A-1 Builders & Adaptations Design Studio

After initial contact through Rick Dubrow, Shawn became the project overseer and estimator, and stayed with our project from start to finish. Sharon, our designer has the ability to listen carefully to our requirements and suggestions, and distill them into a design that worked for us. Mike, as our on-site project manager, went out of his way to ensure that the work caused us as little inconvenience as possible. And given that the work took place in three parts of the house -- master bath, kitchen, and laundry, often at the same time -- that was no mean feat. The subcontractors were obviously very carefully chosen, and they all gave us what we wanted, not what might have been easier for them. Communications via email and phone were excellent, and the final cost estimate came in very close to the actual final cost. There were no surprises. We are very happy with the results of the remodel, we have recommended A1Builders/Adaptations Design Studio to friends, and we will use them again for our next project.

Excellent. Professional, prompt, attention to detail, quality workmanship. We were elated at the result.

We didn't do the project because it would be a huge waste of money.

Excellent. Got our home back after an invasion.

I found another carpenter before their crew was available

The short version: We paid them $285 for a quote. They gave us misinformation and when we called them on it, they told us they didn’t have the time to work on our issue. The long version: We called them to check on some water damage we’d discovered in a wall. They looked at it, gave us a huge quote ($50,000-$72,000) including a bunch of repairs that had nothing to do with the damage – it wasn’t even mentioned. One of the things they said was “Attic is unventilated. There is neither low … nor upper venting.” When we asked about the actual water damage, they said it was insignificant and would be a “few hundred dollars” to repair alone. They also told us they would have time to do the repairs in about 2 months. We paid them $285 for the inspection and let them know that we would want to do some of the work immediately to prevent further damage (the water damage-related parts - roof and wall around the leak) and the other items we'd have to save up for a little later. While applying temporary DIY repairs to the roof (we wanted to prevent any more damage from rain since we’d be waiting 2 months for the full repairs), by husband noticed ventilation tubes going to the attic, so he went into the attic and found both low and upper venting, which made us REALLY concerned about the entire quote and inspection that we’d paid for. Then we cut into the ‘insignificant’ water-damaged wall and it was VERY bad – way, way worse than they’d said. All the wood, including the stud for a load-bearing wall, was completely rotted away. We called the company and spoke to the owner. We told him we were still interested in working with them on the repairs but were concerned about the integrity of the quote (based on our findings with the attic vents and wall damage). He apologized and said he’d look into it and provide us a new inspection and quote at no additional charge now that the wall was opened up. After consulting with his staff, he said the things that we’d been told were misunderstood and that when their staff said the “attic is unventilated” he’d meant that it was ‘not sufficiently ventilated’. He also told us the staff member who'd provided the quote was his best guy and a manager at his company. We chalked it up to misunderstanding and agreed to a new inspection – they said they would contact us to set up the new inspection. 3 days later – we hadn’t heard from them so we sent a ‘reminder’ email. 2 days after that, he emailed us to tell us he could come out to provide a quote in a few more days, but they wouldn’t be able to fit in the work for 6 MONTHS. Needless to say, we called another company to do the repairs. During the interaction, we got the feeling that because we couldn't afford to drop $50,000 on our home immediately, we were too insignificant for A-1 Builders to be bothered with us.

It is not easy to live in a construction zone for 10 weeks. Work was done Tuesday to Friday 7:00-5:30. That gave us a break from the commotion. A wind and rain event created a problem, but they handled it with grace and efficiency. Their reputation with our city inspectors is great, and we passed easily in both the design permits and work inspections.

Very professional! The workers were on time and the foreman spoke with us every day to inform us how things were going, what was done and what was to be done that day. They cleaned up at the end of each day. The skylight above the kitchen and the stove vent were not installed correctly and were leaking through the roof causing the roof damage. A! matched the roofing materials surprisingly well and did a high quality job and cleaned up nicely after themselves. They bid aprox. 25% higher, to cover unknowns. But, only charge for the work they do. All-in-all I'd highly recommend them!

I will begin from the beginning, After making initial contact with the company Rick and Cindi came out to meet us and check out the scope of our work. We started with just doing a couple bathrooms and our bedroom for a remodel. After being paired with Cindi through Adaptations Studio. I will say that everything went rather smoothly and we were able to grasp what we were getting ourselves into. I think the only negative that I could pull from the entire design aspect is perhaps Cindi was a little too cautious with her choices for helping with our finishes. I don't mean any disrespect but I felt that sometimes we were pushed more into her comfort zone than having someone really get creative or think out of the box and push the design side of things. Again this is nothing against adaptations I just feel we are probably on the younger side of most of their clients and was looking for a little s**** in Bellingham. After what seemed like months of drawing and redrawing and picking finishes we were ready to get into the goods. It was at this point we were handed over to A-1. Mike Gill would be our man on this and I could not write enough good stuff about this man. If you are going to spend six months with strangers in your house this is the guy you want. He is also one h*** of a carpenter. To try and save a little coin I decided I would do demo, and final paint. I think you can really judge a company by their subs and every single person that walked through our front door was amazing. From electrical, plumbing, tile, wood, everyone was top notch and to be honest it was at this time that we really felt we had made the right decision. Throughout the entire process everything was explained to us. We even added a few changes like remodel of fireplace and stairwell. These changes were not small and were met with smiles and go get em attitudes. In the end, we felt like we got what we paid for. Is A-1 the cheapest company? Of course not. But with their higher prices comes a first rate crew and the best subs in the area. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking to make their house a home. Everyone was great to work with and I am sure if I am in need of some more changes within my house I would not hesitate to call up A-1 and have them make my dreams a reality.

Rick Dubrow and Cindi Landreth (from Adaptions Design) came to my home in late September 2014 to discuss remodeling my master bathroom. We discussed certain aging in place options while keeping the bathroom from looking like a handicapped bathroom. They both made valuable suggestions and the necessary paperwork was signed to start the process. They recommended a whole house inspections (P.R.C.E.), which was also done. Preliminary work was done by Patrick Martin with Mike Gill assigned as my project manager. I begin working with Tristen Graybill of Adaptions on selecting tile, plumbing fixtures, paint, etc. Due to their work schedule and my travel schedule, work did not actually start work until late May 2015. They estimated it would take approximately 5 weeks. Work included removing the bathtub and replacing it with a walk in tile shower, replacing all the plumbing fixtures in the house, adding additional electrical outlets, adding an additional light fixture, replacing the vanity light fixture, replacing drawer/door knobs, replacing bathroom light and fan, replacing the existing toilet with comfort height toilet, and replacing outside ground lights. The subs that A 1 Builders used were very professional and did quality work. Based on the P.R.C.E. inspection, additional work included replacing the back door and wood due to moisture damage, replacing dryer vents, adding insulation, etc. During the work Mike Gill noticed additional details which needed further attention, including some moisture damage on the exterior siding. He replaced the siding, and insulation, going above and beyond to find siding that closely matched the existing. Throughout this project Mike was attentive and kept me informed of what to expect each day. He did an amazing job of dust-proofing the rest of the house from the area being remodeled, including protecting the carpet. When subs were expected, he met them at the house to oversee their work. The bulk of the work was completed within the 5 week time they estimated; however, a few punch-list items remained beyond that time. The cost of this project was more expensive that I had anticipated, but their professionalism and quality of work has been very reassuring to me. I am very happy with the results and would certainly recommend them to anyone wishing to do a home renovation. Of course, I will use them again if the need arises.

I first met with Cindi Landreth, Adaptions Design Studio, in my home with Rick Dubrow from A-1 Builders Inc to discuss remodeling my bathroom, including certain aging in place options. Once the contract was signed, I begin working with Tristen Graybill, a designer with Adaptions. Tristen prepared a lay out for the bathroom design for my review. We talked and met several times to discuss various options. I worked with Tristen to select tile, paint, and plumbing fixtures. She was very attentive to my questions and concerns and listened to my thoughts and ideas. She was great at putting together different tile for the shower that would still coordinate with the existing floor tile and reassured me when I had concerns. She was available throughout the remodel when questions came up, including clarifying the tile layout. She was very responsive to my phone calls and emails. In short, she was a delight to work with!

Rick from A 1 Builders and Cindy from Adaptations Design Studio (an affiliate company) arrived at our house in Bellingham, WA in September 2014 to hear our proposal and provide their suggestions. Both Rick and Cindy were excellent listeners and they made valuable suggestions that showed their expertise in general construction and in aging-in-place environments. It was convenient and efficient that A 1 Builders and Adaptations Design Studio work together under the same roof so that communication between the designers and the builders could be enhanced. When we expressed an interest in working with them, our second meeting included Maggie, the designer that we would actually be working with, and Shawn who would manage the job. We walked them through our requests and we immediately established an excellent rapport with both of them. We found them both to be clear and sensitive to our needs, and it was a pleasure working with them from start to finish. Initially, they provided a "wild guess" proposal just to give us a pretty good idea of the costs for each item that we wanted to accomplish. This was a great approach as it allowed us to better prioritize the improvements so we could remain within our budget. We were introduced to each subcontractor onsite before the job began and we were able to provide a detailed description of our job in order to keep everyone on the same page. As we worked through the plan with A 1 and their subs, we found them to be extremely detailed which was a delightful contrast to other contractors we had worked with in the past. Their plan was to work together with us to make all design and construction decisions prior to any work commencing so that everyone entered the job with exactly the same expectations and with no surprises. This plan proved to be effective as the job began because nearly all plumbing fixtures, light fixtures and kitchen materials were brought onsite, and implementation was simplified due to their high degree of organization. We were ultimately provided with a detailed calendar of exactly when each piece of the job would be done and by whom, and we received a firm financial proposal which was in line with our expectations. The job progressed on schedule and the home was always treated with respect from beginning to end. Billing was just as organized as the actual construction process, and we never encountered a hiccup or an unwanted surprise. We had the impression that this renovation was a bit more expensive than we may have encountered with another builder, but the quality of the work and the reliability of this contractor was such a high value that the price was justified. In the end, we were very happy to have worked with A 1 Builders and with Adaptations Design Studio. We would recommend them to anyone seeking a home renovation, and we would choose them again in a heartbeat.

A-1 is outstanding. I hired them first for the Angies list deal and then again for additional remodeling. Their people are very pleasant to deal with and professional. The project manager was very prompt and meticulous. He did great work and kept me totally informed day by day. The designer had great ideas. She made very creative suggestions and never forced anything on me. Only downside is the office staff - it can be difficult to get hold of them which is the reason for the lower rating on responsiveness. I imagine this is because they are so good they are much in demand, however. I appreciate that they are very environmentally conscious.

Provider was unable to do the service in the time frame I needed. Was very polite and professional in contacting me and trying to work with me.

We had water damage and dry rot in one wall and deck. A-1 did an excellent job in repairing the wall and installing a new deck. Their price is a little higher than others, but well worth the quality and peace of mind.

Chris came and did all the work in a very timely manor, He was professional and skilled, and went the 2nd mile to make things just right. He was pleasant and enjoyable to work with. I would not hesitate to recommend them!

I am at the beginning of the process. It took about a month and a half for them to complete other projects and then work on mine. That is just about exactly what they said when I first contacted them. I met with the owner and lead designer right after I contacted them, and gave them photos of the parts of my home I wanted assistance with. I have been very impressed with their professionalism and honesty. Their documents are very complete and spell out what to expect from their company. In this era of people making "fast bucks" it is reassuring to find a company that appears to do just what they say they will do.

We weren't able to schedule the work in before I needed it completed. I had a very short window to get it done. Communication was always very good.

Rick explained in detail what would be involved in constructing a sturdy, long-lasting cover - things we had not considered. Rick was very nice throughout our communications. I would contact them again in the future with confidence, because of the importance the company places on quality.

ipI was very happy that I did not try to tackle this on my own. Project Manager, Chris, came out and jumped right in. He was very professional and skilled. He arrived with a trailer full of equipment and was prepared for anything the project may have thrown at him. I am very happy with the results.

Everyone at A-1 was excellent to work with.

To be honest we were dreading the thought of hiring a contractor to come and replace the beam supporting the upper deck in the back of our house. We had several companies recommended by Angie's List come out and bid on the job. We had initially gone with another contractor that had assured us he would be able to work this job into their schedule and have it completed in about a week. This was very appealing to us since we had waited so long the beam was pretty rotten. Needless to say a week turned into weeks and we were lucky to even get a phone call letting us know why they didn't show up when they were scheduled to start. Now they were giving us a new start date that was another week away. Lucky for us Patrick at A-1 had perfect timing and sent an e-mail just to make sure we were able to get our deck taken care of. After thinking about our experience so far we decided to switch to A-1 Builders. Great move!! Patrick was still able to get someone over to replace the beam by the original date he had given us! Shawn showed up on time, on the day they were scheduled to start. He was polite and took the time to walk me through everything that he would have going on for the next couple of days. Everything was well communicated, the job was done on time and the new beam looks great!! The area was left clean and he even washed the bottom porch. As a last surprise to make this an even a better experience, when we received the bill it was less than the initial estimate. Talk about something you never see!! I have already recommended A-1 to my neighbor. Thanks Rick and Shawn. What a great job!!

Two years ago they did our kitchen, master bath, and dressing room. They are taking our house that is a 70's style house and making it contemporary. They have green products and a big selection to take our home and bring it up to code and date. They did an excellent job explaining the products and able to listen to our needs and fit them into the design exactly. The designer is with the project from start to finish ensuring it goes exactly as planned.

I would highly recommend them! They have great communication skills. The person who helped with the design was incredible! They are very conscientious of environmental impact and they make efforts to be green and be efficient.

Because the planning was done well the execution went well and the house now looks upgraded and nice.