Moss Building & Design

Hurricane Sandy made it very clear that we had a ceiling leak to deal with. Since our pre-sale inspection showed that the roof was not in great shape, we suspected that this was at least part of the problem. The three roofing companies we contacted immediately said that we needed a full new roof, without actually listening/looking regarding the actual problem. It turned out that the primary problem was actually NOT the roof, per se, but the way a window had been installed, leading to water infiltration and related problems that had eroded the roof in that area. We believe that had we gone with any of those other companies, we would eventually end up with the same problem. We also know that Moss found some evidence of trouble in the attic that none of the three roofing companies would have even thought to check out. In short, Moss looks at your problem holistically...taking time to listen and discuss with you and with each other....the two primary gentlemen who came to survey the situation came up with and tested more than one theory. They were eager to find the actual answer, and not just to sell us whatever they thought we might be willing to buy. They would have been helpful even if we chosen a targeted repair rather than the full array of work they were offering. Moss knows that their polite, smart workmen will impress you with their careful, clean work, so that when you need other work (they are a full service remodeling company with excellent contacts in every field of building), you'll be calling them again. Another feature that instilled confidence is that the employees who did the trouble shooting were not salesguys, but actual experience craftsmen who knew the subject...in fact the two of them installed our rear roof together. We did not go with Moss for a bargain price, but in the long run, it will actually be real savings for us, since they gave a fair price for doing very complete, skilled work that solved our problem and even discovered some trouble that we did not know was lurking in the attic under our tired roof.

They are very good. They come in and do as something as simple as changing light bulbs if we needed. That is one of the reasons that I went with them because they would tackle some of the smaller projects that I have as well. So, I have incorporated quite a bit into it. My estimations experience with them was very good. The representative who came out to give me the estimate was very friendly, down to earth, and very professional. He asked lots of questions so that we could be on the same page. He provided good information of the things I should consider. In this company I liked their personnel a little better. They seem more homey and plus they are a local company. I am looking for somebody I can establish a relationship and work in the future with.

What I liked about Moss is that they didn't try to sell some expensive wholesale gutter replacement job on me like other companies did. They opted to repair as much existing gutter where possible and only where that wasn't possible to replace the gutters entirely. They worked the gutters over my whole house and in the end they did a combination of 25 feet of new gutters and repair of the other 28 feet. Once the job was done, I watched the weather closely so that I could observe how the gutters would do. I did notice that there was a slight leak in one seam of some of the new gutters in the front of the house, so I mentioned it to Michelle (my point of contact at Moss) and she had guys out there in less than a week to address it and fix it - they fixed it and re-tested all the other seams, and there have been no other issues since.

The work was all impeccable. They cut a hole in the garage ceiling, cut out all the mold, found the source of the leak (bad shingles on the short roof directly above), fixed the shingles, and patched up the ceiling. They cleared out the bird nest in our attic - the birds had crawled into the vent (which now has a grate on it) and tore up the vent pipe in the process, so they fixed and replaced that. They fixed the leak in the front door, cut out the rotted wood and replaced a section of the subfloor, and then laid down the tile we wanted exactly to the specs we requested. The tile job they did was phenomenal; I?m planning to attach a picture to this review if the site will allow me. I was initially toying with the idea of doing this myself but now I?m SO glad I had professionals do it. The guys were great; they were professional and clean and while doing the work on our floor they did a great job keeping the work areas cordoned off so that dust didn't fly all over the house, and they even put all our wall art on the wall back exactly the way it was (they took it down to avoid breaking it during the job). We are definitely happy.

We wanted to update our kitchen without doing too much "remodeling" like moving walls, plumbing, etc. and based on recommendations from friends, we asked Moss to provide an estimate for us. We've done remodeling projects before, and Moss was unlike anyone we had worked with before. From the first meeting to talk about the scope of the project, Moss was more concerned about understanding our wants and needs than anything else. After fully documenting the scope of work, they came out again to do a little more probing to uncover any potential pitfalls/challenges... peeks into the soffets, looking at plumbing lines, and noting any additional work to get the kitchen "up to code". I was very impressed with this step because I felt very confident we were getting an accurate estimate along with a low chance of any big surprises. Once the job started, it was great having a project manager (Bob) who genuinely cared about his client and the quality of his work. The best thing I can say about Bob is that he puts himself in the homeowners' shoes in every aspect of the job... and most importantly, he proactive in his communication of good or bad news. His opinions and advice were always in my best interest, not trying to expand the scope of work or trying to finish the job quicker. Overall, the plumbers, electricians, cabinet installers, etc. were top notch. They took pride in their work and never seemed to take any shortcuts in their part of the job. They came on time, worked diligently, and cleaned up each day. Besides a couple of uncontrollable delays from other vendors, the project was completed as scheduled. There were no surprises in our final bill, and overall we love the finished product.

They delivered as promised and the final price was the same as the estimate. My wife and I are having a baby in a month and we are having to make more storage space in our home. My wife was pleased that the estimator was prompt, very courteous and not only understood our needs, but had helpful suggestions as well. We made the start date the 25th of Feb and their builder Jeremy came out promptly. While he was kind of shy, but he was very courteous and when my wife saw that the designs he had were bigger and the doors were different than what we had wanted, he made the corrections on the spot and had the doors we wanted the next day. They told us it would likely take three days and they were good on their word. It looks perfect and while the contract had lots of disclosures that said that the paint would not exactly match what we have on the wall, I cannot tell the difference. We could not be happier with the work, we had one estimate that came in $7,000.00 higher, but I cannot see what that other contractor could have possibly done better than the folks at Moss. I just called in my final payment for the job and I told them that for any future work they will be our first call. Moss Building and Design is a class act and you will not regret calling them for an estimate.

We have made several appointments with different contractors for the scope of project and estimate. It was quite hard for making the appointment with other contractors because my husband and I both work during the day. When I explained my situation with Pete, the owner of Moss, he agreed to visit our house on a workday night which was the best time for us. He was very punctual at the appointment and appeared to be a very nice and experienced guy. We liked him and decided to hire Moss for our renovation and it is proven to be the best decision. Their PM John and his crew were very nice and professional. Everyday we came back home during the renovation, the house was cleaned and we never found any construction trash in our house. The communication was great too. We had change of orders at the end of project and they made it very easy for us. I'd definitely hire Moss again for our future work.

They gave me a nice written estimate & were professional about their approach, I just did not use them.

Moss did a great job, met all timelines and went out of their way to resolve issues. For example: 1. The electrician found a way to pull the wiring for the Lutron wall switch to the ceiling fan without cutting open the drywall 2. One of the Lutron switches stopped working after one week - Moss came out early one morning before I went to work, check it out and then replaced the Lutron switch - no charge or hassle 3. The electrician replaced our smoke detector batteries for us (new home, they were beeping all the time) - no charge 4. The house was clean after the work, all the extra parts left in order and everything works well to date I will be using their services again.

First step was to meet with architect and plan the overall design, which was complicated by the existing roof line. He was able to give us the design we wanted, maintaining great visibility. From start to finish the work progressed steadily. The carpenters were excellent, given the difficulities of the new roofline (combined gable and shed). Jesse, the electrician, was a pleasure to work with - he had several lighting ideas which we agreed to and which turned out great. When needed, Moss added another carpenter to stay on schedule. Clean up was performed diligently every day. Ryan, the foreman, managed the project quite well, using his carpentary skills to resolve any issue. Moss was very agreeable to any changes we wanted (e.g. replace siding with Hardi-board). The overall project was completed on time and turned out beautifully. We have hosted several gatherings and parties since completion and never fail to receive many compliments on the great design and workmanship. Jason was a pleasure to work with. The porch has added significant value to our house. I would certainly use Moss again for this and larger projects.

Construction went well overall. there were some problems with measurements that caused a slight delay in project, but overall we are extremely pleased with our project.

We were pleased with the proposal. The level of communication was terrific. Each time I asked a question, the owner of the company answered it promptly and honestly. From the beginning, they were very good about telling us what to expect and when. We had to move our kitchen and it was not an easy process but they really managed our expectations and the job very well. During the process, we were able to give input and get updates from our project manager. The staff in the office helped us make selections and order the best products. We are so happy that we used Moss.

Every worker was quite professional, prepared to work each day. Best of all letting us know when they were done for the day and what and then they would continue their work (until the job was finished). Now, we want to upgrade our badly outdated kitchen. Talking to Jason Hampel about ideas I had and his on-the-mark suggestions are getting us excited to do this project next.

My experience with the people at Moss Building and Design and Moss Home Services has been one of excellent customer service and satisfaction. We recently bought a house and were worried with the items that came back from our home inspection. We spoke with the people at Moss Building & Design who graciously reviewed our inspection and eased our minds, explaining thoroughly what items we could do ourselves and what items were in need of repair by a professional. This information was extremely helpful in our negotiations with our seller and we saved enough money on the sale to make some improvements to the home. We could not be more satisfied with all of the work and look forward to working with the Moss team in the future. I would highly recommend their services. The workers were as courteous as the owners and you got a real feeling of pride from everyone working at our home. A+++++

Moss was excellent. From design to finish details it was a wonderful experience. I haven't ever remodeled before and I had a clear idea in my head of what I wanted. We turned a 1954 ranch into an updated beautiful 2 story craftsman home with an awesome front porch. Everyone who sees it and steps inside is amazed. I love the whole house--top to bottom--and I know I got a good price for my wonderful remodel.

They started framing late February and it finished pretty much on time. During the break in through the roof, they cut the A/C drain lines, and the framers did not convey this information to the PM so he could have someone come out and re-route the lines. We had to bring this to the PM attention, and this was not fixed until the end of March. This also brought to light that the exterior walls have minimal to no insulation in them, so we asked that this be added to the project. Plumbing started in March and plumbing didn't finish until August. The original plumber was a subcontractor, and he left the house unlocked multiple times, and cut a joist so that it was not structurally sound anymore, and required repair, due to these we asked that he be removed from the project. After removing this plumber our PM had to find another plumber who could work on our hot water (hydronic) baseboards in our older home. This took a few months to find a new contractor, and then took a couple of visits to finish the work. We had requested bleeder valves on each run, as this was required with our boiler, and this was not installed initially, and they had to come back to do this work. Electrical rough-in was supposed to take 2-3 days, and this took about 3 weeks, and a couple of the outlets that were requested during our walk-through were not completed until after drywall and painting had been completed, in early August. Insulation caused even more issues, as they put spray foam around the hydronic pipes coming up through the floor for the hot water baseboards. A couple of these pipes were to be removed and others left in place, and work could not be performed due to the foam around them. They also dripped spray foam on the hardwood floors, as at this time Moss had not covered them to protect them from the work being done. They also put foam in the opening to the existing hallway bathroom tub, and this foam covered a couple of shut-off valves, and damaged a rug and door in the basement. Eventually, it was determined that to fix the issue with spray foam on the hardwood floors, that the entire floor would be refinished, see floor finishing below. Roof, Siding and Gutters were completed by a sub-contractor. When the gutters were removed, the fascia was pulled out and was no longer under the drip edge, so water could get onto the wood behind it. This was fixed, but again had to be pointed out to the PM to have it addressed. Once the gutters were installed, we had to have them come out a couple of times to resolved issues with water dripping from the outside and behind the gutters. For the siding, it was supposed to match the front siding, which was replaced in 2011, and we were told that it had to be ordered. When it was installed, we discovered that it was not the same shade as the front siding. As the front and back siding don't touch, we decided that this was not worth the effort of asking to have redone with the correct siding. Roofing had no issues. Drywall was sub-contractors, and install again did not go as planned, more damage to the floors from drywall compound. Also we had to have them come back a couple of times before painting could occur, as the surface was not smooth, and had a number of holes and pieces of drywall compound on the wall. Then a couple months later, we had a 4' long crack in the drywall in the new closet space and at a couple of corners, that they had to come back to fix. They were supposed to come back and re-point the walls after the primer paint was applied. Painting was not part of the contract, so we did this ourselves, and marked areas that needed re-pointing once the primer was dry. In the meantime, the PM came back and offered to match our painting bids, so we took them up on this. When they came back, we did not notice any re-pointing, but just applying the paint. We had to have them come out a couple of times to get splatters, holes and faint spots taken care of. Tiling: We went to the recommended store, Mosaic Tile in Chantilly, to pick the tile, and found a nice hand dyed tile to be used in different sizes for the walls, tub deck, and shower floor. We discovered after the field tile was installed on the wall, that the same dye lot, is not the same for each size of tile, so the bullnose and 4" tile did not match the 12" field tile. This required much research on our part to determine a feasible solution to use instead of these pieces, as the wall and listello and floor tile was already in place. If this had been discovered before tile started to be installed, I would have gone back to the store, and picked different tile. Instead they provided a couple of options and didn't understand when I told them that chrome finished aluminum is not the same as chromed brass, even when you hold them next to each other. We did not get very much help from Moss on other alternatives or ways to finish the space with the current tile in place. Additional review will be added to Mosiac Tile listing. Some work continued in other parts of the project, but the bathroom was on hold until this was resolved at the end of July. Floor refinishing, subcontractor Carpet and Blinds, was not initially part of the project, only patching the floor and putting in matching floor in new closet space. Due to damage from insulation and then from drywall, the PM decided to go ahead and refinish the entire space. The floor guys were scheduled for 1 day of work. They sanded one day, and came back the next day to finish. But did not finish that day, no finish has been put on the floor. Ended up coming back a third day, Saturday, to put the finish coats on. They did not keep the PM informed and we came home Friday to an unfinished floor and no sign or word that they weren't finished or when they were coming back. There were a couple of boards that were rough to the touch and a couple of new wood boards that have a number of small holes, which we had to have them come back out and resolve.

Overall I'm happy with the service. They came our for an estimate and then worked with me to schedule the appropriate appointments.

We have now had Moss involved in three major projects in our home, and are completely satisfied.

The whole process went quite well. Gave me a start date and began demolition at 7:30 am. It was estimated to take 8-9 weeks, actually took 10 weeks (thanksgiving week was sort of a wash). The designer from Moss (Valerie) that met with me to develop the plan was wonderful and captured all of my thoughts in the design. The project manager (John) was so responsive, kept me informed about what was happening when, returned my calls quickly and kept the whole process as smooth as possible. Every sub-contractor that came in was either part of the Moss team, or one that they had a good working relationship with. Everyone was so pleasant to work with!

Excellent. Finished product looked great and it was done 2 days earlier than they estimated. Very professional.

Moss did a great job added storage space to my attic. They recommended adding shelves, which I had not thought of and are really useful. They showed up on time and were done in one day. I would certainly hire them again.

We had a few setbacks, but overall the experincec was good. I would use Moss construction again

The whole process went very smoothly, and we're extremely satisfied with the results.

Working with Moss was a great experience. Dan, Michelle and Jeremy were a great team to work with. I know the job seems simple, but based on what we were looking for, the limitations of a double storm door set-up and a harsh southern exposure, etc Dan made suggestions and was able to get us a great product set-up that functions well and looks great. The hand-off to Michelle was seamless and working with her was easy - she communicates and delivers effortlessly - and Jeremy, the installer, was great to talk to and clearly a highly skilled guy. The door install was complicated and he took the time to understand the requirements and deal with challenges of the install. All-in-all a job well done by the team. Looking forward to working with Moss again on additional projects and renovations.

After Hurricane Sandy, we knew we had some leaks to take care of, but weren't exactly sure where the leaks were coming from. We contacted Moss as well as a number of other individuals. Moss was the first ones to call back. They sent Nathan out to look at our issues. He was very nice and said he would call back with a date and time that they could come out to get on the roof. He explained the pricing up front. They were able to work us in a week and a half earlier than they originally anticipated. Two guys came out and were pretty much on time. They were able to look at the siding and roof, identify the problems, and fix them quickly. They were also able to identify other potential issues that we might want to keep in mind. We were told someone would contact us with the billing. This took a little bit of time, but I think they have been swamped. They got us our bill after hours via email a few days after the work. I was surprised to see that it was after hours and it made me feel good that they were working to get their backlog taken care of. Ultimately, we thought the price was fair. It was better than a previous roofer's cost, and they did more work.