Thomas Custom Builders Inc

Started with a great promise but ended with poor work in terms of overall workmanship. There are many things now I look back was not done properly: 1. No 3-D computerized version of how the room will actually look like because you are Shown architectural drawing which as a laymen has no idea and also doesn't show how it will actually look. 2. Not listening to client because what we asked for cathedral ceiling was not on d awing and only realized once they started installing roof realized and had to stop and ask them to do the so called cathedral ceiling and looks ok. 3. We had told them very first time we wanted double door for entry but planned for single door and later asked them to change, so guess what increased the cost. 4. Excavation was done and with understanding that pipes will not be damaged and now we found out that drainage pipes were damage to we have to fix at additional cost through landscaping company. Also damaged our existing pflagstone patios with the heavy equipment and will cost us more to fix those things. 5. Also removed sensor light in he back from the wall and not installed afterward and may be threw out, so we have to fix that also. 6. In our sunroom did not fix the siding which again we have to get it fixed. 7. Grading is the biggest issue I have with this company because, all they did was clean the backyard and put the dirt where they were gaps around the foundation and they call this as a grading. Very poor workmanship. 8. Cost was outrageous and did not justify the amount of work and can always blame customer but I didn't mind paying if the work was done properly. 9. Also contract has all the breakdown for things like for bathroom and closet accessories but the price allotted outrageously low where it's impossible to find in those prices so you land up spending more for those. They alloyed most of the cost for their work and not on quality. 10. Also needed to remind them at the end for every small things because they forget. Overall, I would not recommend them to my friends or relatives for any work now I have to pay extra to fix the problems they created.

They were extremely professional through the entire project. They started on the day that they said they would, were on site every day working and managing the sub contractors, and finished almost exactly when they said they would (we had a scheduling delay due to a utility company). They were responsive, personable, did not "nickel and dime" us once the work began, and returned phone calls promptly. They were the highest bid that we received for our job (by approximately 3-4%) but I feel that the extra cost was worth it, in terms of the quality of work as well as the quick scheduling and superior project management they brought to the table. I would hire them back for future work without hesitation.

excellent craftsmanship and professionalism.

The work was outstanding! Everything was done to perfection ... it is rare to find a contractor who combines quality craftsmanship with an eye for design. TCB does this exceptionally well. Further, you can count on a dedicated crew from the carpenters to the electricians ... and most importantly, a foreman on the job site throughout the job who is familiar with all the details and can adjust to unforseen conditions. This was my second job with them and I'll be back!

Thomas Custom Builders is simply outstanding. They have a great group of quality craftsmen and allocated the necessary resources to finish the job professionally and on time. I met with the owner during the bidding process, and he was the only potential contractor who bid on the job and who had the keen eye to notice several things that needed to be done that others did not even consider. This type of attention to detail carried through to allow the work to be completed more professionally and quickly. Their workers arrived before the job started to place scaffolding. Once the job started, they worked efficiently and did the job with a high level of quality. We remain highly impressed. The communication was outstanding at every phase, so we knew exactly what to expect and how to coordinate with them. The work performed was even better, just top notch all around. I have some degree of experience with construction and home renovation, and I cannot think of a better contractor to hire for either building or renovation. These situations have the potential to be nightmares if the work isn't completed in a timely and professional manner or with good quality, but there were no such concerns with Thomas. They are dedicated professionals who do everything the right way. It is refreshing to see this and I am glad that I hired them for the job. Can't recommend them highly enough.

Thomas Custom Builders Inc. did a fantastic job on remodeling my front portch! They were incredibly helpful and very professional. They were on time daily and completed the job in a reasonable time frame. The two men who worked on the portch were a pleasure to deal with and listened to any questions and concern I had and did their best to answer them. I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in remodeling any part of their home!

Thomas Custom Builders was fantastic. From the working with us until we achieved the design we wanted, to responding quickly when I had concerns. For example, the windows they had ordered and installed while we were on vacation were the wrong color on the outside vinyl. The correct ones were ordered without delay. Also, I very much dislike cigarette smoke, and while the contractors never smoked inside my house or addition, it was close enough to the house to really bother me. I emailed Rick, and within FIVE minutes he called all his subcontractors to not smoke near my house. Also, when a large oak tree was accidentally hit by one of their machines and a large amount of its bark came of during the building process, they hired a tree company to come assess the tree and would have taken it down at their own cost if needed. I was truly IMPRESSED! You just don't find a contracting company that will take responsibility for their own actions like Thomas Custom Builders. Those were the very few examples of things that went wrong during construction. Now for the good things: the addition was built QUICKLY! The whole turnaround was about 2 months! Also, the subcontractors, our main carpenter Brian, were all very professional and trustworthy. Brian even came back out to touch up some carpentry after the job was over. The schedule was kept, and we were never surprised about what they were doing next. They were also willing to work with different subcontractors (we used a different HVAC company) and they were flexible about changes that we wanted to make. Our new room is gorgeous, and exactly what we wanted. I would absolutely recommend Thomas Custom Builders, and plan to use them again in the future for a bathroom remodel. You could not ask for a better company.

In the end, I did not hire Thomas Custom Builders due to scheduling concerns, but he did provide several good recommendations for electric and plumbing. I would trust him to provide equally excellent service.

Did an excellent job. Quality craftsmanship. Came everyday and worked full days. Professionals.

They were courteous and polite. Always on time. The workmanship was beautiful. They shared ideas to support the concept I had so we tweaked it together. The personnel they sent out daily were very experienced and pleasant to work with. The subcontractors that they gathered for the project were very efficient and quiet as could be. They got the job done very well. I'm very pleased with the results and would highly recommend them.

If you are contemplating home renovations, Thomas Custom Builders is absolutely the professional team you want for the project ? guaranteed! It?s difficult to know where to begin because I simply could not have been more impressed with every aspect of how this project came together?not just the obvious stuff, like the strictly top shelf skills, craftsmanship and attention to detail demonstrated by the crews, but the courtesy and professionalism from literally every member of Thomas Custom Builders that interacted with me or my family?from the owner who sat at my dining room table to make sure he understood exactly what we were looking for before the project began, to every member of his team. First, as to the design process, we?ve owned our house for almost 18 years, and we had a pretty good idea of what we wanted the improvement to look like when we sat down with the foreman and a few of his folks. They listened patiently, offered some ?on the spot? suggestions, took lots of notes about the things that were important to us (like a larger bathroom? two sinks? more closet space?) and then said they?d be back in a week or so with some plan proposals. What they came back with was simply outstanding, and way better than what we had come up with on our own. It met every single objective we articulated, and?more importantly?did so in a way that was really beautiful and made way better use of the available space than our thinking provided. We are absolutely delighted with the design! Second, these guys stick to an aggressive schedule! They went from ?first contact? with us around our living room table to our final acceptance and payment on the completed project (a major two-story renovation/extension?added huge master bath w/custom tile work & Jacuzzi) in the time it took our neighbors to have about half of their kitchen renovation done. I was doubtful at the initial timeline they gave us, but much to my surprise, and quite frankly, disbelief, they stuck to it religiously. Third, I felt completely 100% comfortable with the Thomas crew having unfettered access to my home?whether we were there or not. They were courteous, polite, patient, kind, and so very respectful of our home and our belongings?and even our pet! On more than one occasion, when they were cleaning up the work site at the end of a day (which they also did EVERY DAY), they?d go the ?extra mile? to ensure there were no holes or debris that might present a hazard to our little dog. There's no easy way to say this, but the prospect of being out of town with workmen having access to your home, family, kids etc., could be a little unnerving ? it never ever was, not even for a second with the Thomas team. There?s an unmistakable dedication to values and courtesy that you just don?t seem to find anymore -- these folks have it by the truck load. Fourth, they are no-kidding professionals! On two occasions, the foreman had subcontractors come back to re-accomplish tasks that didn?t meet his standard of excellence and he, himself, spent half a day doing trim work to make double certain we were happy with the final product. Needless to say, it was amazing! On another occasion he had some tile work re-done when my wife and I hadn?t even noticed the tiny imperfection that immediately caught his craftsman'seye when he was inspecting the sub?s work. He apologized for the slight delay the re-work would cause, assured us the expense of the re-work would be on them, and explained his rationale: ?We don?t just want you to be happy with how it looks when we?re done with the job, we want you to be happy with it ten or fifteen years from now.? I?m not kidding or exaggerating?. they?re really that good. There?s quite a bit more I could say, but hopefully you get the idea: If you?re contemplating a home improvement project?and ours was fairly major?don?t make any decisions until you talk with Thomas Custom Builders. You?ll be so very glad you did!

It went great, and I highly recommend Thomas Custom Builders (TCH). These are the reasons I recommend them: - They stuck to the agreed upon time frame -- the job took slightly longer than planned, but that is because I added more work to it. - They also stuck to our agreed upon price (unless I made a change that altered it), and they were very clear about the break out between labor and materials, and how much each part of the job cost. - The Project Manager was there every single day, when he said he would be there, and stayed even when there was little for him to do himself. (And he did a lot of excellent work himself.) - I was inconvenienced as little as possible -- the team kept the construction debris to a minimum and cleaned up so well at the end of each day that I could have eaten off the floor. They also helped me set up my temporary kitchen area in my kitchen by moving my old refrigerator and microwave into the space for me. During the initial demo, they brought in a small dumpster (which was on my driveway), but within two days it was gone. From that time forward they removed debris from the premises on a regular basis. - They kept me apprised of exactly what was going to happen and when it would happen. I was always well informed (which was important to me). - They treated me with a great deal of respect and addressed all of my concerns as soon as I had them. The Project Manager was very good at communicating in a positive manner, and he never got rattled even when there were problems to solve. He dealt extremely well with the homeowner's (my!) stress that surfaced at times. When I needed to contact him outside of working hours, he always responded in a timely manner (usually almost immediately). - Dave, the partner who runs the construction side, showed up regularly at the site and I was able to get a hold of him whenever I had questions that the Project Manager couldn't answer (although the Project Manager was extremely proactive and usually got answers for me ASAP). - They owned their mistakes -- there was an issue where the wrong type of tape was used to fasten down some cardboard to my wood floors in an adjoining room. When the tape was taken up, the floor finish was damaged. Even though we had not planned to refinish the floors in that room, TCH refinished them at no cost to me. - The team had wonderful attention to detail, which was important to me because I care about the details. No detail was too small, from matching the paint on light switch covers to the walls to ensuring the finish work was well executed. - The designer listened to all of my ideas and incorporated all that made sense to incorporate. She also offered many great ideas, and was not offended if I didn't accept them. She was easy to work with and also acted as a sounding board as I chose all of my options, coming out to the site on several occasions to look at the various options from which I was choosing. - Everyone went above and beyond to ensure that I was 100% satisfied every step of the way. - TCH is not the most inexpensive choice. However -- having going through an extensive kitchen reno before in the past -- it was relatively painless (as these things can be), the results met and exceeded my expectations (which is saying a lot, because my expectations are always high), and they were extremely pleasant to work with from start to finish. It was worth every single penny. I have no negative comments.

We had a wonderful experience with TCB! Our addition was completed last month, and we absolutely love it. Rick was great to work with for planning out what we wanted -- very patient about explaining how the process works, as this was the first time we'd undertaken a project of this size. Our house is a split foyer, so adding a garage at ground level was a bit of a challenge, but we were able to find a design that worked well. The price was of course not cheap, but seemed comparable to other builders that we spoke to, and I was willing to pay more for a builder that had good reviews on Angie's List. Rick even worked with us to find ways to keep costs down, such as doing our own painting. In the end, the price was well worth it. I've heard nightmare stories about contracting jobs going wrong, but ours sailed along on schedule, with very few problems. We did have one issue when the two stairways leading up to the garage and master suite were started in the wrong place, because there was an existing airduct blocking the planned location. But as soon as we pointed it out to the foreman and discussed it, they tore it down and found a way to move the duct so that the stairs could go in the right place. I was really pleased that every single request we had was always met with the utmost courtesy and professionalism, and Kenny and David clearly wanted to make sure we were happy with the result. We would definitely hire them again!

I can't say enough positives about Thomas Custom Builders. The completely unique colonial design with maximum space planning provides a perfect environment for my mother in law. TCB was on time thanks to planning and and making the selection process smooth and easy. Their onsite project management operated in real time and we always knew what was coming in the days ahead while managing expectations and providing superior results. Their subs were really great with excellent attention to detail. While we didn't have many changes to the original agreement, they were flexible and reasonable when we did. Best of all after we are completely happy with the finished result we also were on time and on budget.

Rick spent about 45 minutes talking to me about my basement and about 30 minutes just chatting. I can honestly say that I learned more in my hour talking with him about basements and the work my wife and I are looking to do. If this house was one I wanted to live in forever I wouldn't go with anyone but him. While his price point is a little higher, I trust him to do a fantastic job and to do exactly what he says he will. His outline for what to look for in a contractor is spot on and gave me more tools to assess whether or not to work with other contractors in the future.

Rick was very helpful and took the time to give me information over the phone on our roof. I would definitely call him if we ever remodel since he was very professional and responsive. Thanks!!

Rick was very knowledgeable, informative, friendly, and professional. We ended up going another route with our project, but will consider Thomas Custom Builders for future projects.

Thomas Custom Builders was extremely helpful in providing me with information on a future project. Professional, courteous and responsive. Would recommend them for any project that was on their scale of work.

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The work went exceptionally well considering that I had to get all the materials picked out from the end of October to the middle of November when I left for a three week vacation to Africa. Rick provided me with a kitchen/bath planner. She arrived on time and provided preliminary drawings. The cabinets that she recommended were not what I expected. I set up a meeting and went out to her work location to look at other kitchen cabinet options and to rework some of the design. It took several phone calls to get the new design and cabinet costs. I did not feel that we were able to communicate and asked Rick/Dave (his assistant) for another company. They provided one within a couple of hours. I made an appointment and met with this new company and was able to select the cherry cabinets, molding and knobs/handles within a couple of hours. The new designer made quite a few recommendations including a custom design inside the kitchen sink cabinet that was a man made material to protect the cabinet from water and a change to make the upper cabinets fit more efficiently (less gap). She priced two different lines and I accepted the lowest cost ones which was my first choice. We priced two lines because one company was having a sale and she thought it would cost less. Rick provided several tile places and I used two of them to pick out tile for the bathrooms. Both places were ideal to work with and provided help in selecting their products and then sending the quote directly to Thomas Custom Builders. Before the work started, Dave went by and picked up samples of the tile selected. It was a good thing he did because one of the wall tiles selected did not go with the rest of the tile. We don't know if I selected the wrong tile or the store inadvertently entered the wrong stock number. It didn't matter a quick trip out to the store fixed the problem and a disaster was averted. To enlarge the shower area, a linen closet door in the master bath had to be removed. Since the closet had to remain. We closed off the closet in the master batch and opened up the wall in the 2nd master closet to provide an opening to the linen closet. Dave drew an outline on the bathroom floor for both the shower and the bathtub. Based on the outline, we enlarged the shower slightly and decided to build a 1/2 wall to enclose one end of the tub. This wall also provided a shelf to store soap etc for the bathtub. All this was done with the tile company present to make sure we had agreement on tile pattern layout, tile size to minimize cuts, placement of the custom made linear drain. I couldn't install a regular linear drain because we were not able to open up the floor. Dave found a solution that worked. The water pipes for the original bathtub were moved from their current location through the back wall of the bathroom to be able to center them on the bathtub and an extension drain had to be ordered to connect to the center drain on the tub and the existing drain in the condo. The renovation of the 2nd bath was basically a remove and replace with no issues. The bathrooms were renovated during the same time the flooring contractor was removing the old bamboo flooring. The removal went smoothly and they staring installing the new floor. Immediately problems occurred. This put a dent in the schedule as the wood flooring needed to be completed before the kitchen could be started. It took a month for the flooring problems to be resolved. In the mean time, the cabinets arrived and had to be stored in the condo. Thomas Custom Builders worked with the flooring installers to move cabinets, appliances and flooring materials back and forth several times to help with finishing the floor installation and finishing their job. Both companies worked well together. The kitchen cabinets were installed according to the plan. It was determined the molding for the top of the cabinets was the wrong size. They reordered the correct molding. There was electrical plugs on the wall where the pantry cabinets were going to be installed along with a cable tv outlet. Holes were cut in the back of the cabinets to accommodate the electrical and the tv outlet was rerouted to another location. I brought the lights from my old house and Brian installed them. The original light fixture in the kitchen was located between the island and the cabinets. This caused shadows and very little light over the sink. Brian extended the electrical to allow the light to be placed over the sink and island. Lighting under the cabinets was installed. A new hood over the stove was installed that vented to the outside (I was luck they vent was already installed and I didn't have to use a vent less hood). The ordering of the granite counter top did not go as smoothly. The granite supplier was in Rockville/Bethesda Maryland area. They had a store in Springfield and it was suggested that I go there to pick out the granite. I was told that the bathroom counter tops would be remnants and they would be picked from existing pieces and I would not be able to select them. The Springfield store did not have any slabs for the colors selected. I had to go to a granite warehouse in Maryland. This took another trip. The warehouse personnel were very knowledgeable and I was able to pick the slabs for the kitchen counter. Several days later, I was informed that I needed to pick out the slab for the master bath. I was unable to make another trip out in time so the granite folks went to the supplier and took pictures of several granite slabs and I was able to pick one to complement the tile in the master bath. In the end the granite was delivered on time and the colors worked well. I made a few changes along the way. To add crown molding and re-tile the front entry way. Had to pick more tile -- Brian, the onsite project manager and chief problem solver went to the store to pick up the tiles. They were no longer made and he had to make a special trip to the only store that had them. One of their junior employees started installing the crown molding and didn't realize that he needed to measure each corner and therefore there were larger than normal gaps. I let Rick/Brian know and they removed the previously installed molding the next day and correctly installed it. They lived up to their motto to do it right with attention to detail. Since I was not living in the condo, there was no need to pick up tools etc. each evening. Even so, the area was broom swept and tools all put in one location each evening. Cardboard etc was stacked to be removed. Some items were sent to Habitat for Humanity Restore per their suggestion. Throughout the job both Dave and Brian were available. They asked for my preferences i.e,. where did I want the knobs/handles installed on the cabinets, where did I want to install the towel bars etc. Thomas Custom Builders did an exceptional job. They ordered all the materials and re-ordered the material sent incorrectly. They coordinated all their sub-contractors - i.e. tile and granite. While there are always problems with any renovation, they were there with help in resolving any issues. They returned phone call/emails promptly. The renovation was exactly as I had envisioned. Despite the month long problem with the flooring (not within Thomas Custom Builders control), the job was only one week late in being completed within our initial timeline. The new completion date was communicated in a timely manner and did not cause any problems. As with any project there are things that go wrong after the work is completed. A tile in the bathroom was chipped and they had it replaced. The front door threshold was too high and let in light and heating/cooling to escape they came back and fixed it. The kitchen disposal switch malfunctioned and it was promptly replaced. The kitchen faucet is currently being replaced due to a manufacturing defect. They even came out to show me how to turn on my new shower. They worked with me to find an agreeable time to come diagnose the problems and there has been no problem with fixing/replacing the items.

Work was conducted on time and as expected. I wold recommend Thomas Custom Builders. The quality of work was excellent. I appreciate the insight the company provided during the time of designing.

Our entire experience with Thomas Custom Builders was wonderful from start to finish. Rick walked us through every step from our first meeting, and was always a help with the many questions we had. After years of hearing nightmares about contractors & home renovations, I am so glad that we found Thomas Custom Builders. They were finished within the timeline quoted, with no hidden expenses added to our project. The quality of the work was superb. We are constantly receiving compliments on the work done. We look forward to working with TCB again on any other home improvement projects. In the future.

Rick and his team were exceptional to work with from the initial design and concept through final delivery. We were thrilled with his attention to detail and the value that we got for our money. We will definitely consider Rick's team for subsequent work on our home

In seeking bids for the renovation, I contacted Thomas Custom Builders based on their positive reviews on Angie's List. Unlike some companies I called, I spoke immediately with the president, Rick, who understood exactly why I was calling and provided the information I needed to know. We scheduled an appointment a few days later. In that meeting, Rick made the process of working with a general contractor clear and gave me some very good advice based on our drawings. During the conversation, he mentioned a nearby project they were doing and arranged for me to visit the same day. I met Dave at the site and was impressed with their handling of the work. As we made our decision over the next two weeks, Rick immediately answered my phone calls and emails with the information I sought. They also provided me with regular email information on the process of a renovation and what to look for in a contractor. Ultimately we decided to go with a different contractor who made a cheaper offer based on unique circumstances. Based on my positive experience, I will consider Thomas Custom Builders for future work.

The whole Thomas Custom Builders team is great. They came in exactly at the timeline on the contract and exactly on budget. When we started working together, they were very clear on what we could get with our budget. The kitchen designer they work with, Rachel Krush, is also outstanding. They don't use a lot of subcontractors, but the ones they use are subs they use all the time, which makes it like they are part of the team. A Thomas employee is always on site if a sub is working. The work they do is outstanding- great attention to detail and professionalism. The team that was on site with us for three months became like family. I have three little kids (3 years old and younger) so it was very important to me that the people working here were people I could trust. They were very careful to clean up at the end of the day so nothing dangerous was left out. We lived here during the renovation except for when the hardwood floors were being refinished, and even with the extent of the work being done, because they were so careful and neat, we could live here. Bottom line- I now have my dream house! I definitely recommend them? They also have done kitchen and bathroom remodels on my parents' house.