Top-pro Construction

I needed the front porches demolished on my triple-decker in Boston, and then new porches rebuilt. I hired a contractor, who spent a few days doing a lousy job, without a permit, and then he disappeared with my large "materials" deposit. And then heaven sent me Top-Pro. I wish there were ten stars, because Antonio ("Caio") and his Top-Pro team deserve that and more ! His price was fair, in the mid-range of bids I got. He got a permit issued within a day and permits through various stages of the project. Antonio had vision and better suggestions about what would look good than I did. He was often present at the site and texted me often and responded to my texts within minutes. I cannot say enough good things about his team ! Master craftsmen, quiet, efficient, knowledgeable, working long hours every day, and cleaning the site up every evening. And they always did the little bit extra. On the last day, when they finished at 9:00 PM, they hosed off the porches, railings, and steps so that their work would shine. All the neighbors along my residential street followed the progress, and are stunned by how beautiful the result is! And, by the way, Antonio has a supervisor license in any building trade you could name, so along the way I also asked him to encapsulate the asbestos on the pipes in my basement, and another part of his team came in with the white suits and headgear and large sheets of plastic, and did it exactly right. Finally, I want to mention that Antonio is not only a wonderful contractor, but he is also a wonderful human being. If he has the chance to tell you a little bit about himself, you will be lucky. I only wish I had more projects to complete at this time so I could keep him around !

We hired Antonio (Caio) at Top Pro Construction for a major renovation (an almost complete gut) of our 3 bed, 1 bath single-family home (around 1,500 sq ft). This included a brand new kitchen, bathroom, oil to gas conversion, new roof, wall removal and structural beam installation, all new plumbing, electrical, insulation, window replacement, complete floor plan change for both floors, new bedroom closets, and an HVAC system. The work took about 4 months (right on par with his estimate) to complete starting in January of 2021.

Caio (the owner) supplied us with a detailed list and a fair quote. He was not the highest nor the lowest, and did not low-ball his offer just to get the job. While we explained our vision to him, he displayed an in-depth knowledge of the different aspects of the project, offering suggestions and ideas when we were unsure of what we wanted or if our thinking was unrealistic. His contract outlined the specifics of the work that was to be done, the materials he was supplying, the items we needed to supply for him, as well as allowances for items such as appliances, lighting, and accessories. This level of detail showed he understood the scope of the project and clearly laid out (for us) what we could expect.

He submitted the permits very quickly, and began work a couple weeks after we signed. His crew consisted of many hard working, polite, respectful workers who worked long, hard hours. Our neighbors often remarked at how quickly (and long) the team worked, and they had no issues living next to the construction site (off hour noise, inappropriate parking, etc.).

Along the way, issues would arise that he would quickly contact us about (usually via phone or text). He did not add any additional work without our approval, and always notified us of any changes that needed to be made with their associated price. We were always in communication with him, and felt very much a part of the process. We frequently visited the site (we moved out during the renovation) and were always pleasantly surprised at the progress, as well as the craftsmanship and attention to detail. We had both tiling work (bathroom and back-splash) and carpentry (shelving, trim) done, and it was evident that the individuals who performed this work were highly skilled.

Since his crew worked so quickly, we had to really be on top of the details to make sure we did not delay them. Items such as light fixtures, bathroom vanity, appliances, etc. should be chosen and ordered as soon as possible as you will most likely need them sooner than you think.

Overall, I cannot understate how smoothly this project went. While every project this size has its stresses, Caio took the time to talk or meet with us to go over all the details. He really cared about what the finish product would look like, and frequently pointed out items to his crew that we easily overlooked (such as lighting placement, transition colors, covering fixtures, etc.) Caio and his crew are good people, who do excellent work at a fair price. We highly recommend them, and could not be happier with the finished product.

My review is for Top-Pro construction, who completed a major (nearly gut) renovation of a 2 bed condo (roughly 1000 sq/ft of the building) and included work to: both bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, living room space, 2 stairwells and fire proofing of the basement. This included wall removal, floor plan changing, sub floor, insulation, new hardwood flooring, electrical, exterior windows, and finish work, which took roughly 5 weeks and was done in the middle of the pandemic (August 2020).

During the bidding process I had a number of companies to choose from. The owner Caio presented me with one of the cheaper options, but it struck me as the most realistic. He did not low ball me like one bidder did. While slightly higher than them, it included more of the work that would ultimately be necessary for the job I wanted to do, which was to rearrange the floor plan of my unit. While I ultimately had a fair amount of added work, that was due more to an excited new home owner wanting everything, then to an unrealistic bid. I also liked the higher number of payment milestones he provided. And while all options provided at least some milestone payments, they were often front heavy, asking for 40% or more due by the time demo was done. His bid spread 4 smaller payments more equally across the job, paying based on progress is far superior to a small number of large payments. It allows you to build trust with one another. For these reasons, I chose Top-Pro out of 3 other options.

He submitted permits the day after I signed the contract. Upon starting the job, Caio worked extremely quickly due to the large group of guys on his team. He also works long hours, and will text/call back from 7-9 during the day regarding issues, necessary decisions, or getting required building materials that you have chosen for the renovation. The biggest issue here was speed, which is probably the best problem you can have on a job site. Choosing all of your light fixtures, the various materials for the entire bathroom, or finding a kitchen island can be daunting on short notice, so I do recommend doing as much of this as possible before he starts doing demo.

Delivery issues at Lowes/Home depot due to COVID gave us a 6-8 week backlog for kitchen islands, which almost pushed it out of this project, but Caio had a guy and we were able to get it in 4 days and it was cheaper too. He was flexible when we wanted to add new work to the project, and most importantly was fair on price with these last minute additions. The finish work can often make or break a project outcome. His team had an attention to detail and the project came out well. He did an exceptionally good job picking hardwood for the new rooms that matched the original, same for the trim.

There is one last important piece that I would like to review, and it speaks to who Caio is a businessman. Because work was done insulating between condo units, additional services were requested from a second owner. Across the 4 progress payments, and 15 line items of added work above it (we went a little wild with upgrades), as well as a whole follow on job for unit 1, we made a payment error. In the end, both me and the other unit ended up paying for $950 of the same insulation work. We realized this a week after the job was done. This would generally be considered a worst case scenario, one that you would be doubtful in receiving the funds back for. But true to his word, Caio sat down with us and reviewed the maze of bills. In the end he did the right thing and paid us back for it. While stressful, it showed me how Top-Pro does their business. I would firmly recommend him as a general contractor you can trust, in addition to one who is fast and does quality work.

Thanks Caio