We are already singing your praises with neighbors and friends. We would be happy to share our home with potential ABA clients, if that would be helpful.
I have complete confidence in the work they do.
The outcome was generally good, though not exactly to our specifications. The process was surprisingly difficult. Started with the pricing, which was opaque. I get the fixed price approach, but not knowing the general costs for things made it difficult for us to make informed choices that could have sped up this step. It seems clear, and was stated at one point, that ABA tends to work with customers for whom cost is not much of a consideration. Here are other things that didn't go well: 1. Foundation wasn't done accurately due to a mis-read of the plans and lack of communication between the architect and project manager. This required re-work and a final layout that was not what we had meticulously measured out. Among other things, it meant the half wall is a few inches from where it should be. (To ABA's credit, they did a lot of work to address this.) 2. The interior floor dimensions are not what we asked for. We specified a depth of 16' wall to wall and it was drawn to the interior of the walls, leaving the floor space 6-8" short. 3. We asked for minimum to no surfaces that need paint and there is more than that. 4. Brick walls were not cleaned as well as we expected. I cleaned them after construction. 5. The sidewalk curve was nearly done much closer to the house corner than we had drawn it. I happened to be there after they had put in the moldings and corrected the error. 6. The conduit to the light switches looked pretty bad. We were told that this was the only option. After seeing and not liking it, I suggested building a box built around it. ABA did it quickly (they were responsive to these things). I just feel like they should have been proactive on that element of the build. 7. We spent hours cleaning the stamped cement, scrubbing it three times to remove sawdust. 8. The cement on the porch was dull compared with the cement on the patio (this was fixed). As I've noted, many of these items were addressed as best as possible by ABA. That is to their credit and I'm grateful for that. It just felt like it was one thing after another that needed such remedies.
A highly experienced design team led us through the planning process and a master project manager coordinates the subs and solves any problems that arise before it becomes a serious breakdown.
ABA is one of the most honest and professional organizations I have ever dealt with. I have been their client for 10 years.
ABA was great to work with. They were flexible scheduling meetings around our schedules. They were professional and the project was finished in timely manner. They were great and had wonderful ideas and suggestions when help was needed. Really happy with our completed project and will not hesitate to use them in the future.
These people are problem solvers and open to client ideas about green building methods and monitoring technology. We had an unusual situation that another builder walked out on, but ABA was open to unconventional ideas that worked well.se
We trust them completely with all of our house renovation projects.
Everything from start to finish was exceptionally organized and on target with our timeline, contracted budget and final finish selections. We really enjoyed the efficient & effective weekly team meetings with them. There were no unpleasant "surprises" throughout the project. The transformation of our space exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend them to anyone looking to have a smooth, worry free design/build project.
Our 3rd project with ABA. They are great to work with--timely, professional and exceptional craftsmanship.
The first draft of the contract did come in higher than the concept estimates, which was disappointing. I don't know how common this is, but I would note to friends that that may happen. The concern is that we chose a general contractor with certain numbers in mind. However, Melinda and crew worked hard to reduce costs to better match our budget.
Additional Comments - ABA has been a pleasure to work with from communication to workmanship - we are very satisfied clients.
This was a total new home construction. Architectural Building Arts is a great company to work with. They are honest, quality oriented, excellent communicators and always stand behind their work.
Areas Of Satisfaction - They understand the high level of quality I am looking for and deliver on that.
We were looking for a company that would take care of every detail of our project. In ABA, we found just that. ABA worked with us from start to finish, providing us with top-quality work and a beautiful finished product that met our goals. It was a pleasure to work with both ABA and its subcontractors.
Stellar!
ABA provides excellent service. This was our second project with ABA and we will work with them again--likely again within the year. Staff are professional and craftsmanship is quality.
We have worked with ABA on 4 projects. Their work is very high quality and their people are top notch.Our home has been much improved through their expertise and care.You get what you pay for and they keep their word.
I believe in them completely. They did a fabulous job.
Outstanding experience. Great finished product. Aaron was great to work with. Bridgette did a great job in drawing a project we felt comfortable with. Mike is a great on-site manager.
This was my second time using them, they previously did personal work at my residence. They were able to help me find the architect and coordinated with other parties to see everything went well. When there was a concern, a subcontractor came in and fixed it. I world recommend for high end building projects.
We hired ABA on the strength of their reputation and have no regrets that we put our trust in them. We are exceedingly happy with the complete exterior remodel of our home and the addition of a first floor master suite. The result is traditional and fits in with the character of the neighborhood which is what we wanted. The design of the addition, especially its size and proportions, its integration with the main structure, and its siting on the lot make the added space look like it has always been there. With regard to layout of the rooms, interior finishes, bathroom fixtures, lighting, and hardware we continue to appreciate the day-to-day convenience and beauty of these details, and know none of them occurred by accident. One of the most exciting decisions we made with ABA's guidance was choosing the colors of the siding, shutters and doors of our home. What we ended up with was a fresh choice that has not only been embraced by our neighbors and seems to have universal appeal now, but that we feel will hold its attractiveness in years to come. As aging baby boomers we had come to the conclusion that we wanted to remain where we lived, but felt the need to make certain modifications to our home to accommodate our future needs. ABA has made this happen. Overall, the four month duration of the project went by fast, a testament to the exceptional teamwork of everyone at ABA.
Areas Of Satisfaction - Ability to communicate openly and trustworthy. Excellence in quality of work performed.
Additional Comments - The experience with ABA exceeded my expectations.
You're never sure if the outcome of a project will reflect the picture you have in mind. But Bridget listened to my thoughts, then produced a design that really worked. Mike and his team then followed up with the type of craftsmanship we have come to take for granted from ABA. The result easily exceeded my expectations and has received high praise from everyone who has seen it.
Remodeling Concerns - My concerns involved keeping the disruption to my home to a minimum. ABA let me know when they would be working each day. They kept the non-work sites clean and dust free. They asked for input when necessary and welcomed questions. They scheduled a weekly project meeting with the designer, the project manager and the president of the company to let us know what would be happening each week and graciously answered any questions we might have.