Revive Kitchen & Bathroom

Oops - see above for the whole story + work performed.

Jake transformed our 40-year-old kitchen from sad and dingy into a breathtaking place of beauty! From the beginning when we first met and set up the project and start date until the very last day, Jake was positive, energetic, and conscientious about his work. When we had worries or concerns or just general questions, he was always responsive, via phone or email, and he never met a problem that he couldn't solve. He has a real can-do attitude. He also was mindful of keeping our costs down and initially steered us to places that he knew would be budget friendly. He did a lot of the work himself, and he took great care with each part of the job. His finishing work was outstanding (My husband was very impressed, and being somewhat of a craftsman himself, this was high praise!) Jake's sub-contractors -- plasterer, painter, granite cutter/installer, and floor installer -- all had the same work ethic that Jake does. They were punctual, courteous, and got the job done quickly and efficiently. They all did outstanding work as well. When I told friends that the overhaul of the kitchen was scheduled to be done in 2 weeks, not one of them believed it would be done in such a short time. Well, he shocked them all, because he did finish in exactly 2 weeks! Throughout the entire time he was so cheerful and pleasant to be around that it was sad to see him go!

He was very responsible. He did what he said he was going to do. He had a good price. They also had the interest of me in terms of remodeling a bathroom, and he tried to get the best prices on all the supplies and equipment and so forth, so I recommend them highly. The price included some of the things I brought as well.

From start to finish we found Jake and his crew to be very friendly, courteous, prompt, and always on task. The demolition was completed quickly and our home was always left clear of debris and tools. The entire job was completed in less than 3 weeks. We are so thankful for the efficient project planning and work scheduling that allowed for minimum disruption in our home. The workers were most always there as scheduled and if they was a change in plans Jake would inform us ahead of time. He would touch base with us daily to see how we were feeling about the progress. Jake was particularly patient with us when we started second-guessing plans and he would help us think it through by offering suggestions, drawings, and visual staging. We ultimately trusted his opinion which always seemed to right. We would hire Jake of All Trades again without hesitation. We are hoping to do a bathroom in the near future and he will be the first one we will call. We love our beautiful new kitchen!

He quoted a price, he did not waiver from the price even though there ended up being some additional work he did on the plumbing. His crew that he brought were extremely professional. They cleaned up their work each and every day. The work that was done was excellent and was completed on time. A family member who usually does all their own work that was so impressed with the work we had done that they ended up hiring this provider.

ARRIVED ON TIME, DID A GREAT JOB AND CLEANED UP AFTER. COULDN'T BE BETTER!

Jake was very friendly and knowledgeable on our kitchen, and bathroom remodels. He walked us through buying our granite for our kitchen, and was able to answer all our questions to our satisfaction. We are so pleased with our new house, and even referred a friend for a bathroom re-model who also is very happy. Jake came over after the remodel to adjust a few things, no questions asked, no hassle, and the very next day after we called to our satisfaction. I would definitely use Jake of all trades again.

I called Jake of All Trades after reading the many positive reviews on Angie's List. We played phone tag for a couple of weeks, but Jake was always extremely prompt in returning my calls. When we finally spoke, he was helpful and courteous and scheduled to come to our house within a few days to see the space. He said he's be at our house between 9 and 9:30, and he actually called when he was on his way and arrived a little ahead of our appointment (a pleasant surprise). He seemed friendly, knowledgeable, and professional. He sent us our estimate within about a week. Unfortunately, his estimate was considerably higher than some of the other estimates we received, so we decided to go with a another, less expensive contractor that had done some work for a friend. However, I was impressed with Jake's professionalism and would recommend getting an estimate from him.

Jake was enthusiastic, very skilled and an adept organizer. He coordinated seamlessly with the plumber, electrician, cabinetmaker, drywaller and tiler, finishing the job in just 3 1/2 weeks. There was always someone on the job - and all of his workers and subs were polite and friendly. Whenever we emailed or called him with questions or concerns, he immediately responded. The finished product is even better than we imagined.

This was a very good experience. Jake responded quickly to my initial phone call and was able to meet with me that week to discuss the project. He showed up for our scheduled meeting on time and was very friendly. He had good ideas about the space and was very knowledgeable about different techniques for remodeling/ reconfiguring the bathrooms. We did not use his company because we decided that we needed more help with designing the space than we originally thought. I kept his card and would recommend him to my friends and family.

Jake, the company owner, was on-site every day and was very responsive to any of our ideas or concerns. The work his company performed was excellent and the result is amazing! We are also happy with the final cost--Jake's estimate was on-target. Perhaps, the most impressive part of this remodel was how quickly it was done. (Approximately, two week and a half weeks for the entire job.) We would definitely hire Jake of All Trades again. Thanks, Jake!

WELL BEAUTIFULLY! COULDN'T ASK FOR BETTER SERVICE.

Jake and his excellent team of subcontractors completely transformed my bathroom. They moved the sink, took down a wall, and created a new wall where there was once a door. Every one of Jake's subcontractor's did excellent work, from the plumbers to drywallers to the tile guy. Jake oversaw every aspect and did all of the general construction work with help from his assistant. He responded quickly to every question I threw his way via email, text, and phone. We learned from our previous bathroom remodel (we used a different GC) the importance of having perfect tile installation. Jake's tile sub, Daniel, was exceptional. We were amazed by the swarm of highly qualified people that worked on this project. I would happily use Jake again and recommend him highly to anyone doing a bathroom remodel.

Jake and his team of subcontractors did an amazing job remodeling our kitchen. We did a ground up remodel, where we also knocked out the wall from the kitchen to the living room, separating the two rooms with a countertop. This really opened up our otherwise 'cozy' living room. The results are nothing short of spectacular and the attention to detail was extraordinary. The job started with Jake Ostler and Travis Connelly drafting up a model based on our request of the remodel. The model/draft included AutoCAD type (computer drawings) pictures of what our new kitchen would look like. After feedback, Jake provided a written estimate detailing what he and his team would do and what we would need to provide. We preferred to pick and purchase our appliances and fixtures such as sink and faucets and have Jake do the installs. Other contractors we interviewed included getting appliances, etc, but with Jake we picked everything and saved $. The job started with demoing the complete kitchen: cabinets, ancient appliances, plumbing, ceiling including lighting, flooring, and the wall between the living room. Next, a supporting beam had to be installed because the removed wall had load bearing posts. Jake had the demo done in TWO DAYS and the beam in within the next week. They were so fast, my wife and I hadn't even started shopping for appliances yet, so we had to catch up. One piece of constructive criticism we gave Jake, was that because we'd never done a remodel of anything before, we would have liked more lead time for when he was ready for items. As I said, they were so fast with each phase, we seemed to scramble to have the next pieces for them. After the demo and beam, they worked the drywall which is textured stucco. This included matching spanish style arches on each end of the wall, then tying in a perpendicular arch. The result is a work of art and the stucco texture perfectly matches the rest of the house. The drywall included patching over an old doorway from the exterior into the kitchen as well as one window where our refrigerator would now be located. The exterior stucco also matches perfectly. This whole time Jake worked to move plumbing, venting, electrical outlets, switches and gas lines for our range. Next, the floor was put in. We purchased pretty cheap, but durable porcelain tile from home depot as it is not the focus of our kitchen and we were spending more elsewhere. Even so, it came out very well and Jake's sub contractor Daniel did a great job. The kitchen is a galley style (now more open) so we went for diagonal/diamond pattern floor instead of standard grid/box pattern to add a little style. This made more work for Daniel, but he was quick, the grout lines are even and smooth and there are perfect cuts around our cabinet boxes. Travis had the cabinet boxes ready and installed as Daniel was finishing the floor. With the floor done and cabinet boxes in, Jake was ready for us to pick out our granite for the counter tops. We also opted to do a tile backsplash, which Daniel was ready to do at this time as well. The backsplash was a bit of a challenge for us to do since neither of us are designers or decorators, so we had to delay Jake and his team a bit as we decided on a pattern we liked. In the end we have already received multiple complements on it, but it was a bit stressful. Some of the tile stores have designers that can work with you (ie Arizona Tile). Jake gave us a good list of 6+ tile companies he recommended, but if you order something not in stock, be forewarned it could take more than a few days. We also picked out the sink so it could be installed under-counter with the granite. With the granite and backsplash done, next up was plumbing and faucets. We decided to have a countertop disposal button, new disposal, new faucet and an undersink water filter and water heater that both go up to a separate faucet at the corner of the sink. Jake also installed our dishwasher at the same time to tie in the plumbing with the sink (note: the kitchen did not previously have a dishwasher so he had to run the separate electrical to a new circuit breaker, new plumbing, etc). After the plumbing was completed the team walked me through the fixtures to confirm there were no leaks anywhere. One challenge we had was that the water filter did not tie into the hot water tank and faucet that we chose, so we had to return it and order another one. The second time, we sent the specs to Jake to review before purchasing, so he could confirm it would all match up. I would highly recommend sending him the make and model of almost everything you purchase so he can be sure it will work as it will save you time spent on returns and shipping new items, etc. Travis was then ready to install the cabinet panels and doors. We chose stylish Plyboo brand bamboo cabinets in flat grain Amber color. When we originally picked the cabinets we originally thought it would look different, but that was based on the sample book that plyboo provided with 4x4 inch squares of samples, and their website did not have enough samples to get an accurate idea of the look. Travis responded with outstanding customer service offering to redo the work if we purchased new materials. In the end we decided to go with the plyboo we already bought and if we didn't like it in a year or so, redo it. Besides, Travis did very custom work where he matched the grain of the bamboo so that each section of cabinets looks like a single block of wood. This includes the corners, which would usually have separate grain ends but he miter the corner joints so that the grain wraps around the sides. It was so well done, Plyboo has asked to feature the cabinets on their site. Once the cabinets were done, Jake put in the refrigerator (we kept the previous GE Profile as it was the only new appliance in the kitchen before the remodel) and installed the our slide-in gas range. We were going to wait to install the range hood first, but it arrived broken and we waited so long for a replacement, he went ahead and installed the stovetop so that we could start using the kitchen again. With the kitchen essentially done, the can lighting was installed, with 3 pendants hanging over the countertop separating the kitchen from the living room. Lastily to tie it all together they painted all the walls. The compliments haven't stopped coming in.

I had hired Jake earlier in 2010 to remodel my bathroom and was so impressed with his work that there was no question about bringing him back for this larger project. As with all more complex projects, some problems arose along the way, but Jake always responded immediately to my concerns and took care of everything that didn't meet my expectations. One thing I admire about Jake is that the subcontractors he brings in to his projects are uniformly excellent, so the overall quality of the work more than met my expectations. Some details are especially worth noting: Jake came up with a way to add a closet in the hallway opposite one kitchen wall, a bonus that was totally unexpected and very welcome since my house is small and storage space is minimal. He also crafted a charming tile niche over the cooktop area, and was able to reposition the tangle of wires and pipes from a tankless water heater so that he could build a small utility table for me~ I was amazed by how much usable space he was able to get from that awkward corner location. Jake is a very personable individual to work with and obviously loves what he is doing, so I'm sure he will continue to thrive. I would happily recommend him to my friends.

Jake was great to work with price was competitive, very professional, quality of work was great and would have meet time line perfectly except changes we made set him back two days.

Timelines were met; cost estimates were accurate; cleanup and added details were done thoroughly. Jake of all Trades has been a pleasure to hire and is a rare find among contractors. Jake's company should be a superstar on Angie's List!

It could not have gone better. The standard of work is excellent. He was very flexible when we made small changes and he did some extra work (replacing light switches and painting walls) that needed doing but which we had not included in the contract. We are very pleased with our beautiful new bathrooms.

Superb! This was the first major remodelling project I'd ever undertaken and had heard all the horror stories, so it was good fortune to have connected with Jake. What impressed me most about Jake is that he clearly loves what he is doing, knows his materials, and has chosen skillful associates/subcontractors to work with. The entire project was artfully orchestrated and flowed smoothly, with everyone showing up on schedule as promised and making an effort to clean up after the day's work, which I greatly appreciated. Jake kept me informed as to what to expect each day, so I never felt the project was lagging or being neglected. I feel I received exceptionally good value for the price. The work was finished a day ahead of schedule, and even with the special order shower glass, the entire project came in lower that the other bid I had been considering. I now have a stunning bathroom and look forward to working with Jake again when it's time to remodel the kitchen.

What can I say. A beautiful job (see pics). The most impressive things about Jake is his attention to detail and customer satisfaction. He personally picked out the granite slabs and made sure they were matched and were the color I was looking for. He spent about 3 hours with me in three different stores (!) recommending and allowing me to choose the fixtures and style for the bathroom. At every step he was there to answer questions or change this or that as the need or my wants required. He had to reroute some plumbing because there is no standard left shelf vanities (go figure...?). A great experience, on time, on budget.

The price was good and he also gave me some discount. He was professional, on time and clean. I was on vacation and he called me only twice to clarify things as what has to be done. The job was exactly what he was supposed to do and it was great.

He was very responsive and different from others I contacted. He seemed to know what he was talking about and gave me an estimate within a few days of calling him. His estimate was competitive with all the other bids I received. I felt he really treated me as an individual and that he liked his job and had respect for his work. We just decided not to go through with the remodel.

Our bathroom turned out really nice. Jake is very professional and polite.

Jake is a small firm and in spite of the fact that he was working more than one job while working mine, I still felt I got personalized attention throughout the job. Jake gave me a schedule and with almost no exception, I knew precisely when critical events were going to take place and all the dependencies involved with progressing the job. Jake and Jake's assistants and sub-contractor (Jared Nichols, Nichols Tile & Stone) were respectful of my home and very professional. Each part of this job were as important as the others, but it was the tile installation that provides us with visual proof of an exceptional job. Jake used exceptional supplies, only the best materials, and demonstrated super management and workmanship. If I was pressed to provide some constructive feedback, I'd say the weakest part of this work was the protection provided to parts of the job site that were not involved. For instance, the parts of the bathroom that were not to be addressed during this job got more wear and tear than I was expecting and more care could have been taken to minimize that. That being said, no permanent damage was done and if we had it to do over again, we would do it exactly the same to get the outcome we've enjoyed so far.

Jake was very easy to work with and very responsive. I had a deadline I was working with, and he developed and adhered to a schedule that got all work completed within 2 weeks. I wasn't able to be home while all the work was done, and Jake and his sub-contractors made a couple of adjustments that I requested without complaining. They did their best to minimize the mess. All in all, it was a good experience and I have had a lot of compliments on the results.