Custom Home Works

Very well. Finished on time and within budget.

Overall the process went well. Bill is very nice, professional and knowledgeable. However, there were some problems with the cabinets. First we wanted white/off white cabinets with a chocolate/darker glaze. The sample in his showroom was what we wanted. We chose a door style with sufficient detail for the glaze to "catch". However, when they were delivered, there was very little glaze on the doors. In fact it only "caught" in the outer most grooves and was very faint. Bill contacted the distributer and they sent a representative to our home. We had to pack up all of the doors and drawer fronts and send them back. We were told it is up to the individual glazer to determine how the product is glazed and that there is no guarantee the product received will look like the sample in the showroom. We were really disappointed because we were buying high quality solid wood cabinets but not getting the look we really desired and thought we were supposed to. The glazing is very uneven, but I guess we've learned to like it. When we go to the Parade of Homes and see other kitchens that have the look that we wanted, it is disappointing, because we feel we should have shopped around more rather than going with who our contractor wanted us to go with. The cabinets were very expensive and not exactly what we wanted. However, although this was probably the most frustrating parts of the remodel, Bill handled everything professionally and appropriately. He went to bat for us and did the best he could.

I love the final result! During the planning phase, Bill and Eileen worked closely with me to find the best products to meet my desires and recommended several improvements that I would not have thought of. They suggested using a half-wall with an upper glass panel to create a more open feeling in the bathroom and provided easy access doors around the whirlpool tub. The planning process and the final result were better than the installation process. The work began in February and started off great. Workmen showed up when expected and carefully draped and covered areas to keep the surrounding areas as clean as possible. The initial tear-down and deconstruction went smoothly and the workmen were very quick and professional. However, once other subcontractors became involved, the process went downhill. Heritage Marble, which provided the cultured marble in the shower and around the tub, did not provide good service. They did not show up when expected and came on days when they were not scheduled. After arriving late, they would leave early. The custom floor is not completely non-skid and initially, they did not provide complete information about floor leveling requirements. The marble installation took much longer than expected. There was also mis-communications between the wall framers, the glass installers and the marble company which resulted in delays and in some work having to be redone. Additionally, Custom Home Works didn't verify the quality of the subcontractors' work so both the electrician and the Custom Glass subcontractors had to be called back to correct problems (finish wiring the shower fan and replace the leaking shower door). When I identified problems to Custom Home Works, they were very diligent in getting the problems fixed and the work done correctly, but I thought they should have been the ones to identify these issues. Because of the problems with the subcontractors, the remodeling that should have been completed in six weeks took four months. Again, I am very, very pleased with the final results and credit Bill and Eileen for a great remodeling plan; however, I was disappointed that they didn't provide better oversight of their subcontractors. Because of this lack of oversight, I can't rate them as high as I would like to.

He was the first to call back of all the companies called. Following the visit, he stated that he would send an estimate in the next week. One and a half months later, I still didn't have the estimate. Once I received it, it was the highest of four.

We received other estimates but Custom Home Works was the only one to come-up with a detailed plan and computer-generated images of what the new lay-out would look like. We completely tore-out our old kitchen and moved it from a small area into a larger area (an adjacent "sitting area"). We almost tripled the size of our kitchen. This was the first time we ever remodeled a kitchen and needed guidance, with which they were most helpful. Workers were responsive, reliable, courteous and professional. They sub-contracted for the electrical, HVAC, plumbing, flooring and insulation work, which mostly went-off without a hitch.

So far they are great. They work with me well. They are professional and knowledgeable. They have been very helpful and they provided me a very detailed estimate.

It went fairly well. There were a couple of issues, but we worked those out. There were a couple of areas where I thought they needed to be more knowledgeable or prepared better.

Contractor Bill Maibach and his crew couldn't have been more cooperative and pleasant. Bill and his designer worked closely with us during the planning stages and was very helpful and patient in assisting us as our plans evolved over time. The project was finished on time and below the cost estimate. Throughout the three weeks, the crew cleaned up thoroughly after each day's work and disruption to us was kept to a minimum. The finished project was absolutely first rate. We recommend Custom Home Works without reservation and would hire Bill's group again for any home improvement project.

It went great. They are always professional and do what they say will do when they say they will do it. I know they had much bigger remodeling jobs, but were willing to fit us in. They did the work promptly and efficiently. Our old dog was a little unhappy with the noise of breaking-up the old tile and ran off, but all ended well as he went to a friendly neighborhood bar about a mile away where the owner used the Pet FBI website and we got him back the next day, but that is another story.

I understood that the delay was caused by the supplier of the shower door and can not be held against Custom Home Works.

Scott and his helper did all the work (electrical, plumbing, etc). It was nice to only have two guys here. I felt comfortable leaving them in the house by themselves.

We interviewed 5 contractors. Bill returned our call quickly and was the only contractor to provide an Excel spreadsheet detailing the proposed project budget within a week of meeting with us. It showed every expense, including man hours. The estimate was reasonable, neither the highest nor lowest we saw. Everyone working for the company seemed very knowledgeable. Dave, Frank, and Vince worked on our project. They always showed up on time, were very polite and respectful of our home, cleaned up the remodeling mess every night, and were very helpful in giving advice on quality products, etc. They also did beautiful work. They ensured we always had a working bathroom and came in on time and slightly under budget. We were very pleased and would use them again.

THE JOB STARTED OUT QUICKLY WITH DEMOLITION. BILL MAIBACH IS A PERFECTIONIST AND DID A GREAT JOB OVERALL ALTHOUGH TIME ESTIMATION DID RUN OVER.

The entire process was unbelievably painless. Bill and the employees he sent to our job site were 100% professional and meticulous. We kept adding extra things during the process, and the crew was happy to deliver. The quality of the work is impeccable, and they were in and out of our home in under three weeks. Each day before they left, the room was cleaned up so that we could use it as much as possible. The craftsmanship is beautiful, and Bill's design input was right on target. Even after adding nearly two times more work, they did not stray far from the original estimate. These guys can (and will) work in my home any day of the week. We couldn't be more pleased with the entire project.

When we were ready to remodel the bathrooms, we got quotes from 3 contractors. In the end we chose Bill and CHW not because his was the lowest bid, but because we felt comfortable with him. We had never done a major remodeling project and we felt better about a general contractor who was hands-on and frequently on site at our house. Bill was very accessible. He came over one night to answer our questions about how a tiling project was progressing. Even more impressive was how he coordinated keeping 1 functioning toilet and shower going at all times. Even during the worst of the demolition, we still could take a shower when needed. It saved us a lot of money and trouble since the alternatives would be to move out or rough up a bathroom in the basement. The final product looks fantastic! Bill has an artistic eye. Months later, I'm still showing it off. The tile work is particularly good. I got my jetted tub and our new master shower is officially "the best shower ever!"

They were very professional, on-time and willing to meet our needs.

Bill and his small crew of two were a pleasure to work with. They worked for 3-4 weeks on the job, arriving promptly every morning, and working diligently until 5 or so each afternoon. Work atmosphere was pleasant, quiet and clean. Allowed me to help out when I could by shopping for needed supplies, and so helping reduce the over-all cost. The room is beautiful and now the nicest in the house. The total job cost came in almost exactly at the estimate given in the beginning. Very good at this type of project - would highly recommend their work!

Like another customer reported, we had an unsatisfactory experience with this company. The rep came to our house, and threw out the numbers 25-35K (job being done for under 20K) and said he'd contact us in 3 weeks or so. I think the estimate was a "go-away" one. We never heard from them again. I understand if they only want to go with larger projects, but they should have the courtesy to let me know they would not be submitting a bid. Another company did that and we respected their decision. If a company is that irresponsible with a bid, I sure wouldn't trust their word on a job.

They were thorough, non invasive and cleaned up after themselves well.

CUSTOM HOME WORKS DID AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB REMODELING OUR KITCHEN. THEY WERE VERY IMAGINATIVE IN FINDING SOLUTIONS IN OUR SMALL, OLD KITCHEN, MAKING IT SO MUCH MORE FUNCTIONAL AND VERY ATTRACTIVE. THE LAYOUT WAS TOTALLY RECONFIGURED TO ALLOW FOR MORE COUNTER SPACE, MORE CABINETS, AND A MORE SPACIOUS FEEL. THE WORK WAS DONE VERY QUICKLY, WITH VERY LITTLE DUST OR DISRUPTION TO OUR DAILY LIVES. AND LASTLY, THE CRAFTSMANSHIP IS FLAWLESS. WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE RESULTS!

INCLUDING THEM IN THE PLANNING & DESIGN PRODUCES EXCELLENT RESULTS & BETTER PRICING.

MR. MAIBACH CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT THE KITCHEN. HE GAVE US A ROUGH BALLPARK FIGURE. HE SAID HE WOULD GO AND HAVE AN ESTIMATE DRAWN UP. WE WOULD HEAR FROM HIM IN TWO WEEKS. IT IS NOW THREE WEEKS AND WE HAVE NOT HEARD BACK FROM HIM.

MR. MAIBACK IS THE MOST PLEASANT CONTRACTOR WE HAVE EVER KNOWN. HE MADE SURE OUR PROJECT WAS PRECISELY WHAT WE WANTED. HE USED HIGH GRADE MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP TO TURN OUR HOME INTO A BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENT. HIS STAFF ARE PROFESSIONAL AND TRUSTWORTHY. WE WILL USE THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN.

BILL WAS OUTSTANDING, VERY FLEXIBLE ON GETTING ME ON HIS SCHEDULE TO COMPLETE THE WORK. COMPLETED THE WORK WITHIN 2 DAYS AND NEVER LEFT A MESS. VERY SATISFIED WITH WORK AND WOULD HIRE AND RECOMMEND TO OTHERS.

VERY GOOD QUALITY. GREAT DESIGN IDEAS. TIME AND MATERIALS APPROACH WAS A LITTLE SURPRISING, WE DIDN'T MANAGE OR REVIEW HOURS, THOUGHT WE COULD TRUST THEM. COUPLE LITTLE NITS ON QUALITY, OVERALL BILL DOES VERY GOOD JOB, WATCH THE SUPPORT FOLKS A LITTLE CLOSER.