Commonwealth did a kitchen remodel for us, and we’re incredibly happy with it. Choosing the right company to do a big project like this is a big decision, and we’re so thankful we chose them. The staff is professional and has loads of experience, which made everything go smoothly. The architect and kitchen designer understood what we were asking for, better than we did, and came up with a design and selections that brought our vision together. Walls were removed to open the kitchen out to the dining area giving us the open concept we were looking for. Now the kitchen feels so much larger and brighter than before, and there’s at least double the storage space and elbow room. We made the right choice with Commonwealth; thank you for our beautiful kitchen and making the process easy and smooth.
– Beth W.
Commonwealth did a great job on a major renovations for us. They did an addition for us which increased the size of our house by over 50%. When we were considering doing the work, we talked with several contractors. We went with them initially for a few reasons: they are owned by a married couple where one is an architect and the other is an engineer, so we knew that neither would get short shrift on our project. But also, they were the only ones who came in with a vision to meet our goals after listening to what we wanted. Everyone on their staff was helpful, and knowledgeable. The final product looks great, and is exactly what we hoped for. I waited a year after to write this review, and everything is still in great shape. They have a one year warranty where they come back after a year to address anything that’s come up since then, and honored it. They even went through more carefully than we had, looking for any imperfections which arose in the last year just to touch up, which really went above and beyond our expectations. They did take about a month more than they predicted in their original schedule, and that was before the supply chain problems right now. But they met the cost we agreed upon up front, and we had no rework in the entire project.
– Josh Krupnick
My husband and I have never found a contractor better than Commonwealth…and we should know. Over the 25 years since Commonwealth put a major addition on our house in Herndon, VA, we have worked with at least 10 contractors in 4 different states. None could beat Kelvin and Susan, and most couldn’t even come close. We wish we could have convinced them to move with us every time we needed to do a home renovation or construction project. Every contractor we’ve worked with since 1997 has had to listen to us say repeated times, “Let me tell you about this contractor we worked with in Virginia” and then we launch into an often extensive tale of the kind of service, care, attention to detail, reliability, and just plain helpful advice throughout the process that we got from Kelvin and Susan. Our favorite story? How Commonwealth’s crew dismantled virtually the entire back wall of our house (which included the living room wall, where a 13-year-old’s slumber/birthday party was taking place), installed a steel beam, then completely framed the two-story addition, and had it sheathed and under roof—in one day! To this day, my husband wishes he’d bought a keg, set up chairs, and invited the neighbors over to watch—the crew worked like fine choreography and the foreman RAN the entire day. Not only was every bit of the work top notch but the crew protected our slumberers and the rest of the house. Yes, we lived in the house during the entire construction process—something, I realize now, was made possible because of Susan’s and Kelvin’s careful planning, and understanding/adapting to our situation (I was running a business—with 3 employees—in one of the rooms that was getting enlarged and whose back wall was removed that day). Now we find ourselves deliriously happy that a contractor at least tells us when the workers are not going to be there; with Kelvin, we never had to guess because he made sure the workers were ALWAYS there. I’m writing this 25 years later because that 13-year-old is now building an addition on her house in Northern Virginia and asked me for recommendations. Can you guess the only name I’ve offered her?!
– AH Waigand
We interviewed 6 different companies because that’s the kind of people we are. We do our homework. We expected, and got, both a high and a low price, so threw those out. One or two of them didn’t really listen to us. And out of the remaining, we liked Kelvin; no “sales pitch” just straight talk, addressing exactly what we needed to know. We like that you have everything in-house, and the work on your website is great. Also, the first thing we did was ask everyone we knew if they had any recommendations. Interestingly, we mostly heard; ‘DON’T use this or that company’, but we kept hearing recommendations for you all.
-Commonwealth Client
As I was sitting in my kitchen this morning, contemplating another day inside with my family, I realized how grateful I am that I have such a beautiful space to wake up to every morning. It makes this whole social distancing thing a lot easier. We really love our new home. All the added space and light has made our lives so much better, and even more so now that we are all together at home for the foreseeable future.
-Laura
There is never a day that goes by where we do not appreciate our beautiful home with the renovations your company did. Love it now as much as we did back then. Entertaining has become so easy and our lives revolve pretty much around the kitchen and living room. Cannot imagine how we lived before and wish we had done more!! Truly we love our home. Whether I walk in through the front door or pull up via the drive way just love how it all looks inside and out – definitely work you can be proud of!
– Nishi and Lakshman
You guys are the BEST. I mean it. I wanted to drop you a note to tell you how happy Ruth and I are with the work that Commonwealth did on our remodeling project. As you know, half of our house was worked on, and the results were spectacular. Every phase of your work went smoothly…it was apparent that Commonwealth’s success comes in large part, from really listening to the needs, desires and dreams of your customers.”
– Glenn, Fairfax, VA
We really appreciate the way you back up your customer service promise so consistently… and you can be sure we tell people often what a great experience we have had with Commonwealth. Thank you for taking all the steps to get us up and running…
– Susan and Keith, McLean, VA
I couldn’t ask for a more positive experience. The work was completed earlier than projected. You consistently came up with better ideas than we had to solve those inevitable problems that come up in any remodeling job. Thank you for a job well done!
– David, Arlington, VA
We had the pleasure of working with Commonwealth Home Design on an extensive renovation of our entire house. We are thrilled with the outcome and recommend them highly and without reservation. From the beginning to the end of the process, each and every person we worked with was professional, organized, knowledgeable and reliable. In addition, we found them always sensitive to our needs and respectful of our property and our pets. All subcontractors were managed seamlessly. Our house was always kept vacuumed, clean, organized and safe. What we found very impressive about the Commonwealth team was the project planning and communication. Before work started, we were provided with a detailed project plan and cost estimates, and we were educated on what to expect during each stage of the project. This plan and budget was well adhered to and our change orders were accepted with flexibility and fairness. There were no surprises or disappointments, and every day we received written communication about the work performed that day and planned for the next. The best part of the experience was the final result, which exceeded our expectations in terms of design, workmanship and quality. As mentioned above, this was an extensive renovation – yet in the end there was almost no punch list at all! We would not hesitate to work with the Commonwealth team again and give them our strongest recommendation.
– Nell Williams
We were pleasantly surprised by your accounting of allotment expenses for our remodeling project…And even more pleasantly surprised that it included a small refund check to us…The biggest surprise to us is our belief that most remodeling companies, had they made such a review, would not have told us if they had found that we had overpaid, however slightly, and would not have issued a refund check…In every step of our project, we have been impressed with the professionalism of your company, impressed with your keeping us informed about the process, impressed with the quality of the work, impressed with the follow-up in making minor adjustments after the work was completed, impressed by the people. All in all…we’re impressed with you!
– Bobby and Jill, Vienna, VA
I’ve been expediting plans for builders since 1988. Your plans are consistently SOME OF the best I PROCESS. You’ve surrounded yourselves with people who are technically competent and really know how to listen. I only have to tell you once when there’s a new county requirement. It really makes a difference in getting your plans approved. The reviewers like to see your plans come across their desks, and it helps make my job easier.
– Barbara, Architectural Plan Expediter
We are thankful you came into our lives last spring. You have the innate talent, cultivated expertise, intelligence, industriousness and character to succeed!
– Joan, Vienna, VA
There were no disappointments during construction. You met our expectations in quality and design. We were really impressed with the quality and dependability of your subcontractors. The project seemed to go almost perfectly.
– Cap and Helene, Vienna, VA
My family and I wanted to thank Commonwealth for the amazing job you did on our kitchen remodel. You transformed our previously non-functional and unattractive kitchen into a gorgeous room that is inviting to our guests and allows both the family cooks to work! Each stage of the process really showed off your talents. In our initial session with Susan to discuss the remodel, I particularly appreciated how she intently listened to what I said about where the space worked and where it didn’t. She worked incredibly hard to create a functional design within our modest budget and succeeded beyond our wildest hopes. The other craftsmen who worked on the kitchen were equally good and it is a real testament to the quality of your company how many talented perfectionists you have assembled in one place.
– Kristin & Randy
My house sold for above list and we had six contracts on it. And I’m sure it’s due in large part to the wonderful work that you did on it. Everybody loved it and they wrote to us nice letters about what a beautiful house it was. So you should feel very good about that – we certainly do!
– Amy, Vienna, VA
We could not even have predicted how well it would have gone or how happy we would be before you started our remodel…We’re just crazy about the way it all looks now – it’s beyond what we imagined. You’ve given us something with that WOW! factor that we wanted. We’ve gotten LOTS of compliments.
– Mike and Clark, Lake Barcroft, VA
My kitchen renovation was a great experience…You do an excellent job at communicating the progress of the project and coordinating schedules of other tradesmen, such as the electrician and plumber, as well as the building permit inspectors. You kept to the schedule yet handled unexpected and hidden structural problems to insure that in the end, the total kitchen remodel was done right…I highly recommend you to anyone that is looking for trustworthy and true quality craftsmen for their next remodeling project.
– Terry, Washington, DC
At the ninth hour, we dumped the guy I had been working with and started fresh. In the end, I really do like my kitchen. It is certainly smaller than my Valestra Circle kitchen but actually more efficient when I am cooking. Btw, the Valestra Circle house sold in mid-September in one week {in the middle of the housing crisis}. I have no doubt it sold so quickly because of the Commonwealth kitchen and renovation project.
– Nancy, Vienna, VA
You hear so many horror stories about contractors that I thought you would like to know about our really positive experience. The workmanship is absolutely top-notch and all of the crews and subs are a real pleasure to have around. I really can’t say enough good things, and I have very high standards…In this case, my expectations have been met and even exceeded…So that others can have the same happy experience, I encourage you to tell your clients about my experience…
– Gail, Washington, DC
