Get matched with top major home repair pros (general contractors) in Martinsville, VA

"We just had Duncan Enterprises perform major work to salvage and repair our 19 year old nearly 50’ long covered front porch. The porch was in serious risk of collapse since support posts were rotting below ground and the porch was separating and shifting in opposite directions. Before getting into the review, a quick statement for the purpose of transparency. No compensation of any kind was provided for this review. Before connecting with Duncan Enterprises, another contractor consulted was only willing to quote demolition and construction of a new porch. For a variety of reasons (including financial), I wanted it repaired rather than rebuilt. Given that background about the magnitude of the job to be done, I have a number of thoughts and observations about Duncan Enterprises, their employees, and their workmanship and quality. I was EXTREMELY impressed by the quality and workmanship of their work! The intermediate and final product looked cleanly constructed and very sturdy and robust. They used heavy-duty bracing, bracketing, and joining materials leaving me very comfortable that the deck is sturdier now that they’ve finished repairing it than it was when it was originally built. The level of expertise and ingenuity that Duncan possesses was on display with this project. The way the porch was coming apart while supporting the overhead roof made it very difficult to address any one issue individually. Nonetheless, Duncan came up with an approach to safely and effectively work through and correct the root causes of the problems. Another thing that impressed me was how careful the entire team was with our property. There was no damage to anything else they were working on or near. Furthermore, they kept the work area as clean as possible and even went to the extremes of trying to prevent tracking any mud on the porch even though they were working in the mud and snow beneath and around the porch. They always cleaned up the work area at the end of the day and kept everything neatly organized. Duncan has a high-quality team of hard-working employees that were always focused on getting the work done. Unfortunately, they had some extreme weather (cold and snow) conditions to work in during our project, but they worked through it nonetheless. They came and worked even on days that I thought would likely be unworkable due to the snow and rain. In short, they were very hard working and reliable. Another area where I was pleased was the level of communication. I felt “in the loop” during the whole process from quoting to project completion. On site, they were very good about describing and pointing out the issues and options. Throughout the whole process, they checked to make sure that they were meeting or exceeding our expectations. To summarize, I highly recommend Duncan Enterprises for all the reasons I’ve mentioned above. The did an excellent job for us, and I am thoroughly pleased with the final product. We will certainly use them again when the need arises."

"Hector and his crew were great. We had some delays getting materials and Hector waited with us the entire time. His communication is great. We bought doors and he installed them and built them in. Now I have privacy in my office while working from home. They look like they were supposed to be there. He matched the moldings perfectly. Can't wait to have him back to do our next project. His prices are fair and what I expected."

"We have used this contractor several times in the past and his service has recently been declining. This last time we were really disappointed. He quoted a price for the above work and completed about 75% of it. We paid him in full and then he did not come back. When we asked him when he was planning on finishing the work he was unresponsive. When we finally got in touch with him he said he was booked up for the next week and wouldn't be able to finish the work.  (He left a room unpainted, caulking incomplete, paint tape and tools out, and didn't power wash a door. We also had paint splatters from some painting that he did complete on a darker colored wall.) As I said before, he was usually very professional so this time we were disappointed. <br />"

"On Monday 28 September 2015, the Honey Do Service representative with whom I had previously made an appointment (Patrick Lilley) arrived at 11 a. m. (on time) to estimate the cost of repairs. He was present for one hour. On Thursday 08 October 2015 at 08:30 a. m. Charlie from Honey Do arrived and completed the estimated repairs for the agreed price. He finished by approximately 10:45 a. m. No problems occurred. All work was accomplished professionally."

"Over 3 days, owner and his assistant replaced all existing wood rails/balusters, and added a new hand rail on the main level stairs. The new balusters, newels, and rails are much tighter than they were before and look very nice. Thanks to the instructions provided, I was able to save money by completing the finishing work myself. <br />"

"This was the best experience ever. Ray and his Team were quite professional and puntual. <br /> And as well they really know what they are doing. <br /> <br /> Once the material was delivered Ray and his team were on top of all of our needs. He made certain to please my wife by matching the siding and roofing to our home perfectly. When asked, at the last minute mind you, if we could add windows, Ray never flinched. <br /> <br /> This contractor will be brought back to our home to remove/replace our rear deck, add on to the roof and close itin a screened porch for us. <br /> <br /> If you are looking for a reference I am your point of contact. I will personally stand behind them all the way. <br /> <br /> Good people. Good workers. Great knowledge. <br /> <br /> C. Randell Adams"

"Great! Ricky was very helpful. Very courteous and very open to our needs. His crews were professional. They did their work meticulously and cleaned up after themselves. They were on time and showed concern for our convenience and need. I was very satisfied and pleased with the work they did and the quality of the materials and workmanship."

"We just finished a spectacular custom home project in McLean, VA and we are so very grateful to Seth Ballard and his team! If you are considering hiring his firm, look no further. There can be no better architect in the DC/VA/MD area – and his pricing is more than fair. We first picked Seth because we loved his architectural style and heard that he had a reputation for ensuring that his plans are executed with impeccable precision and attention to quality. Also, his references were stellar….without exception, his former clients offered glowing praise for his talent, diligence, and follow-through. And now that we are former clients, we understand why. We always knew we were going to have a gem of a home with Seth at the helm. What we did not fully appreciate at the beginning was his proven ability to help us STAY ON BUDGET and his deep bench of connections with first-rate contractors and subcontractors who were prepared to bend over backward to meet Seth’s exacting standards. Here are just a few highlights from our experience: CONCEPT PHASE: During the initial meetings at our home, Seth went the extra mile to learn all about our lifestyle, future needs, architectural likes/dislikes, and budget. During this stage of the process, he would effortlessly make freehand drawings to help us visualize potential styles and layouts. We ultimately elected to go with a craftsman design, with lots of wood features inside and out. PICKING THE RIGHT PROPERTY: Seth joined us for car rides through the local neighborhoods, helping us to scout out the property that was best suited for our construction plans – free of any potential HOA or permitting snafus. DESIGN: With Seth’s guidance, we iterated on different design options. The design phase was high-tech and highly visual. Lots of 2D and 3D elevations, plus 360-degree videos. At each step, Seth clearly identified the estimated construction cost, and we would make decisions about what to dial-up and what to dial-down. For example, we elected to go with a cheaper asphalt roof (rather than slate), but with a more premium window. There were literally dozens of choices like that, and Seth did a superb job of helping us to make the right trade-offs and to “value engineer” the house. PICKING THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR AND SUBS: One of the things that distinguishes Seth from the competition is that he works closely with a handful of contractors and subcontractors who have already been “pre-screened” for excellence. Seth connected us with a general contractor who was not only honest and diligent, but whose carpentry was truly “artisan grade.” Seth also drew upon a stable of outstanding subcontractors – in areas such as HVAC/plumbing, electrical/lighting, structural engineering, cabinetry, tile, drywall/paint, countertops, hardwood flooring, landscaping, etc. It was perfectly clear that these subs were striving to deliver the highest quality and exemplary service. Why? Because Seth was an important source of repeat business for them. This made them extremely responsive. BUDGETING: Seth developed detailed spreadsheets estimating costs for every aspect of the project, as well as options for “enhancements.” Once we made our choices, he was instrumental in securing a FLAT FEE CONTRACT with the builder (inclusive of subs) for everything we wanted. To provide even more control over the cost, the agreement specified that certain items would be “owner provided, contractor installed.” This meant that, regardless of whether we bought pricey appliances or tile or flooring, it would have no impact of the builder’s fees. To his credit, Seth’s estimates were quite accurate, and the project stayed on budget. ARCHITECT FEES: We negotiated a flat fee for Seth’s architectural services, and got way more than we bargained for. We had no idea Seth would stay so engaged throughout the project -- micromanaging every detail, and even offering interior design suggestions (e.g., stains and paints, cabinet and window designs, furniture layouts, etc.). It became clear that, regardless of how much we had agreed to pay in fees, Seth was “all in,” and was committed to ensuring that the end result was perfection. To be sure, in any large construction project, there will be some hiccups. But this was yet another area where Seth shined. Rather than being indifferent, or pointing the finger at those who were actually at fault, he would step up to “own the problem” and take charge until the issue was resolved. In one such case, he developed a design tweak that saved us money and produced a more beautiful result in the process. We never had to stress too much, because we knew Seth was 100% engaged and we could trust that the final work product would be a treasure of a home. One final thought. While Seth’s tremendous talent is obviously perfect for large custom projects, we have no doubt that he can deliver outstanding value for smaller home renovations too. When we did kitchen/bath renovations in our prior home, we naively thought that a “design-and-build” firm would deliver the best solution. With the benefit of hindsight, we could have done so much better hiring Seth as the independent architect and separately hiring a builder who would be accountable to the architect. The result would have been better quality construction, a better value, and far less stress. So whether you are about to embark on a modest remodel or getting ready to “dream big” with a new custom home, look no further than Ballard Mensua Architecture."

"Excellent work, quick, reasonably priced, highly recommended."

"Wonderful service, friendly, professional, and efficient. <br />"