In short, my wife and I are absolutely thrilled. She is threatening to move into the [newly remodeled] kitchen because of the inner peace she gets from being there. I am only kidding a little.
My expectations for working with a contractor are generally:
There were in fact very few punch list items, all were minor. Dave's estimated schedule was shorter than those from other contractors, but not only was the schedule met; he had time to take on additional unrelated jobs within that schedule. There were inevitable differences over materials and design, but Dave and his crew handled all of these situations objectively and was happy to see things our way, although we were smart enough to take a lot of his suggestions.
To the list above, however, I can add a few more expectations for any future contractors, courtesy of Dave and Jenny's professionalism.
If there was any question as to the responsibility for a particular task, Dave invariably took it on. In fact, without asking, he and his crew did some project tasks that I thought were on my plate, which was an unexpected, but great relief to me, and were done a lot quicker and better. Throughout months of working with Dave and his crew, regardless of any [unexpected issues], Dave was patient, knowledgeable and pleasant to work with. Jenny's accounting and paperwork was thorough and consistent throughout. When we agreed on a possible change to the scope of work, a change order for my signature appeared before any work was started, and when I returned them for minor changes a couple of times she corrected them quickly and pleasantly. She and Dave work well as a team - work items we discussed with Dave were stated accurately on the estimates, contracts and change orders. Very little information was lost, which exceeded any prior experience I had had. They really make sure that they understand what you want, and communicate that to you.
Jenny's Design Build not only met but far exceeded our expectations and we recommend Jenny's Design Build without qualification for any job that they are willing to tackle.
My expectations for working with a contractor are generally:
- Does the estimate describe the work in sufficient detail for the customer to gauge its accuracy and track changes against it?
- Is price in the original estimate plus any approved change orders held to?
- Is the job schedule held to?
- Are materials quoted in the estimate delivered as described?
- Are the inevitable misunderstandings that occur handled in a professional way?
- Are all punch list items satisfactorily addressed?
There were in fact very few punch list items, all were minor. Dave's estimated schedule was shorter than those from other contractors, but not only was the schedule met; he had time to take on additional unrelated jobs within that schedule. There were inevitable differences over materials and design, but Dave and his crew handled all of these situations objectively and was happy to see things our way, although we were smart enough to take a lot of his suggestions.
To the list above, however, I can add a few more expectations for any future contractors, courtesy of Dave and Jenny's professionalism.
- Are the contractor's suppliers and subs first rate?
- Do the contractor and his suppliers provide added value in great ideas that the customer would not have thought of?
- Does the contractor perform his work with the least disturbance to the customer's household?
- Does the contractor think of ways to make the experience better than the customer expected?
- Is the contractor a stickler for maintaining a thorough paper trail of contract transactions?
If there was any question as to the responsibility for a particular task, Dave invariably took it on. In fact, without asking, he and his crew did some project tasks that I thought were on my plate, which was an unexpected, but great relief to me, and were done a lot quicker and better. Throughout months of working with Dave and his crew, regardless of any [unexpected issues], Dave was patient, knowledgeable and pleasant to work with. Jenny's accounting and paperwork was thorough and consistent throughout. When we agreed on a possible change to the scope of work, a change order for my signature appeared before any work was started, and when I returned them for minor changes a couple of times she corrected them quickly and pleasantly. She and Dave work well as a team - work items we discussed with Dave were stated accurately on the estimates, contracts and change orders. Very little information was lost, which exceeded any prior experience I had had. They really make sure that they understand what you want, and communicate that to you.
Jenny's Design Build not only met but far exceeded our expectations and we recommend Jenny's Design Build without qualification for any job that they are willing to tackle.
One of the key reasons we hired Dave and Jenny’s DesignBuild for our project is the consistently high record of performance we found documented on Angie’s List. Other contractors that had been recommended to us simply could not compare and, frankly, could not even be considered in light of this work’s importance to us. We have not been disappointed in any way. Rather than repeat all of the glowing accolades from other satisfied Jenny’s customers, which I could do with complete honesty, I’d like to stress what I see as the differentiators that set this company ahead of the others:
The hall bath is completed and is beautiful. The master bath is nearing completion with the shower glass installation remaining; c
- First and foremost, an honest and sincere commitment on the part of everyone, not just Dave and Jenny, to complete all, and I mean everything, to the customers total satisfaction. As this project approach completion, I have absolute confidence that we will be delighted beyond words.
- A proven emphasis on communication. All phone calls to Dave’s phone are answered, and all emails, returned. His responsiveness, to what I sometimes called the “Nightly Nag”, not only let us review and deal with issues on a timely basis but also significantly reduced our level of homeowner stress.
- Commitment to schedule. Our projects had a hard completion deadline driven by guests arriving for the holidays. When the inevitable glitch occurred in the material delivery, Dave was able to rework the plan to fit everything in, completing everything except for the final shower glass installation—it wasn’t easy.
- Top notch team on site. Skilled. Experienced. Pleasant. Clean and easy on the home. Electrical work--quick and correct. Wall work and painting--flawless. Master bath tile--perfectly executed. Minor plumbing issues were quickly identified and resolved.
- Experienced, expert design team. Design consultants from Montgomery Kitchen and Bath, Ivis Marble and Granite, Architectural Ceramics, Ferguson Enterprises, and River Glass each made important contributions to the success of our remodeling.
The hall bath is completed and is beautiful. The master bath is nearing completion with the shower glass installation remaining; c
“We really feel that we got what we paid for:
the best kitchen this house could have ever dreamed of having.
Everything ran like beautiful clockwork.
They were the first contractors that we felt actually heard our vision
and understood what sort of family we are. From our initial meetings with
Dave Bennington he was always very clear about making sure that we were
happy with his and his workers’ work...and on various occaisions he would adjust,
fix and explain very cleary what could be done, what would be done and when
it would happen. At the end of the job there were a few odds and ends to be fixed
and Jenny's DesignBuild was right there to make sure they were taken care of and sorted.
We are now able to cook, bake, wash, prep, organize, eat, drink and be merry in
and understood what sort of family we are. From our initial meetings with
Dave Bennington he was always very clear about making sure that we were
happy with his and his workers’ work...and on various occaisions he would adjust,
fix and explain very cleary what could be done, what would be done and when
it would happen. At the end of the job there were a few odds and ends to be fixed
and Jenny's DesignBuild was right there to make sure they were taken care of and sorted.
We are now able to cook, bake, wash, prep, organize, eat, drink and be merry in
the most fantastic kitchen we could have hoped for.
Along the way we learned a great deal and now have some added appreciation
as well as skills to take on to our next venture: the bathrooms.
This was our first remodeling experience and
as well as skills to take on to our next venture: the bathrooms.
This was our first remodeling experience and
I can't recommend any team better than Jenny's DesignBuild."
-Julian and Susan Parker-Burns, Silver Spring, MD
Even one year later, everytime I walk in to my new kitchen,
I think about how fortunate we were to meet Jenny and Dave Bennington! Jenny's DesignBuild completed a 'down to the studs' renovation of our kitchen and upstairs bath in 2008. We wanted to work with a local company that focuses on quality, personal service and excellent craftsmanship.
Dave and Jenny treat every client like they are the most important client they have! The project was thoughtfully and carefully planned, with great attention paid to staging the work in an occupied home. Dave's crew was friendly, neat, considerate and skilled. They were so careful to minimize dust and construction debris and always managed to clean up each day as much as they could.
Dave was always available to answer questions, respond when problems arose and to supervise his crew as needed. The job was started on time and was finished a few days earlier than promised. Dave always had good suggestions for improving the design and saving money where possible. When the inevitable challenges occurred, Dave was always the first to step in and resolve the problem.
We recommended Jenny's DesignBuild to friends who were also satisfied with Dave's work on their home. But, the best recommendation we can give is to say that we will definitely call Dave and Jenny for our next home remodeling project.
- SHARON & ALAN PARVER
KENSINGTON, MD
Dave and Jenny treat every client like they are the most important client they have! The project was thoughtfully and carefully planned, with great attention paid to staging the work in an occupied home. Dave's crew was friendly, neat, considerate and skilled. They were so careful to minimize dust and construction debris and always managed to clean up each day as much as they could.
Dave was always available to answer questions, respond when problems arose and to supervise his crew as needed. The job was started on time and was finished a few days earlier than promised. Dave always had good suggestions for improving the design and saving money where possible. When the inevitable challenges occurred, Dave was always the first to step in and resolve the problem.
We recommended Jenny's DesignBuild to friends who were also satisfied with Dave's work on their home. But, the best recommendation we can give is to say that we will definitely call Dave and Jenny for our next home remodeling project.
- SHARON & ALAN PARVER
KENSINGTON, MD
"If you want the job done right,
Jenny's is your contractor."
"I got more than my money's worth!"
"If there is something you don't like, tell them. They will fix it."
"The world of homeowners could use more people like David and his company.
...It went fantastically. David brings the highest standards of excellence to his business and carpentry work. He is very exacting, professional and honest. He left my home clean and orderly at all times. Any problems that came up, he took care of it. I highly recommend this company for jobs of all types, from basic carpentry to full home renovations and of course, for custom built cabinetry. I know this because before I hired him, I inspected the custom kitchen cabinets he built for another customer. He built all these cabinets by hand and they just looked gorgeous."
- ANGELA MARNEY
KENSINGTON, MD
...It went fantastically. David brings the highest standards of excellence to his business and carpentry work. He is very exacting, professional and honest. He left my home clean and orderly at all times. Any problems that came up, he took care of it. I highly recommend this company for jobs of all types, from basic carpentry to full home renovations and of course, for custom built cabinetry. I know this because before I hired him, I inspected the custom kitchen cabinets he built for another customer. He built all these cabinets by hand and they just looked gorgeous."
- ANGELA MARNEY
KENSINGTON, MD
"I would highly recommend this company and have already contracted
with them again for another project."
- BETH MELLING
CLARKSBURG, MD
- BETH MELLING
CLARKSBURG, MD
"Keep it up - we need more service people like you!"
"The bottom line is that this business cares about its customers and has pride of workmanship.
...I had my master bath stripped to the studs, so this was a total remodeling job. The new design required them to move things around; they installed new tile on the floor and in the shower, installed new vanities, updated the toilet area, created a two-person shower (this was NOT a pre-fab unit) and made room for a washer/dryer unit in the closet. They get an A+! David and Jenny of Jenny's DesignBuild were great.
This master bathroom remodeling project was a major job. Jenny always sent me emails and calls to keep me up to date. This company values its reputation. They're very professional and honest. They gave me a prompt estimate and started work immediately. All the work they did was superior! There were times they went out of their way to help me. I felt very secure having them come into my home."
- LISA SHEA
POTOMAC, MD
...I had my master bath stripped to the studs, so this was a total remodeling job. The new design required them to move things around; they installed new tile on the floor and in the shower, installed new vanities, updated the toilet area, created a two-person shower (this was NOT a pre-fab unit) and made room for a washer/dryer unit in the closet. They get an A+! David and Jenny of Jenny's DesignBuild were great.
This master bathroom remodeling project was a major job. Jenny always sent me emails and calls to keep me up to date. This company values its reputation. They're very professional and honest. They gave me a prompt estimate and started work immediately. All the work they did was superior! There were times they went out of their way to help me. I felt very secure having them come into my home."
- LISA SHEA
POTOMAC, MD
"Keep up the good work. I hope to work with you again and would recommend you!
...This was an office remodeling project that involved the following: demolition of the existing ceiling, closet and carpets; framing and drywalling a new ceiling, installation of a new window and the re-siding of the exterior wall, re-insulation of the walls, repairing the concrete subfloor, installation of radiant heat cables for the floor and electrical hookup, and installation of ceramic tile flooring.
They returned my call promptly and gave me a realistic estimate. Their people were professional and knowledgeable in all facets of the remodel and referred me to an excellent source of tile. David offered many good ideas. His pricing was fair and he was immediately responsive. The work was done by Dave and his excellent craftsmen, quickly and precisely. Jenny runs an efficient backroom operation so all administrative contracts, billing, change orders and other communication is almost immediate, as it is all done via email."
- MARY ANNE McCLEARY
BETHESDA, MD
...This was an office remodeling project that involved the following: demolition of the existing ceiling, closet and carpets; framing and drywalling a new ceiling, installation of a new window and the re-siding of the exterior wall, re-insulation of the walls, repairing the concrete subfloor, installation of radiant heat cables for the floor and electrical hookup, and installation of ceramic tile flooring.
They returned my call promptly and gave me a realistic estimate. Their people were professional and knowledgeable in all facets of the remodel and referred me to an excellent source of tile. David offered many good ideas. His pricing was fair and he was immediately responsive. The work was done by Dave and his excellent craftsmen, quickly and precisely. Jenny runs an efficient backroom operation so all administrative contracts, billing, change orders and other communication is almost immediate, as it is all done via email."
- MARY ANNE McCLEARY
BETHESDA, MD
"Hmmm. Let me try to find the words to express how we feel about the deck and screen porch that Dave and Jenny's DesignBuild designed and built for us this past summer. Aha! I've got it:
We LOVE it!
From our first conversations through the completion of the project, the process was a wonderful experience. Dave took our rough sketches and transformed them into exactly what we'd hoped for. In addition to making helpful suggestions (and improvements) and giving us practical guidance, he and Jenny really listened to us, so that the final product not only adds greatly to the beauty of our house, but feels like home. Whenever we had questions during the construction phase, Dave couldn't have been more responsive. And speaking of the construction phase, our porch was built in record time; the job site was cleaned up every evening; and the crew was friendly, cooperative and polite.
And now for the deeper question: Can a porch make you happy? This is a topic we never tire of exploring as we sit sipping our coffee in the mornings, out in the fresh air. And the answer we always come back to is: Yes. It can...IF you have the right contractor. And we're so glad we did!
So thank you Dave and Jenny and the DesignBuild crew!"
GEORGE & SUSAN SPANGLER
GAITHERSBURG, MD
We LOVE it!
From our first conversations through the completion of the project, the process was a wonderful experience. Dave took our rough sketches and transformed them into exactly what we'd hoped for. In addition to making helpful suggestions (and improvements) and giving us practical guidance, he and Jenny really listened to us, so that the final product not only adds greatly to the beauty of our house, but feels like home. Whenever we had questions during the construction phase, Dave couldn't have been more responsive. And speaking of the construction phase, our porch was built in record time; the job site was cleaned up every evening; and the crew was friendly, cooperative and polite.
And now for the deeper question: Can a porch make you happy? This is a topic we never tire of exploring as we sit sipping our coffee in the mornings, out in the fresh air. And the answer we always come back to is: Yes. It can...IF you have the right contractor. And we're so glad we did!
So thank you Dave and Jenny and the DesignBuild crew!"
GEORGE & SUSAN SPANGLER
GAITHERSBURG, MD
"You get what you pay for. I probably could have spent less on a remodel,
but I have a master suite that rocks Hollywood style.
...We did a complete remodel of our master bedroom and bath (master suite) that included repair of damaged walls in the bedroom, painting, built-in cabinets in the bedroom, installation of a new jacuzzi tub, removal of walls and enlarging a shower, a new vanity, new fixtures, new plumbing, and complete electrical rewiring of the bedroom and bath to accommodate more lighting fixtures and flat panel TVs in both the bedroom and bath.
We had wanted to remodel the master suite for some time - especially the bathroom. The walls in the master bedroom were damaged and there were many nail pop outs from the drywall poking through the paint. The bathroom was builder-grade...white tiles...cheap vanity... a strangely configured tub, and the same pop-outs and wall damage. Finally someone that we were working with on another project recommended Jenny's.
There was never a missed day of work. They did most of the demolition and cabinet building. They had subcontractors for painting, plumbing and electrical. They were all excellent, and they finished on time."
- JOEL SHAW
N. POTOMAC, MD
but I have a master suite that rocks Hollywood style.
...We did a complete remodel of our master bedroom and bath (master suite) that included repair of damaged walls in the bedroom, painting, built-in cabinets in the bedroom, installation of a new jacuzzi tub, removal of walls and enlarging a shower, a new vanity, new fixtures, new plumbing, and complete electrical rewiring of the bedroom and bath to accommodate more lighting fixtures and flat panel TVs in both the bedroom and bath.
We had wanted to remodel the master suite for some time - especially the bathroom. The walls in the master bedroom were damaged and there were many nail pop outs from the drywall poking through the paint. The bathroom was builder-grade...white tiles...cheap vanity... a strangely configured tub, and the same pop-outs and wall damage. Finally someone that we were working with on another project recommended Jenny's.
There was never a missed day of work. They did most of the demolition and cabinet building. They had subcontractors for painting, plumbing and electrical. They were all excellent, and they finished on time."
- JOEL SHAW
N. POTOMAC, MD