Custom Construction & Renovations Inc

I used Custom Renovations, as well as Custom Electric for a major updating of my 1930s house in the Lindley Park area of Greensboro. The electrical work began 12/04/18, with the demolition starting 7/09/19. The job completion (with final walk-through) was 1/28/20. There were multiple aspects to the total job: attic insulation, floor refinishing, redoing of an old back porch (which involved raising my back roof line to raise my master bathroom's ceiling), adding a back deck, and painting the house's interior walls. Both bathrooms were updated, as well as my kitchen. In the process, all my old iron piping was upgraded as well. Custom Electric not only replaced all my old "knob & tube" wiring, but also placed additional wall outlets & smoke detectors to bring the house into current code compliance. The Custom employees (foreman, electrical, plumbing & carpentry), as well as the various contractors (painters, dry wall installers, tilers, insulators, & floor refinishers) employed by Custom were all very professional and did a great job. Chris S******, Custom's owner, was very accessible to answer any of my concerns & provided expert options to the many decisions (structural & electrical) that arose during the process. Christin G*********, my Custom design consultant, was invaluable in walking me through the many design decisions that confronted me: kitchen cabinet, sink, fixtures, tile & countertop selections, bathroom configurations, shower design, fixtures & sink selections, floor stains, etc. She assisted me in navigating the various suppliers of these items, and was patient and informative. During the whole project, I ended up asking Custom for 12 change orders, Some changes were necessitated by issues arising during the construction. Some changes were additions I just requested as the project moved along. From the beginning through to the end, both Chris & Christin were transparent about the project's costs. In summary, Custom did a very professional job and I would recommend them. I'm very pleased with my house's upgrades.

Chris Sampson is a highly professional contractor, who has always been attentive to our needs and willing to answer all sorts of our questions. What we like so much about working with Chris is his knowledge and creativity when confronted with unexpected obstacles. We have used Custom multiple times for simple projects (installing attic stairs), creative projects (custom wooden fireplace surround), remodeling (guest bathroom) and new construction (deck and screen porch). His crew arrives promptly, cleans up at the end of the day and is professional and courteous. We are 100 % satisfied with all completed projects by Custom and will definitely use them again.

Custom is a professional organization with a great personal touch.

Custom worked out very well for us. The foreman on our job was Brian and he was awesome. Very diligent about his work. Always arrived on time and with a plan for the day. Kept the workplace clean, too! Thank you, Brian. We are enjoying our room so much! Christin was our point person, and worked with us on our choices of materials and scheduling various parts of the project. She was very responsive and supportive throughout the project. She and Brian are valuable assets of this company. Chris Sampson came out several times before and during the job and we appreciated his attention, especially when he personally sorted out a delay in getting the correct exterior siding. The job was completed on time and much to our satisfaction. Definitely would hire again. In fact, we have had Custom do electrical and plumbing work in our home also.

They told us up front since this was a small job to them they'd have to fit us in around their larger jobs. We still went with them and signed a contact in Dec 2018 which included a 50% down payment. The job cost was 7000. Not really a small amount of money. But we were patient and did not hear from them again until mid March. They sent 2 guys who were fine to have in the house but they would come work for an hour then leave. They either didn't have the right tools or equipment or had other more important job to go to. This went on for a months. They decided to only build one step out the backdoor instead of the 2 in the contract. The purpose of the need for the step in the first place was the need for gradual step down versus the steep step. I let Christin the project manager know and she said she'd have the owner come look at it and he never showed up. I still haven't seen or heard a thing from him, Chris Sampson. They finally did build the second step and finished the remodel of the closet which required drywall, flooring and putting in a door. We did add more shutters to the job and it took over a month to get the final ones because they forgot to order them and then forgot the size. Within a month the steps started bouncing and we noticed the boards were not cut square at all. Christen called and said normally for large jobs they would come look when the job is finished but she was just going to send us a final bill. I specifically requested she please come and look at the steps. When she did she was appalled at the finished product and mentioned her 8 year old son could have done better work. Even the cat room had to be re-engineered so that the exhaust fan would trigger with the motion of the cats coming into the room. She even mentioned she thought the interior of the cat room was not as finished as it should be, but did nothing to have it improved upon. They did send out someone to correct the steps which were completely torn out and rebuilt. She was going to send the same person. I had to request she please not send the same individuals that built the steps in the first place. I do appreciate that they did make the steps right. However, they then left construction materials and the construction trash from rebuilding the steps in our driveway for a month. During this month long period she was sending me bills for the final amount every week. I was not going to pay it until the trash was picked up and the last shutters were put up. Finally after not being able to use half our driveway to turn around we paid someone to come get the debris and materials out of the driveway. The “small” job ended up taking 6 months from the time we signed the contract. Actually, the timeframe wasn’t really an issue for us it was the lack of concern for our job by them. When I got the 5th bill in 5 weeks after the final shutter was finally put up it was for $211 more than the previous 4 final bills she’d been sending. So I wrote them a let them know I was not happy about the additional charge as well as my thoughts about how poorly the job had been done and how we felt we’d treated as if we didn’t matter to them. I sent that email to them on June 7 and never heard a word from them until June 18. Then on June 18 I got a note asking me to complete a customer survey because it had come to their attention we had had less than stellar service from. It was from Casie Sampson. I wrote her back and suggested she read the email I had sent to Christen over a week and a half ago if she wanted to know how we felt about their customer service with us. That day we got a call from Christen telling me she didn’t see the email until that day. Over a week and a half later. I find that questionable because she responded immediately when I sent her an email saying I’d sent final payment. I didn’t want any more invoices. She had always been on top of her emails but for some strange reason she didn’t see my email telling her how disappointed we were with their treatment of us and why. Then she proceeded to make one excuse after another for why this and that wasn’t done properly. She even questioned about the debris and materials in the driveway when I had sent her a picture of it the day I got home and saw the mess there. Then to add to the insult the office person that had sent me the “survey” wrote me back and said they would use my concerns as training for future handling of customers. Then gave me the owner’s email and phone number, Chris Sampson. I have not heard another word from them and never heard a thing from Chris. Things happen and we are not unreasonable people. If they had done one thing in a customer service way to make things right I would not be writing this review. But they dismissed our concerns about our treatment by them by not responding after June 7th email and then after June 19th. No effort on their part to try to make things right. As with typical contractors One Job and Done. Evelyn Day

Having a woman to work with was wonderful to have that balance from the start. It was really nice to have someone to be able to provide the architectural design that I wanted. I knew what I wanted and I felt like I was always listened to. There are always challenges that come up when doing a project. The crew handled everything with grace, no anger. Custom is a really good team. I picked the right people.

Another great job by Custom C&R. Knowledgeable worker(s) who work miracles in small places. They show up when they say they will, and finish on time. Area is kept clean. All questions are answered, and the results are top quality. Frankly, I won't let anyone else touch my house!

This is the second job we hired this company to do. Everything we wanted was done properly and to our specs. Change orders were no problem. We also needed a storage container and movers to clear out furniture .. all arranged for us ! THAT is great service. If we need anything else done to the house,Custom Construction gets another call.. We TRUST this company!

Custom Construction and Renovations was an absolute "God Sent" for me! I had been working with two different property management companies in Greensboro who managed my 6 rental properties over the last 7 years that I inherited. The properties were built in the 1950's and they needed a great deal of "love" because of the "Band-aid" repairs done over the years. No matter what the problem, CC&R handled the repairs, replacements or remodels. They are very responsive, professional, extremely knowledgeable and well-priced. They are fantastic company to work with and I recommend them highly!!

They did not have the decency to respond to our request for an estimate.

Excellent, you get what you pay for. If you want the best, and are willing to pay for it, call Chris.

Chris and his men had wonderful ideas and took our requests and made a beautiful rendition of our nearly 60yo house. We are SOOO pleased and the work was done promptly and professionally. Added a few things to the original quote and they were done without issue. Great bunch of guys who know what they are doing.

In a close toss-up, we ended up choosing another contractor due partially to cost and partially to more time invested in understanding the project with the other company. Here in week 6 of what was supposed to be a 3 week job (for the contractor's part, not the whole start-to-finish), I have had several opportunities to reflect back on my choice and see that several of the things Chris pointed out turned out to be true and, in fact, I would have appreciated the extra hand-holding that was to come along with his higher bid after all. I think Chris knows his stuff and he was very professional and courteous.

The guys were on time & very professional & polite. Changed out the electrical outlets & replaced 2 smoke detectors & installed a new one in 1 1/2 hours. Will definitely get Chris & his guys back to re-do my bathroom.

Progress was hampered by weather delays, but eventually everything was done very well.

Very professional and thorough. Competitive prices. Very easy to work with. Quality of work was excellent,

It went great. I knew I wanted a new bathroom, but I didn't know exactly what I wanted. Chris was extremely helpful and instrumental in the process of giving me a bathroom I would love. He always took the time to answer my questions and was usually easy to get a hold of. Chris really knows his trade and I will only use him for future work on my house.

Chris is very professional and knowledgeable. He gives realistic expectations, solid suggestions, and fair pricing. When his guys made a mistake, he compensated with extra service at no charge. When the brick guy had an off day and the half wall came out very visibly wonky, Chris had him take it all down and start over to make it right. They communicated throughout the work and followed through with everything as expected. He arranged a consultation with a local cabinet maker and was with us as we made decisions about the kitchen work. We had the old 80's white vinyl looking doors with no hardware fronting an oak colored cabinet. They took a section of cabinets we were moving to the workshop with them back to their shop and used it to match the stain perfectly to the cabinet box. The new doors and fronts in the kitchen completed the remodel we had started with a very lame competitor. Call Chris at CCR and leave a message and be patient. These guys are always working or in the middle of a consultation. He always called me back within an hour or less. I would expect a couple of hours or end of day for a contractor to return calls. These are stand up guys who do solid work at a good price, not a cheapo price, but a good price for the work you get. Cheapo prices get you cheapo results. Lesson learned. Thanks Chris and company!!

Removed stairs, rebuilt hand rail with better design, replaced decking.

It went good, they sent two guys ?and one was an electrician and he found an issue that previous electricians never found.

Chris Sampson was the most professional contractor I have worked with. His workers were prompt, knowledgeable, and efficient. He never promised anything that wasn't immediately fulfilled. He took the time to explain the prices and the work involved. Everyone on the job was trustworthy. Once when a delivery truck took out my neighbor's mailbox, Chris had the mailbox completely replaced and installed before the end of the day. Another time well after the work was complete, I was in another town when I remembered I had left my beans burning on the stove. I knew no one in town at the time. I happened to think to call Chris. He promptly sent someone to turn off the stove. That's the kind of human touch that is so rare these days. I guess he "forgot" to charge me for that house call.

Very timely. I feel the quality of products and service provided were top notch.

Chris Sampson, owner of Custom Construction and Renovations, visited, examined the workspace and area underneath, and laid out the process. We were doing the work during the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, a difficult time for such work, but Chris navigated the problems perfectly. The job entailed replacing an old fiberglass tub and shower unit with an enlarged shower-only with a moveable seat, replacing an old, old two-sink vanity with a custom-built one with cabinets and drawers for storage, replacing the commode, and replacing the carpeted floor with a high-quality cork floor. Finally, Chis installed a small electric radiant heater in the baseboard. If you've ever watched a successful home renovation show on TV (This Old House or HomeTime), then you have a good picture of what working with Chris is like. He guided us through the fixture selection process, setting up appointments for us with distributors and joining us for one of the visits. His employees are extremely competent, knowledgeable, and very nice people to have in your home. His cabinet maker is first-class as is the carpenter who installed the finished vanity. All in all, the work was excellent. In the end, the cost exceeded the initial estimate, but, with old houses, there are always unanticipated problems. In our case, the water damage was significantly greater than anticipated. Chris priced the solutions fairly and completed the additional work with very little delay to our expected time for completion. When we were returning our Christmas decorations to our attic, our old disappearing staircase collapsed. Chris replaced it quickly with a metal one for a very fair price. That job required some cutting and fitting, but it was a quality installation that closes and seals perfectly. So, large job or small, Chris and his employees do great work. Custom Construction and Renovations is a fantastic contractor. We have at least two more remodeling jobs at this old house and Chris will be our contractor for those. I'm very confidant that the finished product will be perfect. If you have a remodeling job, call Custom Construction and Renovations. You'll be pleased with the results.

Went very well overall. Chris Sampson was professional and good with building code issues. He had creative ideas for details and spent time to discuss options. Work was good quality with minor punch list items. Scheduling code inspections affected the timing some. Work site maintenance and cleanup was ok but could be improved. We have also used sister Custom Electrical.

The crew was prompt at time agreed to and cleaned up well after themselves. I will be using them in the future. In fact we are scheduling another project with them in a couple of weeks.