J&E Modern Construction LLC

J&E Modern Construction renovated both our unfinished basement and outdoor breezeway of our almost 100-year-old rowhouse in NE DC. They did a FANTASTIC job! The job included demolition of existing non-weight-bearing walls, new framing, insulation, sheetrock, ceiling; new flooring, doors, windows, overhead lights/wiring; upgrading the stairway to 1st floor; building “mechanical room” for boiler; plus framing, screening, ceiling, tiling back breezeway; installing breezeway fans; plastering & painting; and other finish work. We did NOT need the full bathroom done; it was already done. We also purchased & J&E installed stackable washer/ventless dryer. The finished basement includes a guest bedroom with private back entrance and private access to bathroom, a small room to be used as a recording studio, hallway/general access to washer/dryer, and small sitting area at base of the steps. Breezeway now provides a screened in patio. Importantly, J&E discovered some structural decay in the brick support pillars and beams/crossbeams at the back of the house in the breezeway and were able to repair the issue quickly and attractively for a reasonable additional fee. While J&E was not the least expensive bid we received, the quality, timeliness, and thoroughness of their work was first rate! Additionally, the communication channels (via WhatsApp) connected all the team leadership easily and efficiently. The response time was speedy. Yair Delayahu spent considerable time assessing the job; his estimates were incredibly detailed & parsed out financially. Shay Ovadia, and Orlando were terrific in guiding the project, and crew member Oliver and his teammates, plus electrical/plumbing teams, were all tremendously skilled, punctual, courteous, and responsive. Clients are responsible for the selection and purchase of items like doors & handles, flooring, fans, washer/dryer. Client selects paint color. J&E can advise re materials. There’s a final walk-through/punch list for any dangling loose ends, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED—5 STARS!

It is rare to find a contractor that is so responsive. From the moment I called to request a visit to assess the problem at my house through the finish of the project, either Shay (the Project Manager), Orlando (the Foreman), or Marian (the Office Manager) were communicating with me within hours of every call, text or email I sent. And every step of the project I was sent pictures of the progress, called with updates and sent paperwork immediately for additional costs. I had to have the majority of the flooring joists/sills in my 115+ yr old condo replaced or repaired due to rot and all new wood flooring put in. This required I move out of the house which initially was expected to be addressed and repaired in 3 weeks. However, the scope of the damage grew as we tore out more of the existing flooring and the job ended up being more than twice as large as initially thought. Shay worked to bring more workers to the site so that my time away didn't extend more than another 2 weeks which was appreciated as I couldn't be away from my job any longer than that. And even after all was completed didn't hesitate to send people back immediately to take care of any small concerns I had with the painting and finishing. They run a tight ship and did a wonderful job ensuring my home can keep standing for many more decades to come.

Shay and his team were absolutely amazing. They added a bathroom and closet to the second floor our 1930s craftsman. This project required changing the roof line and significant structural reinforcement on the first floor. The end result is a palatial master suite that my wife and I love. Not only is the work quality outstanding, but Shay is easy to work with and incredibly responsive. He was easy to get a hold of at anytime and resolved any concerns we brought to him quickly. He really cares about his customers. We won't look for other contractors every again. J&E is the best in town.

Just take my (and every other reviewer) word, this is the company you want to hire. I interviewed and got estimates from 8 others. J&E exceeded them all with quality and communication (the 2 things that should matter the most to giant projects). Sarah listened to EVERYTHING, and even better.... the general contractor Shay then listened to every concern or question I had and explained it always in a way that I was happy with (never talked above my expertise or brushed me off). Areas of excellence: communication, planning (ways to save or do cheaper but not cut on quality of installation), tile work (installer was a true artist and craftsman), plumbing work (very nice guy that knew his craft, duct work (ran into slight problem not expecting and he was done before I came home to check), drywall work (our original walls were horribly unlevel/uneven...not sure what magic they did but drywall smooth and secure). I plan to hire them again for next big project. It was a joy working with J&E.