I have contracted B & B Carpentry to complete several jobs in my home. It seems there is no job too big, too small or too complicated for them to take on. The work they have done for me has been truly exceptional. Because B & B has completed several projects for us at different times, and because I appreciate it when reviewers give specific examples regarding their experience, this review is going to be on the longer side. The shorter version is that I cannot recommend B & B highly enough. They have truly been a pleasure to work with and have made the sometimes stressful process of remodeling so much easier to navigate. I will be using them for all my projects moving forward.
The first job I hired them for was to complete work on our kitchen and living room remodel. We decided to act as our own contractor for the job to save money and the carpenter we initially hired made error after error and was very careless with our new cabinets, damaging many of them. I found B & B on Angie’s List where they had all positive reviews and feedback so I contacted them to come out and give us a bid to complete the work and fix some things that the previous carpenter had done completely wrong. I had two other companies bid the job as well.
The owner Brad McHenry was my first contact with the company. He arrived on time and was very professional right from the start. It is never easy to take on a task that someone else started, did not do correctly and turn it around so that it becomes what it was always intended to be. I showed Brad some of the errors that were made and discussed what things still needed to be finished as we had fired the previous carpenter mid-project. It was clear to me immediately that Brad knew exactly what he was doing, that he is very knowledgeable and skilled as he was able to spot many problems before I pointed them out. By the end of our initial meeting, I knew that I wanted to hire him and honestly, was a little fearful that he would not want to take on the problem that was our kitchen and clean up someone else’s mess. Fortunately for us, he was willing to take it on. He was very honest about parts of the project that would be difficult and that we would need to be flexible with finding creative solutions. When we got the final bid for the work from him, we were pleasantly surprised by the cost he quoted us. It was very competitive and completely reasonable for the work that needed to be completed or redone entirely.
From installing cabinets that had to be customized by cutting and reassembling them to fit in to difficult spaces to making beautiful custom wood shelves to making and installing custom stainless steel covers for my cooktop vent, Brad’s work was flawless. We had a couple of problems in the kitchen that we saw only one way to resolve, but Brad came up with creative and functional solutions to each one of the problems that were far better than what either we or the previous carpenter had come up with. A perfect example was our kitchen sink. We expanded our kitchen size quite a bit, taking over space that had previously been a breakfast nook area. We had new windows installed and moved our sink under these windows. The problem was with the faucet that we choose. It is very industrial looking and had a handle on it that was long and kept hitting our windowsill so we couldn’t easily change from cold water to hot water. We had to turn the water all the way on so that we could maneuver the handle under and around the windowsill. We loved the faucet and did not want to change it for another and the sink is so close to the window that changing the faucet may not have solved the problem anyway. The solution that the previous carpenter had come to would be to make a rather awkward looking notch in the wood of the windowsill so that there would be enough clearance for the faucet’s handle. Brad came up with the brilliant idea to unscrew the handle and cut about an inch off so that it would clear the sill, but didn’t feel he had the right tools to achieve the best outcome so he took it to a stainless steel fabricator that he has worked with before and had them cut and polish it so that it didn’t look as though it had been altered. The result was perfect and functional. This one example says all anyone needs to know about Brad. He is intelligent, thoughtful, comes up with creative solutions to problems, and won’t sacrifice quality for convenience. He always arrived on time. He kept his work area clean and cleaned up after himself everyday. His son Blake also helped complete some of the work and he is as skilled and dedicated to quality of craftsmanship as his father. If there was something we wanted that wasn’t possible, they were honest and forthright about it, but would then offer alternatives that were as close to what we wanted as possible. They completed the work on time, on budget and the results were beautiful. We were so happy with their work in fact, that we decided to hire them as contractors for our master bathroom remodel. A project we initially were going to handle ourselves as we had the kitchen, but because they were so amazing and did such fine work finishing our kitchen and building custom shelves, we decided to put the bathroom in their hands.
This is when we first met Linda, Brad’s wife. She and Brad came over to discuss the bathroom and what we wanted, as well as meeting with the subcontractors. Our home was built in the early eighties and the master bath has really not been touched since then other to change colors and the previous owners had retiled the shower. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and needed a bathroom that was more accessible as well. After this meeting, Linda put together a very thorough bid detailing every cost down to the tile. There was nothing hidden or extra money set aside in the bid “just in case” as every other contractor that we received bids from had. They give you the price and then stand by it. Period. Brad completed a detailed layout of the bathroom so that we could really visualize it and Linda selected tile and fixtures based on what color scheme we wanted. We were able to use Houzz to send them photos as examples of all the things we liked including tile, fixtures, color scheme and bathtub. She put together samples of tile, fixtures, lights, and the tub and it was absolutely spot on for what we wanted. She met us at the tile store so that we could review everything and took care of all the ordering and coordination of the delivery of all supplies. She also put together a very detailed calendar for the project so that on any given day, we can consult it and know exactly what would be going on that day in relation to the remodel. Now during this time, both my wife and I had some medical issues that popped up over the course of several months which delayed the start of the project significantly. Brad and Linda were very patient and understanding throughout this time. They kept in touch with us, but didn’t push to try to get things going before we were ready or able to handle it.
We have finally begun the remodel and their son Blake is managing our project. We are about halfway done and could not be happier with the work that has been completed thus far. He is here when he says he is going to be. He is professional, amiable and hardworking. There have been a few things that we have changed our mind about in the course of framing the bathroom and changes to plumbing had to be made. A few other changes have popped up along the way and he has never made us feel as though it is any imposition to him at all to accommodate the changes. He simply does what we ask if it’s possible. It’s very obvious to us through the sincere way he approaches his work, that he truly wants his customers to be happy. And Blake, like his father, offers up creative and functional solutions to issues we have encountered. He handles his subcontractors with respect and communicates well to them what our wishes are. Anytime there is a decision to be made, he consults with us to ensure it is done the way we want it to be. He doesn’t guess. He is here everyday checking on the work that has been done and has added some very creative and thoughtful touches to the design as the project has continued. We are so happy with the work that we are going to have B & B do more work to the exterior of our home including a deck, fencing and possibly siding. There is nothing these very skilled and talented craftsmen cannot do. I will post before and after pics when the bathroom project is completed.
Overall, I cannot recommend B & B highly enough. They are a family owned, local business that takes great pride in what they do and they do it right. The quality of their work is second to none. My step-father is a carpenter and drywaller long since retired and he has commented again and again that their work is exceptional. The cost of the work is competitive and fair for the quality of work that is done. Our experience with them has been phenomenal. They are honest, have tremendous integrity, take great pride in the work that they do and we trust them to treat our project as though it were being done in their own home. Short of doing the work myself, I believe there is no one who could do it better.
