NJ Kitchens and Baths — Attraction in Verona

4.5 STARS (I wanted to rate them at 4.5 stars, but the site will only allow 4 or 5 so I rounded up since we had a pretty good experience). We worked with NJ Kitchens and Baths to renovate our kitchen and convert our garage back into a functioning garage (which the previous owners had turned into an office). Overall, we had a great experience with Andrew and NJ Kitchens and Baths. Before I get into the review, a couple notes about us: 1) this is our 3rd renovation (so we aren’t new to this) and 2) my wife and I are pretty detail-oriented and we generally have high expectations of our contractors.

High level review: The experience with Andrew was very good from start to finish. Andrew is very organized and kept very good documentation throughout the project on what we agreed to and how we wanted the work finished. Although Andrew wasn’t onsite every day, he came by the house often to check on the status of the kitchen and answer any questions we had. From a cost perspective, we agreed on a cost up front and Andrew kept within that budget and didn’t nickel and dime us for any changes to the scope of work. The crew who did our kitchen was led by Darek, and they did a great job. Andrew does have a couple of preferred suppliers he works with for things like cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, tile, countertops, etc. We didn’t use all of his preferred vendors (which he was fine with) and with the exception of the countertop supplier, all of his preferred suppliers worked well for us. What is important to note is that when we did have an issue with the countertop, since it was one of the preferred suppliers he recommended to us, Andrew handled all of the back and forth with the supplier and went the extra mile to make things right (even when the supplier refused to fix the issue). Overall, it was a very good experience and I would highly recommend Andrew and NJ Kitchens and Baths to anyone doing a renovation. More details on pro’s and con’s below.

Pro’s: Andrew created a detailed schedule prior to start of renovation so we knew exactly when activities would start and end (e.g demo, electrical, plumbing). This was great and help us plan on our end. Kept hardwood floors protected and cleaned up everyday Compared to other contractors we have worked with, Andrew has a high attention to detail and holds his crew accountable for a high quality work product. For example, when we noticed some things which didn’t look right, we didn’t have to argue with Andrew and try to convince him to fix them. He saw what our concerns were and fixed them without giving us a hard time. Great carpentry skills - built a custom stair tread for us that was flush with the new tile floor (at no extra charge) Sticks to budget and doesn’t nickel and dime you - all the work that was originally in the contract was completed at the costs we agreed to. They went even further and did extra work without charging us for it (moving pot lights to center them after cabinetry was installed, installing new door casings that were not originally in scope, coming back later to install panels that were delayed due to cabinet manufacturer's error, etc.) When we had design issues come up during the install (nothing that they were responsible for), Andrew was great in providing design input to make sure we were able to achieve the look we were going for.

Con’s: -At the beginning, we were a week or two ahead of schedule. As the project neared completion we fell behind a bit and ultimately finished ~2 weeks behind schedule. Part of this was due to reasons outside of their control, and ultimately we preferred having the kitchen be exactly how we wanted it and little late, instead of a rush job to finish on time. -The only quality issues we had were related to tiling. Ultimately Andrew had the crew addressed the issues and everything came out great, but some of this rework caused the project delays...

We did a gut renovation of our kitchen in March/April 2014. We interviewed and collected bids from 3 different contractors specializing in kitchens & baths. We met with both John and Andrew of NJ Kitchens & Baths a few times in person before deciding to go with them. John (the designer) and Andrew (the GC) seemed knowledgeable and professional in their respective areas of expertise. Neither of the other two contractors we spoke with measured our kitchen correctly; one of them presented us with a design layout that was physically impossible based on the placement if existing doors & windows (which we had no intention of moving).

The kitchen project took about 7 weeks to complete (original timeline called for 6 weeks). It started about a week after originally scheduled due to extreme winter weather which was understandable. Overall, we spent about $60,000, which was about $10,000 more than anticipated due to severe termite damage in the framing, all of which had to be ripped out and replaced (this also accounts for the extra week). This was unforeseen as it was all hidden behind the walls and unfortunately the downside of living in an 80+yr old home.

The preferred vendors we worked with included MBA Cabinetry, Standard Tile, and Marvic.

Our project manager, Carlos, and one of his workers, Javier, worked hard and spent a couple of Saturdays working at the house to keep things moving along so that the subcontractors and inspections could go as planned without having to be rescheduled. They were good about cleaning up their work areas at the end of the day. Carlos and Andrew had good communication between the two of them though on some things it seemed it could be better, not sure if this was due to difference of opinion. For example, the timing of when the appliances would be hooked up was scheduled before certain other things on Andrew’s timeline, but Carlos had them hooked up after, which he felt was better for avoiding damage based on his past experiences. Regular communication between Andrew, John and my husband and me was maintained throughout the course of the project. Andrew used a shared Google calendar which mapped out all of the stages of the project and which days they were scheduled to occur. This made it easy to plan when one of us needed to be at the house, or if we needed to keep our dog out of the house due to noise, dust, etc.

Overall, considering the scope of the work, our remodel experience was about as pleasant as it could be. We had heard many horror stories about kitchen remodels so we were apprehensive going into it, but luckily we don’t really have any horror stories other than finding the termite damage, which obviously was not the fault of the contractor. We enjoyed working with Andrew, Carlos and the rest of their team. They were good about keeping the project moving along as we were expecting a baby in early May and wanted everything completed before he was born. We have recommended them to our friends & colleagues who are looking to do...

My wife and I do not hire a contractor without a good deal of research. Plus, we don’t hire a contractor for a major job who doesn’t have a brick and mortar location. NJ Kitchens and Baths was a nearby location we passed often in our trips on Bloomfield Avenue. They were one of several we started to research. The reviews were five star across various sites from customers who contracted with them. We set up an appointment for an initial discussion. From the get go, it was a positive experience We don’t have a big kitchen with many options for changes. But we were treated like the most important customers who stepped through their door. The products, process, and timing were spelled out for us. We committed to the next step of an on-site visit and measurements.

At the on-site, we discussed some of the ideas we had and what some of our options might be. We were given great feedback and agreed to have some renderings done for the floor plan. Once we committed to the plan, selected our cabinets and countertop, we felt confident in our decision. Andrew, the owner, kept in regular contact with updates on a start time. One of the hidden benefits of using NJK&B was their providing us with a list of preferred vendors for plumbing supplies, appliances and tile. Dealing with those vendors facilitated the whole process. The vendors were knowledgeable salespeople who listened to our thoughts and directed us in the right direction.

We were given a window of 6 - 8 weeks for the project. That included unforeseen construction issues and inspections. Darek and his crew showed up on time from day one. Darek did his best to assure us that he understood the inconvenience a kitchen renovation brings. During the daily visits, Darek ensured he asked the right questions of how we wanted things done. The crew cleaned up daily. The various contractors visits were seamless. The electrical contractor even identified a separate electrical issue that arose during the renovation (totally separate from their work) and took care of the problem.

Work was done in 4 weeks. No major issues were found that delayed the project. The workmanship is truly old world talent. The crown moldings and floor moldings fit perfectly.

And Andrew was always there for us. No email or phone call went unanswered. No surprise cost increases. We borrowed samples to coordinate tiles and paints. We felt an interested partner in working with him.

Highly recommended for anyone considering a...