Recommended: Contractor

Our companion email list, the Cleveland Park Listserv, is a treasure trove of recommendations. We want to share on All Life Is Local, on a periodic basis, the best recommendations that have been posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv. You'll be able to search All Life Is Local for "contractor," "plumber," "computer tech," "auto body shop" -- whatever you need. The search box, in case you have trouble finding it, is to the right and down a bit.

I most highly recommend Tim Herr of BS&T contractors (he's one of the owners). He came highly recommended by TW Perry's when I requested someone who was meticulous and precise down to every obsessive detail. And Tim was all that and more. He actually explained all my options and considerations, rather than making field decisions without consulting me. Other contractors I contacted were glossing over the details (leaving many poor quality, cutting corners decisions hidden from me). We were using contractors to install built-in shelves and they were supposed to also do our windows. They were a nightmare on cutting corners and doing it cheaply when doing the shelves (and never gave us a firm price on windows and options even 2 months after initial contact).

We realized we needed to find a new contractor for the windows. Tim was wonderful. The best general contractor I have ever dealt with (and I had an excellent one for a kitchen renovation, but Tim is even better). He is extraordinarily nice, honest and completely reliable - about times to give an estimate and do the work (to the day he started when he said he would). He went above and beyond doing extras that weren't part of the contract and he didn't charge for them. Some of these extras he volunteered turned into quite a bit of work, which he never complained about and never asked for additional money.

He has since been equally responsive, pleasant and skilled doing more minor work for me. Tim is the person I would go to for large-scale renovations or small work. He gave me a stack of references, which were glowing beyond the usual letter. Now that he's worked for me, I can see why. He is a rare gem in the contracting field. Highly-skilled, obsessive about every detail of his work, incredibly sweet and helpful, reliable and trustworthy.

Tim's number is 301-399-4917.