ESI General Construction Inc

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This was basically a nightmare from start to finish.  Instead of the initial 2-3 month estimate, we literally just finished the project this past weekend--almost 9 months later.  We are over budget, and the work originally contemplated wasn't even finished.  We need to hire someone new to finish up several details.  But the worst part of this experience has nothing to do with any of that.  It is the manipulation and lack of communication.  We were first-time renovators, which we were very upfront about, and there were certainly some mistakes we made and were indecisive at times.  And yet, at every mistake or delay we were blamed, saying that they were waiting on information from us.  It took me nearly 4 months to realize that was a ploy to disguise the terrible work and delays that were taking place.  There were never any change orders, if we provided instructions they were conveniently forgotten or disregarded altogether.  Emails were conveniently ignored on a regular basis.   Anything we wanted done or redone we had to ask 4 different people 7 different times.  And even then it was a shot in the dark as to whether it would get done.   <br /> And the quality of the work was no great shakes either.  We are not particularly picky people, but almost every aspect of the project had to be done twice because there were problems the first time (some specific examples: pieces of tile weren't glued on so were falling off, the fence was constructed 1.5 feet too short, the paint crew destroyed the interior of our house, including several pieces of furniture and rugs, the grout on the firepit is STILL not done, the front gate is already rusting over, the door was initially hung improperly, the drywall in the garage wasn't finished the first time, the pergola was not stained, etc.).  The subcontractors clearly have a terrible relationship with the general, Reggie.  We would have very detailed walkthroughs with the general, who would overpromise. Then the subs would show up and have no idea what they were supposed to do.  The subs openly complained to us about the general on a regular basis.  And the general openly complained to us about the subs.  They would blame each other for everything, leaving us in the middle to negotiate.  At one point the general even said that one of the subs was going to be fired from the job because of the terrible work he did.  That same sub showed back up on the project 3 weeks later, of course. <br /> And the pace was excruciating.  They would randomly show up for a day or two to work, and then disappear for 3 weeks.  Over and over again we were given timelines, which were then completely ignored.  I am a very conflict averse person who would rather avoid conflict at all costs.  And yet, after 9 months of fighting, pushing, yelling, exhaustion, disappointment, and financial drain, I was truly pushed to my breaking point.  PLEASE, whatever you do, avoid this company.  And in particular, if you run into Regev (Reggie) the general contractor, run for the hills.  Trust me, these people are NOT who you are looking for. <br /> <br />

<p>It went well, I would recommend them.</p>

unknown

This is a scam. They don't want to provide a 3d design for you, it's just a way for them to drum up some business. All talk no delivery unless I'm sure if they knew they could make a bigger buck off of you. <br />

two guys showed up on time. however, they didn't speak English very well, and I don't speak Spanish either.  So, communicating with them was very hard. Being said that, i asked them to paint the stair first then move on to the master bedroom.  they finished the stair but worked on living room instead of the master bedroom. <br />

General Construction They just finished with our kitchen expansion and remodel project, and <br /> just completed our pool and backyard remodel....everything looks fantastic!! Our kids are tickled pink about the pool, BUT, Regev also designed a secluded area in the back behind the pool with a jacuzzi...., however, I just wanted to share how wonderful Regev is. They really listened to what we wanted, what works for us, and pretty much our hopes and dreams for the project. They brought our visions to life!  General Construction is an amazing company! Their project managers are so knowledgeable they are borderline geniuses, their designers are creative beyond my imagination and the office staff are more pleasant ! It was just a wonderful experience, not to mention the quality of the work they did and their excellent prices...that was the cherry on top! Thank you General Construction, the pleasure has been all ours. Can't wait to work with you again in the future. And thank you again for taking our project on! <br />

unknown

I had contact with them. They came out and took measurements and I told them what I wanted for the kitchen and that was it. I did not reach out to them, but I have not heard back from them and it has been almost a year.

I had extensive termite damage on a section of my nearly 100 year old house. My stucco is also very unique and I was concerned about a contractor being able to match the existing stucco. ESI did a great job repairing the wall and matching the stucco. Reggie always addressed all of my issues and Barbara was VERY helpful coordinating and responding to my questions. <br />

<p>7/13/15:  I have worked out an arrangement with the company and at this point harbor no ill will towards them.</p> <p><br /></p> <p>While we had multiple issues with ESI (not showing when scheduled, workers drinking alcohol on the job, substandard work which had to be redone), when the remodel was completed we thought we had a pretty nice looking kitchen.  Then, as months passed, we started noticing a lot of grease spots accumulating on the cabinet above the microwave.  When we hired another contractor for a bathroom remodel, we asked him to take a look at this cabinet issue.  He found that the ventilation kit had not been attached to the microwave nor to the air ducting of the house so the grease had no where to go.  Additionally, our contractor found the following issues from the ESI remodel:</p> <p>*romax sticking out of the wall going directly into the bottom of a cabinet into a non-gain box</p> <p>*electrical socket behind dishwasher was non GFI protected and had no cover plate so exposed to water</p> <p>*4 GFI's, way to many for our kitchen area, were tied into one line.</p> <p>Bottom line:  our contractor said the work had created a major safety issue which could result in a fire or electrocution.</p> <p><br /></p>

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<p>moved us along!!  We have redone a house in Dallas, the kitchen at this house in Torrance and several of the rooms.  We have not been happy with the jobs that had been done here in Torrance.  Our kitchen tile grout is coming out and we can not get the company to help us fix it.  Reggie assured us that that would not happen with their company--and the Angie's list members backed up that claim.  </p> <p>So--they started.  From the beginning, they were efficient, professional, courteous and prompt.  When there was a problem, and I don't care what project you have, there will be problems, Reggie was always responsive--even on a Saturday!!  Their tile man did the most exquisite job on our tile I have ever seen!!  I really can't say enough good things about this company. I waited until now to write a review so we could see if the work held up--and it has!!  It is a beautiful bathroom and I will definitely use ESI General Construction again.  I wish I had used them for everything else we had done!! </p> <br />

unknown

It went very well. They began work on time every day to begin work. They were very conscientious to keep the work area clean by putting the sheets of plastic to tent the area where they were working so dust wouldn't fly all over the house. They left the work areas reasonably clean after every day.We were very satisfied with the end result when they got the job finished we were very happy with the work they did. We would definitely recommend their service to others. They finished the project on time. We had a situation where there were several broken tiles in the shower and they were very prompt in coming back to fix the broken tiles. On a negative note, the supervisor promised that he would come by about half-way through the job and said that he would come by when they were finished with the project to make sure everything was done correctly, and he failed to do so. He had only come by on day one to get a deposit from us, and then did not stop by again after that. He was very slow in getting the release of lein form. We had to continue to prod him and call him, he kept saying that he had already done it and that he would still do it, and every other excuse for us to finally get the form.

He was prompt, measured, and estimated the cost of the remodel. He drew it all out and explained the pricing and the schedule. <br />

<p>He was quick. He gave me a bid and started quickly. He did what he said he was going to do and finished on time. </p> <p>If anything, he over-communicates!</p>

I have not  got  the job yet.  I have called several times and they have cancelled 3 times already,  so far its not going  well.  next time if I want a painting job I am going to go through a Professional painting company , I think this place is to busy to take on these smaller jobs, and they focus on $$$$, they shouldn't offer these deals if they can not commit.  we will see what happens <br /> <br /> <br />

unknown

This went very well. The company was extremely communicative and everything went very smoothly. He was punctual and professional. He was very detailed and knowledgeable. I found out what I needed to know and it all wen very smooth. I will definitely want to use this company in the future and I would recommend to anyone needing their services. <br />

The service was terrible. The 399 Dollars was just a catch, and it ended up costing 4000 Dollars. We wanted work done. ESI came in, and the first thing the job contractor did was that he offered me 350 Dollars to do a video, so they could put it on Angie's List. I  should have seen this as a red flag. That was where it felt weird. They brought painters in, and they couldn't get the job done in a done, and I thought we should just go ahead and get the interior done. It took them a week, and the reason it took them a week, was because they sent out the workers before the job coordinator came out. The workers were here at 8, and the job coordinator did not come out until 10, and in the meantime, the workers are standing in front  of our home, smoking cigarettes by their customized cars. They looked less than desirable. They didn't speak any English, and I had to speak to them in my broken Spanish, just to get them started, and so my whole morning was wasted. Then the second day, he didn't show up again, but one of the workers of the two showed up, and the other one called and said he had something else to do, and would show up later on, but he didn't. That Tuesday was completely, wrecked. They did in the meantime signed a contract saying this is the work to be done, and this is how much to be paid, and so I signed it, but they had breached their contract by the second day. This guy just painted the door for 2 hours, and I couldn't speak to him because he did not speak a word of English. This guy would just show up unannounced, he would invite himself into our house, like he owned it, and it was his job site. It was the most bizarre ever, and I didn't take that too kindly. On the third day, after I spoke to the job contractor and the office about what this guy, was doing, they sent out a bigger team. They had a guy who came out, and I heard that he owned his own business at one point, and he was still upset that he didn't own his own business, and he didn't speak very much English either. He was telling his guys contrary to what I was saying. I was telling them to paint this color, and this part, and I was very precise, and he would agree to what I wanted, and the next thing I know is that I would come around, and he had told them to do something else. He then came to collect the remaining part of the money, and the full amount. I told him no I wouldn't and he said that the contract said this, but I told him that they had breached the contract by the second day. They completed the job, but it was shoddy. I repaired the exterior, and I told the guy who was in charge to go ahead and paint it, and he only painted a portion of it, and a portion of the window, and so half of it had paint on it, and half wasn't. I went to my office which they had painted, and they hadn't painted one side of the door, and when I asked them, they said so and so told them not to. I was so frustrated with the whole thing, it was beyond me. The company never made it right. They never had anybody come around fromt their office. She said the owner would come around and see us, but he never did. The price was not cheap, they did it by proper labor costs, but these guys were funkies.  The quality of work was okay. The part that they fixed is already chipping.

The inspector came out, took a look at the property and I described our concerns. He was good in describing what the problems could be and also helped to calm some other concerns we had.  <br /> After looking at the inside of the house, he went underneath the house to inspect the foundation. He took a few pictures that he showed me, and gave me an honest assessment of what was needed.  <br /> He recommended house bolting, since the building was originally built in the 20s, but we're putting that project on hold for now. <br /> <br /> <br />

We were not sure at first what to do or how to do it and now we are very happy with the new design that ESI General Construction has provided for us. We end up signing the paperwork to get started with the blueprints. We are waiting to get the plans done and happy with ESI on the design process. <br /> We are looking forward to getting the plans approved from the city and starting the project with ESI General Construction. I would recommend this company for any project.

I have contacted the Cosby and Reggie that came out that I needed the quote. He has promised each time that he will send the quote but never delivers. If this is how they are prior to a job you can only image once they have the job how responsive they will be (or should I say won't be). <br />

I was so happy with Reggie, His work and imagination and the cost was beyond my expectations.  <br /> what I mean by this is,he was right on and he knew what he was talking about,he gave us so many ideas. He also gave us two other bathroom designs as well. The workers were so polite and on time every day.  We never had to ask about anything. Reggie made sure everything was done right and on time.  What an experience I had. He made my kitchen into a place where everyone wants to be and it's big enough for everyone now.  The bathrooms were awesome too. One was made into a spa like environment where I can get away from all. My new oasis. I will definitely use this company again.