I hired A-1 PAM Plastering & Remodeling to perform drywall installation and paint work totaling over $7,000. Unfortunately, the experience was characterized by poor workmanship, incomplete repairs, and egregiously sloppy finishing. All of the labor was performed by a subcontractor, and at no point did the owner return to inspect the work. After initially claiming the work was complete, multiple significant issues remained unresolved. These included visible drywall seams, unpatched or poorly sanded corners, baseboards that were improperly cut and reinstalled, trim that was left broken and unpainted, dropped paint splotches left on flooring, doors, and fixtures, and a black door incorrectly repainted without consent. Furniture was also moved back against wet paint, causing damage. I gave the company *two additional opportunities* to correct these issues. Each time I was pressured to make full payment before the paint had even dried or a final walkthrough could be done. Despite these return visits, many problems remained completely unaddressed. At that point, I had lost confidence in their willingness and ability to complete the work properly. I ultimately accepted a 15% reduction (a $1,000 discount) from the total in order to bring the matter to a close. I now face the cost and hassle of hiring someone else to correct a long list of remaining problems that will certainly exceed the cost of the small discount. I would also like to point out that Yelp has filtered 17 reviews as "not recommended," which it has deemed less reliable, written by friends of the business, or sent from the same computer, compared to the reviews that made it through the filters. Combined with their poor work quality and intimidation tactics (see below), it leaves me questioning the legitimacy of many the other reviews. Worse yet, within minutes of posting this review, I received a call from the owner. Rather than take any responsibility, he began by sarcastically thanking me for the "nice review," then proceeded to yell, insult me, and claim it was unfair. I asked him whether he thought anything I had written was inaccurate or untrue. He did not say that it was. Instead, I was told that I shouldn't have posted it after we had "settled." That call reinforced everything I had already concluded about the company. My review is not about a disagreement over money--it's about warning others of the shoddy workmanship and unprofessional conduct I experienced. I cannot in good conscience recommend A-1 PAM for any home renovation work. read more

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A-1 PAM is awesome! We moved into our condo in 2001 and from the very beginning I have wanted to remodel our master bathroom. I decided 2020 was the year to finally get this project done. Tom of A-1 PAM was the second person to call me back and he came the following Monday morning with the owner Greg to see the space. They both took pictures and measurements, had some great suggestions, and we developed a layout. A-1 PAM was the first company to send me their proposal. I was super impressed by the level of detail. It was well thought-out, precise with materials and supplies checklists, and the cost was reasonable. Included with the proposal was a floorplan and computer-generated visuals of the vanity and linen cabinet. We signed with A-1 PAM and we are so happy we did! Tom helped me every step of the way via emails the month before actual construction began and continued to provide contacts, recommendations, and tons of information throughout the process. He was always immediately responsive to my numerous emails and texts. The work started February 17, 2020, and lasted 3 weeks. The 2 installers Peter and Adam came everyday, rain or shine, very punctually at 8 am and could not have been more polite and respectful of our space. They always cleaned up at the end of each day. The craftsmanship is phenomenal. Peter in particular amazed me with his carpentry and electrician skills. The end result is absolutely breathtaking especially the sliding shower doors and much needed storage/linen cabinet. The master bathroom has been transformed in ways I only dreamed of in the past. I go in everyday and can't believe how beautiful it turned out. The dream is real thanks to A-1 PAM. I wholeheartedly recommend Greg and his team and I will be contacting them again for future projects. read more

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Thank you to Greg and Tom and the whole A-1 Pam crew for the outstanding job they did with our basement renovation. We hired A-1 Pam for our basement renovation (family room, guest room/office, full bathroom, laundry room and storage space) and couldn't be happier. From our first consultation until the end, Greg and Tom's attention to detail, commitment to the project, communication and workmanship is by far the best we've encountered. Having two major renovations under my belt this was the best experience we've had with a contractor team. Our initial walkthrough lasted close to an hour, Tom and Greg going over our architectural drawings and covering the area. Contract was clearly stated, with more detail than other quotes. They estimated our renovations would take 8-9 weeks and they came in at just 10 weeks, mainly due to a long holiday weekend cutting into the project. You expect surprise issues and fees to pop up but as far as our project goes, nothing came as a surprise, no hidden costs and no delays or obstacles came into play. The crew, from the daily team that came to our house and other outside services (electric, HVAC, etc) were always on time, stayed the entire duration of their day and cleaned up quickly and continuously. Greg communicated without delay, answering any questions, was quick to offer advice and steered us in the right direction when needed. Finally, as far as price goes, the quote was very reasonable, on point and clear. I highly recommend to anyone who is looking to renovate and remodel. You will surely be in dependable, qualified hands. With a few renovations under my belt, they are by far the best contractors we have used, both as far as the workmanship but also communication, consultation and detail. You will not go wrong. read more

Thank you A-1 Pam for helping us with the reconstruction of our kitchen and bathroom. We specifically worked with Greg, Tom, and Lukas who were professional, responsive, honest, and offered great ideas/suggestions. They completed a partial renovation of our kitchen and master bathroom. They then returned to construct a dog shower in our laundry room. My husband and I could not be more pleased with the quality and beauty of their work. A-1 Pam really made this process easy and seamless. I will consult with them again for any future projects. read more

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This is how to run a business! Hire people who do good work! Last year we hired A-1 to repair water damage on a plaster ceiling and wall . Usually, I wait to see if the work holds up. It does! No exaggeration, these guys know how to do a good plaster and paint job. Looking at the repair, you can not tell where the damage occurred. The repair flows seamlessly into the existing plaster on both wall and ceiling. The price was slightly higher than other quotes but, Greg seemed like someone I could trust with the job. Greg is professional and expects the same from his crew. It's nice to hire a contractor that knows what is needed for the job, employs appropriate crews and just isn't all about the talk. read more

We just recently completed an emergency project with A-1 PAM. We had a leak in our ceiling from our bathroom. Greg had one of his team (Jack) come out in a matter of days. Jack quickly diagnosed the problem, and repaired the sink and ceiling on the spot. We are 3-time A-1 PAM customers. We keep going back to them because they are prompt, honest, fair and very skilled. We had our complete kitchen renovation done with them, and also a bedroom redo as well as this project. You should not hesitate to contact them for renovations. I've always been incredibly pleased working with them. Highly recommend. read more

I am serial renovator and just completed our 8th project, this time with A-1 PAM. It was a complete gut of a 3 bdrm/2 bath condo on Lake Shore Dr. Greg and his crew were fantastic through-out the entire process and did incredible work with our high-end finishes. I have never worked with a contractor so organized and professional, with great follow through. He delivered on time and on budget without any attitude on my last-minute changes or design requests (my favorite part). I joked with him I had never worked with any contractor that I continue to 'like' through-out the entire project. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a quality contractor that wants the job done right. read more

Tom and his team were incredible. They initially provided a very realistic estimate and recommendations for where / how we should prioritize our investment (given our building, budget, location, preferences, etc.) They were flexible in adjusting the quote as we got closer to booking and were able to get us in quickly after we signed! We were remodeling amid a very hectic travel schedule, and his team was so accommodating in receiving packages, sending links if we were missing pieces, picking up items from Home Depot, etc. At the end, the work was incredible and completed on time! Would highly recommend. read more

This is the second time we worked with A1-PAM. Greg and his team (Peter, Brian and Adam) did a great job on our condo renovation. The condo was in poor shape when we purchased it, and everything needed to be fixed. A1-PAM did all of the demolition, built closets, hung doors, painted, changed light fixtures and electrical outlets, installed new recessed LED lighting, renovated both bathrooms, did the kitchen plumbing and some appliance installation, and did the tile work around the fireplace. Everything looks fresh, new and beautiful. Greg has great attention to detail and the other contractors he uses or recommends were all very good (plumbing, bathroom counters, shower glass, door supply). Greg does an outstanding job managing the project. Peter did a fantastic job as the project lead. Peter's son Caspar made an appearance on the last day to help his dad with clean up, which was really nice to see. Brian and Adam were also very pleasant and professional. We are so happy to be settled in our beautiful new home, thanks to this great group! read more

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It's too bad I can't give more stars. I was immediately impressed with Greg when he came over to take a look at the gut-rehab bathroom job for his estimate. He was very knowledgeable, patient, friendly, and very detail-oriented. He truly knows his stuff. When we hired him for the job, he came on day-one with Kris and Matthew. The level of effort these guys put into our gut rehab was above and beyond. They are armed not only with the deft skills to get the job done, but Kris also had another weapon in his toolbelt: he was very design savvy. While we had everything picked out, we'd often ask his opinion on what he thought would look or work best here and there for smaller things we did not think of (for example: should we use a square or round drain in the shower? or trim style. or should we adhere the mirror to the wall or use brackets?). Since he has seen hundreds of these remodels, he really has a good eye for things. Every single recommendation he made as far as minor design choices went were spot on; they all turned out fantastic. Not to mention, how incredibly friendly and personable they both were. We will be doing another project in a few years, and there is absolutely no doubt who we'll call when the time comes to begin work. If you're looking for a contractor for a remodel, go no further; you've found your guys. Thanks for the fantastic work!! read more

We had five different contractors come out to provide us with a quote to redo our master bathroom. We definitely liked Greg and team the best from everyone that came out to give us a quote. He was by far the most thorough by asking questions, taking measurements and doing drawings of our space. After we received all 5 quotes, we decided to go with a contractor that was cheaper than A1-PAM's quote. Big mistake, after a few back and forths...mostly me asking questions because the other contractor was providing us with little to no information (my questions were very basic). Before the project even started, we knew it wasn't going to work. So we reached back out to A1-PAM, signed with them and haven't regretted it since. With their initial proposal, A1 had included details around a tentative start date (a month out), budget details (including what was included in the budget as well as what was not) and tentative timing for the project. Two aspects of the project that were very important to us (and I think most people), that we felt A1 excelled at were 1) quality of work and attention to detail 2) open and honest communication. To provide a little detail on quality of work, we were consistently impressed with their attention to detail. There were details that they caught or recommended that we never would have thought of. For example, the curb that we step over to get in/out of our shower is one solid piece of quartz vs small marble tiles (which makes up the rest of our shower). It not only looks significantly more polished, but has been so much easier to keep clean as well! We felt that throughout the project they were very conscious of not interrupting our life (with both my husband and I working from home throughout the project due to COVID, as well as having a toddler in the house), while still pulling us in to confirm decisions when necessary. However, when asking input, they always provided a best practice, or what they felt might be a best solution - but left the final decision up to us. Given that this was our first renovation, we definitely appreciated them providing their expertise. Overall, our bathroom looks stunning...we are so happy with it, and the level of craftmanship that A1 brought to the project. They were also extremely conscious of keeping the mess contained to our master bathroom/bedroom area, cleaning throughout the day as well as a thorough cleaning upon completion. When they finished the project, we were able to move right back into the bathroom. And second, to touch on communication a little bit further. Again, given that this was our first renovation, it was really important to us to know what to expect - in regards to timing, budget, items we needed to purchase, etc. A1's initial proposal was very detailed, outlining what was included with their quote, and what we would be responsible for. Everything from what labor (demo, etc), electric work, plumbing work and materials (paint vs grout, etc). They also provided companies and contacts that we could work with if we chose, or what the process would be like if we went with another vendor. For example, we purchased most of our faucets, etc from Studio 41, taking advantage of A1's discount, but purchased our bathtub from Home Depot because we found a size/shape/style that we liked better. Overall, I honestly can't say enough about the team. We were also a little nervous given that we live in a condo, in the city, and what demo/work/parking would look like for this project, and A1 didn't even blink an eye. Now I want to redo our other bathroom! read more

While we didn't end up going with A-1 PAM for logistical reasons, Greg was extremely helpful and professional. I would absolutely recommend him to someone considering a large project. read more

My experience working with Greg Maziarka, Lukas, and the rest of the A-1 PAM team was great, from start to finish. As the project manager, Greg was responsive and helpful from our introductory meeting, through contracting, project planning and execution. They answered questions I hadn't even anticipated and were very helpful by explaining the pros and cons of all alternatives. The finished project is wonderful! The entire team was polite and very respectful of my condo and the entire building. Because I am in a condo, and on the top floor, I worried about the impact of the work on neighbors. Based on my discussions with neighbors since moving back in, there were no issues at all. I highly and unreservedly recommend A-1 PAM. read more

Greg is a true professional he has been in constant communication with us during our project. Any question asked he immediately provides a response. His team is responsible and on time. Each day they arrived on time which made everything convenient and easy for us. They completed the job in the timeframe promised and cleaned up after themselves each day before they left. One of the best things was they arranged my appliances in a way that I could still use my kitchen each morning before they came and each evening after they left. My kitchen walls and ceiling look amazing. I couldn't be happier from beginning to end and look forward to working with Greg and his team in the very near future. read more

I thought Greg and his team did a very good job. They were punctual, efficient, and stayed true to the quoted price. Greg is up to date with current trends and was able to offer advice on how to remodel our bathroom. He also was very easy to work with because he was straightforward, but also very nice. We also had A-1 install a dishwasher in our kitchen and we were pleased when they went out of their way to rework our plumbing set up under our sink so that it would drain better. They did not charge extra for this but rather did it because they cared. I think this is a hardworking company that takes pride in their work and their honesty. read more

I forgot to post this review so it's overdue but it's very fitting today. A1-Pam worked on our kitchen 3yrs ago. They were great then and they're even better than I first thought. We had an issue recently, which I thought was due to some of their work. Even though it was 3yrs later, Greg scheduled someone to come out but before they came, we were able to discover, the issue was with another appliance that had nothing to do with the remodel, so we didn't need them to come out. If you've ever had any work done, you know how hard it is to get a contractor to come look at anything once they get their payment. Yet even though it was way past any guarantee, Greg responded quickly and didn't hesitate to help. Here's my original review which still applies and I still agree with 100%: I would definitely recommend A1-Pam for any work you made want to schedule. I will definitely use him and his team for all of our projects. Greg was always available for questions or issues. His team worked quickly and always cleaned up after they were done each day. Everyone was very professional and very skilled in their trade. We had a few minor issues but everything was resolved immediately and with no further problems. A1-Pam is definitely recommended by this satisfied customer. I will be recommending them to all my family and friends. read more

This company is the best we have ever hired. The owner, Greg designed our kitchen backsplash (no extra design charge), as well as a fireplace mantle and surround in our master bedroom. The most professional workmen, cleaned up the house cleaner than when they started the projects! Quality work at a great price, and they finished ON TIME, even though we added a small additional project at the last minute. Very professional, and completely customer oriented. We've used other contractors in the past, but will never use anyone else. read more

Greg and his team helped us to fix up some water issues around our windows in our condo. I did try get multiple quotes for the work and he came in with the best pricing. From the beginning I knew Greg was better than most contractors. He sent me the proposals via email and called to confirmed I got them. Many contractors out there don't even call you back. I asked to have the work done sooner than later and they were able to come out a week after we agreed on the work. They arrived on time both days and took great care of our items(covering/protecting everything in plastic, even the flooring too) The work was exactly what we were looking for and looks fantastic, looked better than the original builders work. I will recommend A-1 PAM to all of my friends in the chicagoland area. read more

They were great; responsive, prompt, on-budget, and high-quality work. I'd definitely use them again.

Wrote them about a relatively simple rehab job we were looking to do with our new home and the response I received was "Thanks for contacting us, We will not take on this project. Regards"... Just felt like my project was brushed off, maybe no expensive enough? Either way... left a sour taste in my mouth. read more

Greg, Greg 2 and the rest of the A-1 team were wonderful to work with. Greg worked with us to remodel our powder room into a 1/2 bath and was professional, helpful, not at all pushy and was able to work with our budget. It was such a hassle-free project for us and I can't say how appreciative we are for their hard work, timeliness and thoroughness. I thought for sure they would run into issues since it seems everything we try to do to our place runs into strange snags...we were relieved that it went so smooth. They worked extremely hard arriving each morning on-time and cleaning up before they left each day; They were even running a bit ahead of schedule. I have to say I was worried about the finishing details being done well since they were so ahead but the finished project is AMAZING! I have absolutely no regrets on our decisions nor any complaints. They even came back without any hassle to touch up the grout on our shower base that settled and cracked and to change out a couple light switches with dimmers we purchased. I love our new 1/2 bath and am so happy we found A-1 to do the job! To top it all off, Greg offered to fix an area of rotted wood outside our 2nd level french doors for the cost of materials and also helped to fix a pipe that had sprung a leak over a year ago. If we ever have any other large projects, we will for sure use A-1!! THANK YOU A-1. read more

I absolutely agree with the other reviews of the work of A-1 Pam. Greg and his team were punctual, stayed true to their estimate and time frame for starting and completing the job, and did fantastic work! When Greg came to my condo to see the work I wanted done and provide me with an estimate, he listened to my wants and to my budget. Greg provided a great and budget conscious solution to updating my kitchen (paint, painting existing kitchen cabinets and hanging new doors). He and his team also did some grout work in my bathroom. I was extremely impressed with the time they took to cover my appliances in my kitchen, the floor, as well as hang plastic to seal off the hallway and living room from the kitchen. Each day that I came home, I realized that they had cleaned up the work from the day. I was surprised and pleased to say the least! I emailed Greg the day before the last day work was to be done. I told him that I had forgotten to ask if they could reattach a tile on my bathroom floor that had loosened a while back. Greg responded immediately and said that they had already noticed the tile and his guys were going to fix it that day. I will call Greg and A-1 Pam without hesitation for any future work that I have done in my condo! read more

I couldn't be happier with A-1 from start to finish! We were so overwhelmed and clueless on how to tackle two bathrooms that haven't been touched since the 60's. Powder blue sinks and toilets...But luckily Greg came in with good, affordable ideas as well as a more than reasonable time line to finish the project. His team was professional and neat as well as polite and attentive to our requests. Even after demolishing two bathrooms the house was spotless! They have very good attention to detail and a great eye for aesthetic touches! We couldn't be more amazed with how great and functional both the bathrooms turned out! They even came in with a great rate to change ALL of our plumbing to copper and even installed a garbage disposal last minute for us! Job well done! I highly recommend their talents! read more

I had a great experience with my kitchen remodel. Greg helped walk me thru all the steps to pick everything out. Once Greg and his team started the work it was quick and they kept everything clean. The finished job looks fantastic. Greg was great to work with and patient with the million questions that I had. I would definitely call him again if I have another remodel job to do. read more

We just completed two bathroom remodels with A-1 PAM that included reconfigurations and completely new everything. From the start of the project to the end, they have been excellent to work with. They show up on time, are very quick to return with a quote and incredibly responsive. Tom was our Project Manager and I am pretty sure not a single email we sent took more than 24 hours to get a response. Once the work started, the team was there every day and made steady progress. They always left the place tidy at the end of the day (as much as is possible with remodeling). We had a few minor issues come up (sometimes ours, sometimes theirs) and they were very accommodating and always handled them with urgency and fairness. It isn't often you hear about positive experiences with contractors/remodeling because it's a stressful process made worse when you don't feel you're getting a good response...this was very positive and we'll use them again! read more

We couldn't be more impressed with the experience using A-1 PAM for our complete kitchen renovation. After working through estimates and designs with many contractors and companies we felt their proposed project was the most realistic and honest. The entire process exceeded our expectations, including the final product. Greg's estimate matched the final cost and was very fair. They completed the project in exactly the time predicted, which was a lot shorter than all other estimates we had received. Greg was incredibly responsive to all questions and communication during the renovation. His team was professional, efficient and sensitive to the impact their work had on the rest of our home and daily life. The few small glitches we experienced during the process (less than we expected given the age of our buildling) were managed with honesty and flexibility. Overall, A-1 PAM delivered an exceptional kitchen renovation in a very reasonable amount of time and for a very reasonable price. We would use them again for all projects - big or small. read more