DCH Custom Builder Reviews (%countItem)
DCH Custom Builder Rating
Address: 8815 Conroy-Windermere Road Ste 302, Orlando, Florida, United States, 32835-2510
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I am an architect and I founded The*** almost 45 years ago. My wife and I purchased a Villa, an attached Single Family Home, in The *** community in Longwood, Florida. The home is approximately 1800 square feet of living area with a 2-car garage and large covered porch. The home was built in 1974. Most of the home was still 1974 original and what renovations had been done were not done well. We had the home re-roofed in 2017 and at that time, a great deal of the electrical wiring had been 'cut-off'.
We began the remodel process by hiring two interior designers to help bring our vision to reality. Once the design process was well underway, we began to interview contractors. Dave H was one of their recommendations based on the level of detail and expertise that was necessary for the job. At our initial meeting, Dave came up with a solution 'on the spot' to solve the electrical issue created with the new roof. Needless to say, this thinking 'outside the box' quality won us over immediately. Our vision necessitated taking the home down to the slab and drywall. I am in the business, I know good workmanship, and to say that I demand a level of finishes above and beyond is an understatement. During the renovations, we rented a home within the community and I was on the job site every day, often after the sub-contractors had left for the day. I could call, text or email Dave and he would always respond. As with any job, there are challenges and Dave always worked through them with professionalism and a great attitude; he never once complained about changes or became frustrated.
We have moved into our 'new' home and could not be happier. Dave brought our vision into reality and we now have our forever retirement home. Many thanks to Dave and his team of sub-contractors that worked diligently to make this a reality for our family.
I do not recommend this person for home remodeling. His estimates can not be relied upon. Anything more than a very simple, straightforward project without plumbing or electrical work seems to be beyond his capability.
Thank you for your review and feedback. I apologize for the unreliable estimate cost changes,. DCH Custom Builder works directly with licensed electrical and plumbing professionals that adhere to our Florida building codes and at times plumbing and electrical work must be updated to meet the demands of the new project. This can add unexpected and increased cost to the project. DCH Custom Builder was in the early stages of planning/estimating on this project with this homeowner, therefore no work was performed.
I appreciate the apology. The correction needed to DCH's response is that we were by no means "in the early stages of planning/estimating". DCH was given a complete set of drawings they agreed were more than adequate for pricing and permitting. We met with DCH on several occasions to review the scope of the project and his bid. He assured us that he was "very comfortable" with his pricing. The day before he was to start, DCH sent us an email with significant price increases. No phone call. We met. A new start date was agreed upon. We ordered a significant amount of the Owner furnished material in reliance upon their representations to us. The week DCH was to start work they sent an email informing us that they would not be doing the job. Again, no phone call. We do not recommend DCH Custom Builder.
Again, I'm sorry if you feel you were somehow wronged in this situation, because I truly pride myself in taking care of my customers. I'm sure you know this since you contacted DCH for a bid based upon the referrals of two of your own neighbors, two of my satisfied customers who were more than pleased with DCH. As for the preliminary estimate- you were told that it was contingent on my walk through with the licensed electrical and plumbing contractors and that it could change with their findings, as it did. Working in the industry yourself with ***, you know that when remodeling a 30 year old home, the infrastructure could need to be updated to comply with the new building codes. As for the stage of planning/estimating we were in- I was willing to submit your auto-cad drawing to apply for the building project, but I also informed you it was missing many details that the plans reviewer would require and it would be better to have an arch/engineered stamped plan. Being in the business for almost 20 years I have learned it's best to have the planning in place before you start a project because enough will come up that was not in the plan. Keep in mind, we were clearly in the bidding/planning process and never even established a marketplace relationship: money was not exchanged, contracts were not signed, a customer-client relationship was never formed. If anyone should feel slighted, maybe it should be me. After all, you got a great deal from me for free: the time used to help you with the planning of the project including evening and weekend meetings, setting you up with my suppliers for the best materials pricing, all the budget planning and other experienced recommendations; all of this will help you as you go forward without me. But just as you have the right to choose contractors, I have the right to choose customers. I'm sorry you're upset that I only sent you an email to let you know that I wouldn't work for you, but I tend to feel it may be a sign of how a job may play out when a potential client is pushing for a starting date without a signed contract, deposit, or plans approval. Again, I truly pride myself in taking care of my customers, but you were never my customer. The fact that you don't "recommend DCH Custom Builder" is not surprising given that I declined to work for you. I do everything possible to provide the best quality of work for my clients at the best price, but I ultimately felt that working for you would not be the best fit for DCH. I apologize that this has upset you so much, and I still do wish you the best with whatever contractor you end up choosing.
Dave H and his subcontractors successfully completed a major (9month) kitchen and family room renovation in our Orlando home. The renovation included every surface area of a roughly 1500sq ft area, and crossed at least 10 trades. The end-result is excellent and picture-perfect -- my wife and I are more than satisfied.
I enjoyed working with Dave and all of his subcontractors, who carried out their work with professionalism, dedication, and skill. I was so impressed with the painting crew, for example, that I had the painters return to repaint the remainder of my home. There were unexpected issues, of course, and Dave resolved them. Dave worked with me to consider my options, offered trade-offs, and then followed thru with an excellent solution.
My wife and I will re-hire DCH Custom Builders for the remainder of our renovation projects, including a re-build of our guest room/bath, and master bath. I will not be hiring anyone else. This is my fourth major renovation (1500+ sq ft -- inc. all trades).