R. B. Schwarz, Inc.

My wife and I knew we needed an experienced professional contractor to address the challenges inherent in our historic home. We found Robert at R. B. Schwarz. Every time he helped us, he exceeded our expectations. We recommend R. B. Schwarz due to the focus on the right solution for the customer, the high quality of work, and the reliability of the contractor.

Robert Schwarz listens to his clients, and I believe his primary goals are to please them and produce a finished product of the highest quality. His daily presence on the work site, easy access and desire to communicate throughout the project make the process work well. His team and all his subs are respectful, kind people who are easy to have in one's home.

Our one-hundred-year-old shingle house has a 40’ long porch with windows covering all three sides. The porch is traditional craftsman style with natural paneling and looks out on Lake Erie where we can see the sunset every day when storms aren’t brewing. The problem was that those hundred years of storms had taken their toll on 40’ of windows and the shingles surrounding them. I needed a contractor who understood restoring craftsman style without overwhelming the design with clunky windows and frames. I needed a contractor who could extend the season of our porch and had the ability to enhance the arched windows with the best taste. I wanted the best restoration contractor in the Midwest who could deliver the design, the craftsmen and the materials that were compatible with our beautiful early twentieth century shingle house. Robert Schwarz and Company can’t take credit for the beautiful sunsets, but when those sunsets light up the redwood interior and the 40’ of arched window panes in an explosion of red and gold, he and his talented craftsmen can take the bow. Best yet, it was all done on time and on budget. John & Mary

Robert and his team completely remodeled our master bedroom for us, turning our empty sitting room into a complete master suite with walk in closet and bathroom. It was an amazing transformation. First, Robert is the best contractor I've had the privilege of working with. He was always prompt, courteous, and willing to meet with us any time of day, any day of the week. This was huge as my wife and I are working professionals who cannot meet during normal work hours. Many contractors are unwilling to do the same! Second, he is a man of his word. At every step I was made well aware of any unforeseen charges and was given the complete picture of the project whenever I asked. I was never blindsided or left confused by anything that was happening. All issues were immediately brought to my attention. Third, he worries so I don't have to. Frankly, Robert seemed to worry more about my house than I did, which is a good thing! He gives the utmost respect and care to the homes he works on, as if they were his own. It is an extremely comforting thought knowing my house is in good hands. Fourth, he does not settle for "good enough". There were two points during my project that caused a major stir(no fault of Robert's). Without a complaint or a second thought, Robert and his team fixed the issues immediately and left us more than satisfied. It was breathtaking what he did to solve our issues, and the repeated thanks I gave him and his team could not have been enough. It was a marvel. He does not accept "fine", he only accepts perfection. With any other contractor these issues could have completely halted everything. Finally, he is a good man. He is kind, understanding, and truly loves what he does. I trusted my house and my home to him for weeks and at no point did he ever cause me to waiver in my faith of him and his respect for my project. He completely changed how I think about contractors and I will use him again for every project I have without question. It was an honor working with him and I hope to do so again.

Our project was to a fill the gap between two individual earlier additions to our 1922 Dutch Colonial frame house in Shaker Heights, Ohio. One of the additions provided a small breakfast space to create an L shaped kitchen. The other addition was a family room, which transitioned to a lower elevation. Robert and the architect, Catherine Middleton, designed an appealing plan that bridged the areas, and created an open plan that created a back entryway, an open and organized kitchen, and raised the family room floor up to the level of the kitchen. The new floor plan creates a comfortable flow from the kitchen to the living, dining, and family rooms. The result is a completely new kitchen space, and refurbished adjoining family room that completely redefines the house and makes it much more inviting and comfortable. Since we like to cook and entertain, it was very important to us that in addition to being attractive, the kitchen should be an efficient "cook's kitchen." The open kitchen has a center island, Amish cabinets, and lots of light from a new skylight that lights up the entry. The painted cabinets have pull out shelves and and soft closed fixtures, and a tile back splash is colorful and creative. It was a very complex job that involved significant structural, mechanical, and design issues that had to be overcome (for example, not knowing what supporting structures were in the previous additions) as well as aligning the two additions, which were not completely square. We also had a limited budget so we wanted to be careful about cost control. Robert and Catherine were able to work together to develop a beautiful plan that transformed our home but was affordable. Robert and his crew were efficient, responsive, and Robert was able to coordinate the various aspects of the job with skill and expertise. All of his crew members were very considerate of the fact that we needed to be able to live there even though the back of the house was removed! He was very good at presenting options and helping in the decision making. He was careful to inform us how any changes would affect the project budget. Robert takes pride in his work, and overall quality and client satisfaction are important to him. Months later we are still thrilled with the result and enjoy showing it off to our visitors.

Our experience with Robert and his crew was great! They kept us informed throughout the entire remodel. They kept our home clean. They showed up on time and ready to work. But, most importantly, the result exceeds our expectations!

Robert and his team remodeled three full bathrooms in my 1917 home, replacing plumbing and wiring, correcting uneven floors, insulating the walls and under the roof above the rooms, installing efficient and historically appropriate windows, installing tile and fixtures. One reason I hired Robert was because of his "pessimism," e.g. "When I start demolition upstairs, that dining room wall is going to fall down." None of the other contractors I talked to warned me about possible complications. The project took almost five months, from demo to the final paint job. Throughout, Robert was relentless in scheduling: workmen even came in on weekends. The work was of the highest quality. His team is friendly and very skilled. Robert paid great attention to controlling dust and dirt, and was often on site into the evening, checking on work and cleaning up. He was very transparent on costs and his markup, which I really appreciated. He has stopped by several times since the project ended, to make sure everything is functioning as it should.

We had two old, neglected bathrooms that needed serious updating and remodeling. Our experience with RB Schwarz, was near perfect. From the beginning of the plan to the last detail, most everything was carefully and professionally executed. Our older home needed some specialized attention. Robert and his team used local resources and had good understanding of the history of homes in our neighborhood. We would use them again for future remodeling.

Robert and his team were exceptional! We have renovated several old houses in different cities and without a doubt this was the easiest, most professional, and most thorough contractor we have ever worked with. The finished product (complete bathroom gut) is beautiful and exceeded our expectations. The same level of attention and craftmanship was applied to both the internal "guts" of the space as well as the visable finishes. I highy recommend R.B. Schwarz for your next renovation - particularly if you are working on an older home like ours. Robert will be our contractor for the life!

In January 2013 we attended the NARI Home Improvement Show where we found R.B. Schwarz Inc. Photos displayed at Robert's booth and in his brochure showed the kind of style we were seeking for our kitchen project - something that would fit a 1930's traditional home. During his initial visit to see the scope of the project Robert provided plenty of references, and was adamant we contact the homeowners to see the work he had completed for them. Robert was quick in setting up a meeting with his kitchen designer, who was great in getting our design plans and specific desires and needs into final renderings and construction drawings. He then brought in the rest of his team to see the project and look for any potential issues that may arise during the demolition and construction phases. Throughout the project they were very diligent in keeping any dirt and dust confined to the construction areas, taping off doorways and sweeping up at the end of each day. The entire team was great to work with, creating a good feeling for us. Any unforeseen issues that arose (throughout the project) requiring changes/modifications were handled professionally. The kitchen turned out beautifully, incorporating everything we wanted for it. We highly recommend R.B. Schwarz Inc. We are currently using them on a project and plan to use them for future projects as we continue to renovate our home.

R.B. Schwarz and his crew of professionals completely remodeled our master bath and upgraded the electrical panel and plumbing in our century home. His work was second to none, his professionalism exemplary. He and his crew were very careful of our home and contents. As a designer I work with professional contractors all the time. I would not hesitate to recommend R.B. Schwarz for any project. He and his crew followed my design almost exactly and even when I wanted difficult modifications he complied. We are thrilled with our new bathroom and plan to have him continue on other projects.