My wife and I, who have a baby and a 5-year-old, bought a house with a 933 sq ft unfinished…read morebasement. I purchased the permits and was going to do the work myself, but found that I had no time, and that there was a big learning curve for doing the work myself, so I started looking for a contractor. I filled out some online forms (inbound marketing forms) and they gave me CNJ Construction's information as a potential contractor. I don't remember if I called them or if they called me, but we ended up getting together to discuss the project.
We submitted a request for proposal/quote (RFQ/RFP) that included the finishing work downstairs to be the same/similar materials and layout as the upstairs. I felt the need to write-up the requirements/contract because no real requirements collection has been documented, or if so had not be released to me. Without the proposal I wrote I believe the detail simply wouldn't have been captured. Their contract was very vague, was only 1 page, and we had to reference to my in-depth project agreement proposal document to capture all of the customer requirements. What was nice was that they quickly returned a quote within a couple of days which is quite quick seeing how many variables went into such a large project.
One of the strongest points about CNJ, which is why I would use them again, is that they truly did show an honest concern for me and my family throughout the entire process. CNJ brought up topics and issues that I hadn't thought of before, and that were crucial. They even worked with me on additional requirements such as installing sound-dampening insulation between the 1st and 2nd floors! The advice CNJ gave me and my family about the construction aspects and all the variables of the project was priceless and deeply appreciated. I had gone out to other construction crews for bids but CNJ really blew me away by trying to think of all the things ahead of time in their 1st visit, things that other crews had completely missed.
There was a miscommunication between CNJ and the electrician on canned light hole sizes. The electrician was installing the smaller 4" lights, but they cut the ceiling for larger canned lights. This made them have to use these trim extenders. Funny thing is my wife and I absolutely fell in love with them and liked their design the second we saw them so it all worked out. Thing is, it could have been a big problem had the customer wanted the original trims they had installed in the larger cuts which clearly showed holes through the ceiling around where the trim was supposed to go. Regardless, it looks great and they worked magic to make sure it was fixed and looking amazing!
We loved that they allowed us to put the materials charges on our credit cards so that we could not only earn credit card rewards, but to play the 0% credit card interest game where we could save our cash and get interest on our savings accounts while not having interest on our credit card payments. This made my family hundreds of dollars in savings account interest growth, as well as credit card rewards, with no fees nor penalty charges since we just pay off our credit cards in full before interest charges kick in after 12 months. This is hundreds of dollars that we wouldn't have been able to have made had we gone with someone else. Another thing I loved about CNJ was that they were always making sure the customer wasn't getting ripped off or going into debt. When I first addressed him about using credit cards he was hesitant because many people do so and don't know how to manage their money and end up paying interest for years, they simply don't understand how to game the system and get gamed themselves. Once Charles and Danny realized that we knew what we were doing and knew we would make additional profits off our methods, they dropped their amazingly humane guard that had the best intentions, and moved forward with our plan, to which it has worked out perfectly! I can't stress the importance of having someone like this in your corner.
My family LOVED the painter and carpet installers! Great subcontractors who got the work done ASAP. CNJ handled their schedule and we didn't have to do anything extra which was great! The painter even primed the inside of the utility room (which was not being finished in this project) which was a nice small bonus.
CNJ did amazing work and our family absolutely loves the final results! Overall the quality of the work looks to be great! We got our raised ceilings, we got our smooth walls without bends in the framing, and everytime we show the finished product to someone they are wowed! CNJ was knowledgeable, friendly, customer minded, and delivered a quality first floor for our entire family to utilize for years to come! I recommend their services to others and know that in the years to come, they will continue to strive for quality and will continue to deliver amazing products for others!
