Renaissance Development

In December 2015, I used Renaissance to do tuck pointing on two walls of my 3-​story, Victorian in Capitol Hill built around 1900. The front office (Jerry) and the foreman were very professional: there were no last minute changes to scheduling, long waits, or changes in pricing. All went as planned (very quickly!) and after 100 years in existence my beautiful Victorian can continue to survive for another 100 years. Well, I do have to tuck point a few more walls. Also, I have to say Renaissance schedules around 2 — 3 weeks in advance. So, plan for this. And, when working with the crew, it helps to speak Spanish; the understanding flows better. My Spanish is «book Spanish» and it did the trick.

I had very high hopes for Renaissance Development given all of the positive reviews on Angie’s List. I think they did good work tuck pointing the rear of my house, however the window sill repair looked nothing like the corresponding one (contrary to the contract) and the front step repair was pretty awful, but quite expensive. It is uneven and probably not safe if I was walking down my front steps in heels. I sent an email with details of my concerns, and Christina called me back during business hours. I called back explaining that due to my work, I would have a hard time talking during business hours and requested an email response, but I never received one. My front step was repaired when the weather wasn’t good, however I wish they had told me the results would be awful and offered to come do the job once the weather got better. On the whole, I would not recommend them given the totality of my experience.

Their estimate was too high (in fact, the highest out of 4 estimates) for a new front brick walkway that I needed done including refacing of my front stoop. I did get a quick response via Unilocal and email and a very detailed estimate which was appreciated. Other than that, this company is too rich for my blood even though I’m sure they could have done the job. However, if you want to save a little money for the same type of masonry work, then see my Unilocal review for Michaliga Masonry… you won’t be sorry!

This is a business that I definitely – and I mean definitely – do not recommend. ChristinA, the owner, said she would make it right after they made our backyard slope like a sailboat in a hurricane – literally there is a 4−5″ differential from where the yard starts and where it ends. You can role a can down the dining table on the patio it’s so bad. The garden slopes, the patio slopes, and all the mulch from the garden flows onto the patio. The drain does not drain correctly. We have to remove it or it backs up water. Even worse when i complained ChristinA did nothing, nothing to try and fix the problem. In short, the business looks good at first, but was profoundly negligent when they were worked on our back yard. Do NOT hire Renaissance Design. They stink the joint up.

We booked Renaissance to do some hardscaping in our back yard. Like many lots on Capitol Hill, we have a long narrow yard, with alley access to provide parking. The entire space had been covered in mulch and was very DIY by the previous homeowners. We really needed a better parking pad and a path from the door to the parking space. After looking through the Capitol Hill Community Guide (Fagon) and many websites, we elected to go with Renaissance based on their attention to detail and underlying structural integrity. When we told them we wanted a parking pad, they emphasized the importance of having concrete reinforced with steel to prevent sagging and shifting from the weight of the vehicle.
We had them come out on 10÷8÷2011 to assess the space and give us an estimate. Initially, we were told it would be just a few days until we got the estimate, and that they would give us 3 different options based on how much of the space we wanted hardscaped. It took a bit longer than that, to the tune of nearly 3 weeks. After 2 weeks, we finally got our estimate, but it was to do the entire space down to planter boxes, and we had to get them to do another estimate for a more limited project. Once we decided to do the project, we submitted the signed contract, and told them we would need to wait a couple of weeks until we had alternate parking arrangements made. Turns out, they had an incorrect phone number and tried to get in touch with us for a week or two to schedule the job before we were able to make contact. Once that was settled, it was fairly straightforward to work with them and get the job scheduled. Between initial visit to take measurement and completion was approximately 2 months; keep in mind that we instituted a 3-​week delay to get our interim parking figured out.
Pedro and his team were extremely professional, polite and efficient. They paid special attention to drainage, patching any damage along the way, and being mindful of the mess. An exterior light got broken and they replaced it immediately. They had to break up some concrete from a prior path and made sure to patch all the areas where it had met our foundation. They aren’t the cheapest stonemasons in the area, but I would absolutely trust the quality of their workmanship, and they guarantee their product. If you’re looking for something that’s visually appealing and will last for years, Renaissance is a great bet. Wish I could give 4 and a half stars. I would have liked more efficient contact during the planning phase, but once we got started it went very smoothly, and I’m thrilled with the end result.

I have had limited contact with Renaissance Development (202−547−2345 and
), but they were honestly really nasty. You know that feeling where you’ve just finished a phone call, and you are still holding the phone with a feeling of ‘what the hell just happened’? Well that was me with Renaissance Development.
They are doing work on a neighbor’s place and my scooter was carried off in the night from in front of my adjacent house. Among about 50 calls I’ve made today was one to Renaissance Development, where I intended to ask if they could keep an eye out for any employee with a ‘new’ scooter that looked like mine.
I have to preface this by saying that I did not, in the least, insinuate that one of their employees took it. I spoke with Nicole, who immediately became defensive, short, and nasty. I really approached the situation with tact and she was having none of that. After telling me «How dare you…», she hung up on me. So I must warn people off Renaissance Development (they are located at 611 Pennsylvania Avenue SE #180 Washington, DC 20 003). If anything goes wrong, Nicole will throw a fit and hang up on you!
*** — UPDATE ***
Dr. Christina K. Wilson, the owner, called me back. She explained that Nicole was touchy about the subject of dirty contractors after trying to run an honest business in a sea of unscrupulous ones. We talked for quite a while and I am convinced that Dr. Wilson runs a tight ship. So I’m leaving two stars for Nicole (what happened happened) and I hope someone who has used Renaissance Development as a client can follow this with a report on their ACTUAL MASONRY.