My wife and I had the good fortune to find Bry-Jo here on Houzz. As an Architect I deal with a number of commercial contractors and while I respect the majority of them my exception was simply to find one who could simply follow my plans, give us a good bid and maintain a schedule with some reasonable accuracy. Our meetings with other contractors and past experience had sadly tainted my expectations. Upon my first meeting with Maria I knew that we’d found our fit, and my wife (a real estate VP) bonded with Maria on their first meeting. Maria and her team exceeded all expectations – flat out the best experience I’ve ever had in working with any trade at our home. Maria prepared a 17 page detailed estimate (prior contractor gave us 1/2 a page) – we reviewed it , made some minor changes and got on her calendar for the project start.
A bit about the project – this was a major gut and renovation of a single story 1957 ranch house. While the kitchen was the primary focus the work involved 1,200 sf including all the public shapes (living, dining, den, kitchen, pantry, butler’s pantry, 1/2 bath, office and a walk in storage room. All new electrical & lighting, and significant plumbing work as we moved the kitchen into a different part of the house.
The project went very well – naturally there were discoveries along the way, most occurred after demolition was completed and we could see the poor efforts of past contractors (from a 1984 expansion). We worked though changes (and change orders), Again Maria provided detailed paperwork on scope and cost and we made decisions together along the way.
One of the many things I appreciate about Maria is that while she’s very respectful, she was not afraid to speak up if she thought we were proposing something that wasn’t in our own best interest. She suggested a fairly simple change in our 1/2 bath that made the entire space – I didn’t mention that Maria is also a designer, and has the talent to honorably claim that title. She was instrumental in assisting my wife and I in making material selections and we are grateful, as many times it was important to have a knowledgeable third party to provide an objective voice.
The project went well, the schedule was complicated by the amount of construction going on in the market, and the mill work sub-contractor became the critical path item that set the entire schedule. Maria’s price was so low on the mill work that I was nervous, that is until I trekked north to visit the father and son outfit and found their work to be well worth waiting for. Another major pleasant surprise!
The results are stunning and after 6 weeks (and 2 holidays) we’re still in the ‘move in’ process. We’ll photograph the final results in a few months and post.
In closing, my wife and I feel very fortunate to have found Maria. The relationship was exceptional (and sadly rare). We have one more area to renovate and Maria will be back to do that one. If you’re in the north Dallas area I can’t recommend Bry-Jo enough. Exceptional people, excellent communication and value added beyond belief.
