Everything went well with both projects. Jeff was punctual when he came out for estimates. His foreman Ric was also punctual on the work days - if he, his workers, or their subcontractors had a change of schedule he would let us know right away. The deck landing was done in 2 days - 1 for demo and 1 for construction. The plumbing, electrical, and installation for the washer and dryer took about a half-day for each. The primary workers and the subcontractors all made sure the work area was clean and organized between work days and upon completion. Lost Pond is a little pricier than others but I would say it was definitely worth it. If all goes well we hope to use them again in spring/summer for a kitchen and floor remodel.
Nathan Hurd
Painesville, OH
Remove wall separating dining room & kitchen. Cleaned up lots of suspicious wiring. Installed new cabinets, recessed lighting, laminate counter tops, tile floor crown molding.
House had original 1960's kitchen. Poor lighting, large soffits, inadequate electric. LPC was great from design to clean up. On time, Very professional and trustworthy.
Dan & Kathy Milo
Mentor, OH
Jeff the owner, and his designer Andrea came out to give us a quote on putting a new kitchen in where our dinning room currently is, and making our old kitchen into a space we could use as a media/family room. We weren't sure this was possible, but they were awesome and had some great ideas! Jeff was very honest and upfront with us in telling us what things we wanted would cost, and then offering alternatives to meet our budget. Andrea drew up some amazing 3D designs with the cabinets we picked out, and went over everything with us.
The entire quote process went smoothly, they immediately scheduled a time to come out and give us a quote, returned all of our calls and emails promptly. Jeff even made a few changes to the quote and answered questions promptly which was great!
In the end we weren't able to go through with it because other urgent problems with our home arose, but we will definitely be using Lost Pond when we are ready!
Kim Wilhelm
Wickliffe, OH
Lost Pond stained the deck that they had rebuilt the previous year. They also replaced a couple of boards and tightened up a loose board on one of the steps. The deck looks amazing. We are very happy with the work that was done and are looking forward to using the "good as new" deck as soon as spring arrives. We would definitely use Lost Pond again for any future projects we might have.
Leslie Pultorak
Mentor, OH
From the very beginning everything was handled in a professional manner. The availability of an in-house designer was essential. Everything was explained and the project started and was completed on schedule. Questions were answered promptly, often after business hours. The quality of the work and products was excellent, and the results are beautiful.
Kathleen Dixon
Newbury, OH
I built the deck on the back of our house in 1988, the year we moved into our house. After years of in-ground contact the support posts had deteriorated to a dangerous degree. I had recently installed a jack post as a backup.
Initially I was thinking of replacing the posts myself, but the more I thought about the more it looked like it would be a difficult and potentially dangerous project. I was having difficulty finding a contractor to do this for me. Finally I contacted Jeff, Lost Pond's owner, and he came out to take a look.
After talking with him and looking at the cost of the post replacement and other work that might have to be done on the deck, it seemed reasonable to replace the whole thing. Since we liked the basic design we already had, Jeff worked with us to come up with a plan that had all the features of the old deck but also some enhanced structural changes. In fact the new deck has two cross beams instead of one and a doubled rim joist.
Jeff's crew arrived early last Tuesday with lumber, and a dumpster. The crew of five quickly removed the old deck. By the end of the day they had most of the new structure in place and about half of the flooring. I was impressed with the teamwork and skill of his men. They paid very close attention to detail. For example they took care to make sure each plank of the decking was precisely spaced along it's entire length. Each plank was installed with the grain curved downward to prevent cupping later on. At the end of the first day the crew had rejected several planks that weren't perfect and had gotten new ones from the lumber yard. By mid-day Tuesday the project was complete.
I can't say enough about the quality of the construction crew. Their work was done with skill and precision. They answered any questions I had and checked with me if they had questions about what I wanted.
Hugh Thompson
Chesterland, OH
Jeff Tortorea, business owner, and Andrea, designer, came to our home to look at our current kitchen and discuss our renovation thoughts and objectives. They were able to offer food-for-thought on what we might gain in storage space yet not incur a higher-than-necessary cost to modify two base cupboards. They took measurements and fairly quickly prepared a proposal which we reviewed with them in their office / showroom so that we could see material samples.
However, they soon helped us understand that we would gain much more with complete cabinet replacement rather than simply having a couple of the cupboards modified as well as the built-in oven eliminated (and replaced with a slide-in range) along with the other renovations desired.
Jeff and Andrea were quick to respond to our questions. They prepared easy-to-understand proposals. They did not hesitate in trying to satisfy our objectives.
Michelle Ahlgren
Highland Heights, OH
Lost Pond Construction was very thorough and organized, especially in the planning of our project.
Jeff worked with us extensively to provide us with the features we were looking for in our basement renovation project. The communication was open and always punctual. We will definitely look to Lost Pond Construction for any future projects.
Tiffany Miller
Mentor OH
Exceptional. Jeff was prepared for us every step of the way. Of every contractor we interviewed, only Jeff prepared dimensional drawings which helped us place cabinets and toilets in new locations.
Rod Semrad
Chesterland, OH
Massive kitchen renovation. Gutted kitchen to studs, corrected improper plumbing, heating, wiring, & insulation. Removed soffits, added task lighting. Reworked flow through kitchen. Installed hickory cabinets, tile floor and granite tops.
Jeff arrived shortly after I started demo on my kitchen. I am a baker and desperately needed help optimizing my layout & making it a more pleasant place to work. The job was on time & on budget. Jeff & Rick were just amazing to work with.
Roger and Kim Hutchison
Mentor, OH
In January of 2014 we began searching for a home improvement company to begin the process of remodeling our 27 year old kitchen. We interviewed three different companies that were all highly recommended. Our final decision to choose Lost Pond Construction was based on 2 points. # 1. The fact that there was a highly skilled "Kitchen Designer" who we were very comfortable working with. # 2. The level of expertise and trust that the owner of the company demonstrated.
The design process took several months. We did extensive research on our own but Lost Pond's Designer went above and beyond by spending countless hours facilitating the planning of our kitchen. Her drawings, her suggestions, and especially her patience with us are to be commended. She would even meet us at various locations (flooring store, lighting center, etc.) to help with our final selections. My husband does not make decisions quickly and is very "nit picky". Barb took her time with us and always asked the right questions to lead us in the decision making process.
Our project started a little later than we wanted, but that was because LPC was involved with a complete home renovation that took longer than they expected. Once the crew was on site, things moved smoothly and quickly. Every single employee was courteous, polite, prompt, and professional. During the 2nd week into the project, we had an unexpected family emergency out of state. By then, we had developed a sense of trust with Ric, the field supervisor, and we didn't hesitate to leave town while his men continued working in our house.
As with any large project involving demolition, carpentry, electrical, and plumbing, some major and minor issues developed along the way. My husband and I were always reassured that things would be resolved to our satisfaction. The owner would often tell us "Relax, you hired us to do your worrying". Any question we had or problem we saw was handled quickly and professionally.
Whenever a outside trade came in, an employee of LPC was always on site to supervise. However, the majority of the work was completed by Lost Pond workers - the demolition, installation of new flooring, cabinets, lighting, tiling, and all carpentry. At the end of each day, the work area was always cleaned up and we would know the schedule for the following day.
The entire renovation took about 2 months, LPC kept our inconveniences to a minimum AND there were no hidden "surprise" fees. They kept as closely to the time frame as possible and worked within our allotted budget.
We are EXTREMELY happy with our new kitchen and would HIGHLY recommend Lost Pond Construction Company to friends and family. They are professional in every respect, detail oriented, and a pleasure to do business with.
Gary Gerard
Concord, OH
My wife and I had interviewed several design-build firms and couldn't find one we liked until we met Jeff Tortorea from Lost Pond Construction. After having spent thousands already with a competing firm on a design that we didn't love, and couldn't afford to build, Jeff was willing to help cost effectively modify the architectural work we had in hand so we could more cost effectively develop a set of drawings that his team could use for permitting, architectural review, and construction.
Following two months of Architectural review meetings and revisions with the city, we had approval to proceed with construction.
We wanted to raise the roof to camouflage the distinct appearance of a split level home. We wanted to centralize all living space to the first floor, and wanted to be able to heat and cool the home’s zones with energy efficient HVAC equipment, insulation and windows. On the exterior, we re-sided the house, added a three car garage to the first floor, added an enormous screened in composite porch, poured a new cement patio and replaced all windows, gutters, and downspouts. Inside we remodeled three bathrooms, expanded what had been a very cramped kitchen and dining area into a gourmet kitchen and spacious dining area. We transformed a first floor in-law suite to our Master Suite complete with stone fireplace, and luxurious en suite Master Bath. We raised the roof to create a soaring 14 foot open span Great Room with a massive stone fireplace and hand hewn post and beam truss style beams. In the course of opening all the walls to complete the renovation, Jeff's crews found many surprises that needed to be addressed.
Each time they found something new, Ric (the project superintendent) would contact me about what they discovered, and how they proposed to remedy it. They encountered issues related to structure, electrical, plumbing, septic and foundation during the course of the six month renovation. Each time they did, we were made aware of the issue and given pricing and timeframe to correct. As the project supervisor, Ric was on the job site every day, making sure things ran smoothly and he was available to answer any questions we had. In addition, his work ethic and quality control of the job were second to none. We knew Ric treated our house like he was building his own home. He managed the flow of work through his in-house employees and an army of trade professionals who partner with Lost Pond Construction on larger builds like this one. Despite delays from suppliers, and juggling schedules with tradesmen, the project was moved ahead at an acceptable tempo. On occasions when there were delays, they were caused by municipal slowdowns as happened during our two months of architectural review and permitting, weather related issues as happened when we relocated the septic tanks and had so much rain we couldn't backfill the void left by the tanks that got removed, or the schedule conflicts created when trade subcontractors like the mason who tried to squeeze more into a day than was realistic. Overall, the delays added about six weeks to the initial completion date, which was acceptable to us when we considered all the additional work that had to be done to address the surprises they found.
On a large project like this, it is critical to have trust and faith in the people you hire to do the work. They are going to be in your lives for upwards of half a year or more, so it is important to have a healthy working relationship with your contractor and the on-site project manager. Jeff and Ric were terrific to deal with. Their designer Barb brought a wealth of advice and much appreciated guidance as we chose cabinetry (species, stain, glaze, and layout) as well as flooring, wall color, and much needed assistance with coordination of siding, roofing, soffit, fascia, and door selection. Though there were budget and time over-runs during this project, I always felt like Jeff and Ric were giving me honest information, and that at all times, they were advocating for my family and me at each stage of the project. And in the end, we didn't get a house, we got a home.
My wife and I are thrilled with the finished product. It took the collective efforts of a lot of people working some long hard days to bring about this transformation. We are grateful to the people of Lost Pond Construction for making our house the dream home we had envisioned for so many years. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for help with any kind of home improvement project.
We wanted to raise the roof to camouflage the distinct appearance of a split level home. We wanted to centralize all living space to the first floor, and wanted to be able to heat and cool the home’s zones with energy efficient HVAC equipment, insulation and windows. On the exterior, we re-sided the house, added a three car garage to the first floor, added an enormous screened in composite porch, poured a new cement patio and replaced all windows, gutters, and downspouts. Inside we remodeled three bathrooms, expanded what had been a very cramped kitchen and dining area into a gourmet kitchen and spacious dining area. We transformed a first floor in-law suite to our Master Suite complete with stone fireplace, and luxurious en suite Master Bath. We raised the roof to create a soaring 14 foot open span Great Room with a massive stone fireplace and hand hewn post and beam truss style beams. In the course of opening all the walls to complete the renovation, Jeff's crews found many surprises that needed to be addressed.
Each time they found something new, Ric (the project superintendent) would contact me about what they discovered, and how they proposed to remedy it. They encountered issues related to structure, electrical, plumbing, septic and foundation during the course of the six month renovation. Each time they did, we were made aware of the issue and given pricing and timeframe to correct. As the project supervisor, Ric was on the job site every day, making sure things ran smoothly and he was available to answer any questions we had. In addition, his work ethic and quality control of the job were second to none. We knew Ric treated our house like he was building his own home. He managed the flow of work through his in-house employees and an army of trade professionals who partner with Lost Pond Construction on larger builds like this one. Despite delays from suppliers, and juggling schedules with tradesmen, the project was moved ahead at an acceptable tempo. On occasions when there were delays, they were caused by municipal slowdowns as happened during our two months of architectural review and permitting, weather related issues as happened when we relocated the septic tanks and had so much rain we couldn't backfill the void left by the tanks that got removed, or the schedule conflicts created when trade subcontractors like the mason who tried to squeeze more into a day than was realistic. Overall, the delays added about six weeks to the initial completion date, which was acceptable to us when we considered all the additional work that had to be done to address the surprises they found.
On a large project like this, it is critical to have trust and faith in the people you hire to do the work. They are going to be in your lives for upwards of half a year or more, so it is important to have a healthy working relationship with your contractor and the on-site project manager. Jeff and Ric were terrific to deal with. Their designer Barb brought a wealth of advice and much appreciated guidance as we chose cabinetry (species, stain, glaze, and layout) as well as flooring, wall color, and much needed assistance with coordination of siding, roofing, soffit, fascia, and door selection. Though there were budget and time over-runs during this project, I always felt like Jeff and Ric were giving me honest information, and that at all times, they were advocating for my family and me at each stage of the project. And in the end, we didn't get a house, we got a home.
My wife and I are thrilled with the finished product. It took the collective efforts of a lot of people working some long hard days to bring about this transformation. We are grateful to the people of Lost Pond Construction for making our house the dream home we had envisioned for so many years. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for help with any kind of home improvement project.
Don and Sharon Cox
Waite Hill Village, OH
Jeff came out to my house to give me a quote for front and back decks. I had just purchased the house and really had no idea want I wanted or what I could do. He was very patient and explained my options clearly and listened to my priorities and responded with relevant information. He provided me with a very accurate diagram of the solution he proposed and a very competitive quote that was easly to understand, professional and clear. I subsequently had several other quotes that were all higher and lacked the professional and personal service that Jeff provided. So I will be using Jeff for the project in the near future.
Mary Beth Andrasak
Willoughby, OH
I tried to find someone to take on this job with no luck for days until I found Lost Pond. The president (Jeff) was happy to help me out although this was a much smaller job than they normally did. They got it done quickly and did a great job. The guys that did it were a pleasure to work with. I no longer have to worry about my house falling into the garage and have since had Jeff over with a draftsmen to look at designing a cover for our deck. He was able to save me over $1200 on the service of designing the deck cover by using this man instead or an architectural firm and we can now have an idea of what things will look like along with having approved, workable blueprints that I could take to anyone to have it built. I won't take the prints anywhere else though since Jeff and his company would be my first choice anyway.
DON'T hesitate to call them for anything you might have in mind with repairing, refurbishing, remodeling, or to get some ideas on the design.
Phil Turek
Chardon, OH
They came out as promised for quote. I received a email quote the same day, and an agreeable start date. They came out to review the job with the foreman and owner. They worked hard with no breaks and completed the job in 2 days. I had some issues to address and they took care of them in a timely fashion.
Barb Aker
Painesville, OH
My wife had always wanted a deck on the front of our house. We finally decided this was the year. She drew up plans, went to Mentor lumber in Chardon. With Kevin's help picked out the materials and now we needed a builder. Angie's list provided a great list and we decided our first contact was to Lost Pond Construction (LPC). They were local to me in Chardon which is always my favorite choices. I got a hold of LPC and Jeff the owner set up an appointment for the next day for a consultation. Jeff was on time and extremely nice and very professional. After a really good meeting Jeff answered all our questions. Shortly after he left we decided they were our choice to construct our "custom" deck. Mind you we really had no idea of what we exactly wanted and relied on Jeff's knowledge and advice. After a couple days Jeff sent us plans and prices (quote from Mentor Lumber). It all looked good and his price seemed more than fair. We signed a contract and it all started. Jeff called the township about zoning info.(that's a whole other story) and the county about the permits. We set up a start date of June 10th. The materials showed up that morning (pouring rain) and Jeff and his construction superintendent Rik shortly followed. Work started the next day and I was amazed how professional Rik was with his helper. I could give you a step-by-step description of all the work but I wouldn't do it justice for quality and speed that was performed. Even with a slight hic-up I was in awe every moment. Just watching Ric and his assistant's was a thing of beauty. They never stopped or took a break. I was exhausted just watching them. As my "custom" deck took place we never envisioned such a masterpiece. We had only expected a normal deck. Not a work of art. On June 19th the deck was finished. I hope I can load pictures of it but you can see my new favorite place in my house on Lost Ponds facebook page in great detail. I also have to mention how Jeff and Rik tackled a problem with our kitchen sink drain that came up during construction. They were true contractors handling the problem with grace and professionalism. We finally wrapped up all the Add-ons June 25th at a small price due to Jeff and Riks honesty on the worked performed. I have to say we actually missed Rik and Jeff after the job was done. You couldn't ask for two more likeable guys. I am proud to now consider them our FRIENDS!! They are now my ONLY CONTRACTORS! I have a couple more projects in the future (a custom barn). I think by now you can tell I really loved this company. If you want any contract work done on your home or business please give LPC a call. Truly a great find for us. Hard to find companies today with the attention to detail and sense of pride they have in their work. LOST POND CONSTRUCTION, REMEMBER THAT NAME!
Jim Vargo
Chardon, OH
Ric updated doors and screens, installing 3 doors and 5 screens. He changed dryer vent exit from basement, put new steps in garage and firewall. He built railings for front door steps (2 doors). He vented closed in crawl space and more.
Ric was prompt and worked without pause. He cleaned up completely each day. He solved problems as they arose because house was built in 1952. He listened to questions and responded. The subcontractor who installed new garage door was just as professional.
Ric was prompt and worked without pause. He cleaned up completely each day. He solved problems as they arose because house was built in 1952. He listened to questions and responded. The subcontractor who installed new garage door was just as professional.
John Becker
The workers were very prompt and corrected a problem that we wanted changed. Good workmanship. Conscientious. Cleaned up the worksight each day. We were very pleased with the job performed.
Bob Erasmus
I had some extensive remodeling done to the inside of my home. This work included remodeling the kitchen with bamboo hardwood floors, granite counter tops, tile back splash and a new light fixture. A new faucet of my choosing and new sink were also installed in the kitchen.
I also had improvements made to the finished basement which included rebuilding and carpeting the steps to the basement. Work in the finished basement included new paint, baseboard molding and trim around all of the doors. Lighting, electrical and plumbing issues were also addressed in the finished basement. The bottom of several doors in the finished basement that did not close properly were planed down to clear the carpet. New window sashes on the top portion of all the windows were installed on the second floor. Water damage to the walk in closet in the master bedroom on the second floor was repaired. This repair included new paint and new carpeting in the master bedroom walk-in closet. On the first floor, a door leading out to the deck area was repaired which included replacing a rotted brick molding and repairing and reinstalling the storm door. A treated wood step was also added to the deck leading out of this door.
Further, a custom oak entertainment center was built around the fire place area in the living room. This included new electrical wiring, painting and repairing drywall and installing a commercial grade wall television mount. A television I supplied was also hung utilizing the new wall mount.
I also had improvements made to the finished basement which included rebuilding and carpeting the steps to the basement. Work in the finished basement included new paint, baseboard molding and trim around all of the doors. Lighting, electrical and plumbing issues were also addressed in the finished basement. The bottom of several doors in the finished basement that did not close properly were planed down to clear the carpet. New window sashes on the top portion of all the windows were installed on the second floor. Water damage to the walk in closet in the master bedroom on the second floor was repaired. This repair included new paint and new carpeting in the master bedroom walk-in closet. On the first floor, a door leading out to the deck area was repaired which included replacing a rotted brick molding and repairing and reinstalling the storm door. A treated wood step was also added to the deck leading out of this door.
Further, a custom oak entertainment center was built around the fire place area in the living room. This included new electrical wiring, painting and repairing drywall and installing a commercial grade wall television mount. A television I supplied was also hung utilizing the new wall mount.
James Falb
Chardon, OH
They put an addition on to an '14*16' existing deck and made a new door for my shed.
The two workers showed up on time and worked the first day entirely in the rain. They didn't take breaks and worked very well together. The job took 1 and half days to complete. They didn't talk too much and the work was professional.
The two workers showed up on time and worked the first day entirely in the rain. They didn't take breaks and worked very well together. The job took 1 and half days to complete. They didn't talk too much and the work was professional.
Susan Sharp
Bellbrook, OH
