Right Building

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Michael had several lengthy conversations with us before starting the project in order to be sure that we would be happy with the result. He offered several valuable insights based on his experience. For example, we were considering having the deck glassed in so that we could use it in the winter, but Michael pointed out that doing so would make the adjoining areas of the house hotter in the summer. The cathedral roof was his suggestion as a way of letting more light into our bedroom. The cost was actually a bit less than we had expected. The husband-wife team who did most of the work were consummate professionals who take obvious pride in the artistry and craftsmanship of their work. Michael stopped by after the work was completed to make sure that everything was to our satisfaction. The finished product is both beautiful and practical, and we have been enjoying it all summer.

The job went smoothly. It took a bit longer than I expected because we needed to wait for the insurance company's approval. It was also difficult to find the V-grove board to match the damaged ceiling. The work was more detailed than I suspected so I was fine waiting, given the quality of the work.

Evidently, if I was not fundamentally satisfied with Michael (who works basically as a general contractor) and his various Right-Building subs, I would not have contracted with him for each successive phase. Initially our working relationship was good, but each successive job also showed increasing signs of lack of attention, devotion, or oversight. The jobs were often unsupervised by Michael and some of his subs simply came and went at will. On the renovation of the lower-deck, I later discovered some leaks and that he had not extended the vent to the dryer, leaving the exhaust lint to simply accumulate above the ceiling, until it began to leak down the wall. Similarly, he failed to lay plastic on the ground under the new floor and now weeds continuously grow through and have to be hand pulled. On the garage-conversion job, although he had a superbly skilled cabinet maker in his employ, Michael had the new cabinet finished by some totally unqualified person and thought it was adequate (I had to ask to have it redone by the other carpenter.) He also left the job site filthy upon completion and I had to insist that a cleaner be brought back to make it right. Occasionally Michael would take short-cuts such as doing wiring himelf rather than having his licensed subs do it, and on one nearly disastrous occasion an unqualified worker removed an old space heater and failed to cap the gas line. Sheetrock was then laid against the pipe such that the valve could not be turned to turn off the gas. By sheer luck I discovered the leaking gas because I had to relight the water heater after they left the site and when I turned on the gas I happened to hear the hiss from the open valve. Had I not, the mechanical room would have filled with gas with predictable results. I would not use Right Building again.

They did quality work. He had good availability and communication. He told us he was open for any questions or concerns.

I liked Michael when he first came by to talk about several projects I was considering undertaking. I appreciated his positive attitude since I had just purchased a fixer-upper that needed quite a bit of fixing up. Ultimately I only hired him for this job and some minor handyman stuff not covered here. His first estimate was more than I was willing to pay but I was happy that he was open to negotiation since, as I said, I liked him. Michel and another guy worked together on the first portion of the work, then Michael's helper finished laying the flooring by himself. The work was done well but the time frame of the work expanded many more days than initially discussed. In discussing the delay with Michael he advised me that he was sorry, and that he would not charge me full price in the end. I thought this was a nice gesture since I didn't bring up the subject of discounting the fee. Unfortunately things got uncomfortable when the job was complete and I contacted Michael and brought up the discount that he had suggested. He responded by writing me a lengthy email about how the expansion of the project did not actually inconvenience me because the rest of the house still needed so much work. I was a little put-off by this because, as I mentioned, it was Michael who brought up the possibility of a discount in the first place. Ultimately he (grudgingly?) agreed to discount some of the fee but I paid him the full amount anyway because I didn't think the money was worth the bad feelings that seemed to have arisen. Perhaps he sincerely didn't remember the discussion. Maybe it was something he said in passing. Perhaps I even misunderstood what he said. Who knows? I have nothing negative to say about the work that was done, and would hire him again if it weren't so awkward.

We interviewed several contractors for this job and were impressed with Michael Hurd (Right Building) and the estimate he provided, leading us to choose him for the project. This was a challenging project in terms of coordination and communication in that the condo to be repaired is a second home for us, and so most of the time we were not at the condo but home in Tennessee. Michael handled that challenge in a very professional and competent fashion...we always were able to reach Michael with any questions we had, and he always responded in a prompt fashion. In terms of the quality of the work we are very pleased...from flooring to painting to plumbing to electrical work we have been impressed with the high quality of work performed by Michael and his crew. In addition he has a great sense of humor and was a pleasure to talk with him. We would unhesitatingly recommend Michael Hurd (Right Building) for any general contracting needs you might have.

Overall the expereince with Right Building was great. There were some hiccups along the way (expected in total rehabs of old homes) but Micheal Hurd (owner) was always extremely professional and reasonable and always was able to remedy the situation. Not the cheapest out there, but their craftmanship and professionalism make up for it. thank you.

They were very good. They were very responsive. I would use them again.

The quality was very high and he worked hard to fit us in and get the job done. The quote was pretty off though, he gave us a range and came in at the very top of the range even though we ended up helping with some of the work and it ended up not being as involved as he originally thought. There were also some add-ons that we felt should have been included in the job but he didn't, like he charged us extra outside of the original estimate to put back up the crown molding that they took down to plaster the ceilings. He did end up giving us a discount at the end so it was within the range he gave us. I don't think he was ripping us off, I just think he estimated it too low so we were surprised with the final bill.

I chose Michael of Right Building because he was familiar with the Johnson pocket door kits, he explained in detail all that was required for installation, consulted with me on how to best approach its construction and provide the maximum size door for the space alloted. He drew diagrams, gave me a list of materials needed and took into consideration the final layout of the eventual finished bathroom and offered to address a different issue I had unrelated to the pocket door (he owns a power planer that could remove jutting dimensional lumber on an opposite wall and bring it level to the studs on either side of it...it saved me hours of work). He was also punctual for the estimation and I felt very confident he was the right choice. We set up a day/time for the job once the custom door had arrived, approx. 3 weeks after the estimaiton. Michael arrived with his associate Tony and together we went over the plans, they opened and inspected the door frame kit, and discussed the plan of action. After a detailed discussion with Tony on specifics, Michael left Tony to do the job. Tony was very pleasant, easy-going, and meticulous with detail. Lots of issues arose as the home is 90 years old, out of plumb, and out of square. The pocket door instructions I had found to be very lacking in detail and combined with the issues of sloping floors and out of square walls, Tony had to work out numerous measurements and solutions along the way. He consulted with me all through the process to make sure it was coming along as expected, worked out solutions for attachments for drywall, etc. His attention to detail was great and very appreciated Unfortunately after 8 hrs. the work was not complete and would continue the following day. It took another 6.5 hrs the following day to complete...since I was on a very tight budget, I was immensely concerned that the time frame was nearly double the estimation and called Michael to discuss the turn of events. Michael graciously agreed to abide by his initial estimate of 8 hrs., I was so relieved and deeply grateful that he stood by his word since I did not have a written estimation. I will choose Right Building again for all future projects I need to hire out. Michael's integrity and Tony's quality work brought the end result I was expecting without stress and worry. It took much more time than expected, but in researching retro-fitting pocket doors in older homes, I found various internet forums advising that it's not a job for the weekend DIY'er ...after witnessing the construct of the framing, I can confidently advise you need more than basic carpentry skills.

They hand finished every piece of wood that came from the millyard: posts, beams, rafters, even v-groove, before the even began to cut. Their work was timely, meticulous and professional and we are delighted with the result.

Michael and crew were friendly, professional, and very knowledgeable. Lots of skilled trades were needed to complete this project (framing/header, electrical, drywall, carpentry) and I was impressed with everyone that Michael brought in to the house. My roommates and myself continued to live in the house while these large rooms were being remodeled. Lots of precautions were taken by the crew to ensure the construction posed the least amount of stress for us. The house is extremely old and there was a large number of "unknowns" once we started to demo the old ceiling and get a handle on everything that needed to be accomplished. No matter what my house threw at the crew they found solutions. Micheal was responsive on all requests and treated me very fair given the amount of structural and electrical flaws he found in the house. I am extremely happy with the results and will bring Micheal in on future projects. Good job brotha!

Did not use due to work not being performed

Overall, they were very professional. They had good attention to detail. They really took time to get things right. They made sure they were doing quality work. They made sure that all of the work was well-sealed and well-insulated, even behind the walls. They were a little more expensive than some other companies, but they didn't cut any corners.

Michael came to the house to perform the initial estimate. He was very thorough and spend a lot of time detailing what we we looking for. He spend time to listen and get a feel for what our overall plans were. He then made some suggestions, but never forced any idea on us. Together we came up with a plan and he provided a quote. While I did receive other quotes for the job, Michael's was the most detailed and I felt the most complete. I did receive a quote slightly less, but felt that the few dollars extra would be worth the quality that I saw in Michael's past projects. We set a schedule for start and finish. He kept his word, the project was started on time and finished early!! The price was what we agreed to and the house was cleaned after they completed. We are very impressed with his quality and eye for detail that we are moving on with four other renovation projects all with Michael.

We just moved to the area and needed to make a lot of small repairs, changes and additions to the house to accommodate us. I learned of Michael from a trusted friend. He was right. Michael does very good work and is very reasonably priced. He took the time to read the instruction manual to install a Reverse Osmosis filter, which required finding special parts and coming back a second time (at no additional charge) after locating them. He also took real time to pay attention to small details such as sparing a hand towel rack that I thought I would "lose" when he installed a medicine cabinet in the bathroom. Instead, he kept one side in its existing place and mounted the other end into the side of the cabinet for a very polished, professional look that saved me money and made the whole job look better. Michael is very quiet, but still waters run deep. He's a man of few words but he sticks to 'em. I'd happily use him again.

Michael does excellent work. He does everything possible to make sure the job is high quality and as inexpensive as possible. He is wonderful at imagining new ideas that work better than the ones I started with. I hire Michael for many jobs and he is always successful.

He asked very good questions, provided detailed written estimates, responded to questions quickly and professionally. He made suggestions whenever we asked him to and researched alternatives. He cleaned up his work site at night and arrived on time. He was respectful and quiet. He has followed up to see if we have any additional questions or concerns.

Very fast, professional, and responsive. Great price.