Testimonials

Homeowner: Jim and Terry L.
Project: Basement Finishing
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/finished-basement-bel-air-md/
 
Description Of Work:
Our project was a full living space in the basement. It includes a bar area with pool table and gaming, an alternate family room space with theater sound and viewing, an exercise room, a spa-like bathroom and a music room/studio for playing and recording. The bar consisted of fine cabinet installation, with hard floor installation as well as plumbing. The bath is a full start to finish luxury feature and had to be plumbed as we did not have a rough in when the home was built. The surround was all pre-wired to my specifications. The ceiling and music room area were sound proofed and of course additional electric capacity was required including a new sub-panel. Quality was paramount to this process - our home is a valuable asset both financially and personally.
 
Comments: We finally decided to finish our basement and although I wanted a theater, my wife wanted it to include living space. So I drafted several versions of what that could look like and called for estimates. We had three quotes with ACH being the last to bid. Pavel was the only contractor who gave us a quote on the spot, the others took a few weeks to roll in. When they did ACH was the lowest cost - by far. That threw up a red flag for me. As a professional buyer, I generally throw out the low, the high and work with what's left. However the gap between ACH and the middle was sizable so I at least wanted to pursue consideration. So I called Pavel at ACH and asked for references which he was happy to provide. I called several of his clients all of whom had nothing but praises for the work he and his team did for them. They all invited us to come see it, which we did. We were impressed with what we saw and heard about their work and I determined value is not necessarily correlated to cost with this particular business and called to contract our project. ACH started when they said they would start, and for me that was a good first sign. They were on time daily, considerate of our home, cleaned up daily, left no waste behind for us to deal with and all were professional in behavior during the build process. When there were issues to review, Pavel the owner, made sure we discussed them in detail and at length to resolve and determine the best course of action, and in some cases, reaction to make the project the best it could be. Along the way Pavel had "suggestions" that helped with challenges I threw out or in several cases he came up with alternatives to my design's features which kept the projects flavor but were more practical from both a cost and aesthetic perspective. He worked around our needs and want's - not the other way around.Although our project took a little longer than projected, it was really due to planning issues on my part. I wanted to upgrade several features like a steam/sauna shower and didn't have them in time for ACH to have a continuous building process. Nonetheless, Pavel worked around my delays and as the shower arrived, scheduled to complete the bath area. Same issue occurred with the bar cabinets and at this point although I thought Pavels frustration would be high, he simply scheduled other work while these important final touches rolled in. I would recommend ACH to anyone regardless of home size and the homes price range. We spoke with families for projects with areas as small as 700 square feet to about 1200 and ours is about 1400. They are a turn-key provider meaning floor to ceiling, they want to and do provide all of the features to complete the entire project. In summary we couldn't have asked for a better completed living space conversion. Everyone who has seen it has been impressed, very impressed - we are the envy of some of our neighbors for sure. The quality is unsurpassed and blends seamlessly into our home. This has been an improvement and an investment that we will cherish for as long as we live in this home. I can't wait for the first Superbowl party!
 
Homeowner: Jim and Robin B.
Project: Basement Finishing
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/basement-remodeling-ellicott-city-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
We had our basement and basement bathroom remodeled.  The job consisted of gutting our basement, reframing, removing and replacing all existing electrical work, plumbing, gas line addition, drywalling, painting, carpet installation, tile flooring, wall tile in shower, cabinet installation and plumbing for our bar, extension of half bath to full bath, and installation of direct vent gas fireplace.
 
Comments:
We were astounded by the professionalism, craftsmanship and integrity of ACH Group.  We could not be happier with our basement or our contractor.  The owner, Pavel, was the fourth contractor we met with for a quote.  My husband was diligent in his research.  Having gone to a home show and spoken with several different contractors, then reading Angie's List reviews, he selected three to come to our house for a quote.  The one he thought he would like the best was over budget by $15,000.00.  Another didn't want to give us a quote, until he drew up a plan that he wanted to charge us $1500.00 up front.  The third left no good, memorable impression. In this case, the fourth was a charm. Pavel came to our house in the evening and had a quote to us two days later.  We felt very comfortable with him and signed the contract for our basement remodel, including expansion of our club room, stadium seating in the theatre room, expansion of a half bath to full bath, addition of a wet bar and installation of a direct vent gas fireplace.  He and his crew showed up every day and worked a full day.  When he noticed the electrical wiring was unsafe, he notified us and told us he needed to replace it.  We were so happy he did that.  Other contractors may have just left it.  Having worked with other contractors on smaller jobs in the past, I can say their level of skill, craftmanship and integrity is unparalled.  They completed the remodel on time and on budget. Pavel and his hand-picked crew are a pleasure to work with. They are flexible and will keep you involved every step of the way, if you want that.  They respected us and our home, cleaning up after work each day, and paid close attention to our needs.  We highly recommend ACH Group to anyone considering a large remodeling project. We actually hired them for a second project, which they just completed on time, on budget and to perfection, again.
 
Homeowner: Carlton and Diane H.
Project: Basement Finishing
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/finished-basement-pikesville-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
Complete basement finishing project. Including, entertainment/theater room, kitchenette, full bathroom, laundry room, exercise room, smaller entertainment room (for children), storage rooms, flooring, installation of cabinets, all plumbing work (including moving rough-in to desired location), all electrical work includes recessed lighting, electrical outlets, cable TV outlets,surround sound speaker wiring in theater room, in ceiling speakers installed in exercise room, painting, heating and air conditioning duct work and registers, tile work (bathroom and kitchenette).
 
Comments: My wife and I met with 6 contractors all from Angie's list. Pavel's (the owner) estimate was by far the best price and value of them all. In some cases Pavel's estimate was only a 1/3 of some of the other estimates. Pavel took our ideas and brought them to life and where needed made suggestions on things that would look or work better. Pavel and his team started the project exactly when they said they would.They showed up on time and ready to work. They worked hard everyday and  I felt early on that the team took a sense of pride in their work. Pavel and his team were very professional and very pleasant to work with. At the end of every day the team completely cleaned up after themselves and Pavel gave us a walk through to discuss what they had accomplished for the current day, what they planned to accomplish on the next day and what he needed from us. Pavel was always available to us, he answered his phone when we called and responded to emails and text messages when we sent them. Any time he could not answer his phone he always called back in a timely manner. We never had to wonder where he was or if he was coming to do any work. When we ran in unforeseen issues, Pavel came up with solutions that resolved the problem completely and kept the project on track. The end result was that we have a beautiful basement that looks and functions better than we ever imagined. The quality of ACH Group's work is excellent and they finished the job in the six weeks they said it would takeI We know that we chose the right company. We highly recommend ACH Group and I would definitely use them in future household renovation projects.
 
Homeowner: Linda Z.
Project: Basement Finishing
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/finished-basement-oealla-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
We had a large unfinished basement. ACH finished the entire space, creating a family room, a full bath, a kitchen and a couple of storage areas.  The company owner (Pavel) understood exactly what we were looking for and created spaces that are fabulous.  He made design suggestions that created more work for him, but did not charge us more for the solutions.  He was very concerned about the overall asthetics and all work was focused on the best possible result.
 
Comments: 
Pavel provided an estimate that was about mid-range of the 3 I received.  The comments about ACH on Angie's list coupled with feedback I obtained from the extensive list of references he provided were the final factor in my decision to go with ACH.  Pavel and his crew completed the job in 23 days.  Pavel and his staff were very respectful of our home and at the end of each day, left the work space neat and clean.  Pavel's sub-contractors were also very timely, neat and courteous.
Initially, I had some concerns about the ambiquity of some of the items in the contract, for example, lighting.  There was no specificity about  how much lighting would be installed. Based on everything I know about signing contracts, I thought  we should have had details about each specific item.  I decided to "go with my gut" and trust Pavel.  (if you knew me, you would know that this is completely out of my norm!)   Pavel explained that we would lay out the space and then we would decide where to put the lights and however many we agreed were needed was what he would install and would be covered by the overall contract. Pavel was true to his word and we have wonderful lighting for the entire space. The same held true for heating and AC vents, electrical outlets, cable connections, etc.  Each and every item was placed where we wanted them with no regard to "how many" and all were covered in the overall contract cost.   Pavel did provide allowances in the contract for paint, carpet, bathroom fixtures and flooring.  Armed with the allowances, it was our choice if we opted to exceed that amount.  The allowances were for decent quality and I felt very little need to bump up to higher grade.  At the end of the job, I think I spent about $1000 above the contract.
I can't say enough about how pleased we are with the job that ACH did. The basement is absolutely perfect!  I would highly recommend ACH!
 
Homeowner: Anie P Project:
Basement Remodeling
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/finished-basement-owings-mills-md/ 
 
Comments: 
I had an idea of the layout for the basement. He walked with me downstairs with a drawing and discussed the design. He gave full background on how the work would go and provided a schedule which he never missed. He first framed the basement. He then started working on installing the electrical and cable outlets. After he tentatively finished, he asked me if I wanted more electric or cable outlets installed. I wanted to mount two television downstairs and I asked him to put the electrical outlets higher, which he accomodated with no problem. I have hardwood floors upstairs, and he ran heavy traffic paper to avoid any injury to my wood (this was perfect!!). Next was the drywall. In one room (which already had drywall but was not fully finished, there was a crooked corner and he fixed it without any issues. The walls were prepped for eventual painting and he installed the access panels for the electrical box and other pipes needing access. I wanted another electrical outlet after the drywall went up, and he had no problem provding this to me after the fact (for a small $50; which is nothing compared to having an electrical company come out and install a new outlet; this usually runs about $235). He had a sample of different carpets (ones included in the price and others for a small extra fee). I selected a higher quality of carpet for a small fee of $300. While the company was busy working, I decided last minute I wanted to install a steam shower since I wanted a workout room downstairs. Pavel included with the price the shower (corner), but he gave me the discount of $500 for me to purchase my own steam shower and then later when the unit arrived, there had to be a breaker box, which he installed for a fee of $400 (this was only charged because it was after the fact and the drywall was already up; but if I had decided this early on, this charge would have been $0). He gave me a list of items to select the bathroom vanity and mirror and toilet and after I chose, he picked them up. He also picked up the bathroom fan and the faucets. He found a matching light fixture for the bathroom (nickle) and installed it. The last thing installed was the bathroom. He completed the painting and went back around to make sure there were no drywall issues and corrected those. He primed the walls first before painting (I selected the color paint for the main walls and bathroom). The doors were already installed before the painting was completed. The carpets were installed. Great work and very professional! Then the bathroom was installed with the steam shower. He showed me how the steam shower worked. It was a great experience and I would hire him again with no questions asked.
 
Homeowner: Lisa G
Project: Basement Remodeling
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/basement-remodeling-clarksville-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
Pavel and his team completely gutted the main living area in our old and outdated basement to the beams and then restructured and renovated every aspect of the space, including adding spray foam insulation, moving walls and ceilings, extensive electrical work, drywall and painting, and addition of a new kitchenette - which included custom cabinetry, granite installation, tile backsplash and related plumbing.
 
Comments: 
It's hard to find the words to describe just how good Pavel is.  Finding contractors like him are the things that make Angie's List memberships worth their weight in gold.  From the initial estimate to the final touches, Pavel impressed us.  When we first contacted him for an estimate on a total overhaul of our basement's main living area, he came out right away, walked through our ideas with us, gave honest feedback and advice far beyond what any other contractor had, and proceeded to give a quote that was at least as good as anything we'd heard from the other people we'd spoken to.  He also walked us through every detail of his paperwork - from an incredibly fair and customer-friendly contract to his insurance to a long and impressive list of certifications.
From the day that we contacted him to ask him to do the job to the end he was fully engaged in the project and true to his initial estimate.  He and his crew did work beyond anything that we ever imagined and they did it neatly and with minimum disruption to the rest of our household.  It wasn't rare that he and his team were here until late at night - at times still working after my husband and I had gone to bed - and we're night owls ourselves!  Communication was also amazing throughout.  Pavel seemed always to have our job in mind and it wasn't rare that I'd be out and about and get a call or a text with a new idea or quick question.
I can say with complete confidence that I have never seen a contractor work so hard or so well.  I'm an absolute perfectionist and know I can be very picky - Pavel met my every expectation and gave us the basement that we've been dreaming of.  I can only imagine what kind of value he's added to our home.  We look forward to tackling our next major project with him - I cannot imagine working with anyone else.
 
Homeowner: Joshua G
Project: Basement Remodeling
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/finished-basement-saverna-park-md/ 
 
Description Of Work: 
We hired ACH Group to finish our basement.  Project included demolition and removal of partially collapsed ceiling and previous electrical work.  ACH Group re-did all the electrical, framing, added a powder room and a storage room, added insulation, added air vents, drywall, paint and carpet.  They also put down a tile floor in the bathroom and the vanity and fixtures.
 
Comments: 
We were very happy with our experience with ACH Group.  Pavel was on top of things and made sure the project ran smoothly.  Pavel and his crew were very hard-working, polite and they kept their work area very neat and tidy.  We were also impressed with the quality of their work.  They never cut corners and Pavel made helpful suggestions throughout the project.  We had good experiences with the subcontractors as well.  Everyone arrived when they said they would and finished on time.
We had a minor issue with the drywall in a couple areas and before we could even mention it to Pavel a crew was at our house to re-finish the problem areas.  Pavel assured us that they would re-finish it as many times as it took for the walls to be perfect and in the end the problem was resolved.  We appreciated that Pavel demanded high quality from his subcontractors.
The project was completed exactly on time.  Compared to other estimates we received, ACH Group was both less expensive and promised to get the job done much faster.  In 2 1/2 weeks our cold, dark, unsafe basement that we hated to go into was transformed into a bright, comfortable living area and playroom for our son.
 
Homeowner: Robert K.
Project: Basement Remodeling
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/basement-remodeling-columbia-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
Pavel and his crew did an outstanding job renovating our basement for a reasonable price. They demolished the existing structures, put in separate storage and laundry rooms, enclosed the utilities, and remodeled the existing bathroom. The work included installing all new electrical wiring, insulation, framing, drywall (walls and ceiling), carpeting, tiles in the bathroom and laundry room, plumbing work,a new exterior door, and painting.  Without exception, all the work was of the highest quality and was done on time.
 
Comments: 
We obtained 3 estimates for renovating our basement and chose ACH Group based on their sterling reviews here on Angie's List, the very competitive price quoted, and the the company's experience in basement remodeling. The estimate from Pavel was very reasonable and the work was scheduled at our convenience. Pavel closely supervised the work by a variety of different workers and willingly made adjustments to the original plan at our request as the work progressed.  Pavel was very responsive to all emails and calls and any questions we had were promptly addressed.  The workers were very professional and polite and many worked into the night (and weekends) to finish the project on time. We will call on Pavel and his crew for future projects and we can highly recommend them for any remodeling work.
 
Homeowner: John C
Project: Basement Remodeling
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-a/basement-remodeling-catonsville-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
On September 7, 2011, Tropical Storm Lee flooded our basement when our sump stopped working. Six inches of water caused a big mess.
After obtaining 3 estimates, we chose ACH for the renovation job. Pavel Abaev, the owner, and his crew and sub-contractors did the following: demolition, disposal, framing, installation of lights and outlets and additional electrical wiring, drywall installation and finishing, painting, finished carpentry, installation of laminate floor, and plumbing including completely remodeled bathroom.
 
Comments: 
We always believed that no one is as good as their press, but Pavel is even *better*.
We obtained 3 estimates; Pavel was the third. He arrived on time, and immediately reviewed the licenses, certifications, and history of himself and those of the company, and gave us copies of all of them. He also gave us a long list of references, starting with the most recent, of projects similar to ours. His Angie's List write-ups were excellent, but we called 3 references just to be thorough. All references spoke extremely highly of him and his workers.
Our basement is about 1,000 square feet, and had a finished family room, a finished bedroom, and an unfinished storeroom. The standing water destroyed furniture, books, carpet, record albums, and many other things. After the water was drained, wet things removed, walls and ceilings removed, and all rooms treated for mold, Pavel and his crew began their work.
During his final walk-through before the project's beginning, he gave us a proposed schedule that included every phase from start to finish, as well as some computer-generated pictures of what the finished rooms would look like. He posted  this schedule on the basement door.
Pavel ran an extremely tight ship. Every crew member and sub-contractor was on time and on schedule, and Pavel met all sub-contractors when they first started, to make sure that they understood exactly what was needed. He always kept us informed about progress and schedules, always called to ask questions and confirm decisions, and often reminded us to tell him if there was anything that we wanted changed or if we had questions.
Pavel asked us questions and made suggestions, many of which touched on things we hadn't even thought about. A self-described "perfectionist," he always listened to what we said, and then made sure that everything was done in the best way possible.
All crew and sub-contractors, all of whom Pavel had worked with previously, were polite, professional, and extremely hard-working. All completed their work within their scheduled time. Pavel reconfirmed every purchase (e.g, sink, shower, toilet, flooring, paint), and picked up all the materials after we paid for them. The workspace was swept and tidied at the end of each day by whoever had worked that day.
Pavel was clearly in charge throughout the entire process -- he made sure that all workers knew what needed to be done and when they needed to do it. He reviewed all work done by others. Another contractor of ours and some of Pavel's sub-contractors commented on the high quality of his workmanship.
We were extremely impressed with all of Pavel's work and professional conduct from beginning to end, and would happily recommend him for any renovation or construction job you may have.
 
Homeowner: Tammy D
Project: Basement Bathroom Addition
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/bathrooms-and-kitchens/compact-bathrooms-a/basement-bathroom-addition-arnold-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
We wanted a bathroom in our basement, which was starting from scratch without plumbing, walls, etc.  We had two estimates that were higher than we'd expected, and all the time heard how much work and difficult the job would be.  Third time's a charm. We found ACH group on Angie's List, and heard back from Pavel within a day.  He made an appointment to give us an estimate, and arrived on time with references, pictures from previous jobs and a quote that was not only great, but made with enthusiasm that the job would not take too long and would be easy.  What impressed us most was the education Pavel gave us on our rights, and his insistence that we call his references from previous jobs.  His professionalism and confidence in his ability to do the best job at the best price, was irresistible. Although the work was performed during the holiday season, Pavel and his workers were tireless workers. Their European work ethic puts many American workers to shame.  They were super tidy, courteous and conscientious.  The end result was an original design that fit the space perfectly.  If we could build a house by this company, we'd do it in a heartbeat!  It is without any hesitation that we wholeheartedly recommend Pavel and the ACH Group. One word: AWESOME!
 
Comments: 
It all went well. Some days they were at our house for 14 hours to get the job done within the estimated time.  They never seemed to take a break!  We both worked, and felt no hesitation at giving them free reign.  We have yet to have a better experience with construction than this one, would use again in a heartbeat!  If they had an A+ category, they would get it!
 
Homeowner: Aaron K
Project: Basement Remodeling
Gallery: http://achgroupllc.com/project-galleries/basements/basements-b/basement-remodeling-cameron-rd-baltimore-md/
 
Description Of Work: 
Completely finished our basement for us.  Installed new framing and dry wall over existing old walls which were in very poor shape.  Did some demolition, including removing a set of stairs, partition walls, some electrical, and a closet to open up a room for us.  Installed cork flooring, molding, and trim around windows and doors.
 
Comments: 
Pavel and all the workers at ACH Group were really great.  We got about 6 estimates and Pavel's was the most competitive.  Some contractors clearly didn't want to do our job, and yet Pavel tackled the beast.  He stopped by three times before the start of the job to ensure that he had a very clear idea of what we wanted, spent extra time walking my partner through every step of the planned work to make sure he understood what was going to happen, and gave us a very thorough, very precise contract document so there were no surprises with costs at the end of the project.
As far as the work - they did an excellent job, and they worked very late each night to finish the project before our super tight moving-in deadline.  They worked quickly AND carefully - two concurrent qualities hard to find in contractors these days.  They cleaned up carefully after each day, which was unexpected b/c they really didn't need to b/c we didn't live there yet. Our basement looks 110% better - it's like an entirely new living space.  We couldn't be happier with the work ACH did and we fully recommend them for any remodeling work.  Pavel also gave us good advice for future work on our place - since we were just tackling the walls and floors at the time (and were leaving plumbing, electrical, and a new ceiling for later on).
Bottom line - definitely recommend ACH Group and working with Pavel.  He's very conscientious and really cares about doing a good job your project.  You won't be disappointed.
 

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