Raindango Design and Remodeling

Let me say from the start of the project to the end Raindango was thoughtful about keeping the work areas clean and keeping the dust from overwhelming the house. As we were living in the house during the renovation it had to be done in shifts and we were worried about all the dust and construction during what we knew would be a long period of time. They covered everything and blocked off areas with sheets of plastic so the dust invasion was minimal. It wasn’t fun living through all the construction but they made it bearable. Though we somewhat knew what we wanted we weren’t exactly sure of how to go about it. Raindango brought in architectural and interior designers to help. Both were wonderful. I received 3 different rendering layouts of the kitchen, one of the upstairs bathroom (we weren’t changing the footprint just updating) and two of the master bathroom. The interior designer was a jewel and helped with all the different color schemes, picking out the granite, flooring, tile, fixtures and paint colors so everything blended and looked wonderful. The kitchen is large but was very closed off from the rest of the house. We had a doorway leading into the living room and another leading into the dining room. The configuration was also all wrong. Raindango come in and fixed all that. They opened up the walls leading into the living and dining rooms, moved my refrigerator from one wall to another more convenient area and added a wall of cabinets for extra storage. They thought of little improvements I wouldn’t have thought of, like light placements and adding extra cabinets over my washer and dryer. Opening up the kitchen changed the look of the whole downstairs making is so open and friendly. The fireplace was huge and dominated the living room. When you walked into my home it was the first thing you noticed right in the middle of my living room wall. The room now feels larger, more open and the new fireplace fits the room instead of dominating it. The upstairs bathroom hadn’t been touched since the house was built in 1985 and really need updating. They gutted the room, reinsulated and installed new everything (bathtub, toilet, vanity, mirrored medicine cabinets, light fixtures, granite, tile and paint). Before the renovation I was embarrassed when family came to visit now I’m inviting them to visit. It’s such a beautiful room and they did a great job. In the master bedroom they rewired our satellite’s cable burying it in the wall and repainted giving it a much needed facelift. They also moved electrical outlets so we could mount our TV on the wall instead of having to have it on a stand. Being able to remove the stand has opened up the room and given it an open airy feel. As for the master bathroom, my oh my they did a wonderful job. Our Master bathroom was long, narrow and dark. They reconfigured a majority of the room by enlarging the linen closet, adding additional cabinets, enlarging the shower and incasing it with clear glass. Where before you didn’t get the benefit of the windows at the back of the room now the light shows through the glass and brightens the whole area. After everything is said and done the room feels wider, brighter and spa like. There are always bumps along the way on any major project but if I had to do it all over again I would and I would use Raindango. They are professional, courteous, friendly, kept me informed and asked questions instead of just assuming what we wanted done. They are a great bunch of people and I would highly recommend them.

One of the few remodelers in the DFW area that I called that even answered the phone. Listened to my project idea and actually referred me to another provider to better meet my needs. I was able to schedule with that provider that day, and they aren't on Angie's List. I wish I would have called them first and if I ever need a bigger job I will call them first. Thanks!

The entire project was poorly managed and the craftsmanship left much to be desired. There was a complete lack of integrity during the entire process. One of the biggest issues is that they required me to pay $9100 a month before the project began for "priority" scheduling, but my project was never given priority. Promises were made on numerous occasions but no action occurred. To date, I have not been contacted (requested on April 27) by the management regarding issues that have risen since I moved in. I find irony in the most recent review that it was completed early. It seems they select which customers receive priority.

After an extensive walk-thru of the project, Raindango sent an army of skilled craftsman to start the demolition phase of the project. In spite of the heavy demo, their team kept the work areas extremely clean each day. This involved not only removing walls, windows, and flooring, but also included a full electrical overhaul. As the demolition stage was coming to an end, we could see that opening up the floorplan was giving us better ideas for our space. Their team never flinched, but instead offered excellent ideas and suggestions for how to make our home even better. Through the entire process, it was a collaborative effort as the remodeling team worked with us to help us achieve our goals for our space. Some of the project details/highlights include: new wood flooring throughout, updating bathrooms, upgrading lighting, granite counters, custom banquette bench build, custom beverage station/bar with water filtration system and ice machine, custom walk-in pantry, installation of new appliances, redesign laundry room with custom cabinetry and granite counters, removing a fireplace and adding space to master bedroom with wall of windows, creating a spa master bathroom area including custom dressing room style closet spaces, new doors/windows/sliding doors, and a large attic space for storage. During this rebuild stage, we were able to see how our visions for our space were turning into reality right before our eyes. The project manager and on-site foreman were always available to answer questions, make suggestions, and help us solve design problems, as things would arise. As we were nearing the end of the project, anticipation was building for our big move back into our home we had known for 15 years, knowing it was going to be exactly what we wanted when we started this process. Sitting in our new space, it feels just like home, only better thanks to the Raindango team.

No one showed up for the appointment and I did not even receive a call stating they would not be able to make it. I suppose they were too busy or maybe I wasn't important enough to remember. Will be moving on to another company. It's not a good sign when they don't make their appointments or even call to reschedule if they can't make it. **Update 3/17** Got a call this morning from Rene and Tracy updating me of a clerical error that caused a scheduling conflict and was the primary reason they were not able to make the appointment. Tracy stated he was even unaware he had an appointment until today and apologized. **Update 3/21** Appointment was met and Tracy came on time and called me before letting me know he was on his way. Tracy was very professional and easy to talk to. Looking forward to see the estimate.

The leak was fixed and we have had no other problems

It went great - they did an amazing job, and we plan on using them in the future for bathroom renovations.

Raindango did a great job! The guys arrived on time every morning and worked all day long. They made great progress every day and cleaned up after each day's work. Whenever a hitch was found as will happen in an old house, the project managers explained clearly what was needed and why, and they stuck to their reasonable quote. Everyone we encountered at Raindango was courteous, respectful and exhibited a high level of professionalism. They wanted it right, not rushed, but still got in and out efficiently. We've already planned to use them again for future projects and definitely recommend them to anyone looking for an honest, hard-working home repair/remodel contractor.

I Consultation, set up, agreement went fine with project manager, Rene. Despite lots of rain and ice, project started in a timely manner. The demolition and building of the structure was fast and the guys who do the big construction work were professional and on time and very cordial. Once the largest part of the structure was finished and there was only inside work to do, work slowed greatly. There were some times I would not be informed when workers would come out and some days I'd come home and someone would be in the house. If workers would be supposed to come, they would show up at 4 or 5pm. It was if our project all of a sudden ended up on the low priority list. The workers seemed to be exhausted, as if coming from a prior large project. I was still dealing with Rene. I complained. Work sped up but with terrible craftsmanship, TERRIBLE. Also, according to Rene, work was just about complete. BUT it wasn't. I put together a list and had pictures of several things that were left unfinished or done wrong or that looked horrible. Alan came out, assessed, and promptly got everything fixed. He was very apologetic about what had happened and I only dealt with him from that point forward. He had me put together a list of what needed to be finished and everything got done FAST. We were very impressed with how this guy cleaned things up after the mess that Rene left. Total time was approximately 4-5 months to complete. I think this is an honest, good company that had a terrible project manager heading up this bid. I believe the project manager's direction of the project does not reflect on the company. Regardless of who you choose to complete your work, keep an open line of communication and be very clear about your expectations.

Raindango did a great job. From Mike, who came to take the quote, to Alan and Tracy who managed the project, we are very pleased. The workmanship is amazing and all of the workers were great to work with. A complete remodel of the bathroom with tile (and carpet in the closet) is very messy. They did everything they could to cut down on the dust and made sure the other floors in our house were protected. Our project included fixing a leak in the shower, replacing the soaker tub, replacing the toilet, re-routing plumbing, changing the footprint of the shower, cutting down a half-wall, replacing lighting, counter tops, sinks, painting cabinets, adding a shelf in the linen closet. It was a LOT. We appreciated that Raindango personnel gave us their thoughts on what might work best but left the ultimate decision up to us. We had need of a plumber and an electrician for items unrelated to the project. Raindango was kind enough to help us get their resources to assist with those projects as well. We doubt that's something they normally do, but it definitely showed they were going above and beyond to serve us. We are very pleased with the final product and would definitely use them again.

Background: In 2012, Raindango remodeled a second bathroom. We were pleased with that, so in 2013, they remodeled our master bedroom and bathroom. Then in 2014, they remodeled our game room, removing paneling, installing wood floors, and building custom bookshelves and cabinets along one wall. I did not write reviews about these projects, but we were very pleased with all of them. As a result we decided to have Raindango remodel our den in 2015. Our house was built in 1977, so we've gradually been getting rid of that 1970's look. Our den had a sunken floor, wood paneling which we had previously painted white, and a wet bar that was rather non-functional. Raindango completely gutted the den, which included tearing out the fireplace hearth and bricks, tearing out the wet bar, removing the "popcorn" from the ceiling, and removing tile flooring, not only in the den but in two hallways and the dining room. They raised the sunken floor to the same level as the rest of the house. They re-did the fireplace, putting up beautiful tile and installing and staining a new mantel. They custom built a wet bar, which now has an ice maker and beverage cooler. The wet bar and fireplace are beautiful and the focal point of the room. They re-sheetrocked the room, and put down wood flooring in the den and two hallways and the dining room. And they installed new baseboards, crown molding and new lighting. And of course, they painted the walls and ceiling. Throughout the project, they cleaned up every day. Their workers are very professional and seem to take pride in their work. All of their people are easy to work with, and we especially enjoyed working with Alan, who was in charge of this project, as well as the previous projects mentioned above. Alan often comes up with good suggestions. I would definitely recommend Raindango to others. I rated them a B on price, but for all I know, it could be an A. I haven't had anyone else do projects like this, so don't have a basis for comparison.

Called and left messages for quote for work. Never received any reply back at all. A courtesy call saying we are too busy for more clients might have at least been more professional.

I had a great experience with Raindango! and I have already recommended them to several other people who are needing work done on their houses. Theirs was not the lowest estimate we received, but the quality of work and service more than made up for the extra cost. The whole project took just over 4 weeks (which was shorter than the estimated time I was told at the beginning of the project), and the total cost matched the original estimate. The different teams of workers who came into the house were very conscientious and careful with our things, and very respectful to me as well. They work quickly and efficiently, and they clean up after themselves every single day. Plus, they do excellent work - our new floors are beautiful and the bathrooms look great. On the few occasions when minor problems came up, the project manager Alan was very responsive to questions and came up with good solutions and work-arounds. He runs a tight ship and knew exactly who was doing what kind of work on our house on which day, and it was very reassuring to know that he was on top of things. When we are ready to do more work on our house, Raindango! will be the first company we call.

It's messy and expect a lot of dust. I didn't have to worry about "dusting" for a week. The crew covered everything real well. To help the crew out, I removed the "knick knacks", photos, sofa cushions, dining room chairs, etc. to another part of the house. Day 1 was preparing the areas (taping, hanging up plastic, covering, etc). and removal of the popcorn ceiling. Day 2 is applying orange peel texture to the ceiling and priming. Day 3 is applying the ceiling paint (Sherwin Williams - Promar 2000 white). Day 4 is putting the house back together, etc. The crew was on time each and every day, arriving at 8:00 am. Very prompt and responsive. There was one major "oops" that happened while the work was being performed. One of the crew members was using an 18 inch piece of crown molding. It either dropped or it fell onto my Jenn-Air downdraft cooktop. It shattered the corner of the cooktop. This cooktop was 15 years old. Raindango replaced the cooktop with a GE downdraft cooktop - brand new!!! The owners of the company stepped up to the plate and made it "right". I've asked for the same crew when it comes to Phase 2 of the project. I went to 6 vendors for bids on the job - to do the entire house bids ranged from $5900 to $7800 for a 2152 square foot (one story) house. The reason I went with Raindango is their reputation, their price is in the middle of the road, and when I met with their Sales Rep. (Tracy) I felt comfortable with him and he knew his "stuff". When you have this work done - make sure that when it's completed to change out your HVAC - air filter and then change it out again in another 2 weeks. There's a lot of dust during this type of project.

Rene was on time and very professional. He listened to everything we wanted and took measurements in order to be able to go back to his office to generate an estimate. We asked if there was a website we could go to in order to see the cabinet styles/finishes that we would be able to choose from, and Rene provided that information. As we were telling him some options we wanted in the cabinets (e.g., pop-up mixer stand), he was not aware of that option. After he left, we visited the website and saw there was a very limited choice of styles/finishes, none of which were what we are wanting. We also learned the cabinets are made in China, and we prefer buying products made in the U.S. We immediately notified Rene that we would not need an estimate. We enjoyed the time spent with Rene. This just wasn't a good fit for us.

I had an appointment with the painting division of Raindango today, between 2:00pm - 3:00pm. No one showed up and it is now 3:40pm. No one has called. I have now scratched this company off my list and will never call them again. Although the reviews and awards for this company seem really good, I would suggest if anyone wants to spend money to have painting done in their home, they call another company who is more responsive.

Rene with Raindango! worked diligently to provide me with several estimates... all with varying levels of scope to remodel my master bathroom and kitchen and to fit the work within my budget. He was always very flexible and courteous. He even came back to my house to discuss some additional options. I ultimately decided to delay the project for a year so I could do all of it at one time which will allow me to take advantage of using one slab of stone, etc. I will definitely contact Raindango! when I am ready to kick off the project sometime next year.

Note: I began the draft on Jan 15 of the year, and unfortunately, was unable to complete it until now. Life just kept throwing frisbees for me to run and catch. ---- We suffered damage to the house in September 2014 following a leak in the water heater. The mitigation company sent by our insurer did what they were supposed to and also submitted a quote for restoration. In addition, we sought quotes from 2 more contractors, including one provided by a close friend. Raindango's was the fourth quote that we sought. During their first visit, Mike Mitchell showed up at the hour he said he would, and along with two other mates. They were all very professional, and respectful. We took them around the place to show the restoration that needed to be done, and Mike had them all listed in his notebook and they were very meticulous in getting the measurements made. Next we gave them a broad overview of what we would like to do along with some upgrades. We were still haggling with the adjuster because the first quote was a low-ball. Within a week as promised, Mike sent me a quote and among the 4 quotes we had, we found Raindango neither too low nor too high but just right. So, we agreed that we meet to finalize the contract, and again they were at our home exactly at the time they indicated - this time along with Alan who would be overseeing the work. Alan is a very serious looking and yet very funny and easy going person. And speaking with them, it became very clear that they knew what to do and how to do. Therefore, between crunching some crispies, we signed the contract and gave him a check for first 3rd of the total amount. We planned that the work would begin in December when I would be attending a conference elsewhere. I sourced the materials, but based on Mike's recommendation went to their preferred outlet to avail a further discount on the wood flooring and carpets. Unfortunately, on thanksgiving, due to the sudden demise of my father-in-law, we had to leave the the country for the funeral. I gave a key set to a good friend, and asked that Mike and Alan pick it up from them to do the work when we were not there. Alan and Mike were very responsive and graceful during the tough period, and they assured that the work would be done in completion by the time we returned a month later. My friends offered to check out the property and how the work was going, but I was confident enough with their professionalism, that I told my friends not to bother about it. Raindango justified my faith in them and Alan and his team did a fantastic work by all means, and they kept me updated on the progress either through the phone or email. When we left we were in a tearing hurry and left abroad within 8 hours of the news of my father-in-law's passing away, and there were some important documents in the house. They absolutely justified my confidence in their workmanship and integrity. We returned back a month later, and found everything exactly as we had left before, expect that the furnitures were atop new floors, the kitchen had new granite countertops, the tile floors on the kitchen, utility and powderbath just the way we asked, new carpets and coats of paints - all complete to a T. They had done a great job. I did bother them with a couple of touchups, but that was about it. They also helped me with providing the receipts and paperwork that were repeatedly asked in specific format by the mortgage company to release the funds. I told Alan after all was done, that for the next bathroom renovation, I know who I will text and call, and that would be Raindango. I also recommended Raindango to more than a few friends including one who also buys and sells houses. He tells me that he has used / referred Raindango to others. Raindango is growing well, and I wish them the very best to keep growing for their excellent work and integrity. I owe them an apology for not posting the review for so long, but I am sure they understand... For fellow Angie's list users who are trying to choose a contractor, pick Raindango, and you will not be disappointed with the choice. My keywords for Raindango's work at our home are these: Good people, professional, punctual, honest, sincere, helpful, and fair priced. -------------- Update: Last week I called Alan to send someone to fix and paint a siding in the house exterior at very short notice as I was refinancing the property and the appraiser wanted it to be fixed. Alan ensured that it was done in quick time - 3 phone calls was all that it took. The third time I called from work, I wanted to know if they have sent down the carpenter to have a look and send me a quote, but I was pleasantly surprised when Alan asked to get back to home and check it job was done to my satisfaction. And sure enough it was. Thanks to Raindango, and I am a very happy customer!

There were 2 to 3 workers at any given time, and it took them 3 days to do the work. They cleaned up.

They are one of the worst contractors we have ever worked with. We worked with them in the past 3 months, our experience has been frustrating and disappointing. They are lack of responses, unprofessional and in the end, they turned ugly. It is a complete waste of time. We first contacted this company in Feb 2015, they visited, and told us they could do the job and provided detailed estimates. They told us they could start on 4/3, then quickly that date has slipped ,, we were told they can start on 4/10. OK, no problem, we waited patiently. 4/10 comes, they were nowhere to be found. We could not get hold of them. We made many phone calls, sent emails and left messages. One week passed, 2 weeks passed, there is no response from them. We gave up and started to look for other contractors. Well, funny enough, they showed up, and we were told our contact at Raindango Cole Lowry had to be out of town for a family emergency. Oh well, things happen. So we agreed to continue working with them. They provided us with a new starting date of 5/4. This time, we learned our lesson, so we tried to confirm with Cole before 5/4 to make sure. We called, emailed and left messages, we got no responses from Cole. of course, no one showed up on 5/4. At this point, we are frustrated and very disappointed. Finally, we were able to get hold of Mark Lowry, Cole's brother. He told us he will take over the project and make sure we are a priority. He came by and we explained all the project details to him. He promised they will start our job as a priority. He told us that he will email us a schedule no later than Saturday. We did get his email on Saturday, but rather than providing us with a job schedule, he simply told us they could not do it due to lack of resources. Project details was clearly communicated since DAY 1 we worked with them. They had told us many times they can do it and provided estimates. So after 3 months of working with us, they just discovered that they COULD NOT do it. this is very unprofessional. They simply wasted 3 months of our time. We will never do business with them.

All work was done quickly, efficiently and well.

They did a fine job. The project was finished. The service was excellent. I have no complaints. The workers were for th most part very good, very clean, and there was very little collateral damage. There was no problem with promptness. They were very professional, very competitive with price, and I couldn't have been more pleased with the choice.

Raindango was one of the 7 renovation / restoration companies that we met with to handle a top to bottom, inside and outside renovation of our home that we just moved out of. (I called 15...7 never called back within that 3 week timeframe that we were accepting bids, one highly recommended company called back almost 2 weeks later after I had already scheduled everyone in. When this 'straggler' asked if he could submit a bid as well, I declined, explaining that I felt that if I had to chase him to GIVE him my money, I didn't want to worry about chasing him down to find out where he was with my project AFTER he had my money.) We were up in the air if we wanted to sell it after renovating it or use it as a rental and requested that we receive recommendations, input and advice on either option so we didn't have any renovation or financial surprises if we decided to go in either direction. I want to start off by saying that I'm an IT recruiter so I'd like to think that I'm fairly thorough in assessing each proposal that we received and did our best to be well informed as we could be so I feel it's pretty safe to say that we practically put the 2 companies we narrowed it down to, through the wringer and they were troopers to respond in a professional manner. Out of the 7 companies we requested bids from, we narrowed it down to 2 companies - Raindango and Robbins Restoration. In the end, although we chose to go with the other company, we wouldn't hesitate to consider or use Raindango in the future. Raindango's final bid came in at $55,836 but keep in mind that we lived in our home for 17 years and hadn't renovated at all so we needed a huge overhaul. The "bones" of our old home is fine but it needed a complete "makeover" and facelift from painting the outside, the entire inside, flooring for upstairs and downstairs, a full kitchen and bathroom upgrades (including the master), faucets, light fixtures, etc. Of all of the bids that we received, Raindango's bid fell in the upper middle price range as we received bids from $35K - $78K. We weren't going to go with the 'cheapest' company soley based on the money but were looking for the company that we would have hoped to provide excellent craftsmanship that was durable, install good quality materials (not the top of the line 'designer' type as our home is worth $300K but something nice, sturdy and marketable), good service and to be delivered in a timely manner for a fair price. We weren't looking for a steal (even though that would have been nice :-) but we didn't want to get hosed either! Although I wasn't completely impressed in the beginning, when I called them to inform them of my concerns and ask further questions about that I had, Cole Lowry, one of the owners called me back, stepped in, took control and certainly made up for any questions or concerns that we had. If you are new to home renovations like we are, call around and ask as many questions as you can. It will help you learn who is and isn't a better fit for YOUR individual needs. We learned that while everyone will TELL you that they can DO the job, not everyone is the best FIT for your needs. We needed a company that was capable of making suggestions to colors, designs, materials in addition to doing the actual work. We needed the end result to reflect an updated, nice home that would attract the majority of people looking out there and we felt that with Raindango's professional designer on staff, they could have accomplished that very well. Most companies consist of a general contractor who hire contractors out. Some work with them consistently, some don't. There are NOT many companies in the DFW area who EMPLOY their talent. Because of this, OUR concern was timing...we didn't want the job timeframe stretched out because one contractor didn't finish up on time or another was delayed. The way Raindango and Robbins Restoration works is that they have their talent on staff as permanent employees so they rotate them as needed - there is no hiccup in someone not showing up because they took another job that pays more. Once your flooring crew is finished, the electrical / plumbers or painters, etc come in - one after another in a consistent flow. Because of this, we felt pretty good about either company being able to finish the job in a timely manner so we felt that their 'projected completion time' was pretty accurate. Both companies also had numerous jobs going so they were currently working in the marketplace, seeing what other people were installing, what colors were being used, etc. ie: they were in demand!! We turned down one company that came recommended to me because they used all subcontractors and had NO other jobs going on at the time. Granted, they could be a smaller company but it left me wondering why in this market - when half of the calls I put out weren't even returned, why they couldn't find ANYTHING else to work on? They could have provided excellent service but we've got one shot at this and couldn't afford for things to go wrong. While we went through the tedious process of selecting the right company, we wanted a company that we felt comfortable handing over the reigns and just letting them do their thing. What also impressed us about Raindango was that they have a showroom and actual offices - God forbid something ever went wrong, there is a place that we can show up and state our case if it ever got to that point :-). I had NO reason to think that it would but it was nice to know that they were physically there if necessary. With that said, I understand that the showroom has to be paid for in some way or another so their prices weren't the 'cheapest' but the 'cheapest' bid that came in scared us thinking the contractors were too 'cheap'. They way they told us they could cut corners to save money weren't areas that we, as homeowners wanted them cut. I worried that if we were concerned about the corners they wanted to cut that they told us about, what other corners would they be cutting on their end that we would have no idea about?? In the end, we decided to go with Robbins Restoration because when I asked, I received a list of references that I was able to call immediately, there were countless families in the town that I live in who used Robbins - quite a few in my own neighborhood and their bid came in a bit less (we decided to forgo wood floors for carpet but in the end, the overall price was still a bit less). And I was able to see some before and after pictures of work they had actually completed and not stock photos. (This is another thing you've got to ask the contractors / company you are considering hiring as most use 'stock photos' on their websites and FB pages to show what work they CAN do. I wasn't interested in what anyone thinks they CAN do, I wanted to see what work they DID! :-) ) FYI as a side note, I found out that many interior decorators do this as well...many get ideas off of the internet and pinterest. At some point, we'll be renovating our new home that we moved into and we won't hesitate at all to consider Raindango for the job. In fact, depending on how our renovation for our old home goes, Raindango may end up being a better fit to renovate some areas in our new home as it will be more 'personalized' to our preferences. My husband and I felt confident that between the two companies, we could NOT have gone wrong with either company. I do feel confident that if one chose to use Raindango, you'd be very happy with your results and services.

Alan, Mike, and co were professional and courteous from start to finish. They let me know at the begining the costs and timeline and all modifications to the costs were as a result of changes we requested. They still managed to get it done on time and with high quality. The worksite was cleaned daily so I could stop by, walk through, and assess progress regularly. Alan was very approachable and reacheable by phone, text, or email at pretty much all times of day and weekends. They also offered lots of ideas if there were aspects of the project we hadn't thought about. We definitely plan to use them for future remodeling.

Communication was good and consistent from start to finish. They actually seemed like they wanted my business unlike some other contractors I contacted. They did not treat me like my job was too small. The work was above and beyond what I requested (they removed the popcorn ceiling in my shower for free!). They stuck to the timeline they gave me and came back for touch-ups when I asked. Overall a very good experience. I would use them again for another project.