O'Brien Custom Homes | Endorsements

ENDORSEMENTS

Lee Residence

Full kitchen renovation and new four-season room construction

Why did you select O’Brien Custom Homes to perform your work? One of our neighbors is a good friend and they had work done by OCH which they were very happy with.

How would you assess their overall performance? Excellent. There was always work going on the premises, we were kept well updated, our expectations were set reasonably, and there was a lot of focus on problem solving. Ours was probably a challenging project for OCH since we had had a bad experience with a prior contractor who had already commenced demolition and other work. That’s when we selected OCH and they stepped right in and ran with the project. We may have also been a little more challenging to work with than the normal owner since we wanted to have a lot of influence over the design process, and there were some retrofits needed because of the activities of the prior contractor. Communications with us were always very effective and you could tell that Mike’s communications with his staff and subs were smooth too and they all liked working with one another. We are very happy with the workmanship too, especially all the custom woodwork that Mike either executed himself or directly oversaw.

Is there anything you would like to comment on with regard to going “above and beyond” your expectations? Just really excellent project management and management of the subcontractors involved. Also, a couple of items have come up since completion related to curing or settling which we thought we’d have to deal with, but OCH stepped up and said no problem, that’s a regular service or warranty item and we’ll take care of it. Their expectation setting was excellent and they really paid attention to what was important to us.

To benefit O’Brien Custom Homes in the future, can you drill down and comment on any areas in which you think we could improve? This may be nit-picking, but a subcontractor we were expecting at a certain time one morning arrived late a couple times, but we later learned that was because of a brief sickness. If there is a delay in refabricating a part or something, that can be a little frustrating in the moment, but that is really a function of homeowner expectations regarding how detailed these projects can become. Overall, though, we appreciate even more now that there are a lot of moving parts to coordinate and lots of little things can happen.

Pattenaude Residence

Full master bath renovation

Why did you select O’Brien Custom Homes to perform your work? Our neighbor across the street had some renovation work done by OCH which included a really attractive coffered ceiling so we decided to go with them. We also had OCH do some custom beam work for us before the master bath project.

How would you assess their overall performance? Everything was excellent. They were very patient with our making choices early in the project, and never rushed anything, although we know they are busy and have a lot going on. All the subs were fabulous too.

Is there anything you would like to comment on with regard to going “above and beyond” your expectations? They were really excellent in terms of keeping us informed and regarding exactly when certain work would be done. If there was any deviation from the plan, however small, we’d get a call. Our bath project was on the small side I think but it has some fairly detailed moldings that Mike designed with us and constructed and installed himself. He’s the best.

Would you be happy to provide a referral in the future? Absolutely. And we’ll have them do our new kitchen when we get to it, that project is in the early planning stages now.

To benefit O’Brien Custom Homes in the future, can you drill down and comment on any areas in which you think we could improve? Nothing at all. And frankly the subs are just as good as OCH and their staff. They are the type of people you are very comfortable with and are happy having access to your home even when you are not present. They were nice to have lunch with too when I was around!

Speechley Residence

Full master bath and hall bath renovation

Why did you select O’Brien Custom Homes to perform your work? My sister-in-law had some very nice renovation done by OCH including baths, ceilings and flooring and they were very happy.

How would you assess their overall performance? Everything was great. Everyone showed up as scheduled, we were kept really well informed, and the master bath in particular turned out even better than we imagined possible both with regard to the design solutions and the workmanship.

Is there anything you would like to comment on with regard to going “above and beyond” your expectations? Again, it was even better than we expected. If we thought the finished product would be this good, we would have tackled the project sooner.

Would you be happy to provide a referral in the future? Yes, very happy to do so.

To benefit O’Brien Custom Homes in the future, can you drill down and comment on any areas in which you think we could improve? None at all.