Cusatis Construction

They were wonderful. I had no complaints at all. The driveway still looks brand new 3 years later.

I contracted with Cusatis Construction Company Inc. to pour a concrete driveway, approach,pour/stamp a decorative concrete patio, and remove and replace several concrete sidewalk slabs in March. The patio was poured and stamped on Monday 5/13/13 and the driveway, approach, and sidewalk slabs were poured on 5/14/13, both the driveway/approach and patio had a protective sealer applied by Cusatis Construction on 5/14/13. The driveway received tooled expansion joints. No joints were put in the stamped patio. Weather conditions during this time were partly cloudly and the weather temperatures were in the mid 60's (ideal for pouring concrete). Less than one month later in approximately mid June I noticed three large cracks in the stamped decorative patio. Two of the cracks originate from where the patio meets the stoop and a third crack runs the entire width of the patio. The cracks go all the way through the patio and are very bad looking and ruin the appearance of the patio. I asked Marcus Cusatis to stop out and look at the patio cracks which he did on Tuesday 7/2/13. The patio did not have any expansion joints in it because Marcus Cusatis said that decorative patios he poured did not use expansion joints. However, researching stamped concrete patio reveals that expansion joints are REQUIRED just as with conventional concrete patios. It appears that the cracks are running where the joints should have been placed. When I asked Marcus if this had been a conventional concrete patio would he have installed expansion joints he said yes. At this point I asked Marcus to remove the patio and re-pour/stamp it free of charge because I felt that work he did was defective (well poured concrete should not crack one month after being poured) and not done per industry standards. Marcus Cusatis stated he would not re-pour/stamp the patio free of charge as he did not think there was anything wrong with it and did not think he had done anything wrong. Now I am stuck with a patio with several large cracks in it ruining the appearance of the stamped concrete. In addition I also have to worry about the concrete cracks opening up wider and the possibility of the broken concrete slabs heaving in the winter. I would rate the quality of the driveway as average. Some of the tooled joints are sloppily done and there is an errant glob of concrete on one slab.

Our experience with Cusatis: First their estimator Bob Kannenberg, came out, measured the spec's, etc. Bob was most knowledgeable and helpful. The next day I received a PDF contract, which was transparent,detailed, and straight- forward. Cusatis asked for 30 % down, I signed the contract, enclosed my check, and returned the contract. Marcus Cusatis came out the day before for a personal inspection (good sign) and the next day he was in charge of their three-man crew. Marcus was courteous, a good listener, explained things well, and exhibited an eagle-eye for detail. It was as if our job was "his baby". As an extra service, he also fixed a problem drain spout. Marcus's demeanor was such that it implied "I take pride in my work." The job was done in two days, work looks perfect, blemish free, etc. (Durability ? I can tell you more in about 50 or so years.) Cost $6,700. High-low, I don't know. I sense a little pricy but I am glad I went with Cusatis as this sort of work has to be done perfectly and, frankly, I wanted only the best tradesman workingfor me. Bottom-line, I recommend Cusatis as this outfit is squared-away and know their business. Tip: Be sure to call the Diggers Hotline 800-242-8511or 262-432-7910. Diggers Hotline needs three business day to locate and mark all utility lines. Checklist Home Contractors Like all homeowners, I have had a variety of experiences with contractors working on our home, ranging from nightmarish to outstanding. I have often asked myself this question, "What am I looking for in a contractor for a 'major' job on my home?" To help answer this question I have written a checklist of what Look for. Angies List Review: My starting point. Like a gift from heaven, articulate and thoughtful consumers share their experiences. You can study the reviews and feel confident you are making an informed decision. Most importantly you can avoid the losers. Communications: Does contractor have a website? email? Answer phone? Return calls? Website Content: Information on licenses, insurance,bonded, use of subcontractors, type of work done, company background, years in business, lien waiver for unpaid subcontractors, and familiarity with local codes and permits Demeanor: Am I treated courteously and in a friendly manner? Informative and helpful? Does contractor demonstrate he/she wants my business? Stability of Business: Does contractor give me confidence that his cash-flow and balance sheet is strong, that he pays his bills, and won't go bankrupt before job is finished and leave me with liens against my home for unpaid suppliers and workers. Back Office Paperwork: Does contractor send estimates, contract withrelevant specifics, start date, payment terms. Billings should be clear and specific. Transparency is the name of the game. Bottom-line: Does contractor inspire confidence that he/she is not an incompetent amateur who puts me at risk by creating a mess in my life that will take my time and my money to fix. Life is too short for that sort of trauma. As a customer I expect first-rate work and complete satisfaction.

We got 4 estimates, and we went with Cusatis Construction. They were not the lowest bid, but seemed to really be proud of the work they do and were able to offer suggestions. Just talking with them gave me confidence. When we decided on a start date, they were there promptly every day. The entire crew did their job with pride and artistry.They were very professional and considerate of the landscape as to not damage anything. Marcus was friendly and very anxious to make sure that we got what we wanted. The concrete is beautiful. All the corners are rounded and attractive. My neighbors and people walking down the street stop to tell us how beautiful our new concrete is. And we agree. We love the new large patio.

This is a follow up to my original review when the work was completed. It is almost a year since the work was completed. The work is not to industry standards. I know Marcus said the weather was a factor, however, I am concerned about the workmanship and how Marcus is looking at replacing the work. He said he is getting reimbursed from the concrete company and will only replace some of the work. I never asked for colored concrete and now, I am concerned about having him redo the work and only doing a partial job and having the colors match. This is not a resolved issue and would appreciate any help that Angie's list can give me.

The company came out after a short phone call for a check. Long story short, the bad tiles were replaced under warrenty with no hassle and a great attitude. Use this contractor.

The owner is very nice and artistic. Unfortunately the day that we did our work it was very warm so the end product didn't turn out very well. He came out here after we had all the work done and he knew that it wasn't his best work. He actually volunteered to replace a very good portion of what he did but I haven't heard from him since. Their price was the best we found. The stuff that turned out good looks great but the stuff that didn't turn out very good looks lousy.

To say the Improve far exceeded my wildest expectations. I think this says it all. It was about 6:16 the concrete crews had just left and I was looking it all over one move time with a huge smile on my face,four of my neighbors all meet me in the Alley and all were gushing. They all said to a man Wow did you get it right with this company this concrete is beautiful. The attention to detail is perfect. The little extras are perfect. I have had many friends and family members come through and check it out every one has nothing but outstanding comments. They are all amazed what a great job was done. TO ME IF YOU NEED CONCRETE WORK DONE THERE IS ONLY ONE COMPANY TO CALL CALL IMPROVE THEY ARE THE BEST.

Marcus was punctual on the initial appointment and very responsive to questions during the quotation process. He provided me drawings and answered questions in regards to details such as water flow and driveway design. Between the quote and the actual work Marcus took time to discuss our options on the retaining wall and even made a trip to the house to work through how our choice of retaining wall would work in the yard and with the driveway. The only thing that threw us at the last minute was when we found out that Marcus doesn't actually run the crew, his father did. As best we can tell nothing was missed because of that, we just weren't aware up front. The bulk of the construction was done in 4 days: Day 1: the crew showed up right on time and by the time I got home from work the old driveway was already gone. Day 2: again the crew showed up on time and had the first few courses of the retaining wall in place Day 3: the concrete showed up before I even got out of the house, I had to move cars from the front of the house in my pajamas. By the end of the day the driveway was in and they placed really nice sweep marks in the concrete before Marcus showed up to seal the driveway Day 4: finishing of the retaining wall and most of the capstones (see below) There were issues during the construction (of course): During excavation the crew cut through the power running to the garage which was underground. The downspouts from the roof gutters were going to be in the way of the new driveway so Marcus put in a PVC drain under the driveway with no additional charge. The neighbors had window wells on their basement windows that suddenly were below grade when the new driveway was set to go in. Marcus and the crew dug them out and replaced them so they look really nice against the new driveway. The retaining wall came with a capstone that was 4" less wide than the stones themselves. Marcus took the time to help us find a new capstone and work with us on a cap design that still worked with what we had selected. Not enough of the capstones were delivered to finish the work when the crew was there, Marcus came on Saturday to finish.

Our patio is four weeks old now. It's pretty nice. They did an excellent job in digging up the old concrete and installing new concrete. They were here bright and early in the morning. They worked until everything was done. It's fantastic. They also cleaned up after themselves. We would absolutely use them again.

I was very pleased with the work and price from Dan Patrick. I did tell him tha his original qoute was too high and he agreed to lower it.

IMPROVE CONTRACTORS LLC - Driveways - Concrete He was very professional, very personable, and very knowledgeable. His price was just a tad higher, then a another quote, I had.

The scheduling was tough due to the rain that week but Marcus was on the ball calling me to schedule around it. Tear out and excavation was one day, pouring happened the following day and went into the PM due to all the small projects added in. The quality of the excavation and prep was good. A bobcat was used in tight quarters between the home and garage on wet grass with no damage at all. I measured and photographed the depth of the aggregate for the patio which was also in the contract and was found to be adequate and not shorted. Rebar and wire mesh was cut and laid as needed. Rebar was drilled 30" on center as agreed in the contract. Plywood was used to reduce the rub marks on the existing driveway. The pour went well with about seven workers on site for 6-7 hours. Their attitude and language was good and child friendly which is appreciated and sometimes overlooked in the field. Marcus did an excellent job on the pour and finish/break lines and made them match up well from the new patio into the the existing driveway. It has rained since and their are no pooling issues and the water sheets off in directions I requested. Sealer was applied the next day to help slow the curing time and retain moisture in the concrete for a stronger product. Thickness is 4-5" as specified. The steps are done well and all dimensions requested were done right including the width of the steps off the patio. All concrete debris around the work area was pressure washed clean and a worked came over the next day to clean off some very minor splash on the siding. The last touch will be to smooth a very small area on the facing/side of the patio where some aggregate is showing. I was a very demanding client since I have had bad experiences with contractors in the past. Marcus stepped up and did an excellent job. I picked him because of his charater and history on Angieslist. No flashy show trucks and bad attitudes on his crew, just hard working men who deliver.

They were thorough and punctual for the job. They were professional and cleaned up the place after the job. I like their services and will use the same in future.

Improv Contractors did an excellent job. They were very professional and did a wonderful job.

Went well. no complaints...see above

In one word... AWESOME. Marcus cares about his customers and works with them to make sure the job is done right. He gave me an estimate a couple weeks ago and I had a few other estimates done. I contacted him last week and told him to handle the job and his crew got started right away this past weekend. They were all very prefessional and got the job done better than expected. We will have him back in a couple weeks to do a stamped patio for us and some sidewalk work done. I highly recommend Improve. They are great.

The project began on the date that he said it would start and he and his crew worked until it was completed. It took approximately 4 days to complete. The removal of the old patio and bushes was a very big project and they were careful to not destroy the surrounding trees or grass. We had the stamped and colored concrete put in, and it is beautiful. Marcus made sure to pitch everything away from the house so the drainage would be correct. He also dug a drain from the back yard to the front yard and filled it with gravel and then put top soil on top to help with the poor drainage in the back yard. Marcus added on window well extensions and then graded the top soil away from the house so that everything drains to the new drainage area. We were extremely with pleased with how everything looked when he was finished. Several of our neighbors have had him do work for them as a result seeing how well the work was done. We have had many compliments on the finished project!

It was fantastic, he did a great job. He did some extra work like putting in a step and didn't charge me for it. He was here two days and they did rebar support and picture framing its called when they put lines in and brush it. They did a really good job, it turned out great.

Every thing was excellent. Marcus came on Sunday afternoon and removed the existing driveway and sidewalk. The crew came Monday morning and laid in the forms and poured the concrete. They cleaned everything up and put up stakes and caution ribbon to guard the new concrete. The old driveway was 17' wide by 33' long and was divided into six sections (2 x 3).....the new driveway was divided into 9 sections (3 x 3) and looks fantastic. Many complements from the neighbors.

Very satisfied overall. Their estimate was the exact price I paid and it was cheaper than several others I recieved

Marcus was great to work with. For the initial estimate, he spent a lot of time with us going over everything we wanted done, and suggested some great ideas that we hadn't thought of. Marcus and his crew showed up bright and early on the first day and worked close to twelve hours getting the patio, driveway, and sidewalk forms set up, and the patio and sidewalk was poured that afternoon. I am thrilled with the patio, which Marcus suggested a colored border for. I've gotten many compliments on it. On the second day, a different crew came back to pour and finish the driveway. Overall, I'm happy with the driveway but there are some shadows in the concrete where one of the finishers had been standing on it. It's a wide driveway (three-car garage) so I can understand why someone had to stand on it to finish it - I'm just surprised that more precautions weren't taken to prevent that. These shadows seem to be diminishing over time, however. Overall I'm very happy with how the work turned out.

Marcus Cusatis is the owner. He did a fantastic job!! He did absolute top quality work!! We've had so many compliments from family, friends and neighbors. My neighbor just had a new roof put on and the owners of the company commented on the beauty & quality of the concrete work and patio over-hang. Marcus is knowledgable, friendly, a perfectionist and an expert craftsmen who enjoys his work. Our patio is beautiful!! Improv Contractors should be your only choice for all concrete work. I know that it is for us!!! Thanks, Marcus

Although we did not contract with Marcus because of budget, he had some great suggestions to help us with a small problem with our front stoop. Marcus was prompt, professional and very easy to work with.

They were each probably about 75+ feet. It is a very well designed border for my flower beds. Their work is outstanding! I have had people come by and comment, also asking who did this work.