The project was to add a master suite that had a handicapped accessible bathroom to the ground…read morefloor of our home. A deck was also part of the plan. The owner of the business, Kelvin Pierce, came to our house multiple times to discuss changes that we wanted. He was patient with us, and always polite and businesslike. His wife, Susan Pierce, was the architect. Her ingenious plan made it appear that our addition was always part of the house. It turned out beautiful with the bricks from the side of the house being used on the front of the new wing. Otherwise, new bricks never would have matched. Vicki Cecchetti was in charge of ordering bathroom selections, lighting, and other customized options. She was always "right on it" with expertise and knowledge. She gave us options and alternatives to stay "in budget." Dave Porto was the production manager and had a wealth of knowledge about building homes correctly. He checked in periodically. Melvin Menjivar was the on-site project manager. He was creative and unflappable. He went the extra mile to please us and do things correctly. His attention to details was superb. He should be rewarded for his excellent customer service and expertise. Anyone would be lucky to have him as their project manager. Melvin was cooperative in applying any small changes that we asked for. Some changes, however, we had to pay extra for. An example is a light switch on each entrance into the walk-in closet. We only had one switch in the contract. The project started two weeks late because of inspection delays, but finished in ninety days, as planned. Everyone from the carpenter, to the plumber, to the electrician, did their jobs competently and efficiently. The company has skilled and courteous employees, who cleaned up the work site each day. I experienced a disappointing construction project with another local company, so really appreciate when the job is done quickly, as planned. I initially had "sticker shock" with the price, but now understand why the addition cost so much because of the complexity and coordination needed, as well as the number of workers with their specialty skills. I highly recommend this company. Our project didn't intrude much on our privacy, as we had a door between the new wing and our space. The crew were like "family" --they were so considerate and friendly. The owners made sure that their workers had regular working hours and time off on weekends, which says a lot for their work ethic and fairness to their employees.

My husband and I have never found a contractor better than Commonwealth...and we should know. Over…read morethe 25 years since Commonwealth put a major addition on our house in Herndon, VA, we have worked with at least 10 contractors in 4 different states. None could beat Kelvin and Susan, and most couldn't even come close. We wish we could have convinced them to move with us every time we needed to do a home renovation or construction project. Every contractor we've worked with since 1997 has had to listen to us say repeated times, "Let me tell you about this firm we worked with in Virginia" and then we launch into an often extensive tale of the kind of service, care, attention to detail, reliability, and just plain helpful advice throughout the process that we got from Kelvin and Susan. Our favorite story? How Commonwealth's crew dismantled virtually the entire back wall of our house (which included the living room wall, where a 13-year-old's slumber/birthday party was taking place), installed a steel beam, then completely framed the two-story addition, and had it sheathed and under roof--in one day! To this day, my husband wishes he'd bought a keg, set up chairs, and invited the neighbors over to watch--the crew worked like fine choreography and the foreman RAN the entire day. Not only was every bit of the work top notch but the crew protected our slumberers and the rest of the house. Yes, we lived in the house during the entire construction process--something, I realize now, was made possible only because of Susan's and Kelvin's careful planning, and their thoughtfulness in understanding/adapting to our situation (I was running a business--with 3 employees--in one of the rooms that was getting enlarged and whose back wall was removed that day). Now we find ourselves deliriously happy that a contractor at least tells us when the workers are not going to be there; with Kelvin, we never had to guess because he made sure the workers were ALWAYS there. I'm writing this 25 years later because that 13-year-old is now building an addition on her house in Northern Virginia and asked me for recommendations. Can you guess the only name I've offered her?!

We recently used GALA Construction for our home remodeling needs. They designed and built us a…read morebrand new deck (with deck lighting on rails and steps), remodeled the entire kitchen, bathrooms, and replaced all of our flooring with hardwood. We are very happy with their work and love to show off our newly remodeled home. They work with you on your vision and make every effort to make that vision become a reality. We look forward to working with them again as we plan to remodel our basement.

"I hired FORMA to remodel my 2-BR loft-style condo in the Logan Circle area of Washington, DC. In…read moreshort, I'm very pleased with the result and I'd definitely hire them again. I was happy with the ways in which they pushed me in directions I wouldn't have considered, and in cases where they recommended against ideas that I floated, I almost uniformly realized a bit down the road that they were entirely correct. The aesthetic -- modern and airy while also being warm and welcoming -- is impeccable. I also was extremely pleased by their response time; it was rare that emails or phone calls wouldn't be answered within a few hours, and often it was quicker."

"We hired FORMA for the second time to do a full renovation of a 2,500 sf 1900 townhouse in the…read moreLogan Circle neighborhood in DC. We wanted a completely open, airy, modern space and FORMA's design delivered it, making a great use of every single space. Despite the challenges the project presented, given the age of the house, everything went smoothly without major surprises and with incredible results".

We worked with Hardwick Studio for design/architecture support on a significant Washington DC…read moretownhouse renovation project. The project completed in early 2017. We are pleased with the outcome, just as we are very pleased to have worked with Ms. Hardwick. The project involved a partial gut, basement digout, significant structural and other improvements to a 135-year-old DC townhouse, with tight spaces and complex design/build challenges. Ms. Hardwick capably guided us through the design phases, and through the permit stage, including navigating through DC's labyrinth-like permit/review/approve process. She developed a complete compliant design, while avoiding 'hot button' issues with the DC governing entities. She had good command of (and good judgement about) material types and construction methods. She connected us with competent experts in essential/related fields (e.g., structural engineers and builders). She also facilitated the coordination with neighbors. Her design, construction plans and material recommendations factored in sustainability, energy efficiency, and other environmental considerations. Through all of this, she remained within budget and on schedule. We found Ms. Hardwick to be competent, capable and a pleasure to do business with. While we did not seek dedicated/continuous project management support during the construction phase, Ms. Hardwick was more than willing to come by on an as-needed basis, and did so (during construction), helping nudge our project back on track. No extra charges (no 'nickel and diming'). She simply responded and helped, and we were appreciative to have her capable guidance. Ms. Hardwick provided capable expertise and influence throughout the entire project lifecycle. We would readily recommend Ms. Hardwick for her design/architect services.

I cannot say enough great things about Marvella. From initially dealing with Mike, to Krista in the…read moreoffice, ending with David supervising the job of the many skilled carpenters. We initially hired them to build a shed/workshop. Work was done with such skill and precision that we immediately hired them for a restructure of our deck, screen doors and stairs leading to the deck. Everyone we have dealt with is very knowledgeable and all have made great suggestions to help complete the projects to our overwhelming satisfaction. Pictures don't even do it justice. Both projects are now done so we have begun planning a much needed plumbing issue fix and bathroom remodel. This company can literally do it all. . This company's biggest strength is their communication. Calls, emails and texts are made and returned. Schedules were set and kept. So refreshing. I often wonder why companies don't treat their customers the way Marvella treated us. They will have our business for years to come.

Marvella's toxic relationships with clients continue. Despite having a invoice from them showing a…read morezero balance they have refused to engage on email about removing a mechanics lien they placed on my property and have threatened specious defamation lawsuits over accurate online reviews. Avoid them at all costs!

I love the work they did. I remodeled my kitchen and bath a few years ago and I want to keep it as…read moreit did when I did the remodelling. I don't want shoes in the house because I have some nice wooden floors that I paid a pretty penny for and luckily they actually wear shoe covers and they used products of my choosing. I'll use them again next time.

NB: Should be a 4.5, but that's not an option here…read more Our renovation project involved putting in an all-new kitchen and powder room, plus refinishing floors, replacing lighting, and repainting living room/dining room/family room/hall on the same (relatively open plan) level and some relatively minor exterior work. Project included electrical and drywall work but no structural changes. Mold removal wasn't originally part of the project, but, when a problem was discovered, it was handled thoroughly and expeditiously. The good: Overall, the finished project looks great and all the changes we made to our kitchen/main floor work well. Coordination between the design and the construction teams was good and we ended up working with great people on each side. Colleen, who helped us with kitchen design, was very good at laying out/generating alternatives and flagging pros and cons. She was focussed on our objectives and kept working until they were met. Fabricio held down the fort on the construction side. In addition to being a skilled craftsman with high standards, he is someone who is always looking for ways to make things better. He thinks ahead and has a problem-solving mindset. We always felt that he was treating our home the way he would his own. What fell short of perfection: probably worth bearing in mind that this was our first renovation project so it's not a comparative assessment. We've heard other peoples' horror stories and our issues were minor/mostly resolved in real time. That said, two pieces of advice: (1) Make sure the designer you are working with is a good match. If not, ask for someone else. Landis has multiple designers on staff. (2) If you are moving out for renovations, give yourself a cushion (more than a month on each end) wrt alternative arrangements for housing.

Landis transformed our kitchen to make it look stylish and modern. The design and layout of the…read morekitchen completely changed, and it looks absolutely amazing! The value of our house has significantly increased. Dana Kaminsky, the team leader, was a pleasure to work with. She has a great personality, cares about her clients, and brings a tremendous amount of value to her projects. Maurice Brown, the project manager, was very responsive and ensured the quality of the work met Landis standards. I felt that all the employees that worked on the project were professional, respectful and dedicated to doing quality work.

We had Wilder Works (small renovation division of Anthony Wilder) do a bathroom make over and WOW,…read morewe couldn't be happier. On time, on budget, excellent craftsman, clean, neat, I can't say enough good things. Our bathroom literally looks brand new. I think Anthony Wilder's team performed magic and we couldn't be more pleased. Thanks Team!

Both Anthony Wilder Design/Build and their Wilder Works smaller projects general contractor spent…read morehours with us trying to define the right scope of work for our house in Cleveland Park. We ended up selling the house before we could start the work, but I strongly recommend their design capabilities, attentiveness, and depth of knowledge of construction. If you are a busy person, and don't have time to oversee the construction yourself, this is the group for you!