Picasso Expert Renovations

The first two floors of my house were destroyed by the Sandy hurricane in October 2012. There were also several major problems due to the storm that had to be fixed properly - a concrete floor in the basement that was severely tilted and damage to the brick wall facing the ocean. I contracted to add a wide deck facing the ocean. I also chose to completely renovate the third floor of the house to make it compatible to the work done on the first two floors. Major Considerations in Choosing a Contractor As my plan was to sell the house after renovation, my primary considerations in hiring a contractor was their expertise in make the house really beautiful and also to complete the renovation of the house as soon as possible. After meeting with several other contractors, I met with George who is the owner of Picasso Expert Remodeling. George immediately assured me that his team was expert in beautiful work and could complete the renovation in no more than 4 to 5 weeks with a 4 man crew working 6 days a week. After actually seeing his renovation work on several houses and liking the work very much, I chose Picasso Expert Renovations. Renovation Results Four weeks later, I decided to also renovate the third floor which was undamaged but vintage 1960. George was able to immediately begin this work and promised to complete the job in three weeks. As of writing this review, almost all the work is done and I plan to show the house to potential buyers in two weeks. Everything is really beautiful and sure to impress potential buyers - All the little problems that arise in a renovation were fixed. Even the grass will be in place in time for the viewing of the house. George did a beautiful job amazingly quick with a minimum of effort required on my part. I particularly appreciated that I was able to make the major decisions on the flooring, painting, the kitchen design, etc. very easily with his help. I strongly recommend Picasso since it was a pleasure and a very good experience from beginning to end. George and his employees displayed honesty and integrity in their work. George stood by his promises and delivered a beautiful house.

Picasso was great. I love George! It was my first brownstone and first remodel. According to advice it should have been done months past the schedule and way over budget. It wasn?t. I love my new home! George was really sweet, personable, fair, honest, funny and accommodating. What more could you ask for of a general contractor? It wasn?t an easy job and I am a stickler for detail. All and all I am a happy customer and would use Picasso again and again. Thank you George and Picasso! Brand new kitchen, 2 bathrooms, installing of new hardwood and tile floors.

I live in Washington, DC and needed to renovate my Mom's house located in Brooklyn. This is a two-story row house that is over 120 years old and is still occupied by my aging mom living on the second floor. The daunting task was made easier by being a member of Angie's list, with extended service to New York City. The biggest task was searching the list to find a contractor who would handle the renovations, but most critical, to be trusted to work virtually unsupervised. I narrowed my search down to two services based on my own feelings and the Angie's list reviews posted for the perspective companies. I made the initial phone calls to my two choices and in each case I left a voicemail message. In less than a couple hours my phone rang and it was George, one of the principals from Picasso. From the first few exchanges of that phone call, George and I was off and running. George was professional, with an enthusiastic demeanor and a ?can-do? attitude. I explained my situation and told George that I had already scheduled a trip from Washington to Brooklyn in two days. George immediately offered to meet with me if that was convenient for my schedule. I was both surprised and pleased at George's offer and willingness to accommodate me on such short notice. At the appointed date and time, George showed up at my Mom's house along with his business partner Andy. We walked through the 4-rooms (plus a small utility room), kitchen and bathroom first floor unit to go over the scope of work. At the end of the nearly two hour session, I was ready to hire Picasso because I knew I could work with George and Picasso and also knew George was ready, willing and able to begin work immediately. When presented with the labor cost for the demolition and rebuilding, I did not hesitate to accept the $price$. George was careful, clear and specific about every aspect of the project. I knew what I was promised was quality and the best for my money. George would begin working within 10 days of our initial meeting. The project was slated to last eight weeks with a crew of 5/6 men working a standard day, Mon-Sat. Every morning for the first week of the project (the demolition phase), I watched as walls disappeared and rafters became exposed. The always prompt Picasso crew worked tirelessly to strip away every remnant that stood in the way of what promised to be a glorious transformation. To facilitate rebuilding, George arranged for me to deal directly with suppliers of his choosing. George would discuss materials with me and I would simply authorize suppliers to fill orders. And even though I was 250 miles away (occasionally making a one day trip to see my mom), I regularly received receipts and detailed bills directly from suppliers for all the purchases. It is important to have trust and confidence in a contractor and that trust is also extended to his suppliers and subcontractors. To this end, I was both amazed and thrilled at the diverse and dedicated group of suppliers and workers George and Picasso are associated with. Picasso's core crew that worked on this project is an amazing and talented group of builders and craftsmen. At different stages of the project, I watched as they made spectacular connections and seamless transitions from old to new. I could spend paragraph upon paragraph lauding their work ethic and talents. Suffice it to say, these men are great builders. In addition, construction sites tend to be messy, but this project saw a cleaned and orderly work site at the end of each working day. While occupying the second floor throughout the renovation, my mom felt completely at ease with the Picasso crew working each day. And 250 miles away, I rested easier at night knowing that the project was in capable hands because George would call almost daily with progress reports and texted pictures of how things was taking shape. I am happy to report that with negligible glitches and setbacks this project was completed ahead of schedule. George and Picasso transformed a space constructed with a 19th Century minimalism into one that fits beautifully going forward in the style and demands of 21st Century. George?s care and detail was the key to the success of this project. Whether it was minor or major adjustments, George either suggested or showed great understanding and willingness to be flexible. It was a pleasure to work with George, his crew and his company. Ode to Picasso Renovations---by Peart© May 30, 2013 This is one contractor/renovation experience worth repeating From beginning to end, it flowed like a rhythmic heart beating All laudatory praises to George and his crew As they turned what was old into new Not just new, but masterly crafted so To rival the fine artist of the same name, Picasso The tradition continues for the name tied to great works of art Strokes, deft touches, and nuances to the transformation they impart If all these rooms could, in a museum be hung Picasso renovations, no greater praise could be sung *************************************************

George is a rarity in today's world. He cares as much about the people he's working for, as he does about doing an exceptional job :)

Picasso did fantastic job in the general remodeling of our newly purchased home in Brooklyn. These guys made our nice apt into our dream home! From the beginning the were very professional and patient with our inquiries. They explained everything they intended to do in full detail to make sure we were happy with the each choice that was made. They were very upfront about their prices, and stayed true to what they said things would cost. They made no decisions without making sure we were happy first, but everything done faster than I could imagine. They even had many good suggestions that improved the space drasically, that we proably never would of thought of ourselves. They even went far beyond what was expected of them. When my very heavy mantel was delivered a day early when no one was scheduled to work, I was in a panic about how I ws going to get it up three flights of stairs by myself. Andy rushed over as soon as he could from another job across town to save the day, and help me carry it up the stairs. When our kitchen designer dropped the ball and was late with his materials, and then wanted to have the kitchen delivered the same day we were moving in, George made sure the kitchen designer knew that was unacceptable and got him to come the following monday, even though he had told US he couldn't possible change the date when we had spoke to him earlier . Their craftsmanship is truly exceptional and the professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond has made my experience working with Picasso better then anything I could have ever imagined. I highly reccomend them to anyone doing work in the NYC area.

My project began in late December, and I am scheduled to be back home in late February/early March. His team has worked weekdays, weekends and on holidays to get me back home as soon as possible. And I am so pleased with the results. My new home looks better than ever! Given the weather and the difficult working conditions in Breezy, due to the storm damage, this was truly phenomenal. I have many other fellow Breezy Point and Rockaway residents who are looking to have their homes restored and I do hope they give George a call. He performed a miracle for me and he can do it for them too. You are the best, George!

I chose this contractor based on excellent reviews on Angie's List. My initial phone call was answered cheerfully and within 2 days, the contractor was at the house to give an estimate. Work was started and completed the next business day. I should note that in my area it is very difficult to get a good contractor to do as small a job as this, and especially so quickly after contact, because most are tied up repairing major damage due to Hurricane Sandy, and indeed this contractor had 15 other men working on such projects. The workers arrived at 8 AM sharp as promised, and all work and interaction with us, from set-up to clean-up, was done professionally, thoroughly and in a friendly spirit, with excellent results.

Not one complaint. Company started on time and ended on time as promised. They even helped with colors. Very detail workers. I re-decorated a bedroom, and it looks like it should be in House and Gardens, thanks to Picasso. Picasso listens to their clients, polite, and professional. I will be having other work done in my apartment, and I will be using only Picasso. The Best In Brooklyn! Thank you Picasso for making a dream come true. Love you guys! Ron Gnoza 27PPW Brooklyn USA

No problems with Picasso. They really care about the work THEY do!

Five minutes on the phone with George is all you need to realize you want to hire him. His has an incredible ability to conceptualize your project in his head as if he was clairvoyant. He definitely provided me a white glove service at an incredible value. Another contractor would have charged me way more money and not have done nearly as good a job. His commitment to service and satisfaction is second to no one. His workers take care of moving all the furniture, clean up, and putting everything back. Anyone who has ever hired a contractor who left a mess when they were finished can appreciate this. The workers were all completely professional and gentlemen. Throughout the entire project I was confident things were progressing well because Georgecould explain to me in detail everything that his workers were doing ? even if he wasn?t there. He was patient and willing to work with my on planning the smallest details of the project. From picking out paint, to crown molding, to door knobs he helped ensure that I would love the results for years. The work he performs is also an incredible value. Anyone who has done any home remodeling knows as things progress there can quickly be cost and labor overruns. That is because you never know exactly how much work you need until you start opening up walls and breaking things. George could have taken me to the cleaners when we discovered substantial termite damage. Instead, he negotiated what I thought was much more than a fair price to quickly repair something we never even discussed beforehand. His primary concern was not to capitalize on an opportunity to make money but to save my house even if it meant he had to absorb a lot of the additional cost. This added value extended to every room in my house where George did additional work for just the price of material just to ensure he had a satisfied customer. Bottom line ? he wound up doing A LOT more work than I originally paid him for.

We are very pleased with the full house renovation that was completed by Picasso General Remodeling, Inc. We believe that George and his team delivered high quality work at a reasonable price. Specifically we would like to note the following: 1. Excelent team work: a dedicated team of highly skilled workers under daily supervision by George; 2. George's workers are very experiensed with all aspects of a comprehensive full house renovation; 3. Team is pleasant and trust worthy; Gearge and his team are very frendly, and we had no problem lieving house on them; 4. Great attitude: they enjoy their work. In many cases it is hard work, and they literally enjoy the results when it finished. 5. Attention to results: the team is proud of their workmanship and always carefully think how to get best results; George was always available for us, helped us solving any kind of problems we had with the house and put us in touch with other contractors for jobs that he does not do (for example he found us the roofer and masonry team). We were most impressed with the great pride he took in his work. He held everyone working on the project accountable for the job .As with any renovation of this size, unforeseen issues come up. When they did, he always gave us reasonable options to fix the problem. We never felt stuck or backed into a corner. They always removed all construction debris and the room was swept clean in between theirvesits. Picasso General Remodeling worked neatly, diligently, and continuously until the job was fnished to our satisfaction. We would not hesitate to requst George for our next renovation and to recommend him and his crew to anybody else.

Superbly well--as noted above. George was responsive and communicative, the courteous crew showed up on time and did outstanding work with some tricky bits of historic molding and odd corners in the hallways, and the entire job was "pain-free" from start to finish. I'd strongly recommend Picasso without reservation. Simplify your decision-making process and simply hire them!

It was a great experience. Thank you

The company responded promptly to my message requesting an estimate, telling me that they are all booked up for a couple of months. I appreciated that they took the time to respond.

I will call George tomorrow and to set up an appointment.

I called Picasso because of their very high ratings here. I was also in a rush, I was in NY for a very short time, I commute back and forth from my home and was a little desperate to get someone there to do the work while I was there. I had several calls in to other contractors/masons but no one had called me back at that point. They have a very professional answering system and George called me immediately thank you George. I told him the job, which was to build a 2 course concrete block wall with a masonry sill for my storefront. We are putting an entire new glass front sitting on that wall. immediately needing masonry but telling him that also there was a larger job I wanted a bid for. He said he was really very busy and probably would not have time for larger jobs until several months. We spoke back and forth a few times and got his main guy masonry guy Ben to call me. He was very prompt and professional and come in a timely fashion. We discussed the job. When he arrived my friend who was there pointed out he arrived in a Cadillac vehicle. He looked very carefully and fully at the situation, went into my basement to observe features of the foundation wall. It was determined we needed to put in some pieces of steel to ri-enforce and hold up the low masonry wall for my new storefront facade. As we were looking at the front, he steps on a board on the edge and actually fell with one leg into the empty space underneath and fortunately was not hurt! He also suggested we should put in a series of lolly columns (spellg?) to support an existing concrete entry slab and the steel which would go in. We asked Ben to suggest a sill stone: he said granite: we said well that sounds expensive can't we just put limestone on there? He said it was an inferior material and would only last 4-5 years. We pointed out that I had limestone on my entry stairs there for many years, without problem. Anyway his estimate for a 16" high wall, 24' long, with the steel of concrete block, granite top was $7000. and he could start right away. I was kind of shocked since the entire thermal glass front was that price installed. I got two other bids. One was $2600. for the same work but no lolly columns, and the final one which is who I used, was $1600. These masons used concrete block, a limestone sill and 3 pieces of steel to ri enforce the foundation. We asked them about how sturdy that material was and he it will last for years no problem. They finished the job in one day and it looked great. I felt that Ben did not really want to do the job really, but it did not matter because in the end, I found this other company who had been working on masonry in the neighborhood (fully licensed btw)

The overall experience was seamless . The estimate of time and the precision of the work was excellent. The company negotiated with my reluctant neighbor so the work could be completed in a way that insured there would not be anymore leaks. I recommend Picaso. And his crew very highly.

I picked Picasso based upon the prior good reviews on Angie's List and the fact that the business is located quite close to my residence. The conduit to carry condensation in a window unit air conditioner in my apartment became blocked and the water backed up apparently creating a long term leak that went unnoticed until the ceiling began to sag just prior to collapsing. I reached George (one of the partners) and described the damages as best I could. Since he was at a relatively remote job site when we spoke he could not come over immediately and requested I send him photos. After emailing a series of digital photos I was contacted by him the next morning. He advised me that it looked pretty bad in the photos, he would need to come see the damages in person before he could give even a rough estimate of the repair cost. He was able to stop by the next day. Seems I had managed to make it look worse than it was with the hi-res photos I took. He came up with a written estimate that I could not quibble with and I awarded him the job. My tenant has a toddler and an infant so it was important that the job be done soon as well as properly. George was extremely cooperative in scheduling the work. He was prepared to accommodate any schedule my tenant felt was best for her, with the one caveat that he strongly recommended an "off day" after each application of plaster to allow it to dry fully. After all the horror stories one hears about hiring contractors, I was nervous to say the least. I am very pleased to be able to report that George showed up on time on each day that he scheduled with my tenant. The job was completed within the five day period he said it would take (three work days and the two days for drying). His crew did all the necessary moving of furniture, covered all with drop cloths and cleaned up after themselves. George kept me apprised of the progress throughout. He and his workers all conducted themselves in a friendly but professional manner. I am happy with the job and with how simple and easy George made the entire experience for me. I expect to use him again when I need repairs that are beyond my abilities to do myself. Oh yes, there was no overrun on the cost. The job was completed as per the estimate.

He basically told me the job would cost me too much and I should look for a handyman for the work. And to look for someone more in my area. Their profile/ website states they service my area.

It couldn't have gone better. After arranging a meeting with George, George arrived on time on a Sunday, and we discussed the options thoroughly of what could done and what the budget constraints were. From there we came up with a game plan of repairing the plaster and painting it the right way. He outlined the process (2 days of plaster, 1-2 day sanding/priming, 1 day to paint), and we agreed to start immediately. The following Tuesday, George and his team arrived on time and quickly covered/taped/moved everything in the painting area very thoroughly and carefully. From there, they started the plaster work and followed the schedule we agreed upon, with George providing me frequent and thorough status. Each day, the team was on time and kept the same level of carefullness throughout. On the final day, the team cleaned up very thoroughly and George made sure it was to my liking. He then walked me through the finished project and it was better than I expected. In summary, George is extrememly professional, friendly, and obviously stands by his work. I've worked with a number of contractors in both Seattle and Brooklyn, and George and his team are the best in my experience. I can't wait to hire them again for the next project.

When my upstairs tenant told me of some water damage caused by a leaking roof, I called Picasso. I have used their services in the past (they pointed the façade of my 2-family house and rebuilt the porch). George responded immediately and arranged a visit by his roofer Alban, who surveyed the situation (he is clearly knowledgeable of his craft) and recommended necessary repairs. The estimate was reasonable given quality of the materials being used and the work involved. Alban, and his crew, completed the job within the prescribed timeframe. Along the way Alban noticed several additional areas in need of repair. He completed them at no additional cost. I could not be more pleased with their efforts. Once again Picasso performed at the highest level of professionalism and competence. I highly recommend Picasso for any home improvement/ remodeling services.

After reading up on Picasso's positive reviews from Angies list, i decided to schedule a free consultation with Brian and George. they came to my home and we spoke about the projects i had in mind. My first impression of them was that they were extremely knowledgable and experienced and layed out for me a clear description of what my home would look like upon completion. What impressed me the most and sold me is that they were humble but very confident. They addressed all my concerns and were very thorough about what I was in store for. Brian, the master carpenter, was very helpful and resourceful as far as materials that he recommended that would be best for my specific goals in mind. They followed the itinerary they layed out beforehand and were very punctual and the experience was beyond what i hoped for. Picasso's Home improvement is a rare find and i will definitely be enthused to work with them on future projects. THANK YOU PICASSO!

We have used Picasso Home Improvement in the past so we expected an A one job. We were not disappointed. Due to my husband's health issue we have to be very careful of any work we have done. These guys are extremely careful, very neat and always on time. We looked forward to each morning knowing that soon we would have a beautiful area where before we had a big mess. What we particularly liked is how they would keep us informed and alert us to possible times when my husband should not be around. We felt comfortable with going out for the day and letting them do what needed to be done.

My hot water tank located on the second floor in a utility/laundry room broke flooded the laundry room. The water had no where to go but down and damaged the entire living room and kitchen on the first floor. The water damage was extensive enough that the entire ceiling needed to be mitigated and walls removed. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal to find someone and soon discovered that wasn't the case. I researched several licensed contractors who either didn't come, weren't interested in the job or gave me astronomical quotes with explanations that were out there. For example: I didn't have insulation prior to damage but I was told I needed to have insulation and the sheetrock should be all fire proof at $25 per sheet. I needed ALOT of sheets and my ceiling pre-damage had two layers of sheetrock. I couldn't get him to give me the pre-damage restore it back to the way it was price. Another contractor told me it would take 3-4 weeks to finish because he's working on other jobs at the same time and he would "fit" mine in. I gave in and looked on Angie's List and found Picasso. George said he would come the next day or Monday. He was in my area on Sunday, stopped by and after laughing at me a little bit gave me the short and sweet version. Very professional and to the point. No run around and long crazy stories. He said he could have a crew in on Monday (next day) and out by the end of the week. They started on Monday, March 5th and finished Friday, March 9th. I am thrilled. The ceiling is perfect! Better than it was prior to the water damage. The lights are perfectly space and precise (also I think better than before). The walls are even, the paint job is flawless. I had to leave during the time the work was being done. The first day they did so much I started to feel such relief, I had my house back in a day. It looked like they weren't going to put the second layer of sheet rock up (contractors say one thing and do another), they did. Whatever I mentioned was not disregarded. Every request I made was attended to. I gave Robert my key and when I came home the site was clean and neat. When they went to work on the insulation in the kitchen and the plumbing they stumbled on a problem and had to access the crawl space. They handled it and discovered that someone had cut out a huge section under the house leaving the area exposed to cold and damage from the elements. They fixed that and a damaged valve under the sink and replaced an entire valve that was under the house and leads to the backyard. They didn't call with scare tactics but the bare facts and they were able to take care of it. I am so grateful. I hope I don't need them anytime soon but I will hire for future projects and handyman services. The crew was efficient, respectful of my home and belongings, professional and after the job was complete they cleaned up and put my furniture back. Great experience from start to finish.

Overall i was disppointed for my first Angie's experience.