SWEET SUCCESS CONTRACTORS

Chris was able to work around our vacation scheduling and finished the job in a very timely manner. They appeared promptly and were here until about 5 every day. Often, there were 5 people working on the house. Surfaces were prepared very well -- sanded down to smoothness and "alligatoring" (I think that's right) was removed. Our sills look better than they ever have. We chose the more expensive and durable paint, but this was a choice we were given during the estimate. While I'm sure we could have found someone to do this job cheaper, I'm also sure it wouldn't have been nearly as well done. The porch railing was in worse shape than anticipated and took quite a bit of work and patching. But, there was no major wood replacement needed as we'd thought there might be, so these two things evened out and we stayed right in the estimate range. The porch floor was also pressure washed. The only thing I would say is that 5 people using a bathroom and sink is a lot of people in and out and in and out, but hey, having that many people made the job go quickly!

Chris was extremely professional and punctual. He spent 90 minutes looking over my property and giving me a detailed written estimate before beginning the work a few days later. Chris supervised and worked himself (most of the time) with a crew of three more junior workers. My basement looks 100% better; fresh, no longer crumbling away, and dry. The fencing and porches and porch railings look like new. I was looking for enhanced "curb appeal" and I definitely got it. The final bill was within the estimate Chris gave me (although at the high end because of the challenges involved with my basement). I am very pleased that I hired Chris and would definitely recommend him to others. He seemed on the expensive side but worth it; you get what you pay for. I've wasted a lot of money in the past on contractors and service people who cost less but didn't do a good job. Hiring Chris was a very good investment.

This was a complicated job involving figuring out how to both use and get around existing hardware, and how to fit all this together safely. Chris basically came up with a creative, custom-designed idea. Without him, we would not have been able to make this work. He came and completed the job in less than two hours and for less than he originally estimated.

It went really well. Chris has a young team, impressively professional in their work and behavior. All went well, care was shown for the furniture being moved and one of the team members found my printer poorly connected and got the system up and running. The job was not complicated, but was done with great attention to detail and an evident desire to have it be done right. What more can you ask?!

They showed up within few hours of initial call to give estimate. They spent lots of time writing out the estimate and explaining what was needed. They made further suggestions for something I had not noticed. They arrived on time to do the work and kept to the schedule. They did a great job of repairing plaster and painting and cleaned up, a completely satisfactory experience.

They were very professional and easy to work with. They came on time and they did exactly what they said they would do. They were very friendly and nice. They cleaned up very well.

The job went splendidly. Chris wanted to start right away, as soon as he could, and from the first day he plunged in. He estimated the job carefully and came within a few dollars of the estimate price, allowing for the addition of a couple of surprises. The job was beautifully done -- Chris is a person who believes that doing it right and giving the customer value in order to secure a long-term solid reputation in his field is more important than the short-term goal of making more money. When questions arose over how to handle some particular aspect of the job, Chris would always spell out the alternatives clearly, including what different approaches would cost, and when appropriate would tell me that taking the more expensive approach would not add value to the home, and that I should spend the money some other way or save it. Chris and his crew also have the full spectrum of skills necessary to handle anything that comes up -- plastering, repairing wood and trim, etc. Never did anything come up that he was unable to handle. He and his crew were thorough, deliberate, and careful, but also moved quickly through this large and at times challenging job. If you employ Chris and Sweet Success, you may also get to meet his three kids, who he has as part of his crew. In case this makes you skeptical that the work will be done, etc., understand that the three of them (late teens, I think) are all very hard workers, very polite, and definitely know what they are doing. In other words, he's not employing them out of family charity -- they are very good workers, no slacking, no bickering, etc. At every step of the process, Chris was available to explain things thoroughly so I would understand them and could make a good decision. He is a bit of a perfectionist, but I that is not a bad thing -- he's focused on doing the job right and thoroughly, so that it comes out satisfactorily and satisfies the customer. He understands that this is the way to grow his business and make his reputation. Chris was also nice enough to come in before he started the job, on a Sunday morning no less, to teach me the basics of ripping out carpet and tack strips (I'm not handy at all and hadn't done this before) so I could save a little money. When I offered to pay him for his time, Chris refused -- in typical fashion, he said that he was doing the big job of painting, and was more than willing to help me with something like this. For him, it was the big picture. In sum, Chris isn't the cheapest around, I'm sure, but I can't think of anyone I'd rather have do this work for me. Your house will never look better. If what you want is a quick job just to make things look a little better in the short term, go with someone else.

excellent. Chris returned my message promptly, came by for an estimate, explained exactly what he would do and what it would cost. We set a date and Chris and his team arrived. All were very pleasant to have around and did the work promptly. It was clear they knew what they were doing. I felt that all my questions were answered as we planned for the work and as the work progressed.

Sweet Success did an excellent job. Obviously it is not yet possible to know how durable the job will be, but the painting and the detail work were superb, the restoration of the sills look great, and the clean up was complete too. When the stain was sucked up into the distressed wood from the stripping and required an extra coat, Chris and his wife actually came out at 8:00 p.m. on a Friday night to apply an extra coat! They also repaired/painted the basement window that was not part of the original job, and through in painting of the porch swing for free. Way above and beyond. They were not inexpensive, but they did a great job and I would definitely recommend them. The only thing I would change is that they went into our neighbors yards without consulting them which caused us to have to mend some fences. Other than that everything was great, use Sweet Success!

The deck never looked better. Work was completed in a timely manner.

The job from start to finish was perfect. Work was completed in the time given and to the credit of Sweet Success we found out our original builder never painted our ceiling in the sun room. This to was completed by Sweet Success to perfection. We are extremely pleased with the professional way the entire job progressed and we would highly recommend this company to anyone.

After contacting Angie's list for referrals on our much needed house work, I was impressed with the reports about Sweet Success. Although my wife and I are senior citizens, we felt that with the years ahead, our house should be returned to the state it was when we moved in. Mr. Dallaba was quite a good listener and promised to be at our home on the Saturday after we called him. True to his word, Chris showed up on time and after allowing me to go over what I thought needed to be done, he proceeded to show us some things we had not thought of and explain in detail all the procedures he would have to go through to complete our work request as well as what we had added. Chris stated that he thought it would be a three day job and said he would check his schedule for a good opening. He also gave us an itemized break down of all costs allowing for any unknown problems specially in the kitchen. Due to a funny report I noticed about a client complaint, and some bath room reading, I told Chris we had the latest copy of Handyman magazine in our bathroom and he was free to read it. A good laugh was had by all and then Chris said he would be able to start by Wednesday or Thursday of that week. His one request was that we empty the kitchen of all movable items, which we were glad to agree to. True to his word Chris notified us on Tuesday that he and his crew would be able to start Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m. and we cleaned out the kitchen as requested. Chris and crew arrived on time and after explaining all the assignments, he and his three workers started to work. Even with the wet and dreary weather, the work proceeded as at a good pace,and true to his estimate even with some miner problems, such as our Mini Dachshund trying to "supervise" at every step, Chris finished on time and within the budget we had planned on. The cleanup and all of the requested work were done with the utmost care and as a matter of fact, both of the major jobs the porch and patio awning never looked so good. I would be glad to have Sweet Success back for any work that I need in the future and recommend them with no reservations. By the way, Chris never did get the chance to finish the Handyman magazine!

It went extremely well. We asked for a bid during the winter with the understanding the work would be done in April or May. He gave the quote as a price range. We approved the contract and he called in April to scheduled the work. It was competed in five days as specified in the agreement. He personally worked with his men every day. The men all worked very hard and conscientiously. While the work was being done, he made a few helpful suggestions for work additions for us to consider. Some we approved and some we didn't. All were appropriate and added to the value of the project. He and his men were professional and courteous.

Overall things went very well. We were painting our house for sale. Chris suggested a few neutral colors for us to pick from. Even after the first few rooms were done, we noticed a great difference. They were able to remove all the cracks that had appeared in our old plaster walls. We did have an area of significant plaster damage from a roof leak. The surprise was to find out that the area was still wet under the plaster and there was a large area of rotting wood. YUCK! Work was held up in that area until we could verify that indeed the leak was fixed. Chris was even willing to get up on a ladder and look himself, but that was not necessary. In the end, he repaired the wood, even put down new insulation in the attic in that area. The walls are as good as new!!

Chris and his crew were prompt and efficient. Job came in slightly under budget. Work finished in scheduled time frame.

Chris came to our house when he said he would; 7:30 am! The painting was EXCELLENT!! Beautiful job there! The pot rack looks great! One thing I liked about Chris is that he suggested we make a "mock up" pot rack and move it around in the kitchen to be sure we hang the real one exactly where we want it. Great advice! It turned out that replacing the lighting canisters was a much bigger job than either of us anticipated. The track was so old, that it would not accommodate new lighting! So, that meant replacing all of the track (getting into electrical work), getting all the old track down, cutting the new track to the desired size and THEN putting in the replacement canisters. Chris was great to work with; brainstorming with me on how we could figure it all out. This added work obviously increased the price, but very reasonably, I thought.

This is the second time I used Sweet Success/Chris. Chris was incredibly prompt for the estimate appointment, as well as, the actual job. I wanted to get the job done quickly and Chris was able to fit me in within 3-4 days. I also added some projects to the job and he was very honest about what he could handle and what was out of his area of expertise (gutters). The job was done within 2 days as promised, the clean up was adequate, but most importantly, the quality of the work, matching of paint and Chris's follow through were above expectations.

Chris and his crew started the job the first day promptly at 8 AM (every day they arrived at 8). The plaster and drywall removal and repair on the 3rd floor of the house was the major part of the job. They ran into some issues that necessitated a revision of the estimate (the original estimate called for 4-6 days of work, the job took 8 days.) At every step of the way Chris consulted with me about what we wanted to do to make the house look better for sale, but he also listened when I told him to back off a little bit. The final work was close to flawless, it is difficult for me to find the areas that were repaired. He primed and painted, and his crew spent one day just cleaning up at the end.

Everything that was done was done to perfection. The stairwell and upstairs bedrooms look beautiful and the bathroom looks great. The basement stairs and door are great also. Chris keeps in constant touch with the homeowner. Nothing is started or finished without the owner's input. Chris and crew stay with a job until it is finished. There is never a day where you are waiting for someone who does not show up. They pitched in and helped with the moving of furniture and all the books that were stored on many shelves in the bedroom and helped to straighten out the basement. I have used Sweet Success many times before and will use them again in the future. I am never disappointed in their work and would recommend them highly.

Chris really helped us out in a pinch. The shutters flew off two days before many relatives were visiting for the holidays. He was very accommodating and responsive. In fact, he ended up coming out to hang the shutters on the same day that I called. He did an excellent job and got the shutters back up without any issues. We will definitely call Chris again for other work around the house.

They were very professional and courteous.

Chris ran in to challenges that neither of us expected due to problems related to the work of another contractor. As a result, the cost was a bit higher than he originally expected because the job was more complex. He did a great job of providing a solution.

We waited about 6 months after signing the contract because of Chris' work backlog. It was well worth the wait for the quality of the work. We were kept apprised of the projected start date. At the end of each day, Chris reviewed what had been accomplished and what would be done the following day. They straightened up at the end of each day and cleaned up when the job was complete.

Ultimately disappointing. He talked a lot about quality, pride in his work, putting down other contractors who he described as mediocre. And at first glance, the paint job is great! But then you look close and realize how many corners were cut: paint splotches on our hardwood floor, uneven or sloppily touched up trim, etc. After stripping the wallpaper, rather than filling in the cracks of the plaster carefully, he used a latex, color tinted primer on original bare plaster and mixed it with a sort of grouting compound to slap over the cracks. This didn't help because a couple months after the work was completed, the cracks showed through. There was mess left for our flooring contractors to clean up and we had to call and ask him to come back and reattach the doors. Also, 20% over estimate! One nice thing he did was to, free of extra charge, add a new sheet of plaster in the stairwell where there were many holes. A lot of talk about quality - somewhat disappointing product.

He brought in samples, held them up against the wall, to make sure I could see exactly what it is. He even painted a section on the wall to make sure it was what I was looking for. We had a closet that had wallpaper on it from a long time ago, and they removed it and re-plastered it. Sanded it smooth, and painted it. They came the day they said they would, stayed until the job was finished, longer than they anticipated. Cost was exactly what estimate said, and they cleaned up after themselves. Gave me little tips, that I probably wouldn't have thought of. I was very pleased. I am happy with their work.