E & L Builders

We are currently using E&L Builders to add a 2nd floor addition to our home in McLean VA. We thought we would post some of our experiences and use our Yelp review to post updates as we progress on the project.

Clark Crews (the owner) has been in the business a long time and is very knowledgable.

So far things have been somewhat hectic. I think we can summarize our issues into 3 areas.

1. Measuring Mistakes - There have been a few issues directly related to measuring mistakes. One was the 2nd floor addition was built 9.5 inches too short resulting in, among other things, additional support columns having to be installed inside our house. Another one was the bump out over the garage is indented 8 inches on the left side resulting in a header being installed at the last minute which caused ceiling damage inside the house. To correct the ceiling damage, drywall was installed at a lower point underneath the damage which lowered the ceiling. Aesthetically, the front of the house doesn't look right. We are still waiting to hear what Clark will credit us for this error.

2. Communication - We have had problems with communication from the begining (items being ordered and different than we expected). When Clark responds back to our emails he doesn't answer all of the questions or is vague in his response. His invoices are broad and not broken down to show what you are paying for. We had to do the math ourselves to figure out that he charges $35 an hour to dig a hole (seems very expensive). Also, his description of how the exterior will look when finished is still unclear to us and we are often not informed on what work will be completed as we move forward in project.

3. Time - A majority of work (after setting the 2nd floor modular) is done by one sub-contractor. So, if that person is sick, no work gets done that day. Also, it takes a few months to finish, where as, I think, if you dealing with a larger builder, you could have things done much quicker.

On the positive side, Clark is generally available and responsive when we call him.

If you would like to drive by and see the quality of the work, you are welcome to do so (and you can see the 9.5 inch error on the left side of the house). Just message me for the address.

We will continue to post updates/edits as our construction progresses. Hopefully Clark with come through and we will be happy customers in the end.

The owner and 2 employees are honest, wonderful people. I really felt from the beginning and right through to the end that I could trust them. They were lightning-quick to correct mistakes during the building process. On those reasons alone I would recommend them to anyone. However, I would encourage future clients to not assume things be done in what you may think the "normal" way. For example, the electric meter was put right out in front, preventing a shutter from being installed. They moved it. The HVAC units were put on the wrong side; they moved them to the other side promptly. I'm not happy with the kitchen design: Make sure you stay involved. My cook top choices were limited to small ones due to the depth of the countertop.