Complaint Review: Cupertino Kitchen Design/RemodelWest

>My wife and I have worked with Bill Reid and his company CKD/RemodelWest on three occasions over the last eight years. The three projects on our home covered the spectrum of residential remodeling work and reflect the comprehensive, full service nature of CKD/RemodelWest. Our first project, a complete kitchen remodel, was done in 2000. Few projects are as inconvenient and daunting to a homeowner as remodeling a kitchen, however, we were able to remain living in our home througout construction and witness the daily progress as the work was completed on time and budget. To this day we receive compliments on our kitchen's design, functionality and "new" appearance, which I attribute to the quality of CKD/RemodelWest's workmanship and the materials used. Based on this initial experience, we subsequently worked with CKD/RemodelWest on two bathroom remodels, an addition and a complete upgrade of the original home's 1950s-era features, including all windows and doors and significant structural work. Needless to say, we would not have continued to work with CKD/RemodelWest had there been doubts about the company's ability to meet expectations, which in our case were exceedingly high both in terms of customer service and quality of work. Beyond CKD/RemodelWest's full service, design-build approach, an important factor in their success is that the company's core individuals are directly involved in the project, are clear in defining its scope and budget, and are accessible and responsive to their client-homeowners throughout. I was particularly impressed with how much personal time and effort Bill Reid put in on the design phase of our final project, a relatively modest addition in comparison to many of his company's projects. His contributions as well as those of project manager John Swartz resulted in our home being transformed from a generic 1950s tract house to a well-designed, personalized home that reflects our lifestyle and of which we are extremely proud.
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>Luke and Christine C.
>San Jose, California

>My wife and I have worked with Bill Reid and his company CKD/RemodelWest on three occasions over the last eight years. The three projects on our home covered the spectrum of residential remodeling work and reflect the comprehensive, full service nature of CKD/RemodelWest. Our first project, a complete kitchen remodel, was done in 2000. Few projects are as inconvenient and daunting to a homeowner as remodeling a kitchen, however, we were able to remain living in our home througout construction and witness the daily progress as the work was completed on time and budget. To this day we receive compliments on our kitchen's design, functionality and "new" appearance, which I attribute to the quality of CKD/RemodelWest's workmanship and the materials used. Based on this initial experience, we subsequently worked with CKD/RemodelWest on two bathroom remodels, an addition and a complete upgrade of the original home's 1950s-era features, including all windows and doors and significant structural work. Needless to say, we would not have continued to work with CKD/RemodelWest had there been doubts about the company's ability to meet expectations, which in our case were exceedingly high both in terms of customer service and quality of work. Beyond CKD/RemodelWest's full service, design-build approach, an important factor in their success is that the company's core individuals are directly involved in the project, are clear in defining its scope and budget, and are accessible and responsive to their client-homeowners throughout. I was particularly impressed with how much personal time and effort Bill Reid put in on the design phase of our final project, a relatively modest addition in comparison to many of his company's projects. His contributions as well as those of project manager John Swartz resulted in our home being transformed from a generic 1950s tract house to a well-designed, personalized home that reflects our lifestyle and of which we are extremely proud.
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>Luke and Christine C.
>San Jose, California

This posting is so unfair. We worked with this company for two and a half years before we moved to another city. The paperwork from Cupertino Kitchens was always definitely clear, concise and the best I have ever viewed for many business models.

I have had over 20 years in the cabinet business and to suggest that Cottonwood cabinets are among the $25,000 dollar range is rather like wishing you had won the lottery. I'm sorry the poster is so bitter. but it doesn't fit.

I work as a design team with my daughter, we have both judged International design competitions through NKBA and we both support Bill Reid and his company.

This is a great company with a lot of integrity and satisfied clients.

My experience with Cupertino Kitchen Design/Remodel West was 100% professional and positive. From our first meeting with Remodel West staff, they were dedicated to making our whole-house remodel suit the needs of our family. I was amazed by the Design Staff's ideas and creativity. They were open and receptive to my ideas and improved on them exponentially. There were many design challenges in the remodeling of our home which they beautifully solved. The Project Manager and working staff were always prompt and polite and each was truly professional. The work done in our home was completed by skilled craftsmen committed to a quality finished product. City permit inspections were always smooth and flawless. We are extremely pleased with the finished remodeling project Remodel West completed for us. We feel the cost of the project equaled the quality product we received. It was a pleasure to work with such fine people.

It is very sad that an unfortunate human being would attempt to discredit such a fine company.

My wife and I are proud to know Bill Reid and his Remodel West (CKD) team for 10 plus years. We have always found Remodel West to be open, honest and direct to deal with. In the 10 years we have known them we have done 5 seperate projects with them on 3 homes and all had excellent results. They are dependable folks who have a lnog track record of success in the Valley. We speak from experience.

Remodel West (CKD) has been excellent for us and we plan to use them in the future.

I was stunned to see this critical review of Remodel West. Our experience has been very positive. We were referred to Remodel West through friends who had their kitchen done and I was thoroughly impressed with their experience and their results. (Incidentally, we have two neighbors who have used their remodel services and will also speak glowing of their experience with Remodel West.)

We have done two projects with Remodel West. The first was about 3 years ago and they then were Cupertino Kitchens. This was our first kitchen and remodel project, though we had done extensive research about remodeling and pitfalls to avoid. They are a very process-oriented firm and they were very clear that their process included a lot of up-front planning and meetings to ensure we were in 'synch' with one another. While this may seem like an obvious approach, my experience is that detailed planning and an emphasis on communication is not common is this industry. More common for the industry, I believe, is the "we'll-figure-it-out-as-we-go" approach - time consuming, expensive, frustrating.

Major projects like a kitchen remodel can have issues arise - wrong materials, items colors, etc. Our project had several of these issues but they were dealt with promptly and thoroughly by the Remodel West staff. We did not have to deal with suppliers or subcontractors - we simply told our Project manager of the problem and they took it from there and the issue was resolved.

As to some of the specific complaints regarding Cottonwood Cabinets, that is what we purchased. We are thrilled with them and after 3 years they still look and function like new. We continue to get compliments on them from friends and guests. Not only are they lovely, but their construction and performance are superior and any reasonable person would come to the same conclusion.

A noteworthy and true story which counters statements in the above complaint: Our town has a reputation for strict building codes and inspectors who are sticklers. They had no problems with either of our projects. At the final kitchen inspection, the city inspector told us he had a kitchen remodel with lots of problems, and he wished he had done it the way we had. Quite a compliment to Remodel West, I'd say!

Our other project was a repair from a fallen oak tree on our house. While this was a straightforward repair, we we extremely satisfied with the workmanship and professionalism that all the Remodel West staff showed us. They provided a prompt and competitive estimate, held to that estimate, and we are delighted with the repair.

If you have read this far, you hare probably a discerning consumer who will weight the complaint along with the positive reports. Like the previous poster, I am not anonymous and I will respond to questions anybody has about our [highly positive] experience with Remodel West.

Greg Hughes
tzargregory@yahoo.com

Cupertino Kitchen Design/Remodel West

I was shocked and dismayed to read the anonymous letter in the Rip-off Report against Cupertino Kitchen Design/Remodel West. I had the opposite experience.

Hiring Cupertino Kitchens Design/Remodel West was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Bill Reid, CEO, was professional, and lived up to and beyond all the provisions of the contract.

This was my third kitchen remodel. My expectations were relatively clear having had my kitchen ripped apart and redesigned twice before. I interviewed twenty kitchen designers and shops, attended every home show for two years, and took three classes on kitchen remodel before embarking on a third remake. I am extremely particular as to detail and workmanship.

Bill and his crew took care of all the technical decisions, removing walls, plumbing, lighting, installation etc. My job was to pick out colors of the granite, wall coverings, new appliances and cabinet design. He and his staff did all the rest. He kept me informed and advised me of the progress throughout the entire process. As an example, Dave Wampler, the project manager, called to let me know that his crew would not be in my home on a certain day of the project because the drywall needed to dry and there was nothing for them to do until it did. I never felt abandoned or insecure about the progress of the job.

Cupertino Kitchen/Remodel West finished my job under budget and before the scheduled time of completion. I cannot overstate the pleasure it was to work with them.

Cupertino Kitchen/Remodel West was not inexpensive but was value for the dollar and well worth the money. I am certain that my kitchen and cabinets will last the test of time, my children and grandchildren.

I still get many complements on the workmanship and design of my kitchen. Most of all, Bill and his crew of professional workman allowed me to enjoy the process of the remodel. I have recommended this company to many of my friends; they have all raved about their experience and continue to thank me for my reference.

Should you need to contact me to verify my testimonial; I am not anonymous and would be more than happy to attest to my statement.

Dr. Gloria Hom
dghom@yahoo.com

To who may discover this posting,

It's unfortunate that this client, Jeanette, feels compelled to disseminate slanderous and untrue thoughts about our company and me personally.

In seventeen years of business I have not never ever dealt with such a client nor have been attacked personally. I'm at a loss for such an unprofessional display of ignorance that I'm not sure how to respond. I do know this. I was raised to deal with issues face to face and we were NEVER given the opportunity to address their concerns. Our company was sabotaged as these clients personal circumstances changed.

Many of her claims are related to the contract and cost of the project which we do not understand. As a design and construction company we have a three step process which allows us to design towards a budget. About mid-way through the design process the Trossets approved a proposal document which states the scope of work, estimated cost and authorizes us to complete the design and procure certain special order materials on their behalf. We then provide a contract document stating exactly how much the project will cost prior to starting construction. Per her request we additionally provided a cost breakdown by category. By the time of signing the contract The Trossets knew exactly what they were getting and how much it would cost down to each category.

A company does not have to be a licensed architect to design Residential structures up to two stories plus a basement. We never represented ourselves as architects. We employ Interior Designers, Residential Designers, and retain a licensed structural engineer as needed, which we did on this project.

There was a portion of the home (not the entire home) that was built on a slab that our engineer overlooked. This issue was resolved 100% by our company at NO additional cost to the Trossets. Unfortunately this did happen but my company stood behind its reputation and remedied the problem.

As you can see many of the issues she raises are related to the contract. Our company became concerned about the Trossets ability to meet their obligation financially to the contract during construction as they confessed they were having financial difficulties in more than one way. This was very evident as intentional delays were initiated by the client for multiple weeks when payments became due.

The claim that my company over collected is unsubstantiated by the Trossets. Especially related to the 1/3 -2/3 claim. This is simple accounting and visual review which I have done. Our CPA has provided a detailed percentage of completion report to them discounting their claim. In fact if the client had made the next progress payment as indicated in the contract the project would have been on track. It's seems interesting that this payment was intentionally delayed by the client for almost two months.

The claim that the cabinetry made by Cottonwood Cabinetry was inferior quality is also un-founded. I have worked with this supplier for over twenty years in my career and know for a fact that this is the premium in finely crafted cabinetry. This product was displayed in our showroom, custom colors, woods, and door samples were specifically ordered for her approval. The critical comments are so in-correct that ignorance is the only explanation. I invite any reader to visit the cottonwoodcabinets.com website and visit our showroom. It doesn't take much to conclude that this company builds beautiful things. This is the most expensive product we have to offer and they selected this until their financial situation changed.

As anyone can tell this project has been an uphill battle and I believe any individual can read between the lines of these derogatory remarks. I only wish we were given the opportunity to resolve this clients concern. Because if we had I assure you we would have responded.

My business was established in 1992 and we have over 800 satisfied customers throughout the South Bay. Our staff that has been with me 10-17 years truly care about our clients and their homes otherwise I don't think we'd be alive. Most of our business is through referral and repeat clients and we value this greatly. Should any of our clients, friends, or colleagues see this posting I would appreciate your positive feedback.

For those researching our company as a possible candidate I would just ask that you contact me directly and I would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, provide you unlimited references, and address any questions you may have about this person or this posting or in general.

Sincerely

Bill Reid, President and Owner
408-777-1757 v
408-593-2749 c
breid@remodelwest.com