Seth and his associates have been great to work. Seth helped my wife and I really understand the…read morerenovation process and connected us with his trusted group of builders and subs.

I requested a quote via Yelp. Seth immediately emailed back providing a phone number to continue…read moreour conversation. I called him and he immediately went to work with my request for building a conex box residence in DC. Seth took his time with me and spoke with me like I was his only client. He asked all the right questions and went out of his way to explain the process in detail. He even researched the property while we were talking. All in all, It looks like I won't be needing his services. However, if he treats his clients the same way he treated me (a complete stranger on the phone), you are in good hands.

We were so excited for the prospect of our kitchen remodel project with Four Brothers after being a…read morefan of their design aesthetic from a distance. Starting the project was a bit shaky, some communication difficulties with our project manager, Sondra, and the site manager (which changed midway through our project). But the real issues arose with the final execution of the project. Our refrigerator & the panels were improperly installed as confirmed by GE, so every time we close or open the freezer drawer it damages the surrounding cabinets. The drawer handle itself has fallen off numerous times as well. Our brand-new dishwasher that they installed broke down and may be due to contractor install issues, Bosch is still assessing the issue. Our garage was used as a staging spot as well as a woodworking studio, but there was no attempt to ensure our gym equipment which is housed in the garage was protected, which led to damage of our expensive belongings. The wood floors that were installed have damage including large dents, gaps and wood splintering. The painted walls have cracks and bubbles, despite drawing attention to these issues early on. We now have to bring in our own contractors to fix the many issues that Four Brothers left us with. My husband and I both attempted to contact Kent and Sondra who had been our main contact people at Four Brothers with no response. We are extremely frustrated and disappointed with a very costly project that left us with unnecessary headaches and messes to clean up. We made sure our home was a welcoming place, leading with kindess for all the people coming in and out each day, with snacks, cold water & access to indoor bathrooms. We feel sad that they have not been kinder to us in return.

I used Four Brothers for a big home project back in 2019 and appreciated their work then but what I…read morewanted to highlight was their ongoing help. I recently reached out to Leroy to see if he had a recommendation for a small project I was doing that I knew would be too small for them. He responded immediately and helped me out and I'm so appreciative. It's really fantastic that they not only provide good service when doing a project but even years later. I'll definitely use them again next time I have a major project.

I was looking for a specific service (structural inspection) & started a project request via Yelp…read moreto receive quotes. Bitarchitects provided a prompt response, prompt call phone consultation & next steps. Within 1 week of contact I was able to discuss my concerns, the engineer completed a thorough walk through of my home & gave me ample amount of time view discuss my concerns. More importantly they didn't drag out the walkthrough for hours!! I appreciate the honest responses to help distinguish between normal settlement & items that are concerning. I'm waiting on the written report (inspection was completed one business day before writing this review) to proceed with the fixes. I strongly urge spending time & money on an inspection from a structural engineer before spending $$$$ for repairs that aren't needed. Prior to contacting I had 2 vendors try to sell me solutions for problems I didn't have. The price I paid for the inspection literally saved me $$,$$$. My selection of Bitarchitects was because they heard my initial concern, were quick to provide service, & provided communication from initial inquiry to the day of service.

I am adding to my earlier review (see below) - because Bitarchitects helped us successfully…read morecomplete a significant structural reinforcement of our home. Terry Bitar and her team were great to work with every step of the project. They handled things large and small to successfully complete the project. It was easy to communicate with the team, both on big picture issues and on smaller logistical issues. Bitarchitects listened to us and provided us with options and expertise to navigate the task of structural reinforcements for our 100-year old DC home. I also appreciated that, in addition to talking through things, they neatly put things in writing so there was a clear documentation of the project. -- We had an urgent concern with a structural issue in our old house so we reached out to Bitarchitects based on their good reviews here. We received a prompt response and soon had an engineer evaluating our house. The engineer was thorough, helpful, and went above and beyond. He provided a lot of valuable insight both on site and then in a comprehensive written report. I also appreciate that Bitarchitects is able to help me find vendors to complete the work recommended in the engineering report. I have had a great experience from the start and would recommend Bitarchitects to other homeowners.

My wife and I are incredibly happy with our new porch, designed by the talented and professional…read moreKurt West. It was a modest project as far as home remodeling projects go, but Kurt still gave us his full and undivided attention, which meant a lot to us. He patiently answered and provided a quick response to our (many!) questions about the design and construction process, personally visited with us on multiple occasions to go over draft designs and flooring/roofing/coloring samples, and was extremely helpful in working with our structural engineer and construction contractor (since we had some foundation and drainage issues that were also being repaired). His design advice, based on his many years of experience, was superb, and he actually ended up saving us tens of thousands of dollars based on his input on our concurrent foundation/drainage project. Kurt is a true artist, and a really nice guy as well. He did an amazing job for us, and we can't wait to work with him again on our next remodeling project. Thank you, Kurt!

From the owner: West Workshop Architects is an award-winning contemporary architecture and design studio focusing…read moreon residential, commercial and public art projects. Kurt West, a registered Architect, founded the firm in 2017 and provides leadership in project design and firm operations. The firm's collaborative design process translates clients' desires into unique, practical and enduring solutions that exceed customer expectations. The firm operates offices in Alexandria, Virginia and Raleigh, North Carolina.

I can't speak highly enough of Sam Oztan. I've worked with Sam for my own home and also for…read moreprojects with clients. In all cases it's been a great experience. Sam listens well and stays in tune with the needs of his clients. He offers several design options, and works with client's to assure final designs meet their wants and needs. Once design is done, he completes permit drawing sets, and will oversee and assist with the permit approval process as well. He stayed involved throughout construction, to provide advice and direction to contractors as needed. All in all a great experience!

From the owner: Oztan Studio is a visionary Architecture and Design firm specializing in residential and commercial…read moreconstruction. Our studio is dedicated to creating extraordinary living spaces that harmoniously blend aesthetics, functionality, and personalized touches. We take a holistic approach to design, crafting spaces that exceed expectations and captivate the senses. At Oztan Studio, we believe that your living space should be a reflection of your unique lifestyle. From the initial consultation to the final touches, we collaborate closely with our clients to understand their vision, needs, and desires. With meticulous attention to detail, we transform these insights into exquisite architectural designs that embody elegance, comfort, and innovation.

This guy presents himself as a guru of green architecture, but his main talent is writing invoices…read more To design a top-to-bottom remodel of my four-story house, he visited it once. He flew in a young architect from Colorado (!) to document the house, but they were both distracted by a disaster on another job (frantically redesigning at the last minute) and the drawings of my house were a mess - a door where there wasn't one, pipes and radiators missing, measurements wrong. They brought in a 'structural engineer' who jumped up and down on one part of the concrete floor like a toddler on a trampoline, pronounced it sound, and added, grinning, "I went to school for 10 years to learn how to do this." Maybe he should have studied longer, since it turned out that the floor was cracked through, and only one inch thick in parts (and underneath it was a sewer pipe that could have passed for a colander). Helicon also gave wrong information about the DC code and regulations. As for Helicon's proposed drawings for the renovation, just for one example, we would have had to walk around a bed to get out the back door. When I began to raise questions about the work, he simply refused to answer my emails and refused to go to mediation - although that's what his contract calls for in case of a dispute. When we finally parted ways, he kept all of his hefty fees and retainer, and didn't even return the books and magazines I had lent him as examples. Now, I'm glad to say, I've got a sound, beautiful renovation underway, and a great architect - who just can't believe the drawings from Helicon.

Helicon Works provided me with truly global guidance during a major whole-house renovation,…read morebringing expert attention to the practical/technical details of design and construction as well as the spiritual aspects of making a home. The result is a home that is beautiful, functional, and energy-efficient. I did not hesitate to call on them again when undertaking a second major project.

Fernando from BBC Construction is - by far - the best contractor I have ever worked with in the 12…read moreyears I've lived in DC. This company is honestly the only one that hasn't let me down. All the work they've done has exceeded my expectations. Fernando is very knowledgeable, punctual, friendly, and respectful, and sets realistic expectations about the timeline of each project and what it will entail. As a young woman, I have had many negative experiences with other sexist contractors who assume that I lack enough knowledge in their field (electrical, plumbing, etc.) or that I have no common sense, and so they try to scam me or get away with poor quality work. It has been the opposite with Fernando. He takes the time to patiently and kindly answer every single one of my many questions, and explains things to me as many times as I need him to, always treating me like an equal. I have an old house, built in 1921, and in the decades before I owned it, it went through renovations that were not done well. This has meant that now every serious project in the house must be done carefully to ensure that it remains structurally sound and safe both in the short and long term. I only trust Fernando to do any work in the house at this point, because I regretted every other time I hired someone else. I appreciate so much that he always thinks about how to make the result even better than I asked for, and without me asking, cares enough to use his knowledge to come up with ways to make the best of this house that I love despite its limitations (e.g. building recessed shelves to maximize limited space). His prices are shockingly fair and he gives detailed invoices outlining his projected labor costs. If anything unforeseen comes up that might lead to increased costs, he immediately addresses it with you to discuss options and ensure you are comfortable with the outcome. His team cleans up after themselves and you can see that he treats his workers with respect. The projects he'd done for me include (but are not limited to): -Fixing a collapsed wall in the crawl space of my basement (it was so bad, you could see the roots of a tree from inside the house) and ensuring water could no longer leak into the house - Removing an old retaining wall and building a stunning brand new one - Replacing old floors with ceramic and vinyl ones - Building and painting a fence - Building a concrete walkway in my yard and fixing an old one - Fixing the flow of rainwater in my yard to protect the house from water damage - As well as less complex tasks like painting my interior walls And now, he is currently finishing my basement which is a very complex project given the limitations of the house, but I know it'll exceed my expectations as before. I am so thankful that Fernando and his team were recommended to me years ago and now I will continue to recommend him to everyone I know in the DMV.

Honest, Reliable, and Quality Work!…read more I am very impressed with Fernando and his team. I was in need of replacing a vanity sink in one of my bathrooms and some roofing handyman services. I had been putting off the work for months and even considered doing it myself because the estimates that I received from other contractors were ridiculously high and super-inflated. Also, the other contracting companies either seemed disinterested in smaller jobs, not trustworthy, or left me with reservations and not a good feeling overall in having them do the work. In comes BBC Construction/Remodeling LLC. From the point of my initial meeting with the owner Fernando to the actual completion of the job, I am thoroughly satisfied with my decision in hiring this company. Fernando was very professional and his team did a great job on the work I requested. He was able to assess the work needed accurately and offered up great advice/recommendations on the work to be completed. In addition, he exuded two of the top qualities I look for in a contractor: 1) Patience -- Not once did I feel rushed with my initial appointment. He listened attentively, was not pushy and seemed eager to help. Nor, did I feel like Fernando was annoyed by my slue of questions. And, believe me there were many.....He patiently listened and answered every question. 2) Attention to Detail -- Fernando did a great job at assessing the work needed to be done and provided a fair estimate of the cost. Antonio was the crew member assigned to the work I requested. This guy was top notch. He performed an exceptional job on completing new plumbing and installing a new vanity sink in my home. He had great attention to detail and cleaned up the site afterwards. He also was the guy that handled the roofing work I requested as well and even completed a few things that were not a part of the scope of work! He could have ignored it or charged me extra, but he didn't! This is when you know you have found a quality, first rate company that takes pride in what they do. I would recommend BBC Construction/Remodeling LLC; without reservation. They are dependable, trust worthy and do great work. The entire experience made me feel as though customer satisfaction is a high priority. I have a few more projects around the house and I definitely will be reaching out to Fernando and his team for their services.

Our first meeting with Mark Kramer demonstrated that he had already done his homework. He had…read morealready looked at our land records to see what kind of options existed within the framework of current zoning laws. And because Mark is so heavily involved in Montgomery County Zoning issues, this was important and we were confident that we be working within the bounds of what was allowed and acceptable. Engaging with an architect and builder to improve your residence is not for the faint-hearted. Expectations of a Nordstrom service experience would fall into the delusional category, in my humble opinion. The architect is not the project manager. The architect is not the builder. But in our engagement with Mark Kramer, I was surprised at how much the architect DID do. Not only did Mark design a beautiful addition to our 60 year old Bethesda Cape Cod, but he was our representative at the table with the builder. My favorite quote from Mark was, "You don't pay the builder, until I tell you to pay the builder." And because Mark has such a presence in the Bethesda area, the builders Mark works with have to meet his standards, or they won't be included on future bids. Mark gives you leverage in a relationship that can be fraught with stress. This allowed me to sleep easier. There are thousands of details in a home renovation. And thousands of opportunities to make mistakes...by everyone. I really wish we had used the suppliers that Mark and our builder had recommended. Instead, we used our own supplier on a number of items. This sometimes caused problems. It's important to leverage the relationships that the builder and architect have built over the years. Because when those inevitable mistakes occur, a simple phone call can fix it - when those relationships are in place. We love the way our house turned out - both inside and out. One of Mark's specialties is taking an old house and making it "new" without destroying the original character of the house. If I had to do it again, I'd call Mark, and I always direct my friends to call him as well.

I highly recommend avoiding Kramer Architects. We had a horrible experience on a large expensive…read moreaddition project where Mark Kramer did not listen to our requests for the project and then disappeared once work started. In hindsight there were major design flaws. These actions ended up costing us significantly more to get the project to a less than ideal outcome, which still has not achieved our goals. This would be a zero stars if that was an option.