Best Contractors of 2009

CGS Electric | Huntington Beach, Calif.

As the only three-peat Best Contractor to make the list, owner Claudio Sanchez continues to impress Angie's List members.

"He went above and beyond what I expected," says Elaine Dinges of Newport Beach, Calif. "I had a laundry list of things for him to do, so he just booked off his entire Saturday morning. He was here for at least four hours but only charged me $200. Wow!"

Sanchez, who's licensed by the California Contractors State License Board, says his ultimate goal is to establish a long-term relationship with his customers.

"It's not about what I can get from them, it's what I can give them," he says. "I go out of my way to make them feel important because they're important to me."

Member Chris Zurn praised Sanchez's communication skills after hiring him to fix broken circuits in his Lake Forest house.

"He asked me the million dollar question: What is your goal?" Zurn says. "That was huge! I've never had another contractor ask me that. I think I've found my electrician for life."

Texas Airzone LLC | Dallas

Chris Roebuck, president of Texas Airzone LLC, jokes "I'm an airhead!" when it comes to discussing his passion for heating and cooling.

"I love the physics behind air conditioning," he says. "It's a neat thing to be able to explain it to people."

Roebuck joined the company in 2000 after meeting owner Gary Schroeder in A/C school. Schroeder is licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

"We've seen some of the ways the old-timers do business and it always seemed like it was more about them than the customer," Roebuck says. "We're not out to sell anything. We care about the customer."

Angie's List members in the Dallas/Fort Worth area say that caring attitude is evident. Chris Landa of Wylie, Texas, appreciated the time that went into fixing an A/C leak.

"It was almost like a friend was helping another friend out of a bad situation," he says. "They did so with honesty, integrity and a smile."

Landa says the technician even offered to look at temperature differences in the house for free. "He stayed to give me some tips and possible solutions," he says. "That's above and beyond what I expected."

Paint One LLC | Charlotte, N.C.

Owner Pedro Pedreira wants to make sure every one of his customers is completely satisfied. So much so, he’ll send a cleaning crew to tidy things up after an interior paint job is complete and refuses any type of final payment until he’s had a chance to meet with the homeowner to review the finished work.

“That was totally unexpected,” says Juan Lozano, who hired Pedreira to paint his Huntersville, N.C., home. “He surpassed all my expectations.”

Pedreira, who works with environmentally safe paints and isn’t required to be licensed, says keeping homeowners happy is more important than making money. “I’m always on the job site, which is critical because I care about the quality of work,” he says. “I’m honest and in constant communication with my clients. 
I always try to do the right thing.”

Angie’s List members appreciate that notion. Todd Everett feared his project’s cost would skyrocket after Pedreira’s crew found unexpected wood rot. “He didn’t try to sell me more than I needed,” he says. “He gave me 
an honest assessment and the house looked great when he was through.”

DAL Builders Inc. | Chicago

Disgusted with the contractor who built her house, Angie’s List member Melanie Aronson trusts DAL Builders to fix things. The Chicago mother of four appreciates owner David Larkin’s honesty regarding the various projects and oftentimes benefits from his generosity. “When it came time 
to build the bookshelves, he used a more expensive type of wood but didn’t charge me the upgrade for it,” she says.

Larkin, who’s licensed by the city 
of Chicago, says he’s just trying to do the 
best job possible and even offers a one-year warranty on his work. “My favorite part of 
the job is making sure that everyone’s happy in the end,” he says.

Larkin also recycles or reuses as many items as possible and utilizes green building materials at no additional cost to the consumer. “I’ll even pay for my employees’ gas if they carpool to work,” he says.

Being responsible in the workplace extends beyond being green for Larkin. Judith Somogyi wanted desperately to replace her deck, but found 
it disheartening when contractor after contractor told her obtaining a permit wasn’t necessary. “It was driving me nuts!” she says. That is, until Larkin arrived and refused to do the work without filing the proper paperwork. “He also pointed out errors he saw with my neighbor’s deck,” she says. “It was reassuring to know he was up-to-date with the proper building codes.”

Barrett Tree Service East Inc. | Somerville, Mass.

Owner Trumbull Barrett started his business more than two years ago with two intentions: do what’s in the best interest of the customer 
and do what’s in the best interest of the tree. According to multiple Angie’s List members, he’s succeeding on both accounts.

“He understands that to stay in business he needs to satisfy his customers,” says Mary Stone of Belmont, Mass., after she hired Barrett to remove eight large trees from her property. “Everything they do reflects that. Working with Trumbull and his crew left me very pleasantly surprised!”

Barrett attributes any accolades 
to one simple thing: being reliable. 
“You have to show up when you say you’re going to show up and communicate with the homeowner,” he says.

Barrett, a certified arborist, says it’s also important to make sure his crew is properly trained. To give back, he donates woodchips to nature preserves for walking trails.

Guardian Angel Pet Care | Indianapolis

Customers of Guardian Angel Pet Care rave about the personalized care their pets get from owner Julie Deeds. She leaves notes or sends e-mails with updates on their furred, feathered and scaled friends.

"I treat other people's pets as my own," Deeds says. "I consider them a member of the family."

Guardian Angel offers pet care at her clients' homes during the work week or when they travel, work that does not require a license.

"When they come home, my clients say, 'It's just like we never left,'" she says. Members also praise Deeds' efforts to find homes for strays.

Emily Terpstra of Indianapolis says her three dogs adore Deeds. "She stops by sometimes when we're not out of town," she says. "I like that because they don't always associate her with the stress of us being away."

Rainier Garage Door | Bellevue, Wash.

Rainier Garage Door owner Jason Rudzinski says one way his company distinguishes itself is by having employees who aren't motivated to sell new garage doors when customers don't need them.

"I always run the business and service in an ethical way," says Rudzinski, who pays his workers an hourly wage instead of on commission. "We do everything like it's our own house."

Rainier, which is licensed by the state to perform contracting work, bills itself as the most green garage door company in the Puget Sound region, using fuel-efficient vans and a Toyota Prius for its work fleet. They also recycle materials from packaging and old garage doors.

Brian Lapinski of Kenmore, Wash., called Rainier after getting fed up with another company. He says Rainier came the next day and helped him choose a style of door that would look better with his home's architecture. "It's been a couple months since the install and we still smile every time we drive up and open the garage door," Lapinski says.

R&S Plumbing and Home Repairs | Cary, N.C.

When Michael Fanelli discovered his water heater leaking late one Friday, he thought he'd have to endure a weekend without hot water.

"I called a couple of plumbers and they were like, 'Monday, Monday, Monday,'" Fanelli says.

But then he called Roman Kaukereit of R&S Plumbing and Home Repairs, which is licensed with the state of North Carolina. Kaukereit showed up, made some recommendations and picked up an energy-saving tankless water heater. Fanelli had a new heater by 11 p.m.

"We didn't miss a shower," Fanelli says.

Other members praise Kaukereit for his impeccable workmanship, timely follow-up and unbeatable prices. Kaukereit, a native of Germany, attributes his customers' satisfaction to his upbeat attitude and willingness to go the extra mile.

"My main motto is no problems, only solutions," says Kaukereit, who founded R&S about three years ago. "I try to get jobs done in a timely matter and I don't make promises that I can't keep."

Expert Flooring Solutions | Las Vegas

Expert Flooring Solutions owner Tom Rossi is the third generation of his family to work in flooring. "I was born and raised in the flooring business," Rossi says.

His 36 years of experience, plus three state-issued contractor licenses, allow him to help customers find the right floors for their tastes and lifestyles. "Every situation is different and from doing it for so long, it's pretty much all I know how to do," he says.

Joan O'Connor was impressed Rossi dropped off samples at her Henderson, Nev., home. She says installers carefully blended pieces of bamboo to create flawless floors in her home. "When you first walk in, it really is a beautiful expanse of wood," O'Connor says.

Bamboo isn't the only green product Rossi offers. His company sells carpet made from recycled bottles, which is durable, stain-resistant and cheaper than nylon carpet. Rossi also gives back to the community by sponsoring a Little League team and donating to the homeless.

Lance's Hidden Fencing | Columbus, Ohio

More than one Angie's List member calls Lance Sinkowski the "Dog Whisperer" of Columbus. Sinkowski spent his childhood on his grandfather's farm in southeastern Ohio and gained training experience while working with his own three dogs.

"I just get right down onto the ground and love them," says Sinkowski, who isn't required to be licensed. "The lower you get, the more they're going to be receptive."

After his technician installs an electric fence, Sinkowski uses a training routine of positive reinforcement with treats, flags and visual cues. He rides his bike to clients' homes 10 times a year for estimates or follow-up visits to show a commitment to green business practices.

Susan Boothe of Dublin, Ohio, says he came to her house three times to train her beagles, Sparkalo and Kamo.

"It's not just installing the fence, it's understanding the dog's behavior," Boothe says. She adds she was as impressed with Sinkowski's rapport with dogs as with his people skills. "He really walked in my shoes as a customer and as a dog owner," she says.

— reporting by Staci Giordullo, Joshua Palmer and Emily Udell