DesignDevelopmentNYC reviews

1515183682

Julia Sandler

google

1

Wow, I wish I had seen Lori's 1-star review below before hiring this company. I can't speak to the facts of her situation, but I also had an absolutely terrible experience with them. In addition to the background stuff Lori mentioned, people doing their own due diligence on this company might want to take the time to look at some of the lawsuits they are involved in in New York state court. It seems like there are many unhappy sub-contractors and customers (my husband and I among them). Even the U.S. Department of Labor recently forced these guys to pay over $700k for failing to properly pay overtime and other benefits to their employees. I wish I had inquired more about this and other litigation, and how these costs and settlements impacted the company. As for my experience, nearly everyone at DDNYC who was associated with our project either quit or was fired in the middle of the demolition stage. The months that followed were a disaster, as we were forced to hound the so-called project manager on an almost daily basis to account for massive delays, errors, sparse communication, and the fact that on multiple occasions no one would show up when they were supposed to. Many months behind schedule, we learned that the millwork component of our renovation which we were told was a week or so away from being completed hadnt even been started yet. We were originally told that DDNYC (which also goes by the name Best & Company) would be fabricating our millwork at their in-house, top-quality millwork shop, but after demolishing our living room wall in July, the Company told us that their in-house millworker was actually too busy to complete our project on schedule. They subsequently told us that they assigned the job to a third-party millworker, and told us that fabrication was well underway and nearing completion. Come November, we were shocked to learn that they hadnt even STARTED working on our project. With a baby on the way and absolutely no faith in their ability to finish the job competently and honestly, we were forced to terminate the relationship and start over with a new contractor - we then received purported "invoices" for fees that were substantially higher than what we'd previously agreed to. The company still refuses to return the balance of our deposit for work they never performed. In short, hiring this company was the most costly and frustrating experience of my life.

1424724894

Lori Shoffner

google

1

crooks! Just check out their Dun & Bradstreet reports, poor status on PAYDEX, Financial Stress, Supplier Evaluation, etc. They do not pay subcontractors, they overcharge and scam their clients and they do noy maintain employees because let them go given that they cannot maintain overhead over periods of time only to source the 2 owners' own projects and pocket client upfront payments and deposits...used car salesmen and con-artists...promise to finish your renovation project in a timely fashion only to overcharge you and over extend the timeline by at least a year plus, just to get more money...and then clients sue and walk away because they have had enough...it's a revolving door, bring in high paying clients with big and costly renovations, and then sock it to them, and leave clients hanging out to dry with an unfinished apartment, 5 times the timeline originally quoted.

1426344411

Tina Naser

google

5

WowI read the review above and have to assume this was posted in error or is referencing another company all together!! Design Development completed a gut renovation for me in 2012-2013 and from start to finish, owners Chip Brian and Mike Daddio were beyond respectful of my vision, my timeline, and my budget. These guys go the extra distance to earn your trust and win your heart with how much love they put into their work and their client relationships. My renovation was nowhere near their biggest job, but from Day One they treated me as if I were their most important client; truth be told, they still do! They are unequivocally my go-to for any future renovation and the first company I would tell anyone to call who is in need of a contractor.

1462908424

Nicholas Simonetti

google

5

From the owners Chip and Mike all the way through to the workers on site this company is A+. Complete professionalism from start to finish. I had a full apartment done, they recommended specialists and helped me find better solutions for my budget throughout the entire project. If anybody is doing a renovation and wants more information I would be happy to show them pictures/share my experience. XAVIER was my project leader and the guy was nothing short of incredible. I come from a family of DIYers, built nursing homes, apartments, and homes from ground up. This guy knew exactly what I was looking to accomplish and the job was done in no less than 2 days no matter the size.

1514925293

Cesar Guaman

google

5