Acumen Builders

Working with Scott on my home remodel was a disappointing experience. After our initial meeting in May 2022, I provided a budget of $175k for the project. Scott reassured me that he didn't believe the project would require that much, but said a final estimate could only be made once the design was completed. I signed a contract for design and drafting services, which offered a rebate if we moved forward with the construction contract. The design process, however, was underwhelming. The final plans were essentially a digital version of a rough sketch I had provided. When Scott sent over the construction contract and selections workbook, things took a turn. Despite completing the selections workbook as requested, Scott was unwilling to provide any estimates or projections for the project. I found it difficult to proceed without a clear idea of the costs involved. Additionally, there were critical measurement errors in the plans that caused further delays and added costs. Ultimately, I chose to work with a different contractor, which proved to be a much better decision for the completion of my project. Unfortunately, my experience with Scott was not a positive one. The process was frustrating, and ultimately it was a massive waste of my time.

We hired Scott to build a 700 sq ft ADU/Casita for us and could not be happier with the result. The project finished on time, on budget, and the quality of construction was exceptional. From plans to permits to every phase of construction Scott did exactly what he said he'd do (and more). Scott's trustworthiness is second to none and that was the biggest differentiator for us. Knowing we could trust him without hesitation made every decision easier, and I'm confident that choosing him as our general contractor was the smartest decision we made in the entire project. I hope we're done doing projects for a while, but if we ever need to recommend somebody it would be Scott and Acumen Builders!

I don’t know where to start with my review. My experience working with Scott and Ger was nothing short of amazing. They were able to take the vision I had of my renovation and turn it into my dream home. Their suggestions, attention to detail and communication made the process so much easier for me. When I first met Scott and Ger, I was a new widow and needed someone I could trust with a project that was beyond my scope of knowledge. Their own trustworthiness and of the vendors and trade professionals they use are second to none. I never felt uncomfortable with the many people who were working in the house. They took care of and made friends with my fur babies while I was at work. I felt I was in good hands every step of the way. My renovation is perfection. If you are reading this, perhaps you are researching general contractors. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Acumen!!!

Hiring Acumen builders for my home remodel was probably the smartest decision I made. The owners Scott and Geri are amazing, they took us under their wing and helped guide us through our first home renovation. My husband and I both work full time and could not have managed this scale of a project on our own. Having someone who could do everything from plans to engineering, permitting and hiring trades made it possible for us. What I appreciated most was their honesty and integrity. They had the hard conversations about budgets with us and did their best to keep us within what we could afford. The few (minor) issues that arose were corrected quickly and efficiently. They were also incredibly kind to our children: remembering them at Christmas and working around our schedules to meet with us. They once met us at the public library to discuss things so that my kids could play while me worked. I appreciated their flexibility and understanding. I could not have imagined doing this without them. We finished phase one and I hope one day we can bring them back for the second phase. Thank you again for everything.

Scott - from Acumen builders did a wonderful job renovating our game room last year. He was informative and communicated any issues took care of coordinating any subs and would follow up on their progress Would not hesitate to use him again

Scott and Ger were extremely knowledgable and guided us through every phase of our extensive remodel. Great ideas and solutions along with great communication made our huge investment more enjoyable. The end result was beautiful! They were helpful through all aspects along with being transparent and organized. A pleasure to work with! Would recommend them highly!

I hired Scott and Ger to remodel my 1930s home (electrical, kitchen remodel and reconfiguration, new flooring, etc.). Ger was very good at fulfilling my design needs and wants, while providing helpful recommendations based on her own wealth of design and product experience. When the house threw us a couple of structural curveballs, Scott informed me right away and let me know what needed to be done and what options I had. They hired solid subcontractors when that was needed. I would definitely hire them again.

This is the second time I have used Acumen Builders for a construction/remodeling project since he did such a good job on the first one six years ago. The current project involved removing and replacing wood siding from a part of my house because it had been damaged by rain and sun. It also consisted of painting the new siding as well as scraping and painting other parts of the house that had been damaged by the sun. (He also fixed a botched job that had been done by a previous contractor.) Scott Gormley (the owner of Acumen Builders) is honest and fair and his work is of the highest quality. He has a lot of experience and is also licensed as a building inspector. One of the best things about hiring Scott is that he does most of the work himself when possible instead of just farming out all of it to sub-contractors. This not only saves me money but also minimizes the probability of miscommunication between the general contractor and the sub-contractors, which is a major problem in construction work. Therefore, it helps to guarantee that the job is done right the first time. Prior to the start of work he gave detailed proposals for the work to be done, and the cost of the work. Payments were broken up into small amounts to be paid only after the work was done. I can’t imagine how you could find a better builder. The price for the job was $10,335.00

Scott was not only professional, and ahead of schedule at every turn/phase, the work he did on our room addition was phenomenal and first class. I'd recommend Scott and Acumen Builders to anyone. First class job! Thank you, Scott!

Scott and Geralyn Gormley are a dynamic duo! We remodeled our 800sqft historic bungalow wishing to keep the details and charm while expanding the home. The Gormley's exceeded our expectations. They were always responsive listening to our wants and gently suggesting options that kept in line with our home's heritage. Scott and Ger worked their magic during the COVID-19 pandemic ensuring that our project would be completed on-time. The compliments that we receive from our neighbors and complete strangers as they walk down our street speak volumes to the quality of work. Highly recommend Acumen Builders!

Scott was easy to work with and a good communicator. We felt like he listened to us regarding what we wanted and made good recommendations to implement our plans. We are very happy with the finished product.

We have done several home renovations over the years and Geralyn and Scott are by far the best that we have ever experienced in the past 15 years. From the moment we met Geralyn and Scott they were extremely thorough in their estimate and made sure to stay on target within the timelines and expenditures. Geralyn’s taste and recommendations for all of the design work was exceptional. She also knows how to find great deals and bargains at the right time, which in turn gave us a great savings. Scott’s professionalism and the quality of his work is by far the best we have ever experienced. He oversaw ever step of the project from plumbing, framing, placing a 22’ supporting metal iBeam, drywall installation to all of the finishing work. Scott and Geralyn were able to work together and see the vision in making our dream home come true! Their communication during the entire project was always timely. As a team and company, Acumen Builders LLC is the best team to chose for any project to have done for your home remodel. My wife and I can not say enough great things about the both of them and their company.

This might look like a long review so I would like to start off with saying that I would and Do Not Recommend Scott Gormley License #275761 or his business Acumen Builders LLC. Scott is a smooth talker and has an impressive website and that is about where the impressiveness ends, Quality of work, C at best. Our project consisted of a small 6.5x6 bathroom and we do have another contractor and much larger project to compare him too. Scott/Acumen Builders LLC installed an acrylic base, and installed tile on the floors and walls. The process started off ok until the tile guy came, which was continually late or just did not show up multiple times. After several days Scott had to have another tile person come to finish up the job. When complete there was a leak Scott could not determine, but apparently patched up temporarily. We thought the leak was fixed until a year and a half later the wall on the opposite side was showing water damage. We contacted him on June 2018 and he stated that he knew this type of shower pan would not work and he should not have installed it. (Basically he does not know how). He did offer to make it right with us having to pay for all of the material!! We did it because we wanted it fixed. He installed a tile base, which is not what we wanted but felt we did not have a choice. Finally demo started on Oct 31st and was without a bathroom until December 20. I am assuming he is finished even though I have not heard back from him. Please, Beware... Lacks Attention to detail

Scott and Geralyn are fantastic! Their attention to detail is amazing. We knew that we were hiring a company with a great reputation, but had no idea what great listeners they both are. If you have never had a house remolded, you don't really appreciate this. Scott has a skill set that is far beyond what we expected. He can do anything! And he will with his own hands. When he needed a bit of help, he called the subcontractors, who were the nicest guys. They came when they were scheduled and there was progress everyday. Geralyn is the icing on the cake! She is sweet and smart and she "got" us and we could have never imagined the things she saw. It was her idea to move a whole wall and Scott did it. We love our open kitchen, which is special in a home built in 1936. They are both talented and knowledgeable and captured our vision. One of the most comfortable things is that they are easy to communicate with and responsive to our questions. They have an online toolbox that helps with selections, schedules, payments, etc. that made the process easy. We went to Europe for three weeks and the job went on. Any communication was through the website. It was great! We will use them for future projects and have been recommending them to everyone who comes to our beautiful home and raves about it!

I give Acumen Builders my highest recommendation not because they are the cheapest bid or quickest at getting a job completed, but because of their utmost care in providing excellent service, their integrity, and responsiveness to my needs. This was a very big project --I remodeled my entire home making some structural changes, updating throughout, and adding accessibility features. Scott was very thorough in making sure that everything was done to my satisfaction. I am extremely happy with the outcome and I absolutely love my new home!

I can't sing enough praise for Scott and Geralyn-- they are truly fantastic. From the preliminary planning phase, to the knee-deep in construction portion, to the incredible final product. I was thrilled from start to finish. Scott is an honest, hard working person, who offered a very fair price. We had a few issues throughout the project, and Scott's charges for these unforeseen problems were incredibly reasonable. Scott did much of the work himself and was on site most days, which I really appreciated. He uses great subcontractors, and we were very happy with their work as well. We appreciated the progress payments model Scott uses, as well as the portal which housed all of our communications during the project and kept track of the status of the work. Our project took longer than it was scheduled due to some unforeseen delays (cabinets, counters, appliances), but Scott took these delays in stride and worked things out with other tradesmen. We truly could not be happier with how our house turned out. Every time I walk into our transformed living space, I'm so happy we hired Acumen Builders to complete the job!

Our project consisted of adding on to the main bed and bath area to create a suite for my parents, providing them a safe bathroom, comfortable sitting / sleeping area and a space to call their own. Words cannot even express the gratitude we have towards this builder. The time and energy spent in listening to the needs of my parents and ensuring that this would be a comfortable and convenient space for them was so much appreciated. He kept the budget in the forefront and was constantly supporting me with areas that I could save money. I think he spent more time keeping me on budget! There were things I wanted such as a barn door that went over budget; however, Scott was able to help me cut costs in other areas and still maintain the quality and look I was going for. The financial layout was easy and painless, broken up into invoices as milestones were achieved. In that way we were able to hold on to our money and monitor where we were in the building process. Things were kept moving and on the timeline which was all laid for us to see through our account on the website. This professional is a perfectionist and quality is the main focus. The subcontractors were closely monitored to ensure high quality. Time was taken to research and find the best possible product and/or solution for the budget. The knowledge in all areas of the building process was very evident; and, coupled with the high standards, allowed us to sit back and trust that things would be done right. There was constant communication throughout the whole project. This builder was on site so much that he has become one of the family... he is honest , trustworthy, personable, kind, conscientious, hard working... an all around great contractor and individual! We are so fortunate to have found Acumen Builders and will definitely be using this company for the kitchen remodel.

Scott and his tradesmen did an excellent job and finished ahead of schedule. His tile guy did an exceptional job with the layers of tile I wanted for the front of the drop-in tub and the wainscot. He let us know if something wasn't going to work and gave us alternatives to the design. Scott let us know when the various trades were going to be there and made sure everything was done to our satisfaction. While we already had the design and most of the materials, Scott and his crew did the demolition and rebuild that made the bathroom the one that I have dreamed of for 8 years.

Acumen Builders turned a small dark kitchen and long narrow patio into one large, open, bright and gorgeous kitchen familyroom combination. Scott Gormley, owner, is honest, trustworthy and a pleasure to work with. He did an incredible job on our remodel. We will definitely be using him again in the future and have already recommended him to several of our friends.

A very nice man to work with, does a very professional job. I would recommend him to anyone, project large or small.. Mine was not a huge job, but feel he could handle anything.

Scott Gormley is a wonderful contractor who I have had the pleasure of working with on several projects. His attention to detail and customer service is impeccable. He is on site all the time, and the project is finished in a timely fashion.He worked hard to meet all of the client's expectations and responded quickly to our questions. We had a challenging project where the engineer was out of the country, and he continued to work around the question we had, and continue with other aspects of the project till we could get the item redesigned and calculated. I would recommend him highly. Debra Weisberg, Designlink Architecture

Scott and his team did an amazing job on the complete rehab of our home. He brought creative ideas and was open to hearing and working with ours. His sub contractors are solid professionals and worked cleanly. We love our home and would work with Scott and his team again!

Review of Acumen Builders – Scott Gormley Total cost: $30,799 Date when project was finished: 06-05-2015 Work Performed: Major remodeling of front of house: Acquired all city building permits. Replaced six steel framed crank windows with Milgard fiberglass dual pane windows. Jackhammered up existing concrete walk in front of house. Removed large cinderblock planter from front of house. Removed bushes from front of house. Poured concrete for new porch and curved walkway. Installed pavers on new porch and curved walkway. Added decorative stone “wainscoting” across whole front of house. Added hip roof extension to cover new large front porch. Installed shingles on hip roof extension. Added railing and balusters around sides and front of new porch. Installed lights in ceiling of new porch. Modified kitchen window border. Painted front and side of house and carport ceiling. Painted block wall between my house and neighbors’ house. Replaced carport roof posts. I got estimates for this remodeling job from four builders, all of whom had straight A ratings on Angie’s List. I chose Scott Gormley of Acumen Builders because of his personal characteristics and his price. He is honest and fair and his work is of the highest quality. He has a lot of experience and is also licensed as a building inspector. Moreover his estimate was the second lowest of the four that I got, and about half the amount that the highest bidder wanted. One of the reasons that his price is so good is that, in contrast to most builders, he actually does a great deal of the work himself rather than just farming out everything to sub-contractors. He also has low overhead. Doing a great deal of the work himself also guarantees that the job is done right the first time. Prior to the start of work he gave detailed proposals for the work to be done, and the cost of the work. Payments were broken up into small amounts to be paid only after the work was done. Changes were needed along the way, and he accommodated those changes, including written change orders. He always showed up when he said that he would, and kept me informed about his plans and activities with regard to my remodeling job. This is important since miscommunication is a major source of problems in construction projects. I wish I had known about his company when I had another remodeling done job several years earlier. I did a lot of research before choosing Acumen Builders. You can benefit from all this time-consuming research by just hiring Acumen Builders, thus saving yourself a lot of time and worry.

Scott and his crew did an excellent job with our small remodel. He was very hands on and made sure that the project was on track and going smoothly. Everything was extremely professional and we did not experience any of the headaches that I've heard friends complain about when working with other contractors. We cannot recommend him enough! Look for his work on HGTV's House Hunters; as our house was featured in an episode.

I did not want and surprise when I start my building project so I asked Scott Gormley to research all the local building codes for my property. Scott Gormley did a superior job with my request, asked for a little down and the rest when the research was completed. Scott came to my home and took many notes and pictures and then in about a week, produced paperwork with all the zoning codes for my property and told me that my project would meet all the codes. Scott Gormley additionally found out that the garage on my property was not listed properly with the planning division and found the needed paperwork & people to correct this situation without any cost. I'm just waiting now for the blueprints from the company that will do the building and I will then ask Scott to get me the permits needed. The cost of the work to get this 18' RV Cover built was very, very low cost when you consider all the work Scott Gormley put into the research and solving Planning Department problems with my garage. If you want someone that has complete knowledge of local building codes before you start a project; you want SCOTT! I highly recommend ACUMEN Builders! (a·cu·menəˈkyo͞omənˈakyə-nounnoun: acumen1. the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain.) They got the right person and the right word for their business! It needs to be noted that when the project was completed, it was Scott Gormley that found problems in the building that, if found by the Planning Inspector, would have not approved the building. And once again Scott Gormley came to the rescue because the builder from California trusted Scott Gormley so much that he was hired by the builder to fix the problems so the 18' RV building could be passed by the inspector. And once again I can state that because of Scott Gormley (ACUMEN Builders); problems that would have caused an inspection failure, were solved. This is why I would recommend Scott Gormley (ACUMEN Builders) for any job where you want it done totally correct. If it can pass an inspection by Scott Gormley (ACUMEN Builders); your project will pass any inspection. One final item: there were HUGE winds that came down 40th Street last July 2014 and my RV Building is standing today, without a single problem when cement walls for miles in the area were blown down, many hundreds of trees were ripped from their roots and my 20' Steel RV gate was found in the street. Even my neighbor lost both of his 40' pine trees. (I've never see such a lucky family, not a single branch hit his house) I know that if Scott Gormley (ACUMEN Builders) did not find the problems that he did that my 18' RV Garage would have also been in the street after the storm.

We reached out to Scott @ Acumen Builders based on his wonderful Angies List rating. Scott was consultative and responsive from the first call. We were looking to take our Arcadia home from an outdated 1400 square foot house to a 2200 sq ft home with a 2 car garage. This involved adding on a master suite, laundry room, spacious 2 car garage, putting on a new roof, smooth stucco the whole house along with a brick trim. All renovations have bumps in the road, its the nature of the work. What made it easy was Scott. He was involved every step of the way! His wonderful web portal that housed all of the specs of our build along with approvals, pricing etc, was brilliant! It completed avoided any he said/she said issues, while not allowing for scope creep (given that the prices are there, and every time you make a decision regarding a potential upgrade etc the bottom line immediately changes. The finished product is beautiful, on time, and even better than we had dreamed. Thank you Scott!

We had a perfect experience with Acumen Builders and Scott Gormley. We were complete novices when it came to contractors, home renovations etc. and had the usual concerns when we started the process of finding a contractor. Scott's work and business ethic put all our concerns to rest quite quickly. He is extremely patient, punctual and a great communicator at every step of the way. He always kept us posted on when to expect communication, i.e. quotes, revised quotes, contracts etc. His quotes were no-nonsense and straight-forward, unlike some others, where it is hard to decipher the bottom-line price. He mentioned during our very first conversation, he usually isn't the cheapest quote, but it turned out that Acumen's pricing was competitive in the end, compared to other "A" rated companies. Scott made several trips to our home with various tradesman before work started, to make sure we were all on the same page with regards to the scope of work. He moved his work schedule around on short notice to accommodate our job. We were out of town for the two weeks the majority of the work were done and Scott kept us updated with emails, calls and photos of the demolition and new build work. He orchestrated numerous tradesmen for the various stages of the job and dealt with some unforeseen, time consuming occurrences (a persistent gas leak for one,) as often is the case when one starts working on older homes - and finished the job on time as promised. True to form and reputation, Scott is also super responsive and thorough with any "after-service" questions we might have. We are absolutely thrilled with the quality of work that was provided and love the end-result and the new look of our home. We will definitely use Acumen for any future renovations and cannot recommend the company highly enough.

Acumen Builders did a great job with our tile floor tear out and installation of a new tile floor. They arrived promptly and completed the work as promised. The floor turned out great. The were prompt, their work was excellent and they cleaned up just as promised. The quality of their work was top notch and I would hire them again for other projects.

Scott did an amazing job brining my vision into reality! He was very competent, friendly and professional. I'd rate Acumen Builders an A+ and I'll definitely use them for any work I need done in the future!

Category: Remodeling - General Work Completed Date: July 21, 2014 Hire Again:Yes Approximate Cost: $10,000.00 Description Of Work: Family room remodeling with removal of load bearing wall and built in entertainment center and restored to finish and match dry wall texture. This was a project that required a very short notice and with a tight deadline in order to complete prior to installation of new flooring. Fortunately Scott was available to fit in between other projects. Work started on time and completed on time with planned schedule. Scott Gormley is a terrific contractor to work with and one you can trust to provide the best advice as well as exceptionally honest and straightforward.

We hired Scott Gormley of Acumen Builders to be our general contractor for an extensive kitchen remodel. Our project involved a large amount of demolition and included removing a load-bearing wall, raising the ceiling height, and relocating a substantial portion of the HVAC and electrical components from below the joists to the roof (a flat roof). Before we even formally hired Scott, he made several visits to our residence to assist in the planning phase--even going to a nearby open house to see what we liked and disliked about a remodel that mirrored our floor plan. Throughout our project, Scott listened to our concerns, was knowledgeable, dependable, and used highly qualified subcontractors; he promptly paid the other trades immediately after receiving his own progress payments. The project turned out great, as you can see in the photos of "Lola's Timeless Kitchen"! We do not hesitate in recommending Scott Gormley and Acumen Builders for any of your building needs!