Dear Jay:

There is a saying that if you and your spouse build/remodel your house, you run the risk of marriage problems. I’ve seen it happen with friends. I can honestly say, without hesitation, that this did not happen to us. In fact, we had such a pleasant experience with Tippett Construction during the finishing of our basement that we’ve added several other projects.

The basement: No one would believe the transformation of our unfinished basement. It was literally a “catch-all” for everything. We own a wine shop and our “cellar” consisted of one area of the basement stacked with cases of wine. Not exactly the type of wine cellar a proprietor of a shop should be showcasing…

So we decided to build a cellar, a theater room, a bar, a bathroom and a workout room. The wine cellar was originally a crawl space with dirt up to chest-level. Steve Tippett and his crew cut a hole in the back wall of the basement (it was not originally a walkout) and used shovels to dig out the crawl space. It took 749 wheel barrels of dirt to empty the space. Each day they carried wheel barrels of dirt through the hole and out into the freezing January air. But they maintained their sunny dispositions and made a bet to see who would have the most “barrels” per day. They also had a contest to see who could guess the final count of barrels at the end of the “big dig”. I don’t recall who won, but I remember how fun it was for our entire family to get in on the bet.

The Theater room is great. We are so impressed with the raised back row of seats and the rope lighting around the ceiling. The bar is one of the most impressive I’ve seen. The beautiful stone fireplace has added a warm, cozy feeling to the sitting area. The glass windows across the entire wall of the walk out let in so much light! And the exercise room is perfect—we’re actually using it! The bathroom with the steam shower has been taken over by our sons. They love it!!

Laird Ueberroth did a great design for us. Steve made sure that attention was paid to every detail of each room. The result is a space that rivals any I’ve seen. I could pitch a tent and live down there!

The kitchen: We had the tile in the kitchen replaced because there was a “mysterious” crack across the entire floor. We couldn’t figure out why. After much discernment, you finally figured out the cause and fixed it. (Over the years several “experts engineers” failed to find a cause.) You’re amazing, Jay! We have a beautiful new tile floor, new cook island with new cabinets and molding over the old cabinets to create a modern look. Beautiful!!!

The garage: We added a two-car garage. I wanted something that wouldn’t interrupt the symmetry of the house. Tom Sullivan placed it diagonal from the back of the existing garage. Tied into this is a new entryway into the mudroom. The new brick matches perfectly.

The master bath: Not started yet…

Jay, let me close by saying that the employees of your company are the best. And you’ve chosen subcontractors who compliment your philosophy of doing business. They are professional, thorough and pleasant.

Richard and I couldn’t be happier with the work your company has done for us. We have and will continue to recommend your services!

Bless you, Cherie and the entire Tippett crew!
Nora Lee Brown
Great Falls, VA


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Anne & Greg

To Whom it May Concern:

One year ago today our project with Jay Tippett began - remodeling our home in Falls Church. Before it began, of course, there was the visualization process, the design concepts, the detailed planning, the cost estimates, and the contract. But last November, the construction actually began. Looking back, it's sobering to think how close we came to taking a different path, selling our home and buying our "dream home" somewhere else. In the end, it was our love for Falls Church, and the vision of what our house could become, that led us to undertake a major remodeling.

The existing house was a standard Cape Cod in a densely treed neighborhood. For some reason, it was set back further from the street than surrounding houses, which led to the possibility of building onto the front of the house, as well as the back. Our remodeling was fairly extensive - we built a new living room across the width of the house in front, as well as a charming front porch (featured in Going to the Village on Channel 38 in Falls Church). Because the ground floor space was enlarged, the upstairs master bedroom was also enlarged in the process, and the master bathroom was upgraded to include a beautiful sink and a claw-foot tub. Finally, the existing back porch was demolished and rebuilt as an inviting sun/breakfast room, complete with gas-burning (but old-fashioned design) stove.

Quality was important to us: quality of design, and quality of craftsmanship. We were delighted with Jay Tippett on both counts. We still receive many unsolicited compliments on the house design (which, as Realtor's say, has tremendous "curb appeal"), and are completely satisfied with the quality workmanship that produced this charming home. We were also impressed with the care that was taken to preserve the many trees that surrounded the construction area.

The period of construction was…interesting. It wasn't without disruption, but it wasn't unpleasant either. The lead carpenter, none other than Joe Tippett, became another member of the family - he was a member of the neighborhood. We were touched one day last winter as he and his construction team helped dig an elderly neighbor's car out from one of the heavy snows that fell.

Then came the "endgame" - finishing the project. We had temporarily financed the construction by borrowing from assorted savings. Eventually, however, we refinanced the mortgage on the house to repay those accounts. Nervous about rising interest rates, we were anxious to lock in a favorable rate before the construction was actually complete. Yet, the final inspection required by the mortgage company was for a "fully completed" home, not one under construction. We remain grateful for the appreciation that Jay and Joe had for a very rigid deadline, and the financial implications that it held. Our house was complete for the inspection (even if some of the paint was still wet).

We now have the house of our dreams. As such, we don't envision any further remodeling. However, if we change our minds, we know exactly where to go to get the job done. Our recommendation of Jay Tippett is unconditional.

Anne & Greg
Falls Church, Virginia



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Lyndal L. Shanyfelt

Dear Mr. Tippett and Associates:

With the inserting of the eight by eight grid in the window of the entryway of the new kitchen project, the job is now completed and we are extremely pleased with the final product. The final payment of $8,337.00 is attached.

The new space is beautifully finished and we no longer get in each others way now that we each have our own sink space. We were especially pleased with the workmanship of Matt Brown and his equally able companion, Joe Tippett.

Thank everyone for a job well done.

Sincerely,
Lyndal L. Shanyfelt



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Jerry & Tina Thompson

Dear Jay:

In a world where it's becoming more commonplace for businesses to offer less and less satisfaction to their customers, it's a real pleasure for us to write and tell you how pleased we are with your company. From the first time we met you two years ago until we started and completed work this December, we have been continually impressed with your dedication, workmanship and professionalism. We understood that finishing a basement might pale in comparison to some of your other jobs, such as whole house renovation, but we never felt like it was "just finishing a basement" to you.

Each one of the tradesmen that came to work on our basement was courteous, trustworthy and performed superior quality work. We can't praise Clayton Shain, the lead carpenter, enough. Every day he was here promptly at 8am working tirelessly until 4:30pm and sometimes later to supervise others if necessary. The quality of his work was consistently excellent and due to his perfectionist approach to his work our basement is truly a pleasure to us.

Our 3 year old son became fast "buddies" with Clayton. He was very patient and kind every time Jason wanted to help him work on our basement, which was all of the time! He was always excited to see Clayton's truck outside. This week when he came to finish up some work on the punch out list, he was nice enough to bring him a gift, his own tool belt. We'll miss his sweet and pleasant way and I know our son will especially.

Thank you so much for making our remodeling project such an easy and painless experience. We are really enjoying our basement. We would give you the highest recommendation possible to anyone who asked and already have. You are a credit to your profession.

Sincerely,
Jerry & Tina Thompson

Dear Jay,

Thanks to you our 17-year-old house looks brand new and our kitchen is perfect just the way I wanted it! Also thanks to you our house sold in just one day (for our asking price too!) Our bright, open gourmet kitchen and expanded deck were the key selling features of our home. And although it's disappointing to have to move so soon after the project was completed, we couldn't have asked for a better return on our investment.

Ours was a large time-consuming project and we wanted to compliment the J.L. Tippett team for their professionalism and attention to quality from start to finish. For your future clients I would like to summarize some of the benefits we found working with you.

Personnel: Everyone associated with our project from the architect to the carpenters (especially our Lead Carpenter Clayton) to the subcontractors were all highly skilled, friendly, courteous and neat. Being home with 4 children throughout much of the project. I felt very comfortable with these people in our home. They were always responsive to our needs, including scheduling "noisy" work around my toddlers at nap time, leaving the work area clean and safely secured at the end of each work day, and making sure our temporary kitchen area was workable throughout the project. (Which involved moving appliances, providing lighting etc. several times)

Design: Early on in the design phase of our project we had three contractors supply us with designs for our remodel that would fit our budget and meet our requirements for a structurally sound addition with an open, bright floor plan, but not necessarily top of the line cabinetry. J.L. Tippett was the only contractor who listened to our needs and followed through with 3 to 4 designs. Jay insisted on a cement foundation. (Versus the easier and less structurally sound approach of using columns as suggested by others) He was also the only contractor to come up with a viable solution to a long supporting span that would require a beam to hang below the existing ceiling. We did not want this, nor did we like the idea of columns (to break up the span). Jay's solution was to recess a 22-ft. steel beam into the ceiling so that the entire ceiling would be flush. We are thrilled that it worked out because it gives the kitchen the opn, airy feeling we wanted.

Changes,/Add-ons: Jay's team had a "can do" attitude towards our many change. Skylights added here, move the ceiling fan there, more lighting, new siding, etc, etc. We were concerned that these changes in the middle of the project might be cost prohibitive. But Jay's prices were fair and in the long run we probably saved money by not having to hire contractors to come back and do these jobs.

Quality/Price: The quality of our kitchen addition is superior. The design, construction and materials were all top of the line. The electricians, plumbers, flooring and tile subcontractors were excellent. Some of the best in the business. This combination of highly skilled workers and the best materials gave us a high quality addition for a very fair price. In fact, upon professional inspection of our home (for people buying it), the inspector made a point to comment in his report about the high quality of the addition. Again Jay, thank you and your team for a superb job. Our new home in Denver is an older home and will require some remodeling. Taking any trips out west soon?

Sincerely,
Meg and Tim Burke


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Lonnie and Bonnie Stock

To Whom it May Concern:

We are writing this letter as an unsolicited document of recommendation. Our purpose is to inform prospective clients of the professionalism and quality of work demonstrated by the J.L. Tippett Construction Company team.

Granted, remodeling can certainly be a headache and a disruption of one's life. However, with this company, your "pain" becomes lessened due to the fact that they keep you informed of every step in the process. During the working day, they make every precaution necessary to protect your existing areas such as carpet, flooring, and furniture. At the end of every working day, they always clean the area of construction as best as possible.

When anyone on the team enters your home, they treat it and you with the utmost respect and consideration. We have just completed our second contract with Tippett Construction over the past 18 months. Therefore, we can tell you from experience that if you as homeowners return the respect, the relationship that develops is beneficial to both parties, and a friendship is formed.

Sometimes there will be lulls in the carpentry process. This may be due to factors such as another tradesman, a ceramic professional for example, having to come in and do their part, or "drying time" for masonry, or doors being delivered damaged and then waiting for a new delivery. There may be times when an emergency situation occurs at another job site, and the whole team is pulled to there for a day. Just keep in mind that "the emergency" could be you someday.

Most importantly, I should speak of the perfection and the excellent quality of their work. They attack every phase of the project with pride and ownership. It is almost as though your home becomes their home. It is their self-gratification that becomes your primary benefit!!!

When all is said and done, and you are cooking dinner in your new kitchen, or taking a bath in your new beautiful bathroom, the final result is all that really matters. The sole purpose of J.L. Tippett Construction is to produce a product that truly pleases the client, in which case, they have done with us twice. In approximately eight months, we will be embarking on our third project with them. A special "thank-you" goes out to Joe, our lead carpenter. "Wow! - What a job he did!!!" We will actually miss him for he has become part of our family during his time with us.

Sincerely,
Lonnie & Bonnie Stock



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David and Janette Tatge

A job well done

Dear Jay:

As you know, the work that Tippett Construction has done to fully finish our basement is now substantially complete. Janette and I would be remiss if we did not take a moment to thank you, formally, for the splendid job that your company did.

The quality of workmanship is superb, as was your timeliness and responsiveness. Your company, on its own, took care to "do it right". You clearly, and justifiably, have pride in your work product. Importantly, we never had any concern about the pace, scope or quality of your work, nor was I worried about being out-of-town or late in the office while the vast bulk of the build-out was done. Janette and I knew, from our friends who had previously employed Tippett Construction, that your company would show up when it said it would, leave when it said it would, do top quality work within the contract cost and operate "family-friendly". In the course of the rather extensive project you also were kind enough to fix several items, outside the scope of work, free of charge. In short, it was a pleasure to work with you.

We have now received many favorable comments from friends and family on the design that you, Laird and Janette mutually arrived at. In all candor, I did not "see" the finished product in my head as well as you three must have. The final result far exceeds my initial expectations.

Please extend our thanks as well to Dale, Mike, and the rest of your team. If Jay L. Tippett Construction Co. ever needs a reference for potential clients we are most happy to serve.

With best regards,
Yours very truly,
David B. Tatge



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Mr. & Mrs. Peter B. Perkins, Jr.

Dear Jay,

Now that the last detail is complete, we wanted to let you know again, how much we appreciate your company's work on our family room/mud room addition and deck. We not only love the way the project turned out, but the process was truly a pleasure. We miss you all.

From the initial consulation with you and Laird Ueberroth, you made it clear that J.L. Tippett would do a quality job to our satisfaction. And that was precisely the case. Laird offered wonderful suggestions, like the bar counter transition from the old area to the new, and the hardwood border to the family room exterior doors. He also gave as much weight to our ideas.

Lead carpenter Joe Tippett sheparded us through the process, keeping us informed every step of the way. When there were problems, they were rectified immediately to our satisfaction. Your time-line estimates turned out to be right on target, further illustrating contractors seamlessly and they left our home each afternoon a little better than it had been before. Joe actually apologized for not being able to clean up completely one Friday afternoon when he got the call that his wife had gone into labor. He was back on the job first thing Monday morning with the wonderful news of JLT IV! Four months after our project ended, Joe stopped by so we could see how big Joey had gotten.

As we had seen in the projects of friends who had referred us to Tippett, our addition blends seamlessly with our existing home, while vastly improving it. We could not more completely recommend -- and we have, to several families who have seen our addition -- J.L. Tippett Construction Company to prospective clients. It is a pleasure to be associated with such an ethical and expert company.

Sincerely,
Pete and Nancy