Ravensworth Custom Home Improvements LLC

This job was actually to do some minor work to prepare our house for sale. It was a sad decision for us, because over the three previous years, Ravensworth made our house into a home suited perfectly for our family. We purchased a home that had not had any significant work done in almost 30 years. They remodeled every bathroom and kitchen, helped us redesign the top floor to create a master suite. There were few rooms in our house that did not have their fingerprints on them. They designed and built doors so our dining room could double as a home office. They were ready with design ideas if I needed them, but we're happy to make my visions a reality. They helped me sort through what changes might not be worth the money and why. When necessary, they brought in top quality partners to help them execute their work. They did hardscape work in our yard, as well as dealt with some drainage issues. They installed new garage doors. When circumstance caused us to move, our house sold in one day for ask. We have had contact with the new owners more than once since we moved, and they always tell us how much they love the house and everything in it. Time only continues to prove the quality of their work. I recommended them freely to anyone asking for a good contractor.

Problems arose day one of demolition. They addressed every issue head on and never tried to skirt a problem. The wall was removed and the electrical wiring for part of the house was contained in that wall, meaning without a considerable amount of expense, it could not be changed easily because of the cement ceilings. Ravensworth suggested a small soffit be built to house the wiring. Initially I was opposed to this idea as I didn?t want one more soffit in the area. They convinced me, it would not only look fine, but it would look better as lights could be installed in the soffit. The end result was amazingly beautiful and much better than not having the small soffit. I had a slow leak under my kitchen sink for many years and numerous plumbers could never detect the cause. Over time things under my sink became rusted. The supervisor found the culprit behind the wall. It was a time consuming job, getting to this pipe and repairing it, but he made it look effortless. There was no additional cost in the contract. It would have been a monumental job if the cabinets had been installed without finding this miniscule leak. I chose to keep the existing tile floor in my kitchen and because the cabinets were a different size, the supervisor was able to construct toe kicks that are architecturally lovely. I have severe allergies and bronchial problems. One of the criteria was they had to clean up daily as I couldn?t be exposed to any dust. Glenn assured me that would not be a problem, although I was told by all my friends, there will be dust and there will be fine dust. Every day, my home was left spotless and dust free. Contract: They provided me with a good contract with start and end completion dates and details of each phase. It was completed ahead of schedule and my small punch list resolved immediately. Workmanship: The quality of their work is top-notch. They never skimped on materials or workmanship. Honesty: I wasn?t home much of the time the construction was taking place. The workmen were trustworthy and I never hesitated to leave valuables unprotected. They were quiet, polite and respectful. Although I always left sodas and water in the refrigerator for them, I would have to encourage them to help themselves. Professionalism and communication: Ravensworth impressed me from my initial meeting. Glenn is a ?can do? person and there isn?t an obstacle that gets in his way. He was easily reachable and regularly checked in on the job. The supervisor was also a huge asset to the easy flow of the work. As issue would arise, he would easily find a good solution. Punctual: I was given a schedule and they didn?t waver from it, with the exception of materials did not arrive one time. The workmen were at my doorstep early in the morning and put in a full day. Cut costs: a small cupboard in my kitchen I wanted to be reconfigured. They had many interesting suggestions but in the end, they recommended I keep the existing closet as it worked for me. They spiffed it up and it is perfect. Summary: Ravenworth deserves a 5-Star-plus rating. They achieved exactly what I wanted and much more. Glenn/Craig Ravensworth hire accomplished sub-contractors who are self-motivated and also know how to get a job done efficiently. I now have a stunningly open kitchen, beautiful soft lighting under the cabinets and over the breakfast bar with natural light coming in with the removal of half wall. I wouldn?t change a thing and I?d do it all over the very same.

Overall, our experience with Ravensworth, who we learned of through our neighborhood listserve, went very poorly. In our opinion, they failed in terms of customer service, quality, and accountability. They and we were patient as the project was developed, but things went downhill as soon as we signed the contract in a rush when Ravensworth said they had a window to start work (first flag). The minor time and materials work that Ravensworth executed in two bathrooms was subcontracted and poorly supervised, thus we had numerous issues and only got excuses in return (second flag). We were not satisfied, but we thought the bigger contract-price foundation/drainage work would go better. Repeatedly, we would be advised that the contractor could potentially start next week or the week after, but they never broke ground (third flag). Finally, Ravensworth admitted that they couldn't say when their key sub would be available, but they said they had a plan B, which they said would be just as good, but it would require significant more direct supervision by Ravensworth (fourth flag). After too many flags, we declined on their new approach because we did not have any confidence in their ability to properly manage the work. We signed the contract in April 2014, and in September we let them know that we didn't want to go forward with the project based on their new approach. Ravensworth has refused to take responsibility for not delivering on the approach they sold us on. Ravensworth preaches customer service, but they don't hold themselves accountable when they don't deliver. They will say (as they seem to do repeatedly on Angie's List and other websites), that there are two sides to every story. They will allege that we've left out important details. We are happy to share our long email chains with anyone thinking about doing business with Ravensworth, and you can judge for yourself. Ravensworth claims (disingenuously, we believe) that they have no idea why we decided to stop working with them, so let us be clear here. They sold us on an approach and a sub, both of which they could not produce. Their new approach would have depended on more direct supervision on their part of subs that they told us previously were not ideal to do the work. Through the time and materials work, they demonstrated to us that they were not capable of adequate oversight and quality control. Nearly five months had passed since we contracted the work, and Ravensworth was unable to even break ground (we'll give them a month's worth of slack because of a time when we were clear that we didn't want them to start work). We called mercy on the project. It was not going to happen as we envisioned. They agreed, but fourth months on we're still sorting things out. As the previous reviewer stated, just read the reviews here, and read the lengthy defensive comments from Ravensworth. Yes, it's sad when interactions devolve to this level, so do yourself a favor and think if you want to roll the dice and maybe have a decent experience, or blow time and money on the type of experience that we and numerous other reviewers went through.

Entered into a Time and Materials Contract to repair foundation and walls of a small one room addition to my home. Owner, Glenn, after contract was signed and deposit made disappeared and was only contactable over email. He immediately subcontracted the work to 3 people who did not speak English and I could not communicate well with. During the 3 weeks his crew was working (5 full days total over 3 weeks) he was only seen on site once and his home office is less than 5 minute walk from the work site. Day 1: His crew show up late morning without tools, go through my shed and use my tools to work. "Oh sorry they forgot tools, and were too embarrassed to ask so just used them. . . and their wheelbarrow got a flat so they used yours." Their wheelbarrow was older than mine but did not have a flat. . . he made up lots of excuses and when you are standing on the work site and he doesn't ever check up on things, it is easy to see through all the lies. After second week's bill had very high expenses labeled "misc." with no dates. I paid promptly (yes I am a sucker) but asked to see receipts. I had to tell him to stop work after 3rd week because of the slow progress and higher than expected expense. Crew also performed work explicitly written in contract not to do. I had already contracted a company to replace the roof told them not to do anything to cover it explicitly in contract, but they replaced part of it anyways. They used felt paper on a low pitch roof and felt paper doesn't even meet minimum code, so it had to all be ripped down. ( I was still charged for the time and expense . . what? "It would be unprofessional of us not to fix the roof even if you told us not to" what?) The crew was supposed to be 3 man crew but 1 or 2 were almost always missing, and only 1 day in 3 weeks did they stay at the home for a full 8 hours. Two and a half months after they stopped working and after I asked to see supporting receipts I finally hear back from Glenn with a final bill and a bunch of receipts. It turns out that the 2nd week bill, based on receipts, I was over charged over $2,000. The receipts also had tool purchases and tool rentals which I was not supposed to be charged. I expected them to have a shovel and circular saw as a construction company. The kicker is that one of the biggest receipts was in the group copied twice to look different. I guess he did not think I would look at more than the totals on them? He also tried to charge extra for days his crew did not work and when confronted he said that he couldn't put them on another job so I owed him the money. He said it was an honest mistake but then he would not modify the bill I added up what I did owe contractually and with my deposit and over payment on previous bills it turned out that he owes me just under $1000. Now he has gone silent again, and won't meet with me to discuss or change the bill or give me my money owed. I have yet to see any of my money back. Do business with this company at your own peril, or if you enjoy flushing money down the toilet. I was over charged, and had to hire people to fix all the mistakes. Read all the reviews on Angies list. I should have before doing business with them. Lots of excuses. No effort.

Glenn and his crew are fantastic, I had the opportunity to see there work form start to finish, they were pleasant and took care to work around my schedule. Ravensworth provides quality work all the way through the project. I highly recommend there services.

The provider took several weeks to meet virtually with me and review satellite photos of my house and yard which were largely beyond the scope of a 15'x30' deck. Once he determined that I did not have a budget of $20K or more for the project he first stalled for months to complete the drawings and plans, and then refused to, so I asked for a refund. It was very disappointing, and I lost a lot of momentum on the project. I would not recommend this provider to any normal homeowner.

did not get a plan as advertised, just an estimate/

They were very good at contacting us initially, but then had a death in the family which prevented them from following up on the coupon. They also said that the response to the coupon from Angie's was overwhelming, so it was difficult for them to follow-up on every coupon that was purchased. We kept trading emails back and forth over several months. Finally Glenn came out in October to review the site. We waited a few weeks for the plans. When we got them, my husband emailed Glenn back, but we did not get a response. We've basically given up on them and have written off the money we spent on the coupon as a and quot;lessons learnedand quot;. The time from purchase of the Angie's list coupon to actually getting a rendering of the proposed deck from them was 8 months. We never got a proposal. I have no idea how good they are at doing drywall, so I cannot comment on that.

Contacted firm for an estimate for a couple of big jobs. They made two visits with different staff, as well as setting me up with a cabinet designer they work with. They had good ideas, gave realistic assesments of what was possible and what the cost ranges might be, and the cabinet person even provided sketches. We are likely to go with this company when we solidify how much of the work we want to do. They have not tried any hard selling at all. We appreciate that.

never received deck design.

Overall went well. they were a little overwhelmed with the response but did a great job on the plans including incorporating our desires.

No work was ever performed.

I scheduled an appointment after many attempts. They never showed up for the appointment. Said they were too busy and couldn't do it. I got a refund from Angie's List

James and team did a great job designing my deck, getting the plans approved by the HOA, and completing it on time. They also gave me a very fair price to boot (much lower than some other estimates, and right about at the lowest we received). All in all we are very satisfied.

No work performed. They did not fulfill the terms of the deal.

One of the easiest projects I have ever had done. Had clear instructions on what I needed to do to prepare for removal of old windows and installation of new ones. The crew handled the job expeditiously and professionally. They provided free follow-up when I accidentally got one of the windows off-track afterwards.

A Big Deal for Custom Deck/Patio Design with measurements and plans was offerred in February 2012. I spoke with the owner a couple of times and he and his partner came to the house to do measurements and talk about what I wanted for a patio makeover. I said there was no urgency, which they appreciated because they had customers who wanted work done in time for graduation celebrations. Periodically, I asked if I had been forgotten and was told I hadn't been. I understood that personal and family issues intruded on their business but by mid-August, it was clear that I would not get what I had paid for. What I got was an estimate that lacked specificity; for instance, it included a line for and quot;Daily Job Managementand quot; $458.10! There were no detailed plans for drawings. This was less than most and quot;free estimatesand quot; offer. I asked for a refund and was told: and quot;Since we are not making anything on this (all proceeds went to Angie's), we are having to get the plans done in between other jobs. We are not saying that your plans are not important to us, just trying to explain our end of things. If you would like a refund, you would need to contact Angie's list. They have all your payment information. We appologize that we were unable to be of better service to you.and quot; So, I went back to Angie's Iist and there I could not have asked for better service!

Our experience with this contractor was very disappointing. We spoke with a representative of the company and conducted a phone conference regarding our project. We never received plans from the Contractor. After several months had elapsed since our meeting with the contractor and we received no plans, we contacted the contractor to request a refund. The contractor suggested we contact Angie's list for the refund since they did not benefit from the offer.

I purchased an Angies List Deal for this company to give me a deck building estimate andevery time I would call to set an appointment they seem to make it more complicated than it should be. I think they were overwhelmed with the response of possible customers asthey would never set up a definitive time to come over and give me an estimate.After calling them several times I never received service or an estimate for my $59.00I shouldn't have to keep contacting them. They should be calling me! I would love a refund!

They did an excellent job. They were well organized because they had everything available. They were very good in responding to our request. We used them because we liked the services they had provided to our neighbor. When it comes to the price, it is expensive for us. We would use them again in the future but we also have to consider the cost.

I have not yet used my coupon, but I have been extremely pleased with their responsiveness and professionalism. Glenn, the owner, has already gone above and beyond to reach out to me and explain the process and services provided. They are not pushy or difficult. I have been particularly impressed with their adoption of advanced computer programs that allow them to visualize properties through a google earth type interface and make drawings before visiting. While we haven't done the meeting, it seems likely that the addition of visual aides and a good understanding of the property by Ravensworth will enrich their ability to develop a good design. Overall, I have been very pleased with them and look forward to working with them.

I received numerous excuses as to why he could not come out. He kept in communication with me, but he is a no show. I understand personal matters can come up, but I had been trying to schedule with him since mid february.

They came on time and gave an estimate. I liked their services and will consider them in future.

They were helpful, friendly, professional, and had useful suggestions. Did not go with them because their quote was significantly higher than other bidders.

Everything was fine. They don't need to improve on anything. It went well. It's a small company run by two brothers. They are very personable. We would recommend other people to work with them. I would use their services again in the future.