We desired a very complex basement renovation in our century home. Jim Karlovec and his team created an out-of-this-world design for this difficult space that exceeded our expectations. Despite the challenges that the global pandemic brought, Jim and his team rose to the occasion and fully executed the demolition and renovation as planned. The project took longer than we expected, but Jim and his team kept us updated with regular communication through Microsoft Teams. The project also became more expensive than we originally expected as Jim's design evolved and better met our desires. In the end we gladly agreed to this because the final design blew us away. Having lived in our new basement space for over one year, we can confidently say that the finished product was well worth the investment.

We used Karlovec & Company on two major home renovations. We know that we'll get exceptionally high quality work and finishes and a better livable space.

Responsive, thoughtful, communicates very well. Can't really comment on cost as we have not obtained comparison quotes.

I would absolutely recommend Karlovec & Co. We trusted them completely and the results are high quality. I would hire them again for my next major project.

Problem Resolution

Problem Resolution - When problems arose I was very happy to be working with a team that was professional and able to resolve any issues.

Clean & Safe

Clean & Safe - Friends would comment on how little construction dust was in our space. They did a great job sealing everything from the rest of the house.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - The quality and beauty of the finished project exceeded my expectations.

Remodeling Concerns

Remodeling Concerns - Could we meet all of the wish list within the confines of the space and Karlovec was able to do it.

We have recommended Karlovec & Co to many neighbors and will continue to recommend them.

Employees Professionalism

Employees Professionalism - K&C employees are the best! And they get great subcontractors as well.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - Fabulous craftsmanship/carpentry work + communication + genuine care for true long-lasting quality

Additional Comments

Additional Comments - Very, very happy and look forward to future projects together!

Jim and his team were great to work with and I have recommended him to potential clients.

Schedule

Schedule - Tight schedule was kept and it was appreciated

Communication

Communication - Emails and phone calls were answered almost immediately.

Construction Quality

Construction Quality - Highest of quality.

Trust

Trust - I would trust them on any future project.

Punchlist

Punchlist - Punch list was finished and a 1 year follow up was completed.

We would be enthusiastic to recommend Karlovec to anyone who is considering a remodeling project.

Employees Professionalism

Employees Professionalism - The team on site became an extension of our family over the period of the project.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - Overall, we couldn't have been more pleased to select Karlovec for the project. The execution on site exceeded our expectations, as did the team members involved with the project.

Remodeling Concerns

Remodeling Concerns - Our biggest concern was managing the budget and minimizing the disruption to our lives. Karlovec very openly communicated around budget in a very upfront way. They really minimized any surprises and the team on site was outstanding. The personalities of the team that we had on site the most, we have come to count as good friends.

Additional Comments

Additional Comments - If we were doing another remodeling project, Jim and the team would be the first call we would make.

I appreciated the collaboration with Karlovec and Company most of all. I think the project was successful, and the foundation for that success was a shared set of values, which made design-tradeoff discussions much easier. For this project, that meant having a well defined set of problems we wanted to solve, having a mutual appreciation for historic preservation and the Shaker Heights aesthetic, and sharing an opinion about creating no more space than we really need.

And the collaboration extends beyond dealing with the principal designer. Everyone on the team participated in making the final product work. I had multiple impromptu meetings with both carpenters to make design decisions or to solve tactical problems. Whether it was selecting a stain, or dialing in details of a chamfered edge or finding just the right remnant stone for a cabinet we decided to add at the 11th hour, the team was there, and as the project went on, they learned our preferences and presented us with good options.

For future clients, I would encourage them to think about the relationship they want with their builder. If you want to hire an order-taker or if you want your involvement to be limited to selecting appliances and writing checks, Karlovec and Company might not be the best fit. On the other hand, if you want to be part of the process, from footings to finishes, you will find a satisfying partner in Karlovec and Company.

Expertise

Expertise - I cannot think of any aspect of the project that was outside of the company’s reach. Excavation, masonry, structural engineering issues, all the things that, to my mind, ratchet up the technical complexity of a home-improvement project seemed well in hand. And the company had the right subs to deal with the peculiarities of an older house: extend the steam-heating system? Check. Dealing with funky, non-standard carpentry? Done. Knob-and-tube wiring? Not an issue.

Employees Professionalism

Employees Professionalism - I cannot think of a time during the construction phase where the Karlovec and Company team builders were anything less than pros. The job site was always clean at the end of the day. I had advance notice whenever the team needed access to other parts of my house that weren’t being developed. I feel I could engage in on-the-fly problem solving with the team. The on-site crew did an excellent job of maintaining Karlovec and Co standards with subcontractors as well.

Clean & Safe

Clean & Safe - No complaints here. During Covid, Karlovec and Company made sure hand sanitizer and a portable wash station were always available, in addition to the usual first-aid kit. During excavation, subcontractors kept the hole in the ground well marked and barricaded. Before the project began, K&C tagged the low-hanging wires running over the workspace to the house with yellow caution tape. The team used dust barriers and negative-pressure devices to keep dust to a minimum. The job site always looked good at the end of the working day. Trash was well managed. Construction is a messy business, but Karlovec and Company make a real effort to keep a lid on that mess.

Punchlist

Punchlist - Great experience with the punch list. We built up a list of loose ends online, and then we met one morning to review as a team, which removed any ambiguity about what the expected outcome might be. The team knocked out the punch list a few days later. There was no nagging or foot-tapping required to finish the remaining bits of work. Karlovec and Company took the punch list as seriously as the rest of the job.

with a comment about being more expensive, but well worth the cost.

Professional & Organized

Professional & Organized - Highly disciplined as well

Expertise

Expertise - well beyond our expectations but ensuring they understood "us" and our needs and uses versus just doing a "kitchen" or "bathroom"

Schedule

Schedule - Yes, within the confines of COVID and supply chain constraints. NOTE: They did not use those restrictions as excuses.

Karlovec & Co did a great job (as always!) during this difficult COVID time.

Expertise

Expertise - Fabulous design and beautiful craftsmanship

Construction Quality

Construction Quality - Can't say enough good things about the quality of their work - superb!

Great quality; always available

Communication

Communication - Always kept informed

Value

Value - Quality AND value

I've been working with them for the past 12 years.

Remodeling Concerns

Remodeling Concerns - They addressed all our concerns and are very good at problem-solving. They are good at brainstorming problems and come back with lots of options for the customer!

Additional Comments

Additional Comments - They were excellent, I'm glad we used them. They are trustworthy, competent, and very good at what they do. They pay attention to detail and their goal is to satisfy the customer and they succeed!

Karlovec & Co were great to work with. They were professional and easy to communicate with, and very knowledgeable about our project.

Clean & Safe

Clean & Safe - Did a great job keeping to COVID guidelines, and keeping safety a priority.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - Went above and beyond to help us use the kitchen when our makeshift “kitchen” space wasn’t working for us.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - See above plus the design process, first stage, was intense and thorough. The subcontractors like painters and electricians were great...exceeded expectations.

A+ on all accounts!

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - Jim and his colleagues are all very friendly, personable and professional. They are very competent and skilled in their field. Workmanship was excellent. Everyone listened very well and understood exactly what we wanted done with our project. The end result is spectacular.

I highly recommend Karlovec and Company.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - The whole experience was terrific from beginning to end

The entire renovation process worked exceptionally well and produced a first class result. The collaborative design process produced an optimal arrangement, and the Karlovec team executed consistently to the plan with attention to detail, quality and cleanliness. We were able to achieve not only our initial expectations, but some nice additional features that made the project a truly worthwhile effort.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - The design process was particularly satisfying, in part because of our experience and the level of our involvement with it. As long time proponents of careful planning to make for easier (and usually less costly) execution, it was good to see the principles work as they did. We ended up with an exceptionally effective master bath design and the kitchen improvements gave us a space beyond our expectations.

Jim and his team did an excellent job remodeling 2 bathrooms prior to moving into our new home. Everyone at Karlovec and Co. did an exceptional job at communicating with us and following through with answers to our questions. We had a very accelerated time frame to get all of the work completed and Bob did a great job keeping everyone on schedule. I highly recommend Jim Karlovec and look forward to coming up with a plan for our kitchen in the near future.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - Communication is the key to any successful construction site. Jim was excellent both by phone and email. The craftsmanship is also superior. The attention to detail and their team's knowledge of old Shaker Heights homes makes Karlovec and Co. stand out from other companies.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Areas Of Satisfaction - Stuck to their schedule. Very organized. Great communication using updates by email, text messages and an occasional phone call.

Words cannot describe how top knotch our experience was. Jim and his team truly understood our vision and worked tirelessly with us to achieve our dream! And wow! It was beyond expectations! The entire process was seamless and professional. We always knew what to expect from a budgetary standpoint-no surprises. We look forward to our next big remodel of our master!

Great work and customer service

Jim Karlovec and Bob Humbert have extraordinary attention to detail, as well as pride in their work. They do all the worrying for you, and think through a project before they start to minimize costs.