RJ Ward Construction

My husband and I could not be happier with how the renovation went overall. We had never undertaken even a small renovation so this was all new to us. Bob was amazing to work with and his coordination with all the subs and our lender were great. His three main employees (Stephen, Julio and Eric) were also extremely professional and a pleasure to have in our home. They took great pride in their work and were amenable to all my little (and some big) changes throughout the 5 month process. Importantly, my neighbors said that they were very courteous and respectful of them and we heard no complaints about noise/mess, etc. Pricing - We had already fired one contractor by the time we started this process and we ultimately got bids from 3 contractors for the project. Comparing the three bids was like comparing apples and oranges but we felt like Bob's estimate was the most comprehensive and complete. It gave us a clear sense of what the renovation would cost and how the money would be spent on a room by room and item bu item basis. After it was all said and done, the only overages were ones that I had approved and requested once we were sure there were no unfortunate surprises. Bob also fixed a number of small things along the way that were not necessairly covered by the contact but were necessary. It was very important to me not to have any financial shocks or surprises at the end and there were none. Thanks Bob! Additionally, some of the initial people we talked to clearly did not want our business as they discussed charging hunderds of thousands of dollars for just the kitchen or masterbedroom. Product Selection - I was not the easiest person to work with because I had very specific ideas about certain products and companies I wanted to use given the focus on eco-friendly products. Bob was very accomodating of my choices from using Mythic Paint (an eco-friendly/healthy home friendly product) which is only available one place in town, to using bamboo and cork flooring ordered from a company in California to resuing existing items. Bob was far more accommadating of me purchasing items directly for the installation than some of the other contractors were. Quality - Bob's crew does their own masonry, tile and floor installation. The quality is excellent and they even helped me figure out colors for grout and stain along the way. The tile work is beautiful. The cabinet company was amazing and I got custom build cabinets for a price equal to semi-custom from other places. I insisted on quartersawn white oak which also made the order a little more challenging. The subs who came on property were also excellent from the electrician to the painter to the plumber. Communication - I felt like the communication was good throughout the project and Bob was always responsive via text or phone. He was always accomodating to my schedule when we had to meet in person to go over items. Additionally, I felt like anything I told Bob or one of his employees was relayed appropriately. I think it is also important to note that communication is a two way street and Bob was understanding when I wasn't as responsive as he needed due to work and life. We will definitely use Bob when we get around to adding our front porch and redoing the last bathroom. I would recommend him without reservation

I contacted Mr. Ward on January 6th due to his "A" rating on Angie's list. During our conversation, I explained that I am puchasing a home and would like to have a retaining wall construction and additional concrete poured for the patio. He indicated that he had time that day to go by and asked that I text him the address, recount the services that I'm looking for him to provide, and an email address to send the estimate. I immediately texted him and he replied "Thank you. I got it." The following day, I sent a text asking if he'd had an opportunity to go by the property as he'd indicated. He stated that he was on his way there and would be there in 30 mins. I followed up the next day (1/8/14) and he indicated by text that he would have an estimate soon. On 1/10/14, I received a text asking if dirt could be used from the vacant lot next door, to which I replied that the builder would provide dirt for the project. He immediately asked if they'd place the dirt, to which I indicated that I didn't think they would. I allowed 6 days of no communication before texting him. I sent a text last night asking if he would be providing the estimate. At this point, I've not received an estimate or a reply to my question. I've read some of Mr. Ward's responses, which indicate that if he doesn't get a good impression from the client, he feels it better to walk away. I was nothing but courteous during our phone conversations and the text messages that I've sent. If Mr. Ward wasn't interested in performing the work, a communication indicating that would have sufficed.

All went well from first meeing Bob Ward until the project was finished. Bob took care of the permits, etc. that were necessary. Bob was terrific to work with. Always answered any of our questions immediately. Bob's crew members were all punctual, friendly, professional and trustworthy and performed their portion of their job in hand with excellent results. Alll the work was done with little disruption and all work was done in a very orderly manner. The completion of our project was done in the time frame that was promised. We definitely would recommend RJ Ward Construction to anyone that is contemplating any rennovations.

I had Bob Ward of RJ Construction inc. come out to our home the first week in October 2013. We needed a full master bathroom remodel , and a minor bath remodel, in one of our upstairs bathrooms. Also, we needed a master closet remodel, hardwood floors in a our living room, dining room, foyer, hallway, and risers, and other miscellaneous items like painting of some rooms, a fireplace remodel, deck work, etc.. which he said he could do. He spent several hours at our home, and even gave us a great idea for our master bath, and said he would put two options in the estimate. He seemed interested in working with my husband and me. He also was nice, and seemed knowledgeable about his field. I initially called him because he was a licensed NC contractor, and had gotten good reviews on Angie's list. His prices also seemed reasonable. I already had an idea of what his average remodel job cost from Angie's list, so I didn't push him for a ballpark price, and figured I would wait for his estimate. He said it would take about a week for him to get back to us with an estimate, When I hadn't heard from him a week later i gave him a call because I was concerned maybe the email had gotten lost. He said he always follows up the emailed estimate with a phone call. I thought maybe I gave him too many task to do, and said if that's the case just the bathroom, and possibly the floors would be fine. He assured me that he could do everything, and would get back to me soon with an estimate. WE NEVER HEARD FROM HIM AGAIN !! , and it's now the second week in December over two months later. We would have been willing to wait even if he couldn't do the job in the immediate future. We feel he didn't act professionally by not sending us a simple email out of courtesy regardless of why he couldn't do the job. **********BELOW IS A RESPONSE TO THE PROVIDER'S RESPONSE******** First of all I did not wait two months to let you know I didn?t get your estimate!! I CALLED YOU THE FOLLOWING WEEK after our initial appointment, because I didn't get the estimate you promised you would send me in a week. I stated this before in the review above. I was very courteous when I called, and asked if you had sent an estimate, and if so, I expressed I was concerned the email might have gotten lost, etc.. I check my junk mail, etc. every day, and never got an email with an estimate from you, but I got all your correspondence prior to the first appointment with no problem. You say in your response you went home after we met, and worked 2-3 hours on my estimate, but when I called you a week later you told me you hadn?t gotten a chance to do the estimate yet, but would get to it soon. You assured me that you always follow up the estimates you send via email with a phone call. So, after months went by, and you never sent me an estimate, or even called, I can only assume you weren't interested. How many times should I chase after you? As far as the appointment where do you get the 5 pm time? For a start the appointment was at 4 pm which was chosen by you, and I have emails to confirm it this. I was flexible, and could have met with you at any time of day because I don?t work. My husband can attest to the 4 pm time, because I made him leave work early that day to be here to meet you!!! Also, I have no idea what you our talking about as far as designing my bathroom. You did some measurements, and said there was room to flip a standard 60 inch tub sideways which would free up some room as one option (which btw your measurements were wrong because there is only 57 inches). You said you would later provide an estimate for that option, and another option of leaving the bathroom the same, but you didn?t design anything on the fly while you where here, nor did I ever see any design from you later. While you were here I had a lot of things I needed done, and you spent time mostly looking at all of the areas that needed work, both inside, and outside of my home which led me to believe you were really interested in the job. In the interim when you saw I had cats you also told me all about your cats, but the majority of the time we were not chit chatting about cats, and no one held you hostage for 45 minutes telling you bogus cat story. I think you go on so many estimates that you are starting to mix up your clients. When you stand people up, for what ever reason you seem to find a way to blame the client rather than accept fault. If this is any indication of how you operate I?m thankful I never hired you. And BTW it took me a lot of time to write the first review on you and also this response, not just give you an F in 5 minutes. My time is important too, and I would rather be doing something else. It?s not fun either for a customer to go through what I have gone through with you.

Bob was great to work with. We interviewed 5 general contractors before hiring RJ Ward. I cannot say enough good things about Bob Ward, he was always responsive to any questions, concerns, phone calls were always returned and he is honest. We are looking into using Bob for an addition soon. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a general contractor.

Bob was a great partner throughout the whole experience - very easy going and patient, and always responsive and helpful. He had the best price and the quality of work was very good. All concerns were dealt with promptly and thoroughly until everything was perfect.

The whole experience with Bob and his crew was outstanding. He came highly recommended from another trusted contractor (Doug Lynch with Exterior Additions), so we knew it would be a good experience. The work was started in early March 2013 and progressed pretty much on schedule. They worked closely with us on timing to ensure we always had at least one functioning bathroom and shower. It has now been several months since completion and we are still is awe of the work that was done. It all looks great. We especially love the intricate tile work in the master shower. Customer service is very important to us and Bob always responded quickly by email or phone if their were any concerns. We highly recommend RJ Ward Construction for any bathroom renovation.

We were wanting to remodel our kitchen and two bathrooms. Mr Ward was were knowledgeable the first time we meet. After that is when it went down hill. It took me emailing him 4 times to answer one question. I asked him about a coupon that he had and he told me He had already included the discount and he gave us his discount on cabinets. My question is why didn't he show me that on the estimate. How do I know that he is not trying to cheat me out of the discount.

We bought a house that required a total renovation. It was difficult to schedule an appointment with Bob as he will not schedule a weekend appointment. Finally Bob came on a Friday, took measurements and promised to provide us with a quote by Sunday. We called Bob to follow up and left him at least two to three messages, however, we never received the quote and we never heard from him again.

Guest bathroom was completely gutted and rebuilt. Bob and others always arrived on time each day and cleaned up each day of the project. Bob was very flexible on allowing me to purchase faucets, vanity, etc. from suppliers with the best price. Eric did an excellent job on the floor tile/ shower tile and other items of the remodel. The subcontractors used for plumbing, painting, etc were also on time and did an excellent job. I also asked Bob and Eric to do several other small projects around the house....they were receptive to doing these items and completed them for very fair price. We were very pleased with the remodel. Actually two pictures of the remodel are at bottom of pictures shown by RJ Ward Construction on Angies list.

Never called us or responded to my other email inquiries!

Last spring, I decided to sell my starter home in Indian Trail to buy an older house in Matthews or SE Charlotte. I was able to purchase a 1980 mid-century modern home in SE Charlotte that was a foreclosure and had been empty for awhile. A tree branch had fallen through the roof, and the hole was left uncovered. Rain came into the house for months, and the living room area was damaged. The house also had not had an update in a while with many original fixtures still in place. For some reason, I decided to plow ahead with the purchase and was able to secure a loan that also included a portion for remodeling. I did not know any contractors, so I contacted one without a firm referral. He didn't call me back for a couple of days, and was 45 minutes late to our appointment at the house. He basically told me that what I wanted couldn't be done for the amount of money I had to spend on the remodel. I then talked with a co-worker whose husband owns a granite business and asked if he would provide a recommendation for a contractor. He gave me Bob Ward's name. Bob owns RJ Ward Construction here in Charlotte. I called Bob, and he called me back promptly. When I arrived at the house to meet Bob, he was already there, walking around and looking at it with a contractor's eye. I decided to ask for everything I wanted knowing I would have to cut out some things because of budget. Bob walked through everything with me and provided a solution to every request I had. One of the first things I learned about Bob was that he never said no. He always found a way to solve a problem. He gave me a ballpark estimate for the job. I was surprised that just about everything I wanted was able to be done. I decided on the spot that Bob was the guy to take this on. Bob went above and beyond the call of duty. Although I could list many examples, one example stands out as the highlight. When the house appraised under our estimate, we had a weekend to scramble and make the budget work. I made my cuts and emailed them to Bob on a Saturday night expecting him to respond on Monday. Bob had a revised estimate to me by 10:00 on Sunday morning. That weekend was Thanksgiving weekend. The guys working for Bob are all professional and very good at what they do. They are masters of their craft. I am still amazed when I walk into the kitchen, master bath and living room at how great the tile and hardwood look. I have "officially" lived in the house for 3 weeks now, and I still can't believe that I get to live here. All of Bob's subcontractors are also good at what they do, and it was a pleasure working with all of them. I want to especially thank Gary Hetrick for not only referring me to Bob, but also for doing a fantastic job installing the granite counter tops. On top of all I mentioned above, the project came in on time and within budget. So to be able to work with someone like Bob who stuck to his timeline and provided quality work was a pleasure. You hear about the horror stories, but you never hear about the great experiences. If you work with Bob, you will be the one writing about the great experience.

I called and set up an appointment with Bob. I confirmed it and he did not show up. He did not call to cancel or to apologyze.

The job went better than could be expected. We are overjoyed with the outcome!

Purchased a home when relocating that had a faulty deck. Once we had a structural engineer provide direction, We set an interview with Bob. Liked him and he provided a very competitive quote. It was obvious from the outset Bob knows his stuff and has an excellent business acumen to go along with a winning personality. I like his deamenor of confidence/straight shooter/honesty. We have used other general contractors in the past (In Indianapolis where were from) with mixed results but there is no question Bob has to be one of the finest in the Greater Charlottte area. He makes sure schedules run smoothly and is a great communicator. I love the fact he's a texter so you can share little bits of info real time. BIG POINT -- I have never seen a contractor where EVERY single one of his employees and subs are as good as his team is. Electric, drywall. painters they are all first rate, professional and punctual -- and Clean Up is never a question. We like him so much on this project we hired him for an even bigger one in 2012 ;)

Bob and his crew and subs were professional, punctual and kept us informed the entire project. They cleaned up everyday so we did not even know they were doing construction in part of our house.

My mother was seller her condo and the home inspector found structural problems with the fireplace and hearth support under the house, as well as a large deck that was improperly supported as well. There was also a list of about 20 other small items such as improper flashing and loose railing. Closing was in 7 days so time was important. Bob Ward came out the night I called him and had an estimate to me via email that night. He began working 2 days later, and had everything done a day before closing. This included tearing out and rebuilding a foundation wall under the fireplace hearth including pouring footings. The deck was properly supported and ALL small items were taken care of. The new owners were there everyday as were we. Both of us were very happy with the results.

They did alright it just took them a long time to get back to me. I was hoping for some sketches and stuff but they did not. They said it takes too long for sketches.

It did not "go". The company never returned my inquiry.

SPECTACULAR!!! We had used RJ Ward for our master bath remodel last year (2011) and had a wonderful experience. They came out to give us an estimate for a Screenporch, deck and octogon deck with firepit. It was a custom design that my husband and I crafted together. Bob, owner of RJ Ward, came out and took measurements and made our design a reality at an extremently reasonable cost. We had received estimates from some other deck specialists and they weren't even close with the quality and craftsmanship that we received for the price with RJ Ward! Due to the extensive electrical and specialized installs including the tongue-in-groove floor and ceiling in the screenporch and firepit, it took 5 weeks to complete. Over that time my husband and I grew close with the workers because they were so friendly, showed up on time daily and took pride in perfecting their work. Unlike other deck/contractors, Bob visits each work site daily to inspect the work being done and be available for questions or adjustments to the work. During the work we ran into a couple of changes that we wanted to make; Bob and his team were easy and open about adjusting the work as quickly as possible and if it couldn't be done were very tactful in explaining why (generally because of code). Outside of the quality of work, RJ Ward exceeds all other contracting companies because of how they take ownership of "the little things." For example, they cleaned up daily including moving all the lumber to one part of the yard, picking up scraps, and wiping down all flooring - including the lumber that was installed outside! I have never encountered such attention to detail with any other company. RJ Ward will be our "go to" for all projects in the future!

Bob Ward came to look at damage to our porch, roof, and fence due to a tree falling from a neighbor's yard. He was very courteous and professional. We had other contractors give us estimates but Bob's was the most competitive.. His framing, roofing, and fence crews came out on or before schedule and performed the work quickly and efficiently. The fence contractor was able to reuse some parts, saving us money. After a headache of no replies and high estimates, Bob was awesome to work with, answering all of my questions and getting the job done right.

We solicited 3 bids for our bath remodel. One bid was way over budget and we were made to feel foolish when we suggested that in the Charlotte area master bath remodels average $14K. The other guy showed up looking disheveled (maybe high?) and was more of an artist than a contractor. Bob was a breath of fresh air and exactly what I was looking for. Bob is just a good person. He listened to my vision and helped me tweak it. I showed him pics of what I was looking for and he helped me make choices that would meet my budget. When I didn't like how I was treated at a plumbing supply store downtown he was willing to let me order my materials via the internet (love love love faucetdirect.com!). I ordered my bathtub, sinks, mirrors, and all plumbing supplies on line. Bob helped me to make sure that my order was correct and even gave me a contractor discount code. As others have stated his communication is top notch whether phone calls or emails. He was always patient with me and my multiple emails...even though in the realm of his business I imagine I was a smaller customer. I feel like he treated me like I was a $100K customer! I also liked how most of the work was done by Eric rather than a huge crew. I completely trusted Eric. I gave him a temporary code for my garage door and he came and went as he needed. I completely felt comfortable leaving him here alone. He was very nonintrusive and carefully cleaned his work area every day. He would leave by 3:30 each day which was perfect since that is when i was coming home with my children. My dog looked forward to greeting Eric each morning and misses him! Bob stopped in multiple times during the course of the project to make sure that everything was going well. When a glitch came up in the remodel (our granite remnant went missing) Bob called me on vacation and emailed me a photo of a replacement. It was put in while we were gone and was perfect. As with every remodel small issues arose but Bob/Eric immediately addressed them. Bob recommended another company Quality Custom Woodworks that made a custom vanity for us that is absolutely beautiful. I never thought I could afford custom but I could! I would absolutely recommend them if you are looking to replace your vanity. You can send them a pic of style etc that you want and he will send you a quote. Bob has pics of my job. I imagine they may be on his facebook page. We will definitely use Bob for any future remodeling work.

Bob Ward and his crew of RJ Ward Construction just finished an 10 week remodeling job at my new house. I had 5 contractors bid on the job; one said it couldn?t be done for my budget (see my review of the Urban Building Group) and the other four provided quotes based off of drawings of the remodeling plan and walk-thrus at the house. Bob?s quote matched that of another contractor, with the other two being unrealistically higher and lower. While Bob was running a 10% discount for Angie?s List customers at the time, which brought his price below the other contractor, my decision to go with him was also based on his character. During the walk-thru, he was patient, thorough, asked me good questions about what I wanted and expected and provided detailed answers to my questions. I wasn?t 100% certain of what I wanted detail-wise and Bob was helpful in listing out options and their impacts on cost, timing and longevity. One of the things that impressed me about Bob Ward from the start is that there was one huge unknown variable that could have severely increased the cost of the remodeling ? for some reason, the floor of the old den addition was about 1? higher than the rest of the house. As I wanted to move the kitchen to this room, and create an open kitchen/den/dining room flow, a level floor was a requirement. (The fact that my girlfriend and realtor had both tripped on that threshold multiple times also played a part in the requirement.) The other three contractors were definitely puzzled by the floor height discrepancy and said they would put a ?just in case? cost factor in to the bid; Bob and I discussed the possibilities and then he said, ?I have my knee pads in the truck. Why don?t I just crawl down there and see what is going on.? Ten minutes later, the great mystery was solved and we knew for certain that the cost impact would be minimal (Sometime during 50 years, someone had put an extra subfloor layer down. All we had to do was remove it and the floors would be level.) This same proactive attitude was evident during the entire construction project. It not only showed while getting things done, but also when responding to my texts, emails or phone calls. I never had to wait more than an hour for a response, even if it was a ?Will be done with this meeting in an hour and will answer your question then.? The lines of communication were always open. As I stated before, I didn?t have all the details of the remodeling worked out. Bob was a great sounding board for ideas and options, and he saved me a lot of money by suggesting alternative products or alternative suppliers. Because of his vast experience and his method of interacting with the home owners, Bob was also good for bouncing off aesthetic, interior designer type questions. He has seen a lot of home interior design approached, some that worked and some that didn?t. And, no, he didn?t just agree with everything I suggested ? if he had a different opinion, Bob would tell me what it was and explain why. He also uses his high quality crew as a resource for ideas ? when I asked something specific to tile, for example, he would pull in Eric, his tile expert. On any wood questions, we?d ask Darryn for his input. And sometimes three of us would stand around and brainstorm optional treatments or color schemes. I found this extremely helpful ? their experience is a valuable commodity. I would highly recommend RJ Ward Construction to anyone ? in fact, I am using them to make repairs to my old house.

I obtained several estimates and Bob's was the most reasonable. He was able to start work within a couple of weeks and the crew he sent for the demolition was just great. They covered all the flooring where they would be walking and were very careful about keeping the doors closed to prevent dust from flying through the house and my cats from running outside. The hardworking crew worked from 7:30 - 5:00 for a solid week and were careful to keep me informed on their progress and next steps. When the bathroom started to take shape, Bob was in touch daily to let me know what to expect next and was very accommodating about making plans around my work schedule. Everything was so very organized and there never was a time when I had to wait hours for someone to come. While the shower wall was torn down, Bob thought ahead and asked if I wanted to run a line for a sink into the garage and I did just that. Overall, it was a pretty painless experience and will definitely use this company again.

We were pleased with everything that they did. Originally, they got the wrong size of the window (Manufacturer's fault) but they were able to get it taken care of and there was only a week delay with getting all that fixed. They were always working on projects, but that was the only thing that went wrong which is very minor. Everything has turned out beautifully. It has been three months since the job was completed and it has all turned out very well. They were very easy to talk to and even made helpful suggestions for us.