JT Home Construction

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We had contacted about 4 contractors prior to finding Jamie Tangorra of JT Home Construction. They each gave us estimates, all lower than Jamie's. However, only two of them described in any detail what exactly they would be doing and when the other two did it was clear that they were cutting corners. There were specific challenges with regard to our large retaining wall that were pointed out by Jamie and factored into his quote. He had spent quite a bit of time speaking to us about what needed to be done and precisely how he would do it. Other contractors had never even considered all of the obstacles that were so important to its stability and functionality. My husband immediately felt comfortable with his genuine personality and the extensive plan he had presented. We decided to hire him and he kept in touch with us over the weeks leading up to his projected start date. His crew arrived right on time and ready to work. I was really indecisive when it came time to pick out colors and paving stone styles. The first task was building the retaining wall and right away I was not thrilled with the available color samples. Jamie immediately called his contact and arranged for me to see two additional colors that he thought I would like; one of which I did end up selecting. A few days later, he had presented us with several books to review pavers and advised of a local showroom where all the paving stone styles and associated colors were laid out for review. After our first visit there, I was even more confused. Jamie invited us to come to his home to see how his pavers looked. Still, I was uncertain. I kept saying "I have to look at these pavers for the rest of my life so I need to be sure". He was patient and understanding and agreed that I should indeed love the final selection. He referred my husband and I to the home of his previous client to observe a particular paver that I was considering. Not only did he call them right away, they were more than happy to have us come right over. From the moment we arrived, they raved about Jamie and his crew and proudly showed off the beautiful work they had recently done. It was true, the work was impeccable. It allowed us to see the pavers installed in a very similar scenario as compared to our own home. This gave me the confidence I needed to make my choice. My husband had added some tasks to our overall project after JT's crew had started the job. He had asked for an additional walkway to wrap around from our patio in order to access the stairs up to our second second story deck. Also, we needed them to finish the excavating/grading of our property, remove the extensive weeds, lay topsoil and seed. As this "last minute" walkway began to take shape, we were amazed at how beautiful it was. They created a landing with wide steps gradually leading up toward our deck staircase, complete with planters. We had expected a simple little walkway but the end result was beyond anything we could have imagined. The walkway to our front door also exceeded our expectations; being embarrassed of our messy garage and unfinished basement is thankfully in the past! The crew worked until late Friday (August 19); what should have been their last day. They wanted to ensure all of the seed and hay was in place and perfect. Minutes after they had left for the evening, we had a torrential rain storm. Water traveled down from my neighbors property washing out newly topsoiled areas and created pools of water all over our lawn. Jamie and his crew came back the next morning, on a Saturday, and spent the entire day fixing the damage. They installed temporary fencing and a created a trench in order to divert the water away from the house until we can properly remedy the problem. Jamie is very easy to deal with and identifies with his customers which ultimately allowed us to feel comfortable and accept him as trustworthy. Every day we watched as Jamie and his crew worked tirelessly; there was never a moment of slacking. They were friendly but diligent, always punctual and took great pride in their work. They kept our property neat and clean; gathering up garbage and organizing their tools at the end of each day. My husband and I were so grateful to have worked with such a professional but also personable team of people. As we have quite a bit of work still outstanding, we have no doubt who we will hire. We actually look forward to seeing Jamie and his crew at our house in the future and will refer his services to everyone we know. We feel totally satisfied with the quality of the work and the end result is nothing short of perfect.

We have been involved with a difficult renovation for more than 10 months and it came time in July 2011 to address the landscaping needs of our home. We needed to grade our grounds, resolve drainage issues and install attractive paving work for a new front walkway, rear steps and a patio. We interviewed nearly 10 contractors with disappointing results until we turned to Angie's List and found JT Home Construction owned by Jamie Tangorra whose company had previously received solid recommendations. Mr. Tangorra arrived on time and was patient and knowledgeable as we asked questions and advised him of what we wanted. He listened intently and made time to visit and fully understand our needs. We're Texans and Texans like to talk to take the measure of whom they're dealing with and Jamie Tangorra solidly passed muster as an honest and straightforward contractor. His father was also a contractor and Mr. Tangorra was not a suit-and-tie entrepreneur who "sold jobs" out of an air-conditioned luxury car but a astute business owner and tradesman who knows how to motivate, lead and work alongside his crew. He provided a bid that was very reasonable for the extensive work we require. I should note that other contractors with similar bid prices were not including sod or a lawn irrigation system. The positive attitude of Mr. Tangorra would be reflected by his workers as well. As an author and journalist who was once a construction worker, I was deeply impressed with Mr. Tangorra and his workers and continued to be so as the job began. I place a high premium on a sense of humor in the face of adversity and I found I had good allies in Mr. Tangorra's crew. It was a refreshing experience. Mr. Tangorra made several more trips to the house -- always arriving on time -- as we pondered materials and plans. He was patient and never failed to offer solid, workable suggestions. We are perfectionists and wanted natural stone for the walkways and patios since we were unimpressed with concrete pavers. Mr. Tangorra never demonstrated frustration with us, which we found amazing since we are quite demanding. However, as it became apparent that the selection of stone in New Jersey did not suit our taste, Mr. Tangorra arrived at the last moment with a beautiful manmade stone for the sides of the back steps and a wonderful Canadian-made concrete paver in gray that looked superb for the five-foot-wide front walk and the 18-foot square back patio. His suggestion of blue stone treads for the back steps was also a winning suggestion and he embraced our selection of teakwood sandstone for the top landing on the back steps that would be surrounded by a blue stone perimeter. We felt we were involved in a productive and cooperative effort that resulted in far better results than if a less imaginative contractor had simply followed our instructions. For people who would never consider a manmade concrete paver, we were impressed that Mr. Tangorra was conscientious enough to realize what would be pleasing asthetically and functionally. We took his suggestion on the manmade pavers and are glad we did. As the crew began to work they encountered one unforeseen problem after another. I worked with them to keep an eye on the project -- given bad experiences in the past -- and found his crew to be friendly, professional, good-natured and eager to help. They did work outside the scope of the original bid and did so in the enthusiastic way that workers do when they take pride in their efforts. The difficult grading process was tedious and tough but Mr. Tangorra's crew worked diligently and professionally as they took my guidance when I saw something that needed to be done that had been unforeseen. Their equipment was fully adequate for the task. It was necessary to bring in a highly-skilled and extremely courteous stump removal subcontractor to eliminate the root and stump systems. The work was superbly done. Mr. Tangorra and his men -- including his subcontractors -- knew their business and spotted problems as soon as or before I did. When we uncovered an unseen and massive concrete beam on the side of the house his workers immediately began chipping away at it with sledgehammers like hard rock miners in the 100-degree heat. When a jackhammer was finally employed, the concrete was removed at no extra charge. As the job progressed, Mr. Tangorra's crew tackled our overgrown shrubbery and trees along our very long fence line and professionally trimmed and shaped everything, something we had not asked them to do. It was an instant improvement. As the job neared completion, Mr. Tangorra drove me to the wholesale nursery so I could personally select the shrubbery, flowers and other plants. We picked up the plants ourselves and drove them to our property where they were immediately installed in freshly dug beds. Again, he made excellent and worthwhile suggestions on plants that we utilized. An irrigation subcontractor with an excellent reputation was brought in and his crew worked effeciently and neatly installing a watering system and adjusting the sprinkler heads. Top soil was brought in and extremely fresh grass sod was laid almost immediately after it was cut. The effort progressed smoothly although many difficulties during the course of the project forced Mr. Tangorra and his crew to remain on the job site nearly a week longer than originally anticipated. The results are stupendous. Our home is not a mansion but the wonderfully landscaping efforts of Mr. Tangorra and his crew were a stunning match for the renovated exterior of our house which was done with the priciest and most carefully selected materials. The landscaping work gives our home's exterior a classy and lush appearance. Our home renovation project is not fully complete and the lattice must still be placed around our elevated porch, but we're exceedingly pleased with the results provided by Mr. Tangorra and his crew. In closing, and I consider this very important, I will say that the job site was left immaculate at the end of each work day, a hallmark of a skilled and professional crew. This review probably sounds too good to be true but it is true and the results are visible to all our neighbors who can't stop praising the attractiveness of our grounds. The experience we had with Mr. Tangorra and his workers was so productive and satisfying that we almost can't believe it is true. We're already wondering what else Jamie Tangorra and his crew could do for us just because we love the results and miss having those guys around.

A wonderful experience - I can not believe it is the same property! Jamie and his crew began early (on the agreed upon starting date) and soon had all of the old plants and shrubs out and the existing fieldstone removed. The first wall was started soon afterward and completed shortly thereafter. The second wall was started after Jamie confirmed the wall configuration. (I especially liked the way the stones used in the walls were laid out.) The patio was then prepared and completed (again, an oustanding job!). Next, the new plantings were laid out, and after my "okay" all of the new plantings were dug in. As part of the projet, I asked Jamie to create a stone walkway, in the rear of the property, to connect two structures - once again, an outstanding job! I also asked for several areas (in the front and rear) to be prepared with "River Rock" and low maintenance plantings; Jamie's suggestions were excellent. I had an afterthought which involved removing a section of "River Rock" and installing a small fieldstone path. The work was done immediately; yep,.. you guessed it - outstanding job! At the end of each very long day the crew cleaned the work area and the surrounding property. These guys went above and beyond each day. I will certainly use Jamie and his crew again and I will recommend them to all my friends!

I would have submitted this report earlier, but I've been outside in my yard ever since Jamie and his crew came by and exceeded all my daydreams about the landscaping of my yard! I am completely impressed with every aspect of my service. They showed up on the Wednesday before Memorial Day and guaranteed me a new yard by the holiday weekend, and they delivered!! They showed up on time, they stayed on schedule, they were professional and courteous. What I enjoyed most of the experience Jamie's artistic eye. He came up with some wonderful ideas and color schemes that made me the envy of the neighborhood!! They also added some extra touches that did not add to the agreed price. I must say JT Home Construction did a fantastic job - hire them to do your landscaping, you will not be disappointed! If all companies on Angie's List are like Jamie's, we've struck gold!!!

In late April as planned, Jamie and his crew showed up bright and early and started what would turn out to be a pleasant experience indeed. His workers mirrored Jamies strong work ethic and determination to do the best professional job possible....they didn't disappoint and actually went over and beyond what we had asked for. We were so pleased with the results that we decided to have Jamie replace the crumbling parging around the base of the house with a professional quality and very handsome stucco finish. After all had been completed, my wife and I decided that Jamies offer to sod both the front and back lawns was well worth his reasonable compensation to do the job. The result...another fine job..gorgeous! A great overall experience. I would recommend JT Home Construction to anyone that would want totaly professional, courteous and timely job.

Neat, conscientious, and they gave 110% to please us. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. I will be using them again myself in the spring.

He was great. Right from the beginning, he responded to my calls, showed up on time, was organized, neat and very pleasant to deal with. He was patient when I asked questions and explained everything he was doing.

An extremely pleasant experience from start to finish. After submitting a work request on his website, Jamie called me back within an hour to schedule a visit to the house to give me a proposal. Communication with Jamie was a breeze--no chasing him down or waiting hours or days for a return phone call. During his visit, Jamie listened intently to my idea for a patio, but also offered his own suggestions for a free form patio, and we couldn't be any happier with the end result. He also did the legwork of applying for the construction permit with the town and he even called me to let me know it was granted. Jamie and his crew estimated the work would take 3 or 4 days, but they worked very quickly and efficiently, and finished in just 2 days! They thoroughly cleaned up after themselves and there were no remnants of any of their construction materials in the yard. I highly recommend Jamie for any outdoor construction project you may have!

We approached Jamie back in mid-June through the recommendation of Angie's List. Jamie arrived and assessed our initial scope of driveway, patio, and sidewalk with the intention of replacing a fence too. He assured us that he would use someone who does great work (who even did his fence). Jamie communicated very well and set our expectations up front. We are on the principles of a quality before price. Jamie is up front to state he is not the cheapest but once we saw the detail estimate, he could recommend were the money would be better spent, or decrease the scope if some things looked like they were going to be out of our price range. So the estimation part of the process went very well and timely. He told us that he never starts another job until he finishes up the one prior. We were in no immediate rush so he planned for the 2nd week in July (approximately 4 weeks out). In the meantime it gave my wife and I enough time to pick the exact color and pattern of the pavers which took a few cycles. Ultimately, Jamie showed us his property as an example. The quality and care of ownership were immediately apparent. Mid-July Jamie started on time with the expectation that it would take about 3 weeks with weather being the unknown variable. Throughout the tear down, Jamie was in constant communication on what would happen and the order it would happen in (kind of like a daily status report) which made things easy to deal with since we live in a neighborhood that has strict ordinances on property enhancements. After the first week (of which only 3 days of work were done because of rain) the wooden patio was excavated as was the concrete skirting surrounding the side and back of the house. The pavers for the front path were laid. Also the sidewalk was removed. The second week, the concrete was poured for the sidewalk, the patio was leveled, the fence was installed (1/2 day by Freedom Fences), and the pavers for the patios were laid. This week we also made the last- minute decision to install a sprinkler system and redo some landscaping. Jamie quickly coordinated with another reliable contractor for the sprinklers (Irrigation Systems of NJ LLC). By the end of the third week, the the pavers for the driveway were laid, the path from the driveway to the backyard were laid with pavers, the lawn was excavated and relaid with sod and all of the landscaping was complete. In addition, the sprinkler system was installed, tested, and functional. Jamie contributed and executed many great ideas such as diverting our gutter flow to a dry well, patching our stoop, and making sure our very observant neighbor was not offended by all the commotion happening next door. His thoughtfulness and attention-to-detail are commendable. I would recommend Jamie, his crew, and his extended network of contractors to anyone who needed the same service. Jamie delivered on time and within our budget. And for what we received, it was quite a large laundry list to achieve in three weeks. The house looks great - we've already received compliments from friends and neighbors.

Wonderful experience all around. Jamie showed up for his appointment on time, quickly prepared a price quote, we scheduled the work and it was complete and looking beautiful four days later (cooperative weather helped!). Jamie and the crew were careful with my flowerbeds, and provided me with several extras - mulch, a bit more sod and a few mums. I certainly recommend JT for similar landscaping work and I will consider using them for future work at my house.

I knew when I bought my house that the backyard would be the biggest challenge. Before meeting Jaime I had other contractors look at the job but never felt comfortable with what they were proposing. The day I met Jaime when he came to see what needed to be done I was very impressed with his professionalism and honesty. This was a large job due to the amount of concrete that needed to be removed and his crew came in and was extremely neat, friendly and worked very hard. They were there when they were supposed to be and never left my house without cleaning everything up and putting the temporary fence around the pool. The project ran exactly within the time frame Jaime said it would as well. When it came to choosing pavers I basically put my trust into Jaime and had him pick them out - I could not be happier! He can visualize what the project will look like and has fantastic ideas. As a business owner myself, Jaime/JT Construction is a prime example of how all business' should operate. I a very pleased with JT Construction and would use them again.

Jamie and crew were great. Besides doing everything described above in the services performed section they also performed quite a few tasks that I would have thought someone else should do. For example, they came to the house countless times during the winter to erect the temporary fence around the pool as it was constantly getting blown down by the wind. They also drained the pool down when the water level got too high during a spring thaw. The crew was very courteous. They worked incredibly hard all day and sometimes stayed past dark. They cleaned up everyday. A few times I saw them replacing pavers that looked fine to me and when I asked them about it they said the paver was too high or low or just not right so they were going to do it again. I was pleased they took such pride in their work.