Classic Remodeling
classicremodeling.com
1832 River Road
Johns Island, SC 29455
(843) 763-3297
Blog

Classic Remodeling and Construction, Inc., founded in 1989 and celebrating its 21st year in business, is the largest firm of its kind in Greater Charleston. By combining both design and construction skills in one company we do away with any designer-builder misunderstandings. We deliver a less-stressful, more attractive and more cost-effective result for the homeowner. Our Specialty Services team is also in place to perform smaller projects, repairs and maintenance. Read more

Your Ideas. Our designs.

More than 90% of our projects come from our existing client base or from referrals. Therefore, satisfied clients are the key to our lifeline. With a near 100% recommendation rate, our company ratings attest to our reputation. Additionally we have been named Remodeler of the Year for four consecutive years by the Charleston Trident Homebuilders Association and have earned numerous national awards for excellence in remodeling.

We select loyal, highly-skilled craftsmen who share our devotion to this calling and we retain them. We are proud of our Team and because of them the majority of each project is completed in house. Our trade partners are also committed to our standards of excellence.

Your Dreams. Our Promise.

Experience the difference that Charleston's most trusted name in remodeling can make.

Guildmaster Award Winner 2006 Guildmaster
2007 Guildmaster With Distinction
2008 Guildmaster With Distinction*
2009 Guildmaster*
2010 Guildmaster With Distinction
2011 Guildmaster

GuildQuality Partner Affiliations Remodeling's Big50 Remodelers Advantage daily5Remodel

Affiliations GuildQuality
Charleston Trident Home Builders Association
National Association of Home Builders
U.S. Green Building Council
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
Chrysalis Award
Better Business Bureau
Custom Builders USA
2008 Qualified Remodeler Top 500
Qualified Remodeler Master Design Award
Professional Remodeler Best of the Best Design Award
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

Guildmaster Q&A

Company History

After graduating from Clemson University with a degree in Building Science in 1981, I moved back to Charleston and started a building company with a partner. After several years the desire for sole ownership became powerful and Classic Remodeling and Construction, Inc. was born. We've been growing steadily since our inception in 1989. Our dream space was realized in the fall of 2006 as we designed and built a well-appointed office and warehouse space totaling almost 10,000 square feet.

Scope of Work

Our primary focus is high-end residential remodeling. By having our General Contractor's license, we have also enjoyed our involvement on commercial projects. Typically, we build additions, bathroom and kitchen renovations, or even minor home repairs, but our projects vary dramatically. This is what keeps us and our projects enlivened.

One of our most unique projects was to disassemble an 18th century planter's cottage from upper South Carolina and re-build it on a private island on John's Island with only a foot bridge for access. But tomorrow we may take a job adding gutters to a home. Every job is important to us because we rely so heavily on repeat business. The client that first works with us on the gutter job may end up being the client that asks us to relocate the cottage. We love the fact that we have clients for life.

Workload and Staff

We usually have four to six projects underway at any time. And with a full-time staff of 32, we're self-performing a significant amount of that work. In addition to three project managers, we have in-house project craftsmen, three design associates, an estimator, two expediters, two office administrators, and two selections coordinators. This allows for the personal touch and attention to each detail. Because of a strong commitment to architectural and professional integrity, my passion has been realized.

Personal

I've always enjoyed working with my hands, being around construction sites, and drawing house plans. I started working in construction when I was 15, and the passion has never faltered. My wife and I live on Johns Island with our two children. Through the years my wife has had a growing influence on our marketing initiatives and employee relations. We enjoy the joint venture of nurturing our business.

Client Profile

We build all over the greater Charleston area with a significant amount of work downtown and on the islands. Regardless of the project size, our clients have an appreciation for high-quality work.

Approach to Working With Clients

We use a design-build process so we can offer services from design through construction and beyond, streamlining everything for the customer. People like this approach. (In fact, once we complete the design phase, 95% go through to construction.) At our first meeting, myself or one of our designers, walks through the house with the client and we talk about what they want, then we blend those ideas into design options. We give a cost estimate at that point, so any issues within budget can be addressed from the start. We generate highly realistic 3-D views of their plan which eliminates the guessing game and promotes understanding of space and functionality. We have one team member whose sole job is to help clients understand the product options and help them make choices about what materials they will use in their home.

What should clients bring to the table and contribute during the construction process?  What can they do to help make the relationship a success?

The best clients invest time early on to understand our responsibilities as the contractor, their responsibilities as the owner, and the details of the scope of work. Building, especially remodeling, isn't an exact science, and the more we clarify up-front, the more rewarding the experience will be.

How do you market your company?

Much of our business comes from customer and vendor referrals, thus repeat business is a vital element. We not only act professional, we represent that in all aspects of our business, right down to our logo on the vehicle license plates. Our website is filled with photographs of our projects and information about our philosophy. We have an awe inspiring ad campaign in local magazines and newspapers, as well as a postcard campaign. Most importantly we market ourselves by living up to our name and what we propose.

Likely to Recommend
100%
Job Site
100%
Schedule
100%
Comment Improvement Suggestion North Charleston, SC Sep 26, 2011

I don't have any suggestions for Classic Remodeling; this was the first time I've ever had a contractor and it was all great.

Comment Recognize Excellence North Charleston, SC Sep 26, 2011

I would like to recognize Joe, the craftsman who did the work, for his exceptional service. Him and his father were great.

Guildmember since 2003

As a GuildQuality Guildmember, Classic Remodeling relies on our customer surveying to help them deliver an exceptional customer experience.

We have surveyed customers on behalf of Classic Remodeling in Seabrook Island, SC; James Island, SC; Bethesda, MD; Evansville, IL; and North Charleston, SC.

In this report, Classic Remodeling has published a summary of the customer feedback they've received in the past 12 months. In that time, 4 out of 5 customers (80%) responded to a GuildQuality satisfaction survey, with the most recent response in September 2011.

Recent Activity

Classic Remodeling received feedback from a customer in North Charleston, SC.

09/26/11

2012 Guildmaster Application

Classic Remodeling is a candidate for a 2012 Guildmaster Award. The Guildmaster Awards recognize exemplary service among home builders, remodelers, developers, and home services contractors. Click here to review this year's qualifications.

To be eligible for consideration, Classic Remodeling must survey all of their customers, with the following exceptions: projects under $50,000

If you are a recent customer of Classic Remodeling and have not yet received a customer satisfaction survey, please let us know. We need your feedback in order to conduct a thorough review of Classic Remodeling's application.

About GuildQuality and our Guildmembers

Homebuilders, remodelers, real estate developers and home services companies pay GuildQuality for customer surveying and performance reporting. We refer to these companies as GuildQuality Members, Guildmembers, or members.

Our service helps Guildmembers monitor customer satisfaction and -- if they choose to publish survey feedback on our public website at guildquality.com -- articulate the quality of their service for prospective customers.

All of the Guildmember information we publish at guildquality.com has been provided to us either by the member (such as pictures of work and biographical information) or by their customers via one of our surveys (customer comments, performance summaries, and reviews).

Surveys, Comments and Reviews

All of the customer feedback that we publish is derived from the customers we survey. Our Guildmembers provide us with their customers' contact information, we conduct the surveys, they receive the feedback, and -- if they have chosen to make their feedback public -- the member's performance report is automatically updated to reflect the response. Members may choose to publish a summary of either all of their feedback or their most recent twelve months of feedback.

In addition to average performance ratings and survey statistics, GuildQuality also publishes two types of customer commentary: Comments and Reviews.

A comment has been provided by a survey respondent in response to any one of the survey questions we ask, and a member may or may not choose to publish it. Often customers provide unsolicited testimonials or compliments, and members can choose to share these comments in their published performance report.

Many Guildmembers choose to participate in our formal review process. These members have added an additional question on their survey: "If you'd like to provide a public review of your experience working with the Guildmember, please share it here." In contrast to comments, which a member selects to have published, we publish all reviews, provided they are at least 30 words long. With each review, we include a one to five star rating provided by the survey respondent.

Important Information about choosing a Builder, Remodeler, or Contractor

It is important to note that GuildQuality does not endorse the qualifications of any company. We make no predictions, warranties or guarantees, expressed or implied, about the quality of any work a company on this website may provide. GuildQuality does not accept any liability whatsoever for any harm that might result from any statements presented on this website.

Prospective customers should weigh a multitude of factors when choosing the right building company, and never depend on a single source when making their decision to purchase a home or hire a contractor.

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