JRB Renovations

This is the second time that I've hired Blaies renovation. The first time, two years ago, was for a complete kitchen renovation. That one went so well, that there really wasn't a reason to look at anyone else when I was ready to do the massive project on my second floor. Bob and his team all have individual expertise and blend seamlessly on the project. Josh was project manager here and his attention to detail was excellent. He stayed on top of his outside vendors and kept the project running smoothly. Steve must have traveled up and down the stairs a hundred times a day! And always with a smile and a pat for my dog. Nick, their tile man was amazing. He's very talented and takes great pride in his work. And Kirk, well, what can I say? The man can do it all. And very very well. Fantastic carpenter, plasterer, painter. His finish work is just excellent. And his attitude? I've never seen him in a bad mood. Always upbeat and enthusiastic. So if you're considering a renovation project I highly recommend Blaies construction. They come through and do it in a timely manner. As a matter of fact, I've just hired them to renovate my main floor bath!

Bob removed everything down to the studs and replaced the entire bathroom. Since we have grown children, we wanted to upgrade the bathroom for guests, so we replaced everything from this mid-1980's bathroom with higher grade items. With other baths already upstairs, we replaced the tub / shower combination with a more sophisticated walk-in shower. We upgraded the standard tile to a much more costly glass tile on the shower walls and floor. This required much more work as there were multiple tiles in the shower and another natural marble on the bathroom floor. Bob and his team completed everything with high quality and efficiency. Bob's costs were inline with what others quoted, but with the upgrades we believe we got a very good result. We were so happy with the results, that we had Bob come back to re-do our Master Bathroom -- which was a significant more difficult job.

This was the second bathroom that Bob Blaies has done for us. I was very happy with his and his teams professionalism. Everything they did was high quality and any little issues were quickly resolved to our satisfaction. I had several more expensive quotes and most wanted to leave the layout alone (to keep the cost down), even after I said I hated the layout and wanted something that worked for us. Even though the MBR has some strange angles, Bob agreed to do several new layouts and the final result turned out amazing. All of my previous concerns with the layout where addressed. While the costs maybe look high, my wife and I agreed to upgrade the tile to marble, put in fancier cabinets and put in a much more expensive stand alone tub. But even with these upgrades, we believe we saved money over what the "other guys" would have charges for these upgrades. I would definitely use Bob again.

Found Bob on Angieslist and contacted him for quote. Response was quick. He came out within 1 week and provided a detailed quote within 5 days. I obtained 2 other quotes. His quote seemed fair and was specific to what I would get for that money. I got another quote which was similar to Bob's but did not have the detail initially so I felt more comfortable knowing what the price would be. We proceeded with the plan which did include permits for the work. Bob worked quickly to get permits and work started initially within 2 weeks of our initial contract date. Josh was the lead on the job. He communicated with me daily about what time he would be there. He came in early daily but was careful not to ring the doorbell, to avoid waking my 2 year old. Work was a bit slow going due to the permits but this was not Bob's fault and he and his team did everything they could to move it along. All of his workers were VERY detail oriented and took great pride in their work. Everything from tile to painting to fixtures was done with an attention to detail. They did the job like it was their own home. The final cost was exactly what we initially discussed. We would highly recommend him and his team.

Bob and son Josh and team did a fantastic job. They were always here when they said they would be, spent the time to explain what they would be doing that day and did high quality work. Bob actually started the job off with a unique idea on how to layout the bathroom with a shower given the cramped space and slanted ceiling in the 2nd floor of my cape cod house. We ended up with a very roomy shower with enough height for my 6'+ sons. Every one on the crew had great attention to detail and always answered my questions or addressed changes I wanted to make. The price was reasonable for the amount of work and time that they spent here and the extensive nature of the upstairs bathroom. (Note price listed did not include tile which I paid for directly.) I would highly recommend Blaies and will certainly use again when I decide to do my next renovation job.

After Bob and his team remodeled our master bathroom in the winter, we felt very comfortable with them doing more work at our home. We wanted to open up our kitchen to our family room and Bob and team removed the wall and expanded and arched two doorways and build a decorative column. The work was done timely and done very well. We will definitely use Bob and his team for future projects.

Bob and his team were excellent. They provided us with the bathroom that me and my wife were dreaming about. They kept us in the loop on all the decisions and were very flexible with their work schedule. We will definitely use Bob and his team again.

After spending about 4 weeks designing the remodel, including web research of all design features, lighting, shower design and layout, steam room, plumbing fixtures, breakfast bar, granite, etc., with picture examples, we prepared a detailed room by room statement of work and request for quote. I contacted Bob during the new year holiday. He was back to me within 24 hours and we scheduled a walk thru the first week of January. I shared with Bob the project plan and we walked room by room. Bob took notes on the plan pages and asked lots of questions. He also offered suggestions. Along with each room, I provided Bob example pictures of the work I was requesting, materials, etc. I shared with Bob that he had leeway to make changes but I was clear I wanted the concept executed as designed where ever possible. We spent 2.5 hours together during this first meeting. I contacted Bob during the new year in time to allow for the quote to be completed and the work to start in late April or no later than May 1. I also wanted to confirm that Bob could schedule the job as requested. Bob spent time preparing the quote, multiple weeks, but he shared with me up front that given the detail and fixture types, etc., he would need time to research, find the right material and prepare the quote. The timeline worked fine and after a few refinements to the quote we agreed to a start date. As part of his quote, Bob will purchase most materials, such as granite, plumbing fixtures, all to your spec. Other materials he asked that the owner purchase and pay for such as tile. I also purchased by my choice many of the light fixtures directly, baths, pendant lights, etc. Bob, using my picture examples, included and purchased as part of his quote items like the recessed lights, accent lights, shower lights, etc. as well. Bob does offer his tile supplier for use including his contractor discount. You can use any material supplier you want and you may get a better deal, however you will then deal with the store, delivery, returns, etc. We used Bob's tile shop and it went smooth. We picked out all material, and the store and Bob did the rest. The store was also helpful with design elements. This job required more than 2 tons of travertine, marble, and rock face as well as installation material all of which were delivered with the vast majority used on the job. There were returns of unused items and Bob credited this amount as an offset. Bob targeted the job to finish in 2 months. As the home was vacant during this time, Bob and his team had plenty of space to work. But we were on timeline, needing to move into the home by end of June. It came down to the wire, but Bob and his team got it over the finish line, minus the custom shower doors, this took about 2 extra weeks for the second bath, measure, build and install, and about 6 weeks for the master. The master was complicated and unfortunately, the shower door contractor cut the glass wrong twice. They did get it right in the end and it looks great. As this is a sub contractor to Bob he really had no control of the mistakes. The euro glass folks were excellent to work with and they owned their errors. Key was getting a good finished product. I can't say enough about two key members of Bob's crew. Josh is his son and did all of the shower and plumbing work and more. He told me after he walked through the job that I was building his dream shower / steam room combination. I said good its my dream shower as well, so please make it great as if you were building yours. He did and we really enjoyed working with him. Kirk is Bob's master craftsman. His attention to detail is unsurpassed. Both Josh and Kirk were professional, helpful, and performed quality work. Bob had several additional folks that supported tear out, clean up, painting, trash removal and the tile work. These members of his team were in and out as needed. Josh and Kirk were fixtures at the place during the 2 month remodel. Bob was easy to work with, kept costs under control, was flexible with some added work and at the end of the job, he netted the balance with work that was included in the quote but not needed as part of the job with work that we jointly agreed to add during the project. The final cost came in ~$2000.00 over quote, after netting the tile return. This was reasonable given the added work. I recommend Bob and his team and I will use them again in the future.

Everything went well. During project found problem with drain and fixed it. Excellent work . Jason performed demo. repair and install always prompt courteous. Nick did tile install high quality job. Kirk drywall work, trim and painting very high quality job.

Quoting: We began by receiving quotes from three highly rated contractors on Angie's list. Bob's price was the lowest, and he allowed us to purchase many of our own materials, which we appreciated. We received a "one-pager" with the details of our renovation, which acts like the contract. We asked for a few additional items after the work had started, and Bob was pretty flexible with the additions (new toilet, recessed shower box, etc...). In one instance, the one-pager was updated, and in another instance we just took Bob's work on the changes. Pricing: Bob's quote does not include the cost of certain materials, such as fixtures, tile, electrical, etc... and it contains a stipend for other materials such as granite and cabinets. My wife and I liked this because it allowed us to shop for the best price on fixtures, etc... in advance of the work starting. Bob's quote was the lowest of the three that we received by about 30-40%, even after we adjusted it to include the materials we were responsible for. Bob places a flat fee on top of the quote as his profit. I think this is a better practice than what other contractors were doing in their quotes, which was charging us a percentage (basically, a tax) for each material purchase. It was much simpler to roll the flat fee into our budget than to try and calculate a moving target based on the cost of materials. The entire project came in at 110% of our original budget, almost all of which was the selection of nicer materials by my wife and I. Bob was very generous by not charging to additional minor tasks and unexpected minor work. Timeline: Due to international travel on my end, we were pushing Bob to start our project quickly once we accepted the quote. He gave us about two days notice before the start date, which was not a problem because we were prepared, but which might be a bit short for some people. Once they started, the crew worked practically every day on our job until it was complete. They did not always work full days, as other projects pulled them away, but they were here for approximately three consecutive weeks to get the job one. It took about 3-4 weeks to complete the project minus the custom fit glass shower doors, and another two weeks for the doors to arrive. We were very pleased with the speed of the renovation. Quality: Bob's team does quality work and overall we were very pleased with the outcome. I was able to observe how his team managed some of the fundamentals (electrical, moving drains, fixing plumbing) and I was impressed with the quality of the work. Putting in quality bathroom fundamentals is a great sign for the rest of the renovation! Bob and his team offered design suggestions as they went along. We took their advice on some and declined on others and they were very comfortable with this. Other contractors made it known up front that they had more strenuous opinions on our bathroom, which we did no appreciate. Professionalism: As this was the first time we interacted with Bob's team, we did not know what to expect from them. By the time they were entering week #2 we were comfortable leaving them alone in our home with instructions on how to lock up. We had them take special care of our cats during some phases of the renovation, and they did that with no issue. Josh, the primary worker on our project was especially courteous to my family and pets. I would trust them again in my home. Additionally, they were very good putting down and removing floor covering from the mud room, up the stairs, through the bedroom, and into the bathroom. Overall: I highly recommend Bob and his team, and will be using them again in the future.

My wife and I contracted Blaies Renovations (Bob Blaies) to remodel our kitchen. Based on many positive reviews on Angie?s List we contacted Bob along with a few other top rated contractors. Bob came to our home to take measurements and for the estimate. He listen carefully to what our wants for the project were and gave very insightful and thought full suggestions on how to improve our plan based on his years of experience. He was also the only contractor to ask to do a soffit inspection before his company began working to ascertain the exact locations of pipes and drains that would impact the design. Because of that we were able to change the design early on due to some pipes that were in the way and minimize the delay needed for the change. Bob was not only the only person to ask poignant questions for the estimate, he was by far the best price of all the estimates we received. Bob?s crew were VERY punctual and professional. Josh (Bob?s foreman on the job) was efficient in scheduling and was easily able to work around any and all hiccups that came up (nothing unusual). Kirk (finish carpentry and paint) was meticulous in doing his job. Overall we enjoyed working with Blaies Renovations and look forward to our next project with them.

The crew took out a 20-year old jacuzzi tub, tiny glass shower stall, single vanity sink and cabinetry, wall closet unit within the bathroom, and the bifold door to the bathroom. They transformed our sad space into a bright, functioning, organized and *peaceful* master bath. We now have a walk-in closet, a large shower with rainfall and handheld showers, a soaking tub, two vanities, beautiful tile work, new lighting, new exhaust fan, and far more storage than we even know what to do with--along with a better functioning pocket door to the bathroom. We are very happy. Please don't look at the approximate cost of service, which this site requires I provide in order to share a review, as an indication of what Blaies would charge on a regular bathroom remodel. This job was big: Big space, lots of demo, lots of surface for our beautiful tile! Their price was comparable to another bid we received, but that other bid did *not* include our custom bedroom closet doors, stairway handrail, and custom shelving in our new walk-in closet.

We are so happy with the work that Bob, Josh, Lee, Kirk, and the rest of the crew provided. From day 1, they were punctual (7am sharp), professional, courteous, friendly, and clean. They did exactly what they promised to do and made the whole process incredibly easy from start to finish. They were approachable and responsive when we had questions, always let us know in advance if there was a change in their plans for the day, and cleaned up after themselves every day. The work is terrific quality--we've had some many people admire the finished product! Their pricing was not the lowest we found, but it was well worth it in the end. We will absolutely use them again for other work we have to do down the line. This is a company who really understands the value of quality work.

They did an amazing job. They showed up on time each day at 7 am, which is almost unheard of for contractors! They are extremely detail oriented. We would go over any questions or issues and they would make recommendations. They would quickly remedy any issues, so by the time the renovation was complete, there was no punch list. Everything was perfect. There are several specialist. The drywall, painting, molding, doors and hand rail look amazing. The handrail was purchased in pieces and installed onsite. The woodwork skills were very impressive. Kirk did a great job! The tile is gorgeous. The floor was leveled before starting and it turned out just beautiful. The backsplash work was amazing as well. Ray is an amazing tile guy. The electrical and plumbing work was just perfect! The countertops were installed perfectly. I just love my new kitchen and would use them in the future for any renovation. The basement will be next!

My call was returned in what I consider a reasonable amount of time. (A few days due to someone being on vacation.) However, after we started discussing my location (Chelsea, MI) we discussed that this was actually outside of the contractor's servicing area. This should be addressed by Angie's list so that customers do not waste their time. Overall, Mr. Blaies was very nice and courteous. I think I would have enjoyed working with him.

Showed up at 7 am sharp as scheduled. Bob and his crew did a nice job and kept things in order. Crew was polite and great to get along with which was a bonus. After work was finished everything was cleaned up neatly. Would highly recommend.

Bob and his crew were very professional from start to finish. They showed promptly at 7am every day and if they were going to be late for some reason they called or texted to let me know beforehand. We are very pleased with how well the bathroom turned out. The entire project ended up being approximately $15,000 after adding in the cost of the tile, cabinet upgrades, hardware, and lighting fixture. Our only complaint is that the granite countertops delayed the project so that it took 7 weeks to complete (originally it was supposed to be 2.5-3 weeks) although this was not Bob's fault.

My experience with Blaies Renovations was incredible. My bathroom is more than I could have ever ask for. Bob was upfront and there were no surprises. Bob has an awesome team. They are good at what they do. They delivered what they said they would in the time frame promised. They are pleasant, respectful, prompt, clean, and patient. They were so gracious that they moved my furniture to protect it from the debris. Communication among the team and their client is good. They gave their expert opinion when I needed it. They answered all my questions. If I didn't like or understand something, before they left they made sure that I was happy. I look forward to doing business with them in the near future and I will definitely refer them to others. Bob, Chris, Chris, Tim, Ray, Josh, Jeff, and Demetri, Thank You!!!! You all did an amazing job.

I will keep Bob's card and call him again for other projects in my home.

The first job (my husband's bathroom) was done very quickly and well within the expected timeframe. He is still getting compliments on it. Communication during the entire renovation of the first bathroom was excellent. The second bathroom ran into some minor hiccups - particularly due to issues with the granite countertop, which was in no way the fault of Blaies Renovations - but for the most part the process though delayed a bit, went smoothly. The only issue we had with Bob's crew on the second project was there was not as clear a line of communication as on the first job. As it turned out, Mr. Blaies was on vacation during most of that project and not there to directly supervise on a daily basis. It seemed lines of communication were not as clear as when he was here for the first reno. However, when he got back in town everything came together nicely and we are very happy with both bathrooms. I might add that he went above and beyond to help find a new source for my countertop when the first supplier broke the top while delivering it. Bob really did his best to help us out at that time and it was greatly appreciated. We also had a small leak under one of the sinks after the job was completed and Bob and his son, Josh, kept coming back until they were able to find the problem and resolve the issue to my complete satisfaction - and I will admit I tend to be a bit picky so I really appreciate their "above and beyond" attitude. Both my husband and I feel that his entire crew worked h****** both jobs, were thorough, and were very conscientious about the work they were doing. It is quite clear that all of the crew really cares about the quality of their work, but we feel extra kudos need to go to Ray and John, who are both top notch in their specific fields (tile and finish work respectively). Bob Blaies clearly makes sure he surrounds himself and his company with quality craftsmen. We plan to contact Blaies Renovations LLC again if we have further remodeling projects, and we will not hesitate for a second to recommend them to anyone we know who might need the type of service they provide. Blaies Renovation prices were fair and Bob and his crew were always there when they said they would be. They were always very punctual. From past experience we have had with other contractors, that seems to be a rare quality and hard to find in that field.

The service provided by Bob and his crew was outstanding. They came in each day on time, made sure to protect my flooring and cleaned up nicely before leaving each day. The bathroom turned out even better than I imagined. They really paid attention to detail and made sure I was totally satisfied with each aspect of the job completed.They didn't even complain when I bought a giant, heavy vanity mirror they had to hang. The marble floor and bathtub surround really look amazing!! I will not hesitate to call them if I need any additional remodeling done! Heather Janoskey

Based on Angie's reviews, we decided to go with Bob and were completely satisfied with his work and our decision to go with him. Bob and his crew (Josh, Lee, Ray and Jeff) were excellent, friendly, reliable and professional. They were very punctual and worked from 7 am to 3 pm which worked out very well with our schedule. They also made sure that everything was clean at the end of the day. They kept as posted on a regular basis during the project. We had our Bathroom walls done through Marblecast, Oakpark, MI (my wife wanted something with low maintenance and turned out to be the right decision, added to the cost but was worth it) and Bob co-ordinated with them well without any delays or problems. Overall, we are very satisfied and would definitely hire Bob again for our future home projects and recommend him highly.

Bob & his crew do a great job. Both bathrooms turned out amazing and exceeded my expectations. We had some unique requirements (since it is an old house with an interesting floor plan), but they were able to quickly and efficiently solve those problems. Bob was also the only contractor I worked with that did not shy away from one of the requirements to have a shower installed and properly vented under a set of stairs (one of those unique requirements). He went out of his way to ensure I was not only satisfied as a customer, but that the final job met his own quality expectations as well. Furthermore, he did everything in his power to meet our schedule which included sending his crew out on two separate Saturdays. I would work with his team again.

Bob responded immediately to our request for an estimate. His price was very fair. He told us we'd get started in September or October, although we didn't get started until December. However, once started, his crew worked on our remodel every day. The original time estimate was 3-4 weeks, but the project ended up taking 3 months. To be fair, though, much of the delay was because my wife and I got behind on choosing many of the details and specific products. His team was always incredibly punctual, arriving at 7:00 AM as promised even in the worst winter weather. The team was very respectful of the rest of the house, and always used tarps and kept the rest of the house very clean. The work was high quality. Ours was a particularly involved remodel, since it required removing two walls, moving the toilet and associated plumbing past a joist, converting a tub wall faucet to a standing faucet, and laying a significant amount of tile and putting in a custom heated floor element. Also, Bob had trouble with many of his suppliers providing parts late or providing the wrong parts, but he and his guys really put in tremendous extra effort to make sure everything was done correctly and to our satisfaction. Great attention to detail, and the final product is what's important, so we didn't really mind the extra time too much. There were a number of details to take care of after completion, but Bob was very diligent about following up on every last one and making sure we were happy. We're working with them again next month to remodel our son's bathroom. As his website says, trust is critical, and we definitely trust Bob and his crew to get the job done right.

As always, Bob & his crew do a great job. The kitchen & bath turned out fantastic, and exceeded my expectations. With any job of this size, small things can go wrong - and when they did Bob took care it promptly & with no questions asked. He went out of his way to ensure I was not only satisfied as a customer, but that the final job met his own quality expectations as well. Thanks again Bob for another job well done! I wouldn't go anywhere else!