Buildplan

The entire experience was truly exceptional: from architectural design, material selection to budgeting, contractor selection and project management.

Ben offered me multiple tiers of kitchen renovation options and gave me excellent guidance on my kitchen. It was completed all in time and on budget too. He went straight to the manufacturers and found exactly what I had envisioned. I would work with Ben again for my next reno project and have suggested Buildplan to my neighbors and friends.

We used Buildplan to renovate the bathroom on our UWS apartment. They were able to turn around designs and estimates quickly, which really helped move things along. I’ve had friends who went with a traditional designer and it would take weeks to get revisions. I’m so glad that we went with this service so that my husband and I could go online and work out the design on our own time. They put together very detailed documentation and I think that helped make sure that construction went smoothly. There were lots of technical drawings and a list of all the products, the whole process was very organized! I highly recommend them! Our bathroom look fabulous and it was great to have someone I trusted help guide us through the process.

We were introduced to Buildplan through a family friend and reached out for help when we wanted to buy a fixer-upper in Austin, TX. Ben was very generous with his time and helped us evaluate a couple of potential properties. Having realistic renovation prices helped us understand what we were getting into. He also helped with some quick studies to see if we could place an ADU or subdivide some of the properties we were looking at. He was very generous with his time and helped us avoid some costly investments in an overheated market. We ended up purchasing a condo and decided to reach out to see if Buildplan was able to help us with the remodeling of our kitchen and bathroom. Since they are based out of NY, he went over some of the pros and cons of working on a project remotely. They arranged for the contractor to take digital scans of construction progress with their app. We were close enough to drive by, but it was great to save the 20 min drive, grab a beer, kick back, log in and see how construction was progressing. They identified if anything was getting off track and were able to resolve issues as they came up. It’s a different world with so much being done on zoom. The virtual 3D progress walkthrough’s helped keep everyone on the same page and expedited the whole process. I would definitely recommend Buildplan, whether you are in NY or somewhere else in the states!

I worked together with Ben on a number of complex renovation projects where he served as an owner’s representative. He has always assembled a first-class design and construction team. He is a clear communicator and is quick to solve problems. He is able to work with all the project stakeholders to iron out logistics and get the project delivered on time and within budget. His knowledge of the complex approval process in New York City is an asset during planning. He has a keen eye for detail that results in a well-crafted final product. I look forward to seeing what he will accomplish with this new design-build venture. The team has already done terrific work, and they are just getting started! His keen eye for design, innovative use of technology, and construction expertise will guarantee that any project is a success. I would recommend Buildplan without reservation!

We worked with Buildplan on the remodel of our one bedroom. We remodeled the kitchen, and bathroom and redid the floors. They really helped bring all the different pieces it takes to get a renovation done in New York together. We barely had to lift a finger throughout the whole process since they took care of all the coordination and logistics. Hector our contractor was absolutely fantastic, they worked quickly and helped to minimize the disruption to our apartment. I highly recommend Buildplan. We will definitely be using them for our next renovation.

We wanted to hire a team that would manage the entire project from start to finish. After looking at several companies, we hired Buildplan since they were one of the only companies to include line items for all the hidden fees in their proposal. We didn't realize our building would charge us a hefty fee just for the "right" to renovate in our own apartment! All these items add up and it was great to have someone there to help us establish a realistic budget. Their design process made it easy to narrow down what we liked design-wise. Their online system offers selections in a very organized way, making all the choices much more manageable. In the end, it was Samantha our designer who was a huge help in getting us across the finish line. She took the rough ideas for our pallete and flushed them out. Our kitchen looks fantastic! The availability of product alternates helped us spend intelligently. We were looking for a very high level of finish and saving on some of the less visible items helped us splurge on a beautiful countertop material that really defines the entire space. The craftmanship on our kitchen millwork is first class. Construction went smoothly and the workers kept the space tidy. There were some delays with the fridge that we wanted but we were still able to stick to our original schedule. They literally installed it the day before we moved back in! It was great to have someone there to help you make sense of the construction process and what the contractors are telling you. I wanted to be involved so I went to the site regularly, but I don't think I would have been able to do this without them. I would highly recommend Buildplan. We are extremely pleased with the results and it was a pleasure working with them.

Buildplan team is the dream team that every homeowner should consider when it comes to home improvement. They are professional, easy to work with, and always provide creative ideas for any renovation or change needed. Buildplan handles your entire process with a peace of mind and you don't need to worry about anything. We wanted our bathroom remodeled, so Buildplan stepped in from the design through completion of the project. We had a great experience and they were providing updates whenever we asked about progress and the project was completed on-time.

We were referred to Ben by a friend who renovated their apartment in NYC. We thoroughly enjoyed working with him for the renovation of our bathroom. He gave us a a number of 3D renderings outlining different approaches to consider so we can understand the final result and cost. He was responsive to any questions and was quick to make changes. He quickly “got” what we were looking for. I’m excited to see the software develop. We were shown some previews of the features they are working on to get some of our feedback. The whole team is very customer focused and committed to delivering results. We’re thrilled with how our bathroom turned out and enjoyed the process getting there, a few minor construction hiccups aside!

We did an extensive renovation on our first apartment so we know how long it can take, how hard it can be to nail down a budget, and finalize the design. . . . and then there is the headache of construction to deal with! We just bought the neighboring apartment in a co-op and wanted to combine apartments to accommodate our second child. We were looking for an architect on Houzz when a friend recommended Buildplan. My husband and I were open to trying something new but initially had some reservations about going with a less traditional online design process. Overall we were pleasantly surprised at how well this process worked and found that a lot of things actually worked BETTER! Working back and forth online with a 3D model we could walk through and comment on really allowed us to communicate more efficiently than working with 2D presentations. Design options were presented with renderings, detailed cost estimates and links to products which took a lot of uncertainty out of the selection process. My only comment is that it took a bit of back and forth having material samples shipped to us to make final material selections. I don’t think this service is ideal for someone who is looking for a full in person white-glove experience and needs to be handheld every step of the way. For us the service was perfect! It cost us less than a traditional architect, was a lot quicker and our home looks like it belongs in a magazine!

We had a great experience working with the Buildplan team and using their platform! A friend recommended we use them so we hired Buildplan for a gut renovation of my bathroom. This was my first renovation, and I was absolutely clueless! I’m glad I decided to pay a bit extra for a professional project manager to coordinate co-op approvals and for a professional designer. I don’t think I would have had the time or know-how to handle all this back and forth myself. Having 24/7 access to project information via their platform and being able to quickly message the team put our minds at ease. From the beginning of the process, or project manager was always available to answer questions, problem solve, help make decisions, and keep the project moving forward. We never felt like we were out of the loop, or that we had to wait for answers. SHOUT OUT to Ben, the Buildplan team and Steve our contractor - great job guys! They made an overwhelming process effortless and enjoyable!

We’ve moved a couple of times and have ended up doing multiple renovations over the last 25 years. We worked with Buildplan to renovate our kitchen, bath and outdoor area for a Murray Hill garden apartment. We’ve worked with many designers and contractors, but this was by far the most transparent, clear and least stressful experience we've had. I’m pretty handy, and even built a deck from scratch in our upstate NY home. I know what questions to ask and know when contractors are trying to pull one over on me. What I appreciated about this process was that all the information you need is right there, so it keeps everyone honest. I’ve often been frustrated with getting estimates from contractors. It takes a lot of phone calls just to figure out what is and is not included, on top of that everyone organizes things differently making it impossible to level bids. Most of the time I give up and go with my gut. Someone from Buildplan came over to scan our apartment. This helped them put together a very detailed estimate based on actual measurements. Usually, contractors just eyeball it, try to capture everything in allowances and then make up any differences with a bunch of change orders. The bids that came in were all pretty close to each other and I could compare them line by line. I think the whole process kept the contractor honest and helped avoid the typical flood of change orders. Very organized, and a complete game-changer from the wild-west of typical construction!