Manus Contracting, Inc

Manus Contracting, Inc. was hired on June 1st with a start date of 2 weeks later per Manus Contracting, contract and scope of work written on June 1, 2012. The project began with the demolition of the original deck, approximately the 1st week of August, or.4 -5 weeks behind schedule. Footings were dug which were 25 square feet larger than in the architectural design. No change order was written and this additional footage was not discussed or agreed upon by the contractor and the homeowner. He says he added because the renter requested it. He told the renter he would absorb the cost of the small increase. The dirt dug out to put in the footings was not properly graded away from the house. The contractor was requested on several occasions to correct the grade to allow for water to drain away from the house. As of today, the soil grade around the foundation still has not been properly adjusted to ensure that water flows away from the home. The addition was framed quickly without detail oversight by Chris. Some of the wall framing was improperly placed.. Manus Contracting stated let the team continue to work and they would make the appropriate changes after all framing was done. This was inefficient and not economical but he was allowed to perform as he saw fit. After framing was done, he moved the walls to the appropriate places. The electrical and plumbing went in before drywall. At that time, many items were given to the contractor to fix before drywall went in, for instance, electrical outlets in the master bath, light switches in the 1/2 bath, etc. A water pipe in the attic was put in an odd place. The contractor stated that he would cut an opening into the new attic and put wood over the pipe for ease of access to the new space. The sub floor in the laundry room was raised by the contractor to match the wood floor in the existing kitchen. Again, the contractor continued his mantra - we will fix it as we get closer to final walk thru. The HVAC sub-contractor put in a new box, dampers and vents for the HVAC system. Despite our agreement, said services remain unpaid by Manus Contracting as of today, January 27, 2013. The drywall, cabinets, sinks, floors, etc. got installed. The list of things that weren't acceptable continued to grow. The completed tiled floor in the laundry room was now higher than kitchen wood floor causing a safety problem. The ceiling in master bedroom had waves in the drywall. The contractor said there was no problem but after further inspection broken wood was discovered in the ceiling. Drywall near door openings weren't level / straight. Additionally, the bathroom lighting over the sink was unable to be installed due to problems that continued after the drywall had been hung. Manus contracting had to install two can lights to fix the inability to run electrical above the mirror. Manus contracting changed the two cans to three cans to try to get better lighting which is still insufficient for shaving and putting on make up. In the new attic the opening was finally cut into the attic space but they didn't clean up behind themselves and he didn't put in the previously promised piece of wood for access to the new attic space. The contractor was frustrated because the list of things that needed to be fixed was growing and was costing money to go back and fix which wouldn't have if he had repaired earlier in the construction. Lack of leadership, direction and management was apparent throughout the project. While trying to get Manus Contracting to fix the problems that needed to be fixed for a satisfactory rating, he now wanted to charge me for the additional 25 square feet of footing. With the hope that Manus Contracting would fix all problems, I did pay additional money for the extra square footing less the open amount due to the HVAC sub-contractor. As of today, a couple months later the drainage away from the house remains improper, there is no flooring in the attic for access to the new addition, several of the doors will not close and we already have cracks in the drywall and bathroom grout. Additionally, he has not paid the HVAC sub-contractor, a bill which is now 6 months late. My son called to give him the bill and he never returned any phone calls. No return phone calls on needed repairs, bill unpaid or to check to see if the homeowner was happy. I, the homeowner, scanned the original bill and emailed it to Manus Contracting on December 19, 2012. Lastly, Chris with Manus Contracting, Inc. offered the homeowner a discount to the final bill in return for an "A" rating on Angie's List. I refused because I was going to give him the rating he had earned based on services rendered. This obviously challenges the reality of some or all of the ratings for Manus Contracting as posted to Angie's List. Should Chris choose to live up to the Manus Contracting Mission Statement "highest level of quality construction services" and "customer satisfaction in all areas including timeliness, attention to detail and service-minded attitudes" by addressing the deficiencies noted in this post I will adjust this review accordingly.

In the end, we began working with another contractor based on price and availability. If we should need a contractor in the future, I will definitely give Chris a call.

They were absolutely excellent! He was very patient with all of our questions and we worked together to establish exactly how we wanted things done with the painting and staining, etc. He was very careful to warn us about expenses going beyond our limit. Chris was very very creative, and he coordinates the sub contractors very well! I have recommended him to my friends!

I had called and left a voice mail message on November 1st and have not received a call to date - 11.24.12. I would have liked to have had an opportunity to get a quote from Manus Contracting, but at this time, would not hire due to non responsiveness. It concerns me as to what response time I would receive in getting the job started/completed or if I had to call with a question or concern. The very least I would have expected was a courtesy call even if it was to state that they would love to bid on my project, but could not get out untill the beginning of next year or that they did not serving the Concord area, This is the only area that I can comment on as I have not used them in the past, so don't know the quality of their work, pricing, or professionalism. I read several of the reviews, so had anticipated a great experience. So sorry that we did not have the opportunity to add a great review to Angie's List for your company.

I had Chris Manus build a roof over the back deck. Here are the things that went wrong. I had to convince Chris Manus to get a permit. That should have been my first warning. The original plan was to use 6x6 cedar posts. A few days before the job, Chris called and convinced me that we should use 8x8 posts. Again, I should have questioned it more. I later realized that he probably couldn't get the 6x6 post for dirt cheap prices so he convinced me to use some reject posts that he found. After the first day of construction, I checked to see how his work was progressing. He had used nails too long for the hurricane ties and therefore couldn't nail them all the way in. That of course is not acceptable. They installed the main beam with the crown of the wood down, so there is an obvious bow in the roof. He said to me "yeah, we accidentally put it upside down, I'm not sure what happened." The main beam turned out to be a combination of a piece of LVL and a piece of UNTREATED pine. That's right, this is an outdoor structure and he used a pine board that is untreated. He had to add that piece of pine because he saw how bad the LVL was sagging. The ceiling under the roof is T111 plywood and he used very small nails to attach it. I'm talking TINY nails. The roof is now sagging and am having to go behind him to use proper size nails to keep the ceiling from drooping. He was supposed to use 125 watt recessed light fixtures. Instead he installed 75 watt fixtures. He was supposed to install a dimmer switch on the inside of the house. He did not do that. I had to install that after he left. When he cut the circles out for the recessed lights he cut them too large and therefore the circular rings that cover the cut out did not cover the cut wood. I had to go to Home Depot and Lowes several times to find something to work. Bottom line is that Chris basically did not pay attention to the details and seemed to be burdened by this small job. He always acted like there was something bigger and better happening somewhere else. I also felt like he talked down to me and never tried to please me (the customer). He will tell you that it turned out great and that he put a lot of work into it. I agree he put a lot of work into it, and if you look at it from about 30 feet away, it looks great. It's when you get close and see the split wood posts, the gaps in the trim, the drooping roof, the sagging ceiling, you realize that he did not do some things right. I would not use Chris Manus for another project.

Just moved to North Carolina from New York a little over a month ago and decided to give Angies List a try as I had no contacts here. I called Manus Contracting on a Sunday and expected to leave a message on a machine....I actually got the owner Chris. Less than 24 hours later he was at my place going over all my concerns, which obviously included price. Chris went over a few scenarios with me and we finally came to an agreement. I held my breath to see what my place would look like when finished, and that was another pleasant surprise. Everything we agreed upon looked awesome....I couldn't be happier. I'm not used to business deals being this easy or thorough. I will definitely use Chris again.

Scheduled a walk through of our home as a perspective client. Manus never showed up, called left a message and received a reasonable explanation and appropriate apology. Set up a second walk through and they did not show the second time either. Very unreliable.

My Realtor recommended Manus and I originally contacted them to discuss replacing vanities in two bathrooms which were unusually low and inconvenient. The response to my inquiry was extremely prompt... in fact someone was out within 24 hours. There was no pressure or hard sell and I found them to be very knowledgeable and helpful. It turned out there was a fix that did not require a total replacement which was very reasonable. I liked what I heard and their reviews were great so I decided to give them a try. To my surprise, I had the quote within another 24 hours and once approved by me, work started immediately. The "crew" was very prompt and courteous. I truly enjoyed having them and they were quire patient and efficient as with any repair/change all did not go as planned. They explained each step and my options, again with no pressure or up-selling. The vanities were repaired/replaced in two days and for the price agreed upon. I was so pleased with their work and demeanor that I ultimately priced and contracted for a screened porch at the back of the house and a small porch over the font as well as hardwoods in two halls replacing existing carpet. Manus worked with the inspector to get all permits so that I didn't have to run around and do that. Being new to the area this would have been an added hassle. The porches turned out great. The construction was on-time and on-budget. It is well constructed and best of all, both additions are extremely attractive. I have received great comments from the neighbors which is always a good sign. My son's comment, which is the best of all, was "It's much more than I expected." The hardwood installation too was done to match the existing flooring and looks wonderful. To the Manus's credit, they won over all the neighbors, helping several with small situations which came up as they did my work. (One lady fell and couldn't get up and was rescued and another needed a screen door hung which they kindly made time for.) I can't say enough good things about all the Manus's..they were professional but at the same time extremely knowledgeable and patient. They always took the time to answer questions and make sure I was happy with their work. They are just plain "good folks." I would not hesitate to use them again or recommend their work.

I called Chris Manus after finding his name on Angie's List. He came out and agreed on work to be performed and the cost. He brought in a dumpster shortly thereafter. His team came out and worked in the heat and performed the work as expected. His team kept the work area clean. I am very satisfied with the work performed. The work was performed on my rental home in Matthews, NC.

Recently I hired Manus Contracting to do some home repairs as a result of storm damage. Recent hail storms and other acts of nature had caused a breech in my roof leading to water damage. The water damage lead to mold in the ceiling, dimpling of the drywall in our 2 story family room and water spots in several of the upstairs bedrooms. I contacted Manus Contracting after seeing the reviews on Angies List. The positive comments by satisfied customers coupled with the accreditation of featured homes at the HomeArama made Manus Contracting my choice. Chris was very pleasant to work with. He was very patient with me as we worked through the insurance settlements to get the work scheduled. He walked through my home with me as we discussed the areas that needed to be addressed, the method of treatment and the scope of work. The drywall technician and painters were terrific. Everyone was responsive and very pleasant to work with. They even repaired my attempts to fix a nail pop in the wall. After the work was complete Chris did a final walk through with me to ensure that everything was done to my satisfaction. More impressive than the lifetime guarantee on the work is the fact that Chris also commissioned a cleaner to come and clean my home to ensure that there was no dust or debris left behind from the drywall repair and painting. Unheard of!! That to me was superior service and has cemented Manus Contracting as a contractor that I will turn to for other home repair / remodeling needs. I was so impressed by his level of service that we have already started talking about future projects.

Our experience with Chris and his team was very stress free. He arrived at our house when scheduled and so did his team.We appreciated his patience with all of our questions and his knowledge was invaluable. We felt he was very honest and trusted his advice. There was no hard sale approach,he did exactly what we asked and we feel was very very fair in his price. We would call him again in a heart beat.

From the day Chris came and gave us an estimate, I knew he would be the one we would hire for our remodeling!! He was honest right from the start; stating if he thought the cost of something would not be worth the investment. We had our Master Bathroom/closet completely redone; and everything was removed , except for one wall which was moved. We could not be happier with the whole process and the end product! Not only did they make the whole job easy for us (moving a wall a few times so I could "see" how it would look), they cleaned up each day, he listened well, did great detail work, and the outcome far exceeded our expectations! Chris also suggested great ideas, that I trusted his judgement, and he would stop going in a direction that was offered if he realized it would not look the best, and would put up samples for me to "see" before continuing. Chris has a consistent and great crew of workers who are all excellent, trustworthy and honest, and are locally born and raised. :), so you can always contact them; you know they will be around for a long time (and plus they have generations of family reputations to uphold). I would highly recommend Manus Contractors for anything that needs fixing or completely remodeled!! Definitely a 5 star company! Chris was always on top of things, making sure everything was done to his high expectations! The value and quality of his work is impeccable and I would recommend him to anyone hands down (and already have to family and friends, with more great results! ) I would definitely hire him for anything else we need done! Thank You, Chris, Cameron and Ronnie!

Manus Contracting (family run business) was referred by a friend. We could not be happier with them or the quality of their work. Chris Manus listened to my concerns regarding the look we wanted with the windows to our porch and the problems we were currently having with water seepage from a former project. The workers were very respectful of our property and picked up before leaving for the day. All work has been done on time, on budget and above expectations. They of course have gotten more projects because of their attention to detail, integriity of their staff, quality of the products used and implementation. Chris is always on time, on site and making sure what was promised is what is delivered

I spoke to Manus Contracting and set up a time for them to come out and give us an estimate for installing a new deck. They never showed up. I called and left a message and still no response.

Placed a request on Monday and received a response fairly quickly. Someone came out to discuss what needed to be done that day. We walked the house and I pointed out specific things that I would like repaired. Outside I was told that the seals around the exterior windows were nonexistent and so we decided that needed to be done along with everything else we discussed in the house. It may have been a miscommunication that I wanted a bedroom painted, but I thought I was clear. He gave me an estimate based on the odd jobs and said it would take a day and 1/2... that was fine with me. The following morning someone showed up and we briefly went over the details. It was his understanding that it was a job that would take 1/2 day.?? He was told only 2 walls needed to be painted?? Once this was clarified my price was increased by 400.00, which I was ok with... After seeing the the work on the 1st day some of the bathroom work was not done, the tile in the kitchen was smudged which I pulled off the grout and had them redo ., a doorknob feel off in my hand, which they also had to fix and on the second day they came back to finish the painting which upon looking at there is paint on the ceiling which i pointed out to him and he said" that is what happens with taping"???? I told him we will have someone else fix it because he certainly did not offer. Finally (my mistake) but he quoted me a price and I paid it only later did I realize that I was told the outside windows were fine and nothing needed to be done, but the price never changed..just went up. i felt like the main goal was to hurry as fast as possible as and get out. I realize it was a small job, but we are trying to put the house on the market and just needed a few touch ups.. important to us, maybe not to them. Finally I felt like I was trying to be sold a house which he was building the whole time he was here. I was trying to be polite as possible, but the subject kept coming up by him!! Bottom line....not completely happy and will not be a return customer.

The remodel was an enjoyable experience and the bathroom looks fantastic. Gary and Ron did an excellent job. I would definitely use them again.

The job was started in July, 2011 and essentially completed in September, 2011, however there were issues with the tile floor in the shower caused by a clogged drain which didn't allow the floor's adhesive to dry and harden. Chris Manus or his helpers returned three times before the issue was completely resolved, in February, 2012. We're grateful for Chris' integrity that he was always willing to talk to us, and to work on the issue. We are very satisfied with our new bathroom, as it is exactly what we envisioned. Chris allowed us all the time we wanted to make selections and choices. We would have liked that his explanation of allowances would have been more clear, and we were frustrated occasionally with a lack of communication regarding his work schedule. Overall, we are quite satisfied with Chris' quality of work, pricing, character and integrity.

New to the area, I relied on Angie's List to find a good contractor to help me with work on a new house. I bought a foreclosure in need of some key improvements due to the mold issues in the garage as well as the drainage issues in the front yard. Also, I had a pool table that I wanted to make room for above the garage that required expanding the room width (we did this by adding a large dormer on the side of the garage. After interviewing a few contractors, I decided on Chris because of his attention to detail and vast knowledge for the job(s) I needed done. Chris has proven reliable on all jobs I had him do, everything was to my satisfaction and then some. For example, Chris did things he was not even contracted to do such as clean all my gutters out (which were completely full of debris and leaves). Another thing he included that was not contracted for was new painted shutters for the front of the house. Doing little things like that go a long way. The overall job did take a couple of weeks longer than I expected, but this was attributable to the weather not cooperating when we needed it to. I already have a few more jobs for Chris and fully expect to use him again and again.

My mom found Manus Contracting (Chris) on Angie's List and had him come out to provide an estimate to redo her master bathroom; after she met him and spent time with him, she recommended I call him to look at my house (which needed a lot of work, but across a lot of different skill sets!). When I met Chris, I immediately felt comfortable with him - we walked through the house, from end to end, and I talked about what I wanted and he talked about his ideas and thoughts. I told him about how much money I wanted to spend, and provided him the list of items we talked about, asking for a quote. He spent the next hour and a half driving around my neighborhood (NoDa) to see what the other houses looked like, and even called up some of the realtors with homes listed to find out what they felt was selling in the neighborhood. He came back and was able to do everything on the list for the amount I quoted - I was shocked! He and his team got started in early November, and, weather permitting, began all the items on the list. I travel full time, so it was great to see what had been accomplished each time I came home. I felt completely comfortable giving Chris access to my home - my mother checked in periodically, but Chris was essentially on his own except for questions. Chris and team are great not only because they take pride in what they do, but because they always go the extra mile - not only in the execution (which was flawless), but also in the fact that they always did the little things (for instance, he weatherstripped my front door and painted it; not on the original list, but he saw it needed to be done and just did it. No extra cost, no making a big deal about it - just did it). Chris also has great ideas and is willing to share those - he is very honest (probably sometimes too much for his own good!) about where to spend money, and where not to, as well! I have an old house so we both knew going into this that we might stumble upon surprises - we did once or twice, but most of the items Chris just took care of (unless it was a significant job). That definitely made things go quicker and easier. Payment terms were 50% upfront and 50% upon completion, but I chose to pay an interim installment as well to ensure there was money for supplies. I honestly could not be happier with the results. Before I had this work done, I really wasn't excited about my home, and preferred the travel and staying on the road. Now, I feel like my house is somewhere I want to be, and I can't wait to have people over and show it off! I have literally recommended Chris to all my friends, as has my mother - and they have already started using him and singing his praises! For me, there are many people out there that can do good work; however, finding someone honest, passionate and truly dedicated to building on an already stellar reputation is much less prevalent. Manus Contracting proved to have all of those qualities and then some - without reservation I would highly recommend this company.

Chris Manus was contacted through Angie's List and he immediately called us back. Mr. Manus is extremely professional and a conversationalist. He answered our questions and provided detailed information regarding our attempt to have our gas line and dryer vent pipe moved to accommodate our new dryer. Mr. Manus was frank by saying we would best be served to hire a trustworthy HVAC contractor and provided a great contact. Why is this important, we called him at 8:00 pm and he answered and spent a great deal of time discussing our problem and offering multiple solutions. This is service rarely seen or experienced. I truly appreciate an individual who is honest and will not waste our time. I will definitely be using Mr. Manus in the future for construction projects on our new home.

First of all, the finished product in our home is absolutely beautiful! When looking for a local contractor, we went to Angie's list first. I found Manus contracting on the list then went to their website. The pictures on the site were beautiful as well and looked like quality work. I contacted Chris via his website and he responded right away. It was either the same day I sent the email or the next. Chris agreed to come to our home to provide a free estimate. We scheduled an appointment. He had to cancel the first one due to some other work which was currently in progress (a home closing I believe), however, he gave us ample notice and communicated his inability to keep the appointment. Chris was VERY responsive during the whole process even if/when there was a delay. The only delays we experienced were due to a wait on materials. After Chris came to our home to provide the estimate which was indeed free, he followed up with a formal estimate which he sent via email. We went back and forth for about a week with questions and responses about the estimate. My husband and I felt it was a good estimate based on 2 others we had received. We also quite honestly just had a "good feeling" after meeting Chris. Chris provided a reference per our request and contacted the client to make sure it was okay if we called. I thought this was a sign of true professionalism. After speaking to the reference who in my opinion gave a very balanced and fair assessment of the work Manus contracting did for him, we singed the contract! Again, Chris was very responsive through out the process answering emails most of the time the same day either in the morning or at night. When we had an opportunity to upgrade the door we originally chose given availability by the vendor, Chris called to let us know it was an option.The door took a little longer than expected to become available (2 weeks) but once arrived the project commenced and was done in about 1 week. Chris started the job the first day and always arrived at the time he committed. Not only did he show up on time, but the 2-3 subcontractors (Electrical, Drywall , and Painter) also showed up on time, did their work quickly, as quietly as possible, and cleaned up after leaving. All 3 subcontractors were so great, we would utilize them again for other needs. Overall, we are VERY happy with the work, quality, speed, and professionalism offered by Manus contracting. To my surprise when the work was completed, Chris even had his cleaning crew come to our home and clean most of our downstairs area which was just close to the project site. We couldn't be happier with the job and will absolutely use Chris again in the future. I asked him for an estimate on custom book shelves for our office even before the project was completed! Thank you Angie's list and thank you Chris!

I have a 35 year old vacation home, recently purchased. This home requires much updating that we do when we can afford it or when it is necessary. The plumbing had to be replaced recently while the basement was being remodeled. As a result, the basement bathroom had drywall that needed repairing. Also, a previous contractor had done some preliminary trim work which was unsatisfactory. After meeting with Chris, we could tell he was knowledgeable and experienced about what needed do be done and about what options for finishing the basement were available. We were impressed with his professionalism and attention to detail even before the work started. He made suggestions about improvements and had foresight in how to prevent future issues. He was very precise. He worked on the basement while we were away on vacation, and after we returned we were very happy with the finished product. We look forward to working with Chris on future projects and we would recommend him to others without reservation.

Overall the project went very well.

July 5, 2011 I called and spoke with Chris explaining that my front door's stain had peeled off due to constant sun exposure. He made an appointment to come to my home the next day. July 6th, Chris arrived and I showed him the door; we discussed how he would do the work and he also explained the product he would be using and why. He gave me an estimate for the job and I told him to procede. The next day he arrived, introduced me to his assistant, and began the work of preparing the door and panels for staining. They were very respectful of my property and cleaned up when their day was done....no evidence of their work was left behind. July 8th, they applied 4 coats of a high quality stain to the door and all panels....this took most of the day. They very carefully went about their work. They were also friendly and appreciative for the cold water and sodas I provided....the temperatures and humidity were suffocating. He submitted a bill for the amount he estimated and advised me that if I had any problems he would be back to make the job right. I was very happy with both the workmanship and the respectful individuals performing the service.

They are re-doing my bathroom and expanding my patio. This company's work was very poor. The deck was fine, but the bathroom is what my concerned about. There are leaks in the walls, there are water stains, incorrect pipes installed under the sink. Bottom of the house leaks from the bathroom into the crawl space. I had an expert. When they put the shower pan in, it was supposed to come over the edge and then they put the tile in. Not put in correctly and as a result it has been leaking. Never showed up no matter how many times we've called. It's now been years. We had an inspector come and he confirms exactly HOW bad it is. There are major, major plumbing problems. We are trying to sell our house but so far it hasn't pass the inspection.