Danny at D & A Home Improvements exceeded my expectations at every level imaginable. His service is an incredible quality and value combined with efficiency that I've never seen before. I've had some mixed experiences with general contractors in the past (nothing terrible, just nothing remarkable either), so the whole time we were kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop... and then the project just finished. And that was that. Just a quick and painless 8 weeks and our 3 Bed 2 Bath apartment was finished and ready to rent.
A little bit about our situation. We're first time homeowners, and simultaneously needed to close on the sale while renovating the second rental unit in a two family house. It was very stressful since there was a lot of different factors at play. We interviewed three GCs who all seemed great, but by the time Danny was finished meeting with us I had a feeling that he was the best fit. He was more detailed with his analysis, brought up some unique ideas for potential upgrades (without upselling), and brought up some ideas for future improvements of our building that I had independently been researching at length. He clearly had a vision for how to take our building into the 21st century. And beyond that, he pointed out an important tip for dealing with ConEd that immediately saved us a few thousand dollars.
After getting his bid, he wasn't the cheapest quote but he provided a very detailed breakdown of the work involved, where the costs were attributed and helped us target areas to save money. He also provided a realistic estimate of the time it would take to complete: 6-8 weeks. Most importantly, he understood exactly what we were trying to do, which was provide the necessary improvements to a unit that hadn't been upgraded since 1960 in a budget friendly way without neglecting the crucial details which would come back to bite us in the ass in a few years. This comes back to the core advantage of D & A which is "value."
Very soon after agreeing to proceed, construction began at lightning pace. Danny brought in his expert team, lead by foreman, Gonzalo (who I'm convinced can do literally any task you ask him to on a house). Throughout the process, the team would slightly expand or contract depending on what stage of the process we were in. They're very polite, and take up a small footprint in your neighborhood. Danny would focus on logistics, quality management and ensuring that things were shaping up to our expectations. With this being an investment property, he scoured his ample connections throughout the city and found some of the most smoking hot deals on high quality materials. Vanities, cabinets, tubs, shower bodies, soundproof insulation, and on and on. He was incredibly helpful with the material process and picked everything up within reason. This was another thing that surprised me about him compared to other contractors that would stick the entire thing on us (sourcing and picking up). Throughout the process, communication remained superb at all times.
As we continued with the construction, me and my wife decided that we wanted to change the plan significantly, and soundproof all our bedrooms (which is a HUGE undertaking). Danny was very helpful and understanding with this process, and broke down all the additional expenses in depth. Most contractors would have just told me "forget it" but Danny isn't afraid of ripping things apart to do it right. Even with this massive setback, he still managed to finish days ahead of his ORIGINAL schedule.
I'm convinced that even though he's not the cheapest GC, he is by far the best value that you can find. He will maximize your investment in every possible way. And not only with construction. We had recently moved to the area, and Danny practically has the keys to the city with his level of connections and referrals. Throughout the process he was there to listen to my concerns, develop our ideas and offer helpful guidance along the way. Even after construction was finished, he still followed up to hear how everything went and make sure we were set up for success as new homeowners. Anybody would be lucky to have someone of such high moral character and intelligence helping them through one of the hardest processes you can go through as a homeowner.
I know this is an outrageously long review, but I'm hoping if you've made it this far that this is the push you need to feel good about making the right choice and getting Danny involved on your project. read more