Avec Construction Inc

Person came out to look at the job on 6/12/2018 and assured me that I would have an estimate from them by Friday (3 days later). 3 weeks have passed and I have heard nothing from them. My recommendation is don’t waste your time even calling.

They never responded to my request for an appt. I moved on.

Everything went wonderfully. Crew showed up when they were supposed to and the job was completed on time and within budget. On top of that, the craftsmanship was excellent. The owners communicated with me consistently throughout the project. We could not be happier with AVEC Construction. We would hire them again and we highly recommend them to anyone considering deck repair or replacement.

Working with Ms. Tolonen and her crew was a dream. They were very easy to work with. She listened to our ideas and concerns about the design of the new deck, answered all our questions and made helpful suggestions. The crew came when scheduled, worked efficiently and cleaned up after themselves. They built a beautiful deck. The entire project from demolition to the finished new deck took about 9 days. Unlike some of the other company's representatives we had interviewed, Ms. Tolonen knew the Fairfax County building code. This knowledge saved us time because she did not have to research what the County would let us build. The cost was reasonable. I highly recommend them and would use them again.

Very professional. Job was done same day no mess. Great company to work with.

the owner, Katie, came out and took measurements, went over the 3 Trex options with me and sent me all the drawings and info needed to get HOA approval. She kept a handle on the project from start to finish, and was very responsive to emails and phone calls. When we scheduled the project, the materials actually showed up early! so much so, I wasn't prepared, but again, Katie was right there and we worked it out. the guys that worked on the deck were on time and even stayed late a day or 2 to ensure they completed by the end of the week. Katie and her crew handled all the permits, and inspections and kept me appraised of things along the way. Although they were not the cheapest of the quotes I got, they were not a lot more, and it was totally worth the extra $ to have the quality of work and service that I got. All in all a great experience and I'm loving my new deck! would highly recommend working with Avec!

Kati was great to work with! Her crew was punctual, professional, and did an excellent job! We are very pleased with the results and would definitely recommend Avec.

AVEC is owned by a wife/husband couple that personally managed and led every aspect of the project. Their focus on quality and high value was exemplary. Every detail from the materials they used to their construction workmanship was focused on delivering a high quality, maintenance-free, long lasting product. For example, the owners spent two Saturdays at our house personally inspecting and hand cleaning the porch’s finished ceiling materials before they were installed. Throughout the design and construction process AVEC also recommended and implemented numerous enhancements that improved the overall value of the deck and patio at no additional cost (e.g. replaced damage siding, painted existing door frames, and installed sump pump drainage piping under porch). Throughout the duration of the project communication was excellent and their punctuality was exceptional. My family and I LOVE our new deck and porch and are grateful that we hired AVEC to design and construct it. Needless to say, we highly recommend AVEC for deck, porch and or patio project.

I love, love, love my new deck! I was not looking forward to dealing with a contractor on a new deck, and was so pleasantly surprised by my experience working with Kati. She is knowledgeable, patient, responsive, and a nice person to boot. She helped me develop a plan and suggested interesting changes to make my deck distinctive. She worked with me on the contract and kept me informed every step of the way. I have no reservations recommending Avec. The workers were efficient, pleasant, and cleaned up well. Kati and her husband PJ know what they are doing and I feel that I can count on them to come back if I have any problems. I think they really care about their customers.

We were referred to Avec via friends who had their existing deck worked on and we were glad we decided to give them a call! Kati was as nice and personable as could be and it never felt like she was trying to sell us on their services. She listed to what our needs were and provided us options to choose from. We also spoke with 2 other contractors and both were always pushing for us to make a decision on the spot or lose out on the quoted price. Kati simply provided us a quote based on our specs and asked we give her a call if we had any questions and she hoped that she earned their business. Kati was knowledgeable and even discussed considerations that other contractors did failed to mention. Once they secure our business the level of professionalism didn't fall off and they were extremely responsive. The longest part of the process was waiting for permits and approval from the HOA. Once they started, her team was finished within 2 days and the outcome was amazing. Kati even stopped by to check on things after they were finished and made sure her team cleaned up. There is no question we would refer them to anyone and we do plan on using them in the future for other needs. Avec is the type of small business I enjoy supporting. Thanks Kati and Avec!

Great! Despite a few bumps in the road with permit issues, Avec was very efficient. Katie's communication with us was outstanding! We were never left to wonder what was going on. She kept us informed daily - good or bad. It gave us great confidence in their work.

The project started on time and was completed within 5 days. The building crew was skilled and efficient, we especially appreciated the care they took cleaning up the work site at the end of each work day. The owner, Kati was extremely professional and a perfectionist from the initial cost estimate to her final inspection of the project. We also appreciated the constant emails and phone conversations keeping us up to date on all aspects of the project. AVEC provided a free cost estimate of the project, arranged for a large dumpster, provided an electrician, obtained the required permit and scheduled all county inspections. We are extremely pleased with our new deck! AVEC Construction provides top quality work and would highly recommend the company for your next project.

Avec was the best contractor I have ever worked with in 20 years of home ownership. They were honest, prompt, excellent communication, very fair pricing, and great workmanship. They were not the lowest bid for my project but their design was superior.

The owners were extremely professional and knowledgeable. Based on our extreme height requirements we knew we had to go with the very best. We checked Angie's list and found Avec. Simultaneously, our architect recommended Katy, the owner having worked with her previously. During our consultation we pieced together they were one in the same. It was a very complex structure given our basement is eight feet above ground and the kitchen level eight to ten feet above that. Katy worked very closely with our architect and was very willing and flexible to add all the safety measures he requested that went above and beyond county inspection which required extra orders and contractor visits. Katy and her husband walked us through every detail and next steps to completion and made site inspections daily during the building process. The owners cleaned the deck and made sure every detail was perfect at the final walk-through. They also used a metal detector to find every last nail on the ground around and underneath the structure. In addition, their employees are very professional. We have enjoyed the new addition to our home immensely. It is extremely well constructed, beautiful and surpassed all our expectations. It was a very difficult and complex project we had waited 12 years to tackle, and Avec Construction came through for us. We highly recommend this company and would have given an A+ if an option. We plan to use them for a stone retaining wall and patio in the future.

Kati was knowledgeable, creative, patient, diplomatic, professional, responsive, conscientious, and expeditious. We got three estimates, but from the moment we met Kati, we knew she was the right choice. We are very happy with our new deck and feel that if we need anything in the future, there will be no hesitation to call Kati.

I contacted Avec, and the owner, Kati, came out early the following Saturday to meet with us. She spent well over an hour discussing what we wanted, discussing options and materials, and looking at a neighbors' deck for ideas. She was very helpful and gave us lots to consider. The following week we received an estimate and design drawing. Of the four contractors we worked with (all Super Service awardees), Avec's estimate pretty much in the middle. Kati was very responsive, provided a list of other jobs we could visit, and could start relatively quickly. In the end we went with another contractor, but the decision was close. I would recommend Avec to others.

Kati and the team were very professional - making insightful design recommendations, adhering to the timeline, communicating regularly about progress, and solving regular minor issues that may naturally occur with any sizable project. Prior to selecting AVEC, we reviewed proposals from a range of companies, AVEC offered the best proposal with most value. We are very happy with the outcome and would highly recommend to others.

Kati and her team did a great job from start to finish. I looked at multiple vendors to remove and old deck and construct an all-new deck - Kati provided the most complete estimate and information of their proposed project, and coincidentally the best price. Once I selected AVEC to perform the work the project was scheduled and everything went exactly as anticipated from start to finish. If you are looking at AVEC to provide services for you, my recommendation is use them! They will do a great job and you will be very happy with the results!

Kati Tolonen visited on Nov. 17 to scope out the job. I gave her a hand drawing of what I wanted and she took measurements. About a week later, I received an email from her stating that she could not take on this job without an engineering assessment of the brick steps in front of my door upon which the supports for the porch roof would rest. She said I could hire an engineering firm to make this assessment, after which she would take another look and give me a proposal. I already had two good proposals in hand from other firms, so I wrote back saying I would not need the services of AVEC Construction. My contact with Ms. Tolonen was cordial and professional, and I sense that her firm does good quality work, based on photos in the trifold she gave me.

Working everything directly with the owner, Kati, was very effective and gave us confidence that the project would go well. Kati took care of obtaining the building permit, calling Ms. Utility, and scheduling all the inspections. Initially, we were told that the project would start the next Thursday and take approximately 7 days. Due to a weather delay we agreed that the work would be delayed two days which was not a problem for us. On the next Monday the lumber arrived around 8 am and the 3 man crew showed up around an hour later accompanied by the owner?s husband, PJ. PJ checked out the lumber and told us that he usually has 20% extra lumber delivered in case there are any defects that would have to be returned. He came back on a number of occasions to inspect the wood and get additional wood when he found defects. We had elected to use #2 quality pressure treated lumber and found it to be of good quality with very few knots. The crew got started right away. By the end of the first morning the old deck was completely demolished except for the floor joists that would be retained. The holes were dug for the support posts. All of the old deck wood was loaded onto a truck and removed from the premises. The inspector came on the second day and made a few recommendations that needed to be done including replacing some of the support joists. After consulting with Kati we agreed to the additional cost ($98) and work proceeded. The inspector?s recommendations were implemented and by the end of the second day the crew had poured the concrete for the support posts, started to lay the floor, and fastened the 4x4 support posts. There was no work on the third day due to severe rain so work resumed on the fourth day, Thursday. It wasn?t long before the floor was finished and the side railings were being installed. At the same time the stairs were being replaced. By around 4 pm the project was nearly complete except for the extra support hardware and the lighting for the stairs. Kati and PJ showed up to put on the finishing touches. By 5 pm our beautiful new deck was complete, a full 3 days ahead of schedule. The county inspector showed up the next day and found nothing wrong with the deck except some electrical wiring from the old structure that was not up to code due to no fault of Avec. We hired an electrical contractor we had used previously to correct the issues and notified Kati that we were ready for the final inspection. The county inspector gave his final approval on November 6. The entire project came off without a hitch and we would highly recommend Avec to anyone.

Kati was a pleasure to work with. Once construction began, the project was completed in just a few days. (We had a few delays due to permitting issues with the city of Alexandria.) Her team arrived promptly each day and were polite and efficient. We are very pleased with the quality of the work and the way the deck turned out. We would definitely use Avec Construction again in the future.

AVEC construction is owned and operated by Katie and her husband PJ. This was a difficult job for AVEC construction to estimate and complete because it was a repair job rather than a construction job. To add to the difficulty, the screened porch floor is only two to three feet above ground so it would appear that they had to remove the floor boards to get to the dropped ledger board and then replace and paint the new floor boards adding to the estimate. When the crew arrived to do the job, they decided to take the more difficult approach and work from below the floor with only two to three feet of clearance above. This saved a great deal of time and material to complete the job. Upon completion, Katie and I discussed the matter and she graciously reduced the estimate to a mutually agreed amount even though I had signed a contract for a much greater amount. I highly recommend AVEC construction to all Angie's List members.

Kati was excellent from the beginning. Her price was the best of our estimates, but the main reason we chose her was the consultative approach that she takes. She never went for the hard sell that some of the other vendors attempted. She simply presented the information to us, answered our questions and gave us space to make our own decisions; no high-pressure sales. She was very helpful throughout the process, offering suggestions and pointing out potential obstacles in our design. She always responded to inquiries by the end of the day and provided numerous progress reports. Her crew was great and the finished product is better than expected. Several of our neighbors have commented that our deck looks great. The project was finished within the expected time frame and right on budget.

Kati was very professional. The crew was on time every morning and cleaned up the site well. We were given an estimate to complete the deck of 1 week with good weather and up to two weeks with bad weather. Even with two half days including rain and a hailstorm, they completed the job beautifully in 4 calendar days, with final county inspection on day 5 (a Friday). Our neighbors even commented on how great the crew was. With all the research, quotes, & reference-checking, we definitely made the right choice in hiring AVEC!

We were extremely pleased with AVEC's professionalism, collaboration and craftsmanship. The owner of the company, Kati, was so easy to work with and at times she seemed to be advocating for us like when she had the crew redo a little bridge that connected our deck to the existing stairs on the hill. She took a lot of pride in the work, stood by everything she promised and completed the project on time. The crew was very courteous and responsive to any changes that were asked. However, they did seem at times to not pay as much attention to detail as we would have liked causing a couple of things to have to be redone. In the end we were very pleased with how everything turned out. From the very first meeting when Kati came out to gather information for the estimate we knew that we could work with her. She suggested things that we hadn't thought of and came up with ideas for keeping the cost down. When we didn't understand something she explained in plain language and taught us some things about construction. AVEC's estimate was half of the other company's and it seemed reasonable. We made lots of little changes on the design/materials leading up to the construction and added a few things during the construction. They just rolled with every change and always valued our input. Kati sent us emails frequently keeping us informed about the progress of the project or letting us know if there would be a delay such as when the third-party electrician failed an inspection because of a minor detail. The gazebo is sturdy, aesthetically pleasing and very inviting. The deck is well-built, smooth (Kati took care of the sanding herself) and better than we imagined. She told us that when the wood settles and dries out that the gazebo door will probably need to be adjusted. She said for us to call them and they will come out to fix it. I have dealt with many contractors who would say that but not follow up. I have no doubt that AVEC will stand by their word. This project truly felt like a team effort with us and AVEC. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again in the future.