Atlanta Custom Construction

Description of work: We wished to completely demolish the master bath and its tiny shower to the studs, take space from the already insufficient master bedroom closet and an over-large hall closet to enlarge the shower. How it went: It went incredibly well. As with all substantial projects, we ran into issues, decided to make changes, and experienced supplier delays. Keith was incredibly prompt each day and went right to work. In the end, we got exactly what we were seeking and would not hesitate to work with him again. Keith began by getting the necessary permit for himself and the sub-contractors he used for electrical and plumbing. We were especially desirous of this because the city where we live is rigorous in their code enforcement and as it turned out, very helpful. Once he was legal, he spent several days demolishing every bit of the old bathroom. We then began finalizing the ideas we had in mind since we could more accurately measure for the layout & amenities we desired. He explained at each step of the way what he would be doing, how it ought to go, and how long it would take, paint drying, drywall, and the like. Once we were settled in our plan for the new space, his plumber and electrician both promptly showed up and roughed in the locations for their relevant contributions. From here, he began building the new space. Among the items we desired was to replace the swinging door with a pocket door. This was roughed in soon after demolition as the wall framing was exposed. He then began to build the frame for the new shower and subsequently finished the hall closet from which we'd taken space. We'd hoped to leave a bit of the master closet but that could not be done without compromising on the larger shower so we gave it up and have since built Ikea closets which give us much more closet space than we'd had before all the work Keith did. Once framing was complete, Keith began the significant amount of tile installation needed for the shower stall and the bathroom floor. When this was done, he turned his attention back to adding additional coats of paint to the sheetrock walls and ceiling in the bathroom and master where he'd had to remove sheetrock to get at the framing of the space. After this, he assembled and installed tall cabinets, a vanity with drawers and sink, and a medicine cabinet with light purchased from Ikea. While we were at it, we decided to replace the the very leaky and impossible to clean louvered windows in this bathroom and our hall bathroom. Keith took care of this with apparent ease and we now have windows that let in light, and are easy to open & shut. These windows are high up on the wall and let in wonderful light. He then got his sub-contractors back in to finish their work which they did in short order. The only unexpected expense in this was the city's requirement that have hard wired smoke alarms that also detect CO. This, we later found out is a state requirement any time electrical work is done to a home that is not up to date as ours was. We had battery operated ones which can now be retired next time I paint the spaces where they are mounted around the house. The new ones, while hard wired, do have a battery in each to back them up. They are also connected to each other so if one goes off, all go off. The electrician gave us electrical outlets where we wished them, installed lights in the shower and main bathroom area, and a light over the medicine cabinet. The one in the shower has a moisture sensor and when it is turned on, will run until the sensor no longer detects moisture to the setting we've set. It has worked a treat which will go far in preventing mold and other moisture related problems when the shower is not in use. We chose to completely enclose it to enjoy steam generated. The plumber did a superb job of installing the two shower outlets we purchased. One is a large rainfall shower head and the other is wall mounted on a sliding rail and can be taken in hand to direct the stream where one will. These can be used together, though pressure suffers, or individually via a nifty push button control mechanism. While we were at it, we also had the plumber replace the aging toilets in both bathrooms with very nice skirted models that only use 1 gallon per flush. They work incredibly well, especially when you consider how little water they use. The last thing that was done, making the bathroom fully functional, was the installation of a glass partition and glass door. After this, Keith was meticulous about touching up cosmetic and other minor issues that he or we noticed leading up to our final settlement with him. I offer two photos of the completed work, though I am not an especially good photographer. I hope they are sufficient for everyone to understand the work that was done. I have many before, during, and after photos that I will gladly share if desired. The initial estimate Keith offered was $18,000.00 and the difference was this combination of items: the required electrical upgrade with the alarms, the glass for the shower which we had no way of knowing the cost of prior to finalizing our dimensions and design decisions after demolition, and a bit of extra cost for tile. All of it was reasonable, and we'd discussed the probability of extra cost when we negotiated the initial estimate with him.