DH Construction Co

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I contacted DH Construction due to their great reviews in Angie's List. I called and Brian answered immediately and scheduled a time for him to come see. He showed up on time and was a pleasure to meet with. My siding and some trim was showing signs of rot and possible moisture damage. Brian was very professional, knowledgeable and informative (I was in construction in my younger days and can usually tell the difference between the 'fast talking salesman' versus an informed professional who provides you reasonable options. He is one of the few contractors I've met with over the years with whom I felt very comfortable. He recommended a fiber cement product and maintenance free trim. This seems like a good option for me since I hope to stay in my home longterm. Unfortunately, I was not able to move forward on the project due to family illness but I hope to revisit this with him soon.

Due to a substantial amount of rotten siding, so we wanted estimates on replacing all of the siding vs. piecemealing it over time. We had several quotes with one being from DH Construction. From our first visit with Brian Howell, we were very impressed with Brian's honesty and straight forward talk. He processsed with us....providing the pros/cons and costs of replacing with fiber cement or with vinyl siding OR fixing rotted areas a little at a time. After meeting with us, Brian was readily available via phone, text or email. He encouraged to ask as many questions as we had. He answered all of our questions thoroughly and honestly. Not once did we ever feel Brian was pushing a specific product or service on us. He wanted us to make an informed decision and do what we could within our budget. We made the decision to replace our siding with fiber cement siding and have the entire exterior painted. Once the work started, Brian continued to be readily available to us. He stopped by often or called us to see how everything was going from our perspective. The crew led by by John and Eddie was awesome. The were hard workers who were meticulous with their work. If they did something that didn't look just right...they would redo it. All of the workers were respectful and considerate of our home, yard, and most importantly, to our family. Replacing our siding was a major investment in our home and Brian understood that. Early on, he said, "when everything is finished you're going to be amazed at how good your house looks." It is so true....when everything was finished, it was like we had a new house. The quality of work and the conscientious manner in which they worked were outstanding. We felt throughout the process that DH Construction had our best interest at heart and they wanted us to be 100% satisfied...which we are. We had two other quotes for replacing the siding with fiber cement siding and Brian's quote was by far the best quote (by several thousand dollars). Again, this speaks to Brian's integrity. I highly recommend DH Construction especially if you are looking for a company who does quality work and who cares about you as a customer. Without a doubt, I will be calling DH Construction in the future.

It was a very positive experience. Brian is a very good contractor. They did good work and had good contacts. He sub contracted out most of the work.

It began with a roof leak. I asked roofers we were getting estimates from to evaluate the whole roof area from which we learned that one area of hardiplank siding was up against the shingles (there should be a gap) and it was an area that gets a lot of water flowing through. It and a fascia board had rotted. The chimney cap design was improperly done so that water was running down the trim boards and causing rot there. Another area on the front of the house experienced some rot where a gutter abuts the house (still not sure why it did it but we found a piece of siding in the gutter that may have caused some backflow toward the house). Finally where there were hardipank boards joining on large stretches there were gaps and they seemed to be pulling away. I did a two contractor repair of the whole situation, with DH Construction taking care of siding and trim first so that roofers then repaired the leak area and provided a new chimney cap that extends beyond the trim so water doesn't damage trim. For the chimney, they removed all trim and siding to make sure there wasn't any unseen damage, wrapped it with a RainDrop housewrap, used Miratec Trim boards to replace the rotted trim and replaced hardipland siding there and the other areas. They did the face nail siding on the areas that had popped out, caulked and painted those areas.

In the end, the project took four weeks to complete which was pretty good considering the items added along the way. Brain was on the level with all estimates and bills, and the guys of the work crew were always courteous and helpful. DH Construction is a certified installer for Certainteed products so I received good product warranties in addition to the workmanship guarantee that Brian gives his customers. I am pleased with the level of workmanship, and I still feel good about the work we chose to add as the project evolved. Renovating a house was not an easy undertaking, nor was it cheap, but I glad that I had Brian and the guys of DH construction to work with.

I need work done on my home's siding so found DH Construction on Angie's List. I talked to Brian about my home and he said he would come out the next day at 9:30 am to take a look for an estimate. He never showed up and he never called. This is very aggravating when you make a point to be home and have prepared for the meeting.

After getting quotes from three other top tier local subcontractors, I choose D&H based on the testimonials on Angies list (from the Raleigh area) as well as the references I received from former clients. Brian Howell's quote was the lowest, and the materials he quoted using were the highest quality of any subcontractor. He was also one of the only certified installers of the fiber cement siding. Part of the reason his quote was lower was his ability to repair the M&W windows that were originally put in the house when it was built in 1987. We had several additions to the original quote, including replacement of a large picture window, and replacement of unsuitable structural sheathing, Brian was extremely hesitant to add additional changes to the job, even after discovery that much more rotten wood had to be replaced than was allowed for in his quote. I paid what he quoted, plus the additions mentioned above. His crew was very hardworking and professional even when the job dragged on longer than any of us anticipated due to weather conditions and holidays. The crew had nearly a two hour long commute each way, but they were here most mornings by 8:30 or 9:00 and worked sometimes until after dark. The crew made every effort to make sure we were satisfied in even the smallest details of the job. They even repaired interior nail pops on drywall at no extra charge. My wife and I are thrilled with the way the house looks. But the best part is knowing that we won't have any issues with the workmanship or materials. We received a warranty on workmanship from D&H, and on materials from all suppliers. Because he is an authorized installer of the fiber cement siding, he registered the warranty paperwork for us, and it is transferable should we decide to sell. I really am glad to have a contractor who values the independent nature of Angie's List, and even after he gets the job, understands that he needs to keep his customers happy. Brian wants his customers for life, and does what it takes!

Defective siding had buckled in places, nail pops, etc. I got 3 estimates on repairs and found Brian's to be the most professionally done estimate with a detailed description of what would be done. Brian communicated both with email and phone calls, including calling when someone would be even 5 minutes late arriving to my home. Eddie, who was in charge at the site, was very hard working and pleasant, answering my questions promptly. The crew cleaned up daily before leaving the house. This job was done in during an intense heat wave and they never complained nor slowed up with the work. After the job was completed, there were a couple of areas that needed some minor attention still -- Brian was very prompt in coming back to take care of those without question. I am very impressed with the responsiveness, professionalism of this company's owner and employees and overall quality of the work performed.

We have been happy with DH Construction. We had called 3 other companies before we found them online in a Google search (before I joined Angie's List.) Two companies didn't return my calls; one came out and promised a bid but never delivered. The owner of DHC (Brian) came out when he said he would. He was frank and up front about what things would cost and what he would provide. He told us what he recommended and didn?t recommend, based on his experience. If I call him, he either answers or calls me right back. That's reassuring and helps things go smoothly. We had a couple of problems with a cord on our air conditioner getting kinked up when one of his guys was working with a ladder in a tight corner outside the house. Both times we had a problem, we called DHC and Brian went to a lot of trouble to locate someone he trusted to come out and take a look. He paid the for the repair both times and the air conditioner is fine again. I felt like Brian was willing to work with us to meet our needs and that he's honest. He's a guy who seems to like his work and to know what he's doing. I would use DH Construction again and would recommend them to friends.

I had an excellent experience with DH Construction. Brian was involved throughout the process and spent a lot of time with me up front choosing the best windows and siding for my home. For example, we reviewed several window manufacturers so that I would have windows that are not only energy efficient, but also trouble free. I am very pleased with the windows we chose--I couldn't be happier. He also spent a lot of time on the siding selection and we came up with a product that is top notch and will also help with energy efficiency--I have already noted an improvement in energy consumption. Brian used a top quality house wrap and put a very experienced crew on the project. The time and effort they put into the trim, finish and details was evident--the house looks great! Like a new house. Brian brought in top quality subcontractors to replace my garage door and to replace my gutters--also very pleased with these two improvements. Brian followed up with me throughout the process and has done everything possible to ensure I am satisfied. Thanks Brian!!

His estimate was almost right on-- we had to have a little more fascia board replaced than anticipated but there were really no surprises throughout the whole job. I was worried when the price was so low that they were going to "find" a lot of things to fix (and charge me more for!) but this was not the case at all. Plus, the estimate (and final price) was half of what we got from another well-known siding contractor. In addition, Brian was very knowledgable about the product and the current landscape for contractors. We've done a lot of recent remodeling and he was the only person we worked with who knew about the coming regulatory changes for dealing with potential lead paint. His knowledge saved us on disposal fees (because we moved up our timeline and did the work just before the law went into force) and got us a better product in the end. The other contractor wanted to use pre-painted siding, which Brian told us shows a lot of scratches which occur during transport. The crew was very neat, cleaning up at the end of each day, and flexible with scheduling when we needed them to be. They also replaced our light fixtures with new ones free of charge. Brian checked in with me often as they made progress and was straight forward with what he could and couldn't do (he told me he didn't feel comfortable replacing an awning on the back of the house). I really do feel we have the best looking house on the block now! I asked him for quotes on several other jobs around the house-- fence, railing for our deck, etc. If we decide to do these jobs, he'll be the first call I make!

Our entire experience with DH was excellent. Brian was responsive to our initial inquiry, flexible about meeting times, punctual, and patient with our questions. Both the siding installation crew and painting crew were very easy to "live with" for the duration of the job. They worked hard every day and cleaned up the work areas at the end of the day. Our house looks great and we think they did a terrific job.

The important thing to mention right off is that we were very satisfied overall with the job and workmanship. Brian was good about communication (both by phone and email) and kept us abreast of overall progress throughout the job. There were issues, however, with sloppines in the way the crew managed the jobsite (our yard/property) especially cleanup, throughout the effort. I would have given DH Construction an Excellent for quality rating if it wasn't for this. Brian was very thorough about completing punch-down list items at the end of the work.

I originally contacted Brian Howell, owner of DH Construction, to obtain an estimate for the removal of our existing hardboard/masonite siding and replacement with James Hardie ColorPlus HardiPlank fiber cement siding. The exemplary referrals on Angie's List had my expectations soaring, and Brian immediately impressed by arriving right at the agreed upon time on a Saturday morning, with samples in hand. We discussed installation of the Colorplus HardiPlank product, as well as his suggested option of installing factory primed James Hardie or CertianTeed fiber cement siding and finishing with paint applied by brush. He informed me that he would install Tyvek house wrap since our house did not have an existing wrap, and recommended the use of MiraTec composite trim for the cornerboards and door/window trim that we decide to replace. It was obvious Brian had extensive knowledge and experience with the products he recommended, as he took the time to explain each manufacturer?s installation specifications which they would strictly adhere by to ensure warranty compliance. Thanks to my tendency to ask a ridiculous number of questions, our meeting lasted for over 2 hours, yet Brian never once showed any impatience or eagerness to wrap it up (I was particularly impressed with this given I noticed about an hour and a half into our discussions that his wife was waiting in his truck). Given DH Constructions? comprehensive experience in many areas of home remodeling/construction, I asked to include in the estimate the replacement of 2 casement windows and a sliding glass patio door (each of which had significant water damage to the unit and surrounding structure) that we had originally planned to have replaced by a window and door manufacturer. In addition, after informing Brian that we were currently receiving estimates for electrical, gutter replacement, foundation waterproofing/drainage, grading, and some concrete work, he proposed to contact several contractors with whom he has worked to see what price they would give him, allowing me to compare with estimates from contractors I had selected (which I did not share with him). If chosen for the siding job, Brian offered to coordinate the work of any subs I hired at no additional charge. The estimate was received within a couple of days, but I had already determined Brian was the guy I wanted for this job. The estimate for removal of existing siding and cornerboards, disposal via two dumpsters, Tyvek house wrap, install Miratec trim and new Hardiplank primed siding, caulk, and SW Duration paint (applied by brush- 2 coats on new material, 1 coat on existing) was $18,000, and would take the two man crew 3-4 weeks to complete. Seamless gutters and gutter guards would be $1,200 through his brothers? company, Rain-Go. The 2 casement windows and a sliding glass patio door would be ordered and paid for by me directly through Brian?s distributor, and installed free of charge. In addition, he arranged for a foundation waterproofing/drainage contractor to meet with me to provide an estimate directly, and he included a couple estimates for concrete work as well as references for electricians. Throughout the job, communication with Brian was excellent. I could expect a call from him first thing in the AM with a rundown of the events to occur that day, and then again in the evening to inform me of the work that was completed. He would come by the house, on average, every other day to inspect the work himself and meet with me. Pictures were taken at every step of the process to document the work and unforeseen issues that arose, which came in handy in the event I was not able to be present. He was always accessible via phone and email, responding immediately regardless of day or time. While this job went smoothly, it certainly was not immune to issues. We encountered significant unforeseen expenses, consisting mostly of rotten wood replacement: sill plate (2x4 lying flat on foundation) and header (2x6 lying on edge vertically on top of sill plate) ~90 linear feet total, subfloor inside front door and sliding glass patio doors being replaced, several floor joists, fascia and sub-fascia, some wall sheathing, shingle molding, gable vents, and framing surrounding the front door, sliding glass patio door, and the 2 casement windows. The sill plate, header, and floor joists, being structural, required an impressive effort to repair. The floor joists had to be supported with a jack while the sill plate and header were ?surgically? removed (cutting of the fasteners holding them to the foundation wall, each other, and the floor joists, then cut into small enough sections to be forced out). These repairs, when combined with the other on-the-fly decisions (to replace all existing soffits with Hardisoffit, replace most of the fascia due to rot and/or poor condition of paint, replace the front door), added nearly $10,000 and 3 weeks to the project. While the repairs and add-ons were over 50% of the original budget for the project, I felt Brian was extremely generous in working with me on the pricing given the time, effort, and skill required to complete the work. He always handled the issues promptly and in the professional manner you would expect from a small business owner who puts his customer service/satisfaction first. One example which depicts the type of guy he is, as well as his commitment to his customers: during the re-attachment of the heat pump emergency shut off box to the new siding, some sparking and a small flame resulted in the A/C unit not working. Since it was the end of the day, I decided to let it go until the morning. Brian, upon hearing about the problem from his crew, called me and offered to come over, in the dark, in hopes of getting our A/C back on for the night. I declined, but greatly appreciated the gesture. Brian showed up bright and early the next morning, diagnosed the problem, and had an electrician out within the hour to quickly resolve the issue. That is the type of guy Brian is. Overall, I was extremely satisfied with the quality of work and professionalism exhibited by Brian and his crew. They truly put customer satisfaction first, ensuring I was happy with each step of the process. Brian realizes that a quality finished product and a fully satisfied customer is worth more than any dollar amount he could spend on advertising. It is comforting to know that, in Brian, we have a contractor we can trust to perform a job to the highest standard, for a fair price.

At every point, Brian Howell was in constant communication. All work and amounts were clear. He showed up on time and so did his people. The work was completely quickly and neatly. All waste materials were disposed of. Our house looks like a brand new house. Additionally, many extras were included (dumpster, installation of new exterior fixtures and shutters, etc.). As an added bonus, the crew rebuilt the ramp we have for our chihuahua off the back deck with the same posts and rails as the rest of the dog. Strong Bad goes up and down his gangway like the king of the house (which he is, of course).

When removing the old roofing shingles and gutters, there was a lot of damaged wood that had to be replaced. Brian's team handled this very well.

Not so good. Update as of May 10, 2009: I want to follow up. I called Brian and talked to him personally. He was very professional. He came out and gave a very complete evaluation of my problem. I need to save up more money to get the job completed but I was pleased with the information on how the job would be performed. Thanks for coming out. I will let you know when the job is contracted and completed.

We love the look of our new home. Brian and his team are professional and easy to work with. He was quick to respond to our call for an estimate. We asked Brian for references, which he quickly supplied. We took the time to visit two on the list and were pleased with the work we saw in addition to the comments from the homeowners. Once we signed the contract, the project started within a week. Total time to complete the project was just under a month, which included a few rain days. The roof was completed in three days. Brian was attentive throughout the whole process. Between stopping by or via phone, he was in touch with us on a daily basis. Brian's attitude is such that he wants to make his customers happy. Any and all concerns we voiced were answered to our satisfaction. Of the few times we were dissatisfied with the workmanship, it was always corrected and met with our approval. Brian's crew was hardworking, courteous, and attentive to any concerns voiced during the process. They cleaned the area of all debris after each workday. They frequently asked for our feedback during the project to make sure they got it right the first time. They liked our dog as much as she liked them. We would certainly recommend Brian and crew to anybody needing similar work done. We got estimates from others before taking on this project, and found Brian to be competitive on price. Our house was originally built in 1984, but it looks brand new now.

Scheduling the project was very easy and work began within a week of signing the contract, Brian was very helpful throughout the project and communicated with us daily about timing and progress. He was incredibly responsive to all questions/concerns. Work took place over 3 weeks, delayed periodically by rain. The crew was very pleasant and polite. The crew leader was very responsive and easy to deal with. In a couple of instances Brian and the crew really went out of their way to address issues, we had several windows sills which had rotted beneath previous siding, the crew replaced the window sills and did a really great job. Likewise, our porch ceiling was somewhat challenging to deal with once all the original materials had been stripped. Brian and the crew did a great job figuring out how to approach the challenge and we were really pleased with the results. The crew did a great job cleaning up and helped out with a lot of end of project finishing, helping us install new light fixtures, repairing and rehanging all our screens. In general, we were really pleased with the work done and the experience overall. We would definitely use DH Construction again for any future projects.

I had asked Brian Howell for an estimate for replacing all of my cedar siding with Hardiplank, since one wall was entirely rotten and I figured the rest didn't have long to go. Of all the contractors who provided estimates, he was the only one who looked carefully at the entire house and told me that I did not need to replace all of the siding, that in fact, with the exception of a couple of places that needed repair and that one rotten wall the siding would probably last me another 25 years. Very pleased with the savings THIS offered me, I asked him to estimate screening in the front porch and painting the house. In the end, I elected to wait on the painting and just do the siding repair and the screened-in porch. He came with his crew in about 7 days from the contract signing. I was very pleased with the screen door he'd selected, it goes very well with the rest of the porch styling and is vinyl, so no maintenance needed there. He explained everything they'd be doing, to me and to them and put them to work. I was dismayed with the mess, they left their tools and materials all over the porch and front lawn even overnight. However, when I said something to Brian, he immediately had them clean it all up and gave me a discount on the electrician work required (the rotten wall held the electrical boxes). Other than that, I felt that they did fine work, carefully matching not only the type of siding that is on the house, but also getting a fairly good match for the paint, which is very difficult to do. The design of the porch framing, required to make correctly sized spaces for the width of the screen, is very attractive. They primed all raw wood before painting it. They also did some carpentry work to close a gap between the chimney and the house where water might come in. It is an awkward spot and what they did was very attractive. Their final cleanup was good, though they could have swept the porch before leaving. That was the first thing I did with the porch, was sweep up the dirt and sawdust and wood splinters. The only contract work I've had done before was my vinyl windows and they were very clean even vacuuming inside, so maybe I have higher expectations that are perhaps not realistic. Overall, I am very pleased with their work, both in quality and in speed. I'm also very pleased with Brian's responsiveness, he clearly was very concerned that I was happy with the job. And I was astounded and pleased with the communications & emails and phone calls were frequent and I always knew what to expect, even to getting a call when they expected to be 10 minutes late by having been held up by traffic. I have been told they do other work that I have in mind for this house in the future, metal roofing, painting, etc., and I will certainly keep them in mind when I am ready to take bids for those jobs. Highly recommended.

I found DH Construction Co. on Angie's List, but it was the link to their website and what I read from all the satisfied customers that convinced me to give Brian Howell, the owner, a call. I now consider myself on the growing list of DH Construction's satisfied customers. What I didn't anticipate when I made that first call was that it was going to be the best decision and smoothest transaction ever with a major contractor. I have lived in my Durham home for 16 years. Over the years, I have contracted with many and have seen my fair share of incompetent ones. Brian Howell and DH Construction operate at a unique and distinctly high level in terms of standards, quality, and service - excellent in every regard. Many well-known and successful contractors do not compare. From now on, this is the company I will be calling upon for any kind of repairs to my home. I cannot thank Brian and his staff enough for the outstanding work, and an unforgettable customer service experience.

I am very pleased with the results! DH construction Co. did everything they said they would do. They even pressure washed our home and deck after they were done. They are true craftsman! After dealing with ''jack leg'' companies in the past I am glad I found one that actually knew what they were doing! I recommend them to anyone!