Renaissance Inc - The House Whisperer

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I called the top 5 rated contractors on Angie's List to provide an estimate for the above job (all contractor's had all "A" ratings). All 5 came out and only Todd actually provided an estimate! The process went as well as one could expect - our goal was to have this complete by Thanksgiving, and Todd assured us that was not going to be an issue - most likely it was usual glitches (HH Gregg delivered wrong appliances, size of stove did not quite fit space, etc.) that caused the job to go right to the wire. Good news was that Todd and his team worked as hard as needed to be done, so the job was complete the day before Thanksgiving (wife had a few mild heart attacks). We are very pleased with all the work that Todd did. His subs are top notch - very professional, no issues at all leaving them at the house alone to complete their work. Would work with Renaissance again.

Todd was flexible with scheduling a time to come out to give us a quote. After coming out to discuss the job, he said he would have a quote to us in a few days. He indicated he could work in our budget. Todd never contacted us again-never provided us with a quote.

This is the second time we've worked with Renaissance, Todd also completed a basement remodel for us in 2007. As was the case in '07, the job went extremely smooth from start to finish. Very easy and accommodating around scheduling the initial estimates and follow-up. Todd showed a great amount of patience with us related to scheduling, as my wife and I went back and forth on deciding to move forward or not. Once we decided to move forward we were able to get on the schedule and begin the re-model. Todd was very cognizant of insuring we had one working bathroom at all times and scheduled his work accordingly. He always returned any calls very promptly and provided answers to any questions we had. As decisions had to be made throughout the project he gave us plenty of time to discuss and insure we were making the best decision for us. The secondary bathroom was pretty painless with just the floor being replaced. This was completed in one day. The master bath took longer due to the custom nature of the shower, but still within the time initially estimated. Todd and his crew's attention to detail insured we would be happy with the outcome and we are. We had the walls of the shower tiled and custom pan completed with Mosaic tiles. One wall was done with glass block to match an existing window. And finally the door that Todd had installed was perfect. It really sets off the entire room and gives it the custom look and feel without going overboard. It was a pleasure working with Renaissance for a second time and we'd definitely recommend them to anyone interested in bathroom or basement remodels.

They were extremely good to work with. We were given updates on a weekly basis and Todd was very good at letting us know when there were delays. The job ended up costing more than budget, due to small allowances for fixtures and tile. The most impressive thing about them was how clean they were throughout the entire process. The house was always spotless and there were never signs of major work having been done, as they were so fastidious in cleaning up. This made the entire experience as good as remodeling can be.

Todd was very, very pleasant and professional. He politely told us that we'd could probably get a handy man to do the bathroom for a lot less than he'd charge. He diagrammed what needed done for drywalling and carpentry. Todd said he is a carpenter by trade and the custom work would be pricey but not a problem. He said he would send us an estimate by email within a week. We never received it or it was blocked by the spam filter. Either way he never contacted us again as follow-up.

Todd made the entire process a joy. Every day, when I would come home from work, I would be excited to see the progress he had made. When I decided to upgrade the cabinets and have them hand-made, Todd suggested an excellent carpenter, Dan, who designed and constructed beautiful arts-and-craft style cabinets using cherry wood. His tile guy, Larry, was a real artist. Todd also figured out a way to enable me to have a sink in the kitchen for most of the time he was working, which made life much easier. The finished product (both bath and kitchen) are amazing, and I have referred him to several of my friends, who have also praised his service and expertise. I will definitely use him in the future for other remodeling projects.

They installed new cabinets, granite countertops, a new sink, a new floor, new lighting, repaired the exhaust fan, installed several new electrical outlets, installed a dishwasher, painted the walls, installed a tile back splash (a beautiful job) and repaired the kitchen door. He went out of his way to buy the lights and the dishwasher. Todd Smith took care of it all. Everyone that he had working for him were absolute professionals. They were very nice, friendly and honest. I cannot say enough about him and his crew.

When extra problems came up they were great with going with the flow to find a satisfactory outcome.

Todd and his crew removed everything from the kitchen including the drywall on the walls and ceiling. I chose to do all of the painting and wood staining myself and did that at the appropriate times as the remodel progressed. The electrical was all redone, the telephone was moved, and plumbing was done for the new location for the cook top and to provide water to the ice maker in the new refrigerator. Todd and his main man, Russ, did a wonderful job installing the cabinets. They also had to work around several unforeseen challenges that inevitably crop up in remodeling jobs, unleveled ceilings, strangely located heating pipes, etc. The subcontractors that Todd uses for the electrical, plumbing, and drywall were all really nice people, did a fine job and I was comfortable having them in my home. Rhian, the tile lady who did the backsplash stone work was great and very helpful. Todd promised I would have a usable kitchen by Thanksgiving and I did. A great experience all around.

Todd and crew did an outstanding job, and our formerly scary bathroom is now absolutely stunning. We chose him in part because we were interested in preserving a somewhat historical feel in our 1920s home (with a modern edge), and really appreciated his sensitivity toward historical character. He worked with our vision and brought it to life. When the inevitable surprises came up in the construction process, Todd was quick to suggest changes and work-arounds that made the result as good as or even better than what we originally had in mind. He kept to his schedule, finishing in the 6-8 weeks he promised, which we particularly appreciated because our only alternative was a toilet and shower stall in the basement. His subcontractors are as competent and professional as he is; special kudos to Rhian the Tile Lady, whose work was spectacular. Everyone's care and attention to detail is truly top-notch, and Todd was really great to work with. We definitely plan to call on him again.

We hired Renaissance, based on the recommendation of a friend who has him do several home improvement projects. Todd Smith himself did not personally work on our project and subcontracted the whole thing out. With that being said, he did a very good job of overseeing the project from beginning to end. The job was timely and on budget. Todd always replies to phone calls right away, and follows through with relaying the information to the workers.

My wife and I were looking for a contractor related to built-ins in our family room and finishing our basement. We are so happy we found Todd Smith. Todd was terrific to work with from the first time he stopped over concerning a preliminary discussion/estimate, all the way through completion and even follow up after the fact. The communication, professionalism, and willingness to listen as well as provide solid input around our ideas, all was appreciated. Todd was able to expand our ideas, due to his background and other work he had completed. This only added to our experience. The built-ins are terrific and the comments we've rec'd from friends are all extremely positive. The basement is that much better. Todd worked with us and was available anytime a question came up. He offered great ideas, based on his experience and really was in tune with our overall vision. We had some concern, using someone we didn't know, but couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Todd always returned our phone calls quickly and was always easily accessible and great to work with. He was a great "hand-holder" for us as we were very nervous clients as we had never undertaken a project of this magnitude before. He was at our home when he said he would be and worked diligently the entire time. He covered the furniture and our things of value and cleaned up as he went. He was very neat and thorough. Overall he was a joy to work with and very helpful with great suggestions and solutions to problems along the way. We were very happy with Todd and his work.

Whereas the other contractors we spoke to told us what we couldn't do, Todd told us what we could do. In fact, he dreamed with us and suggested new possibilities. Todd and his team are perfectionists. The work took longer than planned, but that was due to Todd's insistence that everything be just right. We really love our new space.

We were very apprehensive about having a contractor do our remodel due to the horror stories we've heard about incomplete work, change in price halfway through, etc. In this case, we had a very positive experience. They had a good price, good daily clean-up, and the scheduled date for completion was met. When we were getting estimates, Todd was agreeable to everything we asked for. One contractor told us ''You don't want this brand of shower door, and you don't want ceramic in the shower, and you should get this brand of toilet and not what you've chosen.'' We didn't much care for that as we'd done a lot of research and knew exactly what we wanted. He didn't get the job. Todd and crew were pleasant, very easy to work with, polite, and nice to our dog (this is important). It's obvious they take pride in their work. They had excellent craftsmanship. The bathroom is beautiful! We'll be using Renaissance on our next remodel. Thanks Todd!

Todd did an excellent job on our house. His work was impeccable and highly professional. He was very detail oriented and paid attention to all the finest aspects of the job. He was always very mindful and careful in our home and was very kind and considerate. The work he did in our home is absolutely Beautiful and we love it! Thanks Todd!

Todd was neat, excellent and very creative and positive when he came to see what needed to be done and gave his estimate. What we saw as an overwhelming task, he was confident about how it could be done, and how it could be accomplished. We actually were gone from the premises the whole month he and his subs were at work bringing up to date an apartment that was 40 years behind. Todd did an excellent job for us and coordinated all deliveries even those he did not have to. We were so pleased with his work on one apartment we contracted him again for a second apartment in our building. His estimates have been fair and his work conscientious and very good. We are so grateful to have found someone of his quality and character to work on our property. We found Todd to be a contractor who takes pride in his work and aims to satisfy his clients. He has shown us that he is very skilled in planning, pricing and results.

We arranged with Tod for him to come to give us a quote. At the time that he was supposed to be at our home, Tod called to say that he couldn't make the appointment. It was a little disappointing because we had already arranged our times around this appointment. While my husband was trying to arrange another visit, Tod was not very accommodating. He suggested a 3 P.M. time and my husband advised that we couldn't take time off work for the estimate. Tod then said that evenings were "hard" for him. We asked for a 7 P.M. time since we had some other appointments and he said that was too late. He then hung up on my husband. My husband then called back to find out why he was hung up on. Tod said that we were being unreasonable to expect someone to come out in the evening to give an estimate. He then became very rude to my husband. My husband then decided that if it is this difficult to just obtain a quote, we would not be satisfied with the customer service during the project.