SMITHS MASONRY LLC

I started my fireplace remodeling work by getting multiple bids. Even though Robert (the owner) price was above other quotes, I decided to go forward as I perceived him to be very attentive to detail. On his advice, I went and bought a single slab of hearth for my fireplace. We had a lot of back and forth conversation about what I was expecting and I thought in the beginning he was helpful. Sometimes he used to drop the ball and not respond (I had to ping him) but I thought to be natural for a busy contractor and he seemed always out doing some work somewhere (without connectivity?? - I guess..) When I finally paid and secured the hearth, I called to schedule the appointment. I was told that I was getting the job started the following week on Monday and we started looking at final details. At that point I was surprised with a revised bid of $500 above the original price. I tried to negotiate but Robert claimed he had more jobs closer to his home and for good money as well. We never really finished signing anything as this conversation happened over the weekend. When on Sunday I sent an notice finally agreeing on the price, I actually commented on the email that for the higher price I was expecting the side cabinets to not be damaged. To my surprise, I got a call a few minutes later saying: "I didn't like this comment you made on the email. You seem like a very picky customer that will not be satisfied. I don't need the stress so I will not be there tomorrow". I was shocked to say the least for the following reasons: 1) What kind of mason doesn't feel good about his craft to make assurances that the cabinet cant be damaged. 2) even if the cabinet would be damaged, the way to handle a customer like that seemed completely off for a person wanting business and recommendation. He obviously doesn't care that much... 3) We never finalized the agreement for the date nor the money amount beyond that last email, yet over the phone he said he had to move people in order to make it on Monday. He even mentioned he had to move other folks from previous dates even though we never really agreed on the date, and the appointment was proposed 2 weeks out. This guy is either not professional, have other priorities than his business or doesnt trust his skills enough to make commitments to his customers of top work. I have since called another contractor and mentioned the cabinets and he at least gave it to me straight: placing a single stone slab as recommended by robert, even with 3 people he was going to bring, on my cabinet configuration would be a huge challenge. Thinking of it he is right and he even recommended ways to minimize problems. I would not recommend Smith Masonry as it seems to be a one-man hobby rather than a professional and experienced business.

Excellent work! Every detail was attended to.

unknown

Robert Smith came out promptly and talked with us regarding the job and what we desired to be done. He was on time, professional and respectful. From our initial appointment, it took several weeks to get the job done because Rob had warned us he had an upcoming big installation. We purchased the stone ahead of time and provided the supplies for installation (thinset, grout, lathe) Our job included a scratch coat on the current brick, reinforced with lathe attached to original brick by using concrete nails shot into place. Then, the new stone was set into place over the scratch coat and hearth installed flush with the existing hardwood floor. During the process Robert had an amazing, sealed tent system, to keep our house clean from all the debris and dust that can happen with this type of work. He and assistant did a wonderful job and we are very pleased with the final outcome. Definitely worth the wait!

unknown

They were very knowledgeable and gave me helpful advice about maintenance that we can do ourselves. For applying sealant, a water base latex applied with a backpack garden sprayer was recommended. They were scrupulously careful about my plants and watering lines. They used hose guards to protect the flower beds. The finished work looks very good, and they did a thorough job of cleaning up. Their prices are competitive. I saved $400 with a Big Deal.

That string of A's I gave Smith Masonry is not grade inflation - those are real old-fashioned A's. Robert Smith (and his assistant Jerrod) did a fantastic job; really great work. I found him through a Big Deal on Angie's List. We have owned our house for 13 years and never done any of the masonry repairs I knew it needed. I did not know how much repairs would cost but I knew the 8 hours of work covered by the Big Deal would not come close to covering all of it. We decided to use this Big Deal as kind of an audition to see what we thought of the whole process. If we liked it, we would get the rest of the work done when we could afford it. To make a long story short, we will not hesitate to employ Smith Masonry to do any and all remaining masonry work on our house. Robert and Jerrod showed up on time. Very nice people. I told Robert about some of the more obvious things I was concerned about. He agreed that the things I pointed out were problems but pointed out a bunch of other things that he said, while not obvious, were potentially much greater problems. He explained stuff in great detail. He showed me a bunch of issues as he was working. It was obvious from his masonry "geek" behavior (a compliment) that he knows his stuff and his happy to share that knowledge. I decided to trust his choices. He called me outside several additional times to explain what they were doing and exactly why they were doing it. He was attacking a bunch of different areas I had never even noticed had problems. I wondered how it would all look when he was done. In fact, his work ended up being pretty much invisible. I had expected to see large expanses of very different looking brickwork where he had fixed things. I was surprised to realize that I could not see where he had worked even though I knew the spots. The only difference was that all the cracks and holes and crumbling mortar were gone. What was left looked like it had been there for 85 years. Good trick. I guess I know what "restoration" means now. These guys really worked hard the whole time they were here. They gave us our money's worth and then some. They ended up covering a much larger area than I originally thought they could do. Also, they did a great job cleaning up after themselves.

The owner was a very nice man. He responded promptly, came to the appointment on time and explained everything quite thoroughly. Very nice and professional. I just cannot afford the work my chimney that needs to be done. He was kind enough to provide me with an idea for a stop gap measure.

Everything was professional and the work done was immaculate from beginning to end. From when we received the estimate, to completing the work, we had no issues and everything went smoothly. The finished product is amazing and the workmanship is flawless. The meticulousness shows in his work and he even incorporated a decorative touch to his stone work. We were extremely happy with the overall results. Robert is a very down-to-earth person and easy to get along with. When everything was completed, he cleaned up the work area very nicely! We were so pleased with his work, we asked for another estimate for one of the interior walls of our home. Highly recommended, will definitely utilize his services again in the near future.

Everything is going well. The gentleman has been very pleasant, and he responds quickly to our phone calls.

They were honest beyond a doubt. When they finished the job it was all cleaned up. You could not even say that they were even here. They were communicable through the whole thing. They would come and get me, show the work to me and if they would get an extended work order, every time they needed to do something they would check with me.

They are an A across the board. I am considering using them.

They did a great job. I would highly recommend them.

Do use him, he kept the dust down, did the work stated, made sure it was done perfectly, was professional and easy to work with.

Excellent service from the first phone call. Immediate visit for estimate, accurate information about options, cost and duration of job. Done on time and for expected cost. Beautiful work. Next time I need masonry I'm going to them first.

I chose not to go with him because he was not super responsive. i contacted him before I moved in my home to get a feel for his experience and the cost of my project. I sent him photos of what my fireplace looked like and what I wanted it to look like and he said he would send me examples of his work and give me a time line, but he didn't. Then, we arranged a time for him to show up at my house to see the job and he didn't. I called and he said he was waiting on my to call him, but I thought we already arranged a time to meet. These little things didn't give me a sense of confidence. He definitely seemed to know what he was doing and do good work once I finally did get pictures. Once he came out and told me about the project and emailed me the estimate it looked like he knew what he was talking about and his work looked beautiful. However, I didn't feel confident that everything would be timely because I was trying to get the project done in a limited window of time.

Robert and his assistant did a beautiful job of installing manufactured stone around the front entry of our home. They also did our fireplace surround in the same material along with stone slabs on the heart and mantle. They took their time to make sure everything looked perfect and made suggestions for what would look best. We are very happy with the work.

Excellant

The work was completed in a couple of days by a crew of three which I will call "master craftsman". The new chimney is a work of art, we are very happy with it. Our house has a metal roof and there was no damage to it during this chimney rebuild. All tear down material was removed and the work area was cleaned up prior to departure.

I was quite happy with the work and have received compliments on the NorthWest feel it gives to the back yard. Robert went beyond what was expected in his service and gave me exactly what I wanted. He combines skilled masonry with an artistic eye.