OHI Design

For some time we had been thinking of what needed to be done regarding our house remodeling. We had an unusable deck at the side of the house. We had falling apart cabinets and outdated appliances in the kitchen. We had an old style picture window at the Eating Area in the Kitchen looking out to the back yard.
We went to the September 2012 Homes Show, at Dulles Expo Center. We met with reps from several construction companies, and got estimates for a glassed-in porch and open side deck, and for a screened-in porch and open deck, both with stairs to the ground level below.
We also met with Ray Gabler, of OHI Design, at the Homes Show, who met with us to discuss the kitchen remodel, our problems, and our needs. Ray listened to what we told him, and came back with a comprehensive design to address our needs. OHI Design was able to 'sub' out the screened-in porch and open deck to a subcontractor, who completed the work in 10 days. We were replaced the picture window from the Eating Area in the Kitchen to the new screened-in porch with a new energy efficient French Door. We replaced the laundry room outside door to the new deck (as it was hinged on the wrong side) with an energy efficient one. We also found that the 40 year old aluminum siding that needed to be trimmed around the new French Door, was in such sad shape that we elected to replace the aluminum siding on the whole house with Hardie Plank. OHI managed another subcontractor for the siding, and it was completed in a few days.
We even went on a three week vacation while OHI and subcontractors continued working on the remodel. The OHI crew did the
demolition, planned the cabinet locations & spacing, lighting & wiring, HVAC ducting rerouting, plumbing rerouting, and all aspects of the project with thoroughness and forethought. OHI 'subbed' out the installation of the new strip oak flooring to a subcontractor, Vienna Floors, who matched almost exactly the existing oak hardwood flooring in three adjoining rooms. The main
electric panel dated from 1976 and had to be replaced with a modern 200amp 42 circuit panel. As we have occasional power outages, we asked that OHI provide an outside integrated interface for our new electric generator, so that the furnace and key circuits would work off the electric generator. Reps from OHI told us throughout the construction period, "If it's not right, we'll make
it right." That has certainly been the case. The quality is a 10 on a 1 to 10 scale. Each member of the OHI team was very respectful of our property, of not inconveniencing us where possible, and keeping a very clean job site. We found that the 40 year old front door to the outside needed to be replaced, and that is the awaiting delivery of the new door for installation by OHI.
All in all, we knew that we wanted changes, but Ray Gabler and the OHI crew, were stellar. We would not hesitate to recommend OHI & crew to a friend or family. They are the best!

The work hasn't started yet so it's too soon to write a review.

Paul, the designer, met with us several times in our home and once in their showroom. The showroom is not large, but gave us a good understanding of the materials they use. To seal the deal OHI agreed to replace an outside hose bib and faucet at no cost to us, which they did!
Time frame for the project was estimated at 8-12 weeks. It actually took 13. Some of the delay was due to circumstances beyond OHI's control., some was due to changes made by us, and some were due to the inefficient scheduling of  sub-contractors and having sufficient materials on site to do the job.
Workers were very careful in our home. They did a great job protecting  our furniture and carpets.The site was cleaned up every day before any workers left. All workers were friendly, worked hard, and I felt safe having them in my home, even if I wasn't there. The lock box on the front door worked well, allowing work to be done when we were out.
OHI uses Conestoga Tile who did a great job helping us select the tile for all the bathrooms. They were very knowledgeable and kept us within our budget. Raymond Garcia, who laid the tile, was a perfectionist. The tile in all bathrooms were beautifully done, especially in the master bath which had  accent glass tile and a tile bench seat.
Scott, the project manager, was very responsive to our e-mails, phone calls, and texts. He met with us at least once a week to discuss progress. If we didn't like something or the way it was done he made it right! He was very patient in explaining the details and responding to our questions and concerns. We especially liked his suggestion of trimming the mirrors with the trim that matched the cabinets.
Although we only made 2 changes to the original contract, the cost of some items was TBD. We felt that  OHI was fair in their estimates and charges for these items. The only minor problem was that at the end of construction we learned that we hadn't been charged enough at each payment stage so we owed money at the end. We checked all our documents, contracts, payments, etc. and OHI was correct. We did owe them more money, but it would have been nice to have paid it before the job was finished. That and the inefficient scheduling of sub- contractors and waiting for materials to be delivered to start/finish a job are my only complaints.
We are delighted with the work OHI did. They used quality materials and If we didn't like something they worked on it until we were completely satisfied. I would definitely use them again.

So far, the experience has gone very well. They did what they said they were going to do, and the workmen were particularly clean and respectful. Their cost was slightly higher, but I feel like we got a good value!

The OHI team was just the best -- hard working, punctual, neat, and the execution was excellent.  I cannot say enough about the craftsmanship.  The project Coordinator Herb was incredibly responsive to anything that came up during the project.  I was given a time frame of three to four weeks from start to completion and it was completed as promised.  
My only complaint about OHI would be that there was some 'sloppiness' in the follow through from the designer.  There were certain things discussed and agreed upon that did not happen or were wrong.  As this was my first remodeling project of any kind, I probably should have stayed on top of the process to make sure that those items were done, but at the end of the day it really does fall to the designer to follow through on.  I was disappointed that the designer did not apologize for his oversight on items.  

Their price is a little high but they do great high, quality work.

They were truly a joy to have in my house and doing the work.  We had a slow undetected leak over a period six years that finally made itself known.  This resulted in mold and the necessary removal of most of the bathroom floor, some of the hall floor and about a third of the floor in an adjoining bedroom.  Since insurance would not cover the rebuild, we had to be very conscious of each dollar but wanted to end up with a better bathroom than previously.  The OHI designer was careful to keep this in mind when selecting fixtures.  They (and we) insisted on quality products, but we controlled costs in many ways, such as using standard vanities with granite tops instead of custom vanities and granite from one large slab.  On the few occasions when there were concerns with the work, they quickly inspected and resolved everything beyond expectations.  The job took longer than scheduled only because one of their suppliers kept sending the wrong vanity.  This caused no problem in our lives, and the final results are lovely.  In terms of good guidance, conscientious work, and solid business ethics, I would readily work with OHI again.

Met with the designer who went through all the options. He did some initial measurements and sent me via email designs of what the bathroom would look like.  I agreed to go with OHI.  Once I selected my tile,  work began when all the fixtures, and tile came in.  Probably about a month or two later.  Paid 1/3 up front, 1/3/ during second measure and the last 1/3 as the work was completed.

One the first day the project manager met me with the crew. They put a lock box on the house so they could come and go without me being home.  This crew was efficient, quick, and had good attention to detail.  At one point, the wrong tile was sent over by the tile company. Before I caught it the contractor installed this tile.  I notified OHI of the problem that evening. By the next day, they had removed and perfectly installed the correct tile in its place.  The stone tile in bath area looks really good. 

The plumber OHI used was not as good as their general contracting crew that did most of the work.  He ended up coming back more than once to correct a problem with the tub drain, and I have since had a problem where my pedestal sink came loose from the wall because it wasn't properly attached. 

The bathroom turned out really well. The whole project took about 2 1/2 weeks to complete.

Overall it went ok, but there were a few stressful moments. Here's how it happened...
Requested an estimate by OHI over the phone.  Their designer made an appointment with me and came to my house to discuss the options, a**** the job, take initial measurements, and show me samples of materials.  Representative arrived as arranged and was very professional and thorough at reviewing the work I wanted done on my kitchen.   After a week or some from the initial meeting, the designer sent me images of the design with exact layouts of what work was to be done.  Upon agreeing to go with OHI, I was told to visit a local tile and granite store to make my selections for the backsplash and counter-tops.   In addition, I was required to pay 1/3  of the job (3155) when the contract was signed (March 31)  The estimate included a budget for the tile and granite and depending on what I chose the cost could go up or down.  I chose black pearl for my granite and a faux carrara marble 3x5 tile for my backslash and informed the designer over email of my choices. 

The next step was to have second measurements taken.  Another rep from the company arrived promptly within two weeks to re-masure. At this time OHI collect the second payment (another 1/3 of the total).  So far 2/3 paid for.   Work began on May 13th. I felt like there was some delay in getting started between the time I had paid for more than half of the work.   I was met on the first day by a project manager that was overseeing my job and a single contractor that would perform the work. A lock box was put on my backdoor to allow the contractor to come and go while I was at work.  From start to finish the work took about 2 weeks.  The contractor was neat and clean and put up appropriate plastic to avoid excess dust in the house. I spoke with the project manager regularly as the job proceeded.

• Pass thru: The pass thru was installed first. This went very well and looks great.  
• Backsplash: The OHI contractor installed the backsplash across the kitchen before the granite was installed. Some of the tiles were knocked off during granite installation. When they were put back in place, they didn't looks as good as before :(
• Granite counters: OHI used a 3rd party fabricator which they selected to obtain the granite I selected and fabricate it for my home.  This fabricator contacted me directly to measure and arrange installation. I ended up having take off work both time to meet him.  Both times they arrived later than arranged.  I found the fabricator to be very unprofessional and patronizing to me as the customer. Here is what happened.
  The fabricator measured and indicated there would be no problem, but due to the layout of my kitchen, a single seem would be required.  A single piece of granite could not be used. I understood and was ok with this.
  During installation of the granite, the fabricators (after arriving late)  had some trouble getting the granite in place. It  didn't fit correctly and the installers tried to blame the problems on my home being old and not their measurement being off.   There were large gaps between the walls and the granite.  And the granite and the tile above it.The installers tried to convince me to use some kind of molding to "hide" the gaps.  Unfortunately , the project manager was not present during the granite installation.  I grew fed up with arguing with the installers and told them to leave. I took up the matter with OHI's project manager directly.  He was able to work with the fabricator to get the granite installed.   Unfortunately, they had to use two workaround to get it right. First they added another small 1 1/2" piece of granite to one corner to make it fit correctly.  It's not really noticeable, but not professional either. Second, the gap between the granite and the tile was too big for caulking, so they put screws in my cabinets under the granite to raise up the granite to a more proper level with the tile. I hope that lasts :(  Working with the granite fabricator left a really bad taste in my mouth. OHI kinda glossed over the problem and didn't reimburse anything for the granite being graphed together in several places and kinda hacked into place.
• Wrap up: The OHI contractor installed the new sink, and new disposal I purchased.  He also put my new stove in place.
   The caulking between the tile and the granite ended up being the wrong color, and the project manager came back a few days after the job was done to touch up and bring me a spare tube of the caulk. 

 We made one change to the contract. I ended up moving and reinstall the existing cabinetry. OHI credited me 202 for this portion of the job.  I made the final payment of 3100 when the work was complete. The work looks good overall, but when hiring professionals for the installation of tile and granite, I really wanted the quality of the work to be perfect.

Ray came out to survey and give an estimate.  He provided computer generated designs so I could see what it would look like when finished.  This was a great help to me.  The work started on time and finished on time.  Cost was exactly as estimated.  The workers were all very nice and accomodating of my old, arthritic dog.  Steve, the project manager, was always available to answer questions and approve minor changes.  The only negative I had was the failure to let me know they wouldn't be working on a particular day.  But ultimately that was not a deal breaker.  We will definitely use them again when I go to remodel the entire kitchen.  They did an excellent job.

We had used them before and we liked their work. We especially liked the work ethic of the people who they sent. We were so happy with the job that they did for us earlier that we didn't go to anybody else for quotes. They were very professional. The person who oversaw the whole project was not as responsive as we would have liked him to be. We would absolutely use them again.

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It was a very good experience, and the kitchen looks fantastic. There were only a couple of minor setbacks: they initially installed wrong size recessed lights and had to redo and one cabinet was wrong and had to be reordered. They were very responsive to both phone calls and emails. They cleaned up pretty well, and came when they said they would.

They were fabulous. I actually had a time crunch, and I had to get the work done before a baby shower, and they did it for me. They got the kitchen all done in about two weeks. They really busted their tails to do it. It was top-notch quality work. People have commented on it. One of my neighbors is actually enquiring about them. They were very professional and had very good work ethic. They were just wonderful. They were very punctual and highly dependable. They were very accurate with their estimate and their estimates were very good. Sometimes it seems higher than that of the others, but that is because it's quality work. They also don't fib about things. What they give us is what we can expect to pay. There will not be any hidden fees. We loved that. The person who came out was one of the owners. He was a wonderful person. He was the one who did the design for the kitchen. It was very elegant. They went above and beyond anything that I could have expected. I would highly recommend them.

Design process was outstanding, results were equally pleasing. Great attention to detail. Management and workers all were responsive in dynamic environment to make the design stay in budget and produce results my wife is absolutely thrilled with. Team available and responsive to questions, updates, changes. Great suggestions and implementation. I will use this team again

Our kitchen went from a 1963 kitchen to a more modern one. They were referred to my husband by a coworker that had his own kitchen redone and he is very happy with it. We called them and scheduled an appointment to hear about what type of countertop, cabinets, flooring, sink, oven, and lighting we wanted. They came back with a proposal of a computer composite which we went with. When we have had any problems, they send someone out right away to take care of it. Communication was a big issue for us, unfortunately, because of a language barrier.

The project started on time and finished in 3 weeks. The workers were highly skilled, hard working and always willing to answer any questions I had completely and politely. There were NEVER any extended lunch hours and they cleaned up the kitchen and the staging area in the garage daily. The workmanship was of the best quality. The project coordinator checked in in person almost every day the workers were on site. He handled any concern I had at once and I am completely satisfied and happy with the results. We are enjoying our new kitchen very much.

They were excellent- from beginning to end. The design consultant, who was our first contact, was very responsive and professional. The workers were terrific- so friendly, tidy, accommodating and efficient. The project supervisor was very helpful in mediating between the customer and the company, as well as the workers. It was a very nice team effort. In the end, they stayed close to their estimate and I can't recommend them highly enough.

OHI Designs did an excellent job from beginning to finish. Their estimates were right on target. They did not go above budget nor were there hidden costs. The work was done in a very timely manner and everything was done very professionally. The quality of the work is excellent. We are more than please with the job that was done.

The work was sub par. We had to request that they remove a worker that was doing sloppy work and made errors and messes. They said they would deal with any unevenness in the floor, but then charged us extra when they had to fix it. The paint job is horrible, the drywall is uneven and has dings in it, the cabinetry has a gap because it wasn't fitted straight, and even after completion, the shower was not done correctly. The grout is eroding. Also, when they installed the expensive ventilation fan, we were told it would be silent. He installed it with the old piping instead of using new, so it was very loud. I had to really push to get that corrected. Their response to our additional problems was good, and we have since resolved any issues with them.

Everything was wonderful. The crew that was here daily worked very efficiently and they were very responsive. Every single day before they left, they cleaned the kitchen and it was actually cleaner than it was after my cleaning people were here. Their aim was so that we wouldn't be without a kitchen for too long, and it was expected to take about six weeks, but in about two weeks, enough of it was done that we could use half of it so that we didn't have to keep washing our dishes in the bathroom sink. We watched over their work, and if we saw that something wasn't right and made a comment about it, they fixed it right away with no complaints. Quality was one of their priorities. They're very accommodating.

Excellent experience. I recently purchased an older Cape Cod in Arlington VA (1939) which was in desperate need of a kitchen and bath remodel. Since my house was older and I haven't had the best of luck with contractors in the past, I was wary about contracting for all three items at once. So instead, I started with one bathroom. To make a long story short, the bathroom remodel went so well that I had them do my kitchen and I couldn't be happier with the results. Both are gorgeous and were completed within budget and schedule. I'm currently in the process of remodeling the other bathroom with them as well. If you are looking for a dependable contractor that you don't have to worry about, call them They might be a little more expensive than Joe pick up truck, but it's totally worth it if you are somebody that doesn't want to worry about whether or not the project is being done correctly.

The workmanship was shoddy at best. When they installed the granite countertop they chipped the top right at the seam. After giving me a hard time for complaining about it (it was right in the front and very noticeable), they pulled the piece off and sanded it down, which was fine, but they reattached it in an incredibly sloppy manner. Our sink doesnt drain properly, and our ice maker was broken during the renovations, as well. Some of the problems we didnt notice until later, like when we replaced the dishwasher and found that they had not tiled at all under the old one, and had 5 inches of nasty old linoleum showing. When we called them, they refused to fix it, even at a price.

My kitchen came out very well, and it looks great, but the length of time it took is unacceptable.

The overall experience was OK. The designer/sales person was good & easy to work with. The price estimate escalated by about 30% between our initial and final quote. The project manager, Steve Clemency, was responsive, but always told you what you wanted to hear instead of always telling the truth. Most of the work was subcontracted out to 2 workers; they were pleasant and worked hard. The biggest problem we had was timing. It took almost 2 months from beginning to end to replace a bathroom, and the demolition was done for them. They fit us in between other, bigger jobs rather than focusing on completing ours quickly. The final product is a nicely appointed bathroom that we are happy with, but it took way too long to get there. Also, they used our basement as the work area to cut tile etc. and their clean-up was marginal so we have spent a lot of time cleaning up after them. Also, they didn't hang drop cloths to prevent the dust from spreading to the rest of the house.