...Fred showed up on time everyday and worked efficiently - he took steps to make sure he was not interupting our lives. He did a wonderful job keeping the dust etc contained and took special care to keep the walkway leading to the worksite clean. Fred finished ahead of schedule, and almost 20% UNDER budget! This is by far the best experience we have had with a contractor at our home. I recommend Fred and his work highly. OH, the window seat is beautiful - his work is second to none.

Fred is creative, professional, flexible, and patient. When I thought I was going to try to do a lot of the work myself, he was willing to work alongside me to teach me the skills I needed to be successful, but when I got a little overwhelmed and decided to turn more of the responsibility over to him, it was no problem at all. The work that he completed is of exceptionally high quality. I'll be continuing to work with him on other remodeling tasks around the house.

Fred did an outstanding job putting this vanity in our bathroom. My husband and I are both very happy with it. We purchased good quality material and Fred installed it perfectly. Great job and highly recommended. I contacted Fred a while ago about a cost estimate by email. After I had that, I went about looking what I wanted to buy. We communicated via email about the timing and Fred's availability. This went very well.

He is great. He's very flexible and accommodating without charging a change order like a lot of contractors might do. He's really, really hard working and meticulous. I couldn't ask for someone better to work on my house.

It was fine. I'll be checking prices with some other contractors since the first quote was only $17K and included more work than we were inquiring from Fred. I'm not one to completely price-shop and I know better than to just go with the cheapest person (you get what you pay for) but $40K for a 1000 sf basement seems ridiculous. I know materials are well under half that.