Calyx Homes Ltd

Calyx was great to work with. Bob -- the owner -- was very professional and responsive, took lots of time to answer our questions, and addressed issues that came up quickly and effectively. Kathy, in the office, was in frequent contact to make sure that we were up to date on the timing of events and subcontractors, and cheerfully conveyed all of our questions. Jim, the site supervisor and "main guy' was incredible with his ability to trouble shoot, get work done efficiently, and manage all of the subcontractors. We're very pleased with the work and would happily use Calyx again in the future.

Back in July I have offered two posts. One on how we went about selecting a design/build company to completely re-gut/remodel our master bathroom and the other one on ?Who? (Calyx Builds) and ?Why? we selected. I promised then that I will share the results of the project. So here we go? We started the last week in July and finished the last week in September. After all the noise and destruction and dirt and dust and stress of living in a construction site? we are done and done! And guess what? We will definitely do it again and unquestionably with the same contractor. The final product (see pictures) is better then ?GREAT? and surpasses all of our fantasies and dreams. We had a beautiful master bathroom in the house we built in 1985. There was nothing wrong with it other then age and the ?dated look?. ? and so we embarked on the mission of bringing our out-of-date master to the current century. We made it! Almost on time (we lost a week or so (our decision) to Jewish Holidays), on budget and with a lot of joy and pride from the work well done! At all times we felt very secure in our decision and the progress of the project. Similar to every construction project there were a few unexpected ?surprises? along the way but they were quickly, efficiently and professionally dealt with to everybody?s satisfaction. Our talented Project Manager seemed to know everything about everything and could figure out a way to fix any and all unexpected predicaments before they became issues. He managed the project and the resources with ease that comes only after many years of experience, in-depths knowledge, credibility in the eyes of the specialists and an evident quest for perfection. He projected unwavering confidence all through the project and when he offered advice it was apparent that he kept our best interest (and vision) in mind. The team had the best most qualified members for every major technical, technological and esthetic function of the job. We had the best plumber, electrician, tile team, carpenters, painters, glass and mirrors installers? I hope I did not forget anybody. In a couple of instances where mistakes were made they were corrected in no time without conversations of ?extra cost? or attempts to ?shift faults? which are unfortunately so common during re-modeling projects. I should also mention the special function (that glue that kept us all together) represented by the Office Manager. She was the daily communication link between us and the various trade resources, a trusted advisor on various and sundry questions that come up almost every day and an occasional psychiatrist. Believe me, we can all use one those on a major construction project. The owner of the company kept a thoughtful eye on the progress all through its duration with sincere interest in having the work done well, fast and to our total satisfaction. If I had to summarize all of the above in one word? ?TRUST? would be the word I would use to describe our relationship! We were very lucky to have the team we had. I wish I had another project? maybe next year!

I have waited for a year to leave this review simply because we had such horrible experience with another contractor 10 years ago that I wanted to make sure nothing fell apart after a couple of seasons. I can now say with all confidence that the renovations Calyx completed on our house were/are exemplary. When it comes to renovations, you get what you pay for and Calyx exceeded all of our expectations. The owner Bob Brierley is extremely professional. He's local and very knowledgeable about old (1914) finicky New England houses and was patient and gave honest answers to all of our questions. Our renovation was completed quickly and on time. He worked with us to stay within our budget, provided us with a full written contract stipulating exactly what they were going to do and when each phase would be completed - and they did everything they said they were going to do. He also provided all his insurance documents which gives you piece of mind. Our foreman Jim, was amazing and a pleasure to have in our home. For ten years we were so afraid of having any work done because we were one of those families you hear about that lived through a hellish renovation that went on forever and ended up costing over 5 times what we had budgeted for, just to have it fall apart within a few years. This will NOT be the case if you hire Calyx. Right from your first contact with Kathy Macchioni in the office you will be pleasantly surprised. We highly recommend Calyx Builds, Bob Brierley and his team for any renovation or new building project you may be considering. They did a fabulous job. Expect to pay a little more than the other quotes you may gather but they're worth every penny. You truly do get what you pay for.

They were very good. They blew it into the walls and increased the insulation in the attic. So far so good. They were very professional and very prompt. They were actually early. They gave me updates all day.

We have been looking to open up our porch and build new paver walkway for sometime. We were looking for a contractor who was a "one stop shop". Our neighbors had used Calyx in the past for their porch remodel and were very pleased with them. As another satisfied customer I can definitely back that up. From the initial meeting the owner Bob Brierley listened to exactly what were looking for left us with a cd showing his past projects. About a week later he came back with a detailed proposal and price. They are not the cheapest but the old adage you get what you pay for speaks volumes which is what sold us to use Calyx. What you get is a responsive team in Bob and his office manager Kathy. They answered every question promptly and followed on the changes we wanted added to our initial agreement. The project started 3 weeks after signing the initial agreement during this time we picking our materials our and met with the mason. Bob and Kathi lined up all the necessary subcontractors. The project started with demolition, followed next day by building deck and attaching columns. One of our change request was to fix a winter damaged gazebo which they took care of during the deck buildout. Both of which came out great. I wanted to give one example character of the workers that Calyx employs, the day the deck was being built out I had to take my car to get repaired from car accident a few days earlier I could barely drive the car since insulation in wheel well was rubbing up against tires the workers helped me remove the insulation so could drive the car off to auto body shop that just totally made my day. Back to project a week after deck buildout the mason sub-contractors came out and did walk way. They were absolute craftsman recommended a better way of laying out pavers and it came out way better than expected, they also set a cobblestone border around flower beds. The job was then completed by painting columns on the porch and putting in the downspouts. The project finished right around time we agreed and the porch and walkway look beautiful! My experience with Calyx was a very positive one I would definitely recommend them and will be using them again for other projects in the future.

Our kitchen was approximately 70 years old and had original cabinets with old laminate counters. Not a lot of counter space or storage. We wanted to re configure the space and open it up to the dining room. Our windows were small, in fact, when I looked out the window over the sink all I could see was the roof of the barn and tops of the trees. We called Bob at Caylx. He came out to meet with us. He is Wonderful!! He listened to our ideas and gave us really good suggestions. He came back with a detailed, realistic quote and timeline. We knew we would be without a kitchen for a few weeks and we were prepared for it. After watching so many home improvement shows, I half expected it to take twice as long as he promised. But it didn't! He did a great job of keeping everything on schedule. The contractors that came in to do the work were courteous and patient with our cat, who kept wanting to be let out or back in while they were trying to work. They did top notch quality work, we couldn't be happier! The supplier for our granite countertop, Northeast Marble and Granite, was fabulous. Marigrace, their design consultant, was terrific! She not only helped us find the most amazing granite she helped us pick out the perfect tile and paint colors. Could not have done it without her! We would definitely use Calyx Homes again in fact, we are already planning a bathroom re-model and will be calling them for the job.

Having never been part of a major construction project we weren't sure what to expect. Bob, the general contractor, was professional right from our first meeting. He stayed for at least an hour listening to our needs, answering questions and taking measurements and pictures of our unfinished basement. After meeting with three GC's all of whom we found through Angie's List, we settled on Calyx. Major construction began in May and finished in July with touch-ups and fixes completed by the end of August. Throughout the process Bob and his workers were completely professional and friendly. Two things that really stood out for us: 1) Bob was very open to our comments, suggestions and ideas even when they were things that he had never tried before and 2) the hidden gem of their operation is Kathy who was always upbeat, positive and ready to answer any dumb question we had without saying, "That's a really dumb question." Bob will go out of his way to make his customers happy. He will take the time to answer questions and make sure you are completely satisfied. Bob's workers will also put in the extra time if they are trying to meet a deadline. One caveat: don't be surprised if workers come to your house and work for a few days straight and then they don't show up for a few days. Since we know nothing about construction, we assume this is the norm.

It was excellent. They did quality work and did it timely. They got the whole job done over a month. The cleanup was excellent.

it went really well. very professional and responsive to all my questions. the work was done in a timely manner as well.

My first contact with Calyx was through RISE Engineering to re-build a cupboard door that had been constructed by another contractor while doing an insulation job in my house. The insulation company had done a shoddy job in making an opening in the wall and constructing a door to allow for blown-in insulation. RISE agreed that another company could come to re-build the door, and chose Calyx to re-do the work. The Calyx workman came on time on the agreed date, and completed the work that day. He was friendly, professional, and the result was excellent. The work was later approved by the lead supervisor at RISE. In February 2014 I decided to re-do a 3-season room, and was also considering a partial re-do of my unfinished basement. I contacted Calyx for estimates. All of my contacts with the company from their offices in RI and Massachusetts were friendly, and professional. The owner, Bob Brierley, came to my house with one of his colleagues to discuss the projects. I later received a written proposal from Bob for the 2 projects. Bob was easy to communicate with by phone and e-mail, and always friendly and professional. However, I decided to work with another contractor for the 3-season room since he was able to start the job sooner. I would definitely consider working with Calyx for other projects in my house.

Bob and his crew were very communicative in letting us know when they would be there, who would be there, what they would be doing, and even if they were running behind due to traffic. The house was always left clean as though nobody was there, outside of the obvious boxes of materials neatly arranged for the next day. His staff and administration were always available to answer calls and questions regardless of their nature, i.e. never a unwarranted question, Kathy his "go to" woman was amazing. Considering that we do not live there year round, while our children do as they attend school there, it was key that we had somebody we felt we could trust to be in and out of our house without our being there, as well as being respectful of our children.

We are EXCEPTIONALLY pleased with the work that Calyx Homes did on our kitchen! We have been planning a total remodel for about 15 years. We had given it alot of thought and wanted to choose the right contractor. We are not novices to home remodeling having completed a total bath remodel and a screened-in porch. So we knew what we were looking for. We interviewed several contractors for the job. Many failed at the initial meeting (more sales than construction know how, others were clearly capable, but we felt better about our ability to communicate with Bob at Calyx). We did not rush our decision. As many have already commented, Bob was very professional in our initial meeting. He showed up on time and patiently listened to our vision of the project. He did a thorough investigation as to the possibility of our initial plan (made sure the wall was not load bearing, checked and doubled checked measurements and asked many clarifying questions to make sure that he understood what we wanted). He did provide many references, as well as photos of his previous jobs, which were impressive. He did follow-up after our initial meeting to inquire about our decision. His bid was not the highest or the lowest, and was very reasonable with the scope of work we knew we wanted. EVERY person that worked on our house was a professional and a craftsman: I cannot emphasize this enough. They took care of our home as if it was their own. Clean-up included. Special mention has to go to Paul from Riverhead Building supply who designed our kitchen and pointed out improvements in the design that just MADE the kitchen! Jim who is a calm, careful and diligent craftsman, Larry and Louie, the electricians, who not only did an excellent job mapping out our electrical needs, but also removed the remainder of our knob-and-tube wiring for us. Zack the careful cabinet installer who is a master woodworker. The list goes on and on. We have no concerns about the quality of work done. We can see it. We took pictures throughout and monitored everything closely. The tile we chose was not an easy installation. Bob was clear, this would take more time, but if this is what we wanted, it would be done right. It looks beautiful and as we imagined! Bob was easy to reach and always responded to our calls and emails. He was very present during the project. During our project, he added an assitant, Kathy, who always went above and beyond to answer our questions and responded to us in a very timely manner. The Calyx team communicated well with each other. We never had to be the ones indicating the plan for the day: that was always communicated by Bob to his team. They also clearly all worked togther before and worked well together. One issue that you think about when hiring a contractor is "what if we have a difference of opinion?" We were not 100% happy with one of the thresholds from our kitchen to the living room. We expressed this to Bob and he clearly heard it. No muss, no fuss, no struggle. Despite being difficult to do, he did have his team improve this to our 100% satisfaction. This is the last part of my project, I came home today to see it completed and it prompted me to write this review today. Professionalism, communication, skill, and follow-through. Calyx construction had it all. I have recommended him to others already and will continue to do so. I will also use him in the future (once I have money to do so!! :)) We learned about Bob on Angie's list (my first time using it). I appreciate the reviews of others in helping me make this decison, and I hope that this review is helpful to others. Thanks Bob, A+++ K&T

We were pleased with the experience with Calyx. We were originally scheduled to meet Bob for our estimate during the blizzard and he was persistent in rescheduling, which was nice because I was a bit traumatized by the storm and really did want the wall removed. We hired Calyx because their estimate was reasonable and they were very professional. We wanted someone who regularly tore apart people's homes and put them back together because this was the first time we were removing a wall from home we lived in and we wanted to make absolutely sure the house would be fine. The crew that was sent to our house was awesome. They handled very well my anxiety about the mess and disruption of having a piece of your house removed. They were also very sweet to my two very curious young children who wanted to know what was going on all the time. The work is beautiful, and we are happy with how the project went. We have and will continue to hire them for future projects in our home.

The doors they installed leaked. They refused to fix them and ever refused certified mail trying to contact them about it. We had to reach out the the door manufacturer. When they pulled the old siding off they didn't cover it well so when it rained the water seeped in a ruined draperies. There were many other problems throughout the service. I would never recommend them.

Bob said he would get back to us the following week. We waited almost two weeks and called him at least twice and never received a response. Despite whatever personal circumstances he was being challenged with during this time, he could have at least gotten back to us and to date he has never responded. For this reason, I would not recommend Calyx. We have since moved on with another contractor.

Met with owner to review the location and the drawings for the new addition. Meeting went well and they agreed to return an estimate within 2 weeks. 2 weeks came and went and had to track them down with multiple phone calls only to find the owner on vacation. Was told another week. Another week came and went and still nothing. Had to track them down with multiple calls again only to be told he was waiting on feedback from some of his sub contractors, give him another week. One week later and nothing. I actually had to call from a different number to get him to answer, at which point I told him I was done and didn't care if he had the quote, I just wanted my drawing back. In all that time not once did I get a call from the owner just to let me know he needed more time or to ask additional questions. If he had been even the least bit professional and let me know he has some extenuating circumstances I would understood, but instead he blew it all off. How reliable can this operation be if they can't even get an estimate out in over a month's time? The owner was polite enough on the phone and did apologize after the fact, but too little too late. I would not recommend Calyx Homes to anyone.

Bob came 4/24 and was right on time. He was very nice, took pics, brought references, and DVD of images which left a very good first impression. He said we'd get an estimate in a week to a week and a half. We emailed him after 2 weeks and received no response. Very poor to not follow up. If he didn't want the job, he should just tell us so we aren't waiting around.

NO follow-up. After 2-3 emails, called and spoke with the contractor. Asked if he was still interested in the job, was it too small, timing, etc. Was told that the job was fine and would connect with a quote. More time passed, called - no answer. Sent email - no answer, tried to contact through Angie's List - no answer. Has a great lead-in, provides images of previous work, friendly, listened and suggested ideas, nice website. Just no follow-up.

Calyx Homes (Bob) was recommended to us by some friends in our town. They gave glowing reviews on Bob's professionalism and craftsmanship. After looking at the reviews on Angie's list as well, we decided to give Bob a call. From day one, Bob was great to work with. Since this was our first major home renovation, we were a little bit nervous about the process. Bob walked us through all the stages of the project and addressed all the concerns and questions we had regarding the renovation. First, we met with all of Bob's recommended vendors and I have to say that everyone we met were great to work with. Once everything was picked out and ordered, the demolition began. Everything went like clockwork...from the demolition, to the plumbing, to the electrician and to the tile guys, they all worked so effeciently and they were all so professional and friendly. It really was a pleasure working with them all. And a spcial thanks to Bob's guy Gary, who did the demolition and finish work...he was just a fantastic person to work with! Bob was also amazing to work with as well. Throughout the entire process, Bob was always up at the house making sure everything was getting done the way it was supposed to, as well as answering any questions we had about the ongoing process. From start to finish, the project couldn't have gone any better. We will definitely use Calyx Homes for any future renovations we may have!

I can't say enough good things about Bob and his team! From start to finish with this project he was on time, communicating, informative, and very professional. He gave us a time frame of how long the project would take, and he was right on schedule. The level of detail that went into the entire project still amazes me; from cabinetry to tile and electrical, the quality of the work is great. After our initial meeting there were several changes that I wanted to make and some add-ons that I wanted to include and Bob was ready and waiting the entire way. Phone calls to him were returned within minutes, and he was very involved in the project from start to finish. It seems to me that Bob and his team go above and beyond to make his customers happy. To see the transformation of the kitchen and bathroom is amazing, I would recommend Calyx to anyone and everyone that needs work done, you will not be disappointed! I look forward to next project(s) that we have done, because working with Bob was such a pleasure, he's most definitely our "go - to - guy!"

Bob Brierley is a true professional. He presented us with pages of references; took us to a recently completed kitchen he remodeled; and provided us with a detailed listing of what needed to be done on our project. Bob established a workable schedule and came through on-time with completion of the kitchen. He oversaw every aspect of the project and was available 24/7 for consultation. Our remodel was involved : essentially gutting the kitchen, removing a wall, and starting from scratch. In spite of several on-site problems that had to be tackled, Bob always came up with a viable solution. His men produced quality work and were knowledgeable of current materials and methods of installation. Bob and his men were wonderful to work with because of their positive approach, their work ethics, and their sense of humor. We initially started our kitchen remodel with a kitchen center. After seeing how costly, time consuming, and anxiety producing the errors the kitchen center made, we sought out Bob on Angie’s list. We could not be more grateful that he took us on. We now fully understand why he has been a repeat “Angie’s List Super Service performer.” Our kitchen is beautiful!

Well. the finished product has become an $18,000 albatross that will require someone to come in a repair the damage Bob's Calyx Homes has created. The craftsman who rebuilt the portico and columns did so with a great deal of care and precision and the final product appeared to look even better than the original and provided an even more stately appearance to the front of the home because the original portico was not sized properly to fit the size of the overall appearance of the home. In less than one year the work of the other sub-contractors appeared quite prominently. 1. The water leakage from the sides of the new portico worsened and now constantly sprays water into the windows of the front of my home. 2. The pvc material began to separate and caulk seals have separated leaving unsightly gaps in the portico. 3. The drains in the roof of the portico now leak onto the front porch causing the appearance of a rain fall on my porch when it rains and down the sides of the front of my home. 4. The ceiling light and front door bell has shorted out because of the constant leakage from the gaps in the portico 5. The front steps have been damaged from the leaks from the front of the portico because Bob did not account for the right pitch in the roof of the portico to drain through the drains properly nor did he create drains large enough to handle the flow of water from the gutters. 6. Flashing that is suppose to seal the water from the home and away tot he drains leaks water down the front of my home which assisted in the shorts in the door bell. 7. The drains do not appear to have been sealed to prevent excess water from the roof of the portico to the leak into the inside of the portico causing damage. I have made a number of very amicable attempts to get these problems resolved with Bob and his firm for more than two years. I have attempted to ask the contractor's board of Rhode Island to intervene yet they refuse because the contract is more than one year old. I simply want to warn others that Bob is capable of very simple projects but because his use of sub-contractors there is no guarantee that you will get what is promised. Additionally, do not sign Bob's contract which is based on contractor's laws and regulations that protect the contractor not the consumer of these services. You must insist on specific workmanship, representations and warranties that protect you from his lack of proper supervision of his sub-contractors and the subsequent lack of responsiveness when problems occur. $18,000 is a hard lesson but you should learn from my mistake and not trust the contractor's word alone. Ask others in the field what kind of reputation the contractor has. Just a word of warning! I not only confirm that my evaluation is correct I have emails, photographs and documented evidence of the damage Bob/Calyx Homes has caused.

Excellent response from initial estimate to responsiveness while the work was being done. Bob Brierly is very knowledgeable about his work. Gave us good ideas we had not thought about. His subcontractors have done an excellent job carrying out our project. He is a little pricier than other contractors we looked at but the work proves it was worth it.

My wife and I purchased this house in July 2012 from the estate of her late father. The house is a one-story ranch that was built in 1965 by my father-in-law, who did virtually all of the carpentry work himself. In the early '70's he added a detached, oversized (24'x34') garage. The basic house was solid and in good condition, but the interior was in serious need of updating - basically unchanged since 1965. So we definitely needed to do something with the kitchen. And I really wanted to connect the garage...having to go outside to get there in the winter almost defeats the purpose of having the cars inside! Started talking about a breezeway and friends asked us if we were stuck in the same 1960's as the house! "They're called MUDROOMS now," we were told. Learn something new every day, LOL. Since we really didn't know how to best use the old and new spaces, we started talking to contractors who could assist with the initial design as well as do the work from start to finish. As you'd expect, ideas and quotes were all over the place. We were impressed from the start with Bob and his Caylx crew. Not only did he have good ideas for how to layout the kitchen and mudroom, he listened to our likes and dislikes and made sure his design incorporated those features. At the initial meeting, Bob left us with a multi-page list of references and a DVD full of pictures from other projects that Caylx had done. We looked at those over and over, throughout the project. Got lots of ideas from those pictures that we could tweak and incorporate in our house. Caylx wasn't the low bidder, but I really wasn't looking for the cheapest anyway. We're going to have only one chance to do this, so we wanted it done right. After comparing his proposal to the competition, my wife and I felt confident that his estimates were more detailed and accurate which accounted for some of the price difference anyway. We'd rather know up-front what it was really going to cost us, than pick a low--ball quote and have "surprises" after the job was started. One of the things that Caylx has as a tag-line on their signs is "when you want the job done on time". We signed our contract at the very end of August, with a completion date of Halloween. As a committed do-it-myselfer, I sneered at that. I know how long stuff takes (just ask my wife). Yea right, two months. Sure...two YEARS maybe, but two MONTHS? Impossible. Demolition started the next week and Bob pulled the construction permits from town hall. First - and really only - surprise happened right then and there. Found out we needed a new septic system because the DEM rules had just changed. Even though we weren't adding any bedrooms or bathrooms, just because we were adding "living space" we needed a comforting system. Great, I thought, there goes the budget AND the timeline. At this point, Bob's skills and experience really shined through. He worked with the building department so that he could get permits for the work that wasn't directly dependent on the septic approval so the project could keep moving while the septic system work was being done. Expecting the worse, having heard horror stories about septic installations - both how long the approval process could take and how much it could cost - I was amazed that Bob was able to get a system designed, DEM approved, installed, and certified in about 3 weeks from start to finish and for less than $15,000! Because some work was still able to be done in parallel, new end date was only pushed by 10 days, to 11/9/2012. Maybe the most impressive thing about Caylx was the quality of the sub-contractors that they used on this project. Everybody was skilled and knowledgable, and even more important, very easy to talk with and patient with all of our questions. As the project moved along we made some changes and additions - upgraded the cabinets, added a built-in pantry and hutch, poured a 50' front walk, installed new exterior lighting, repainted of the rest of the interior and made a few other tweaks. Bob ensured all of the additional work got done within the existing project timeframe. We were on track to make the 11/9 date if not for Hurricane Sandy. That cost us a couple of days due to rain and likely contributed to a delay in getting the last of the custom ordered Trex decking delivered (it had to come from NJ). Even with all that, we got the keys on the 16th of November, just a little over two weeks later than the initial completion estimate and in plenty of time to host Thanksgiving Dinner! I am honestly amazed and impressed. All this work done on-time and on budget, and to a standard of quality that exceeded our expectations. Bob did what he said he would, when he said it would be done, and for the price he told us. I recommend Caylx without any reservation and will be calling Bob next spring for a follow-on project including landscaping and an in-ground pool.

Bob Brierley had been called, along with a local contractor to completely do over my minuscule bathroom- 4 1/2 x 6 1/2. The other contractor never responded. Bob gave me an estimate and we firmed up exactly what was to be done. It was basically to tear out the whole bathroom down to the wall studs and floor beams and install a new walk in shower, corner sink, toilet and floor. Bob kept in touch daily, as to what was going to be done that day and which workers were going to be there. It was a trying 2 1/2 weeks for me with workers coming and going, but I kept reminding myself how nice it would be and I did have a second bathroom to use over this time. When they were finished, there was no mess to clean up on my part. The area they worked on was cleaner after they left, than before. I love the bathroom. It is easy to clean and a pleasure to use. Perhaps others will realize how much bathroom can be put into such a small space. I would certainly recommend him and his company, and would use him again for any contracting work to be done.