Matthew McKean and Andria Corso
There is an incredibly special, beautiful place on our property that we call Ashlyn Pond. We had a custom guest house and studio designed to sit at the edge and overlook that large, deep pond. The design included cathedral ceilings with custom wood beams, a two-story wall of windows facing the pond, a two-story stone fireplace, a deck overlooking the pond, and loft. The structure was tricky to construct because it was 400 feet from our main house, and we did not want a permanent road, only a trail through the woods, and minimal removal of trees. We selected a contractor we loved and who had done several projects for us and the previous owners (including an addition to the main house that nearly doubled the size the house).
Summer of 2015 our dream project was off to a great start, but within several months, to our shock, a nightmare began to unfold. For weeks work slowed down then stopped completely. We asked questions and our contractor assured us things would pick up again soon. That never happened. We ended up firing that contractor with an empty incomplete structure on our property and our hearts broken.
Ashlyn Pond Cottage, Amissville VA
Guy Brannock stood out immediately – he was professional, highly experienced with custom construction, and everything else we needed, and he also had those rare intangibles: humility, sense of humor, an artistic mind. We hired Guy, and he turned the nightmare into something even better than our original vision. His financial estimates were right on. The schedule was very close to what he estimated (despite numerous, unpredictable winter weather delays and surprises).
Guy handled several big surprises (mistakes made by the prior contractor, including incorrect construction of the massive, two story wall of windows) with ease and kept us informed every single day, every step of the way. Guy scheduled many small inspections with the County throughout the project to ensure there were no issues at the end. Guy was open and honest about everything, involved us in every decision, and we enjoyed working with him.
We’ll use Guy for every future construction project we envision on our property. He has the experience, personality, management skills, financial resources, network of subcontractors, intelligence, integrity, and passion that is so hard to find all in one contractor. We highly recommend Guy Brannock and are grateful to know him. We will definitely use him for all our future contracting needs!
Ben, Washington, DC:
I would like to offer my highest recommendation to Guy Brannock, who led a full renovation of our kitchen this year. We are thrilled by the job he did, which he completed several weeks faster than the durations other contractors had quoted. Renovations are almost always stressful, messy affairs, but Guy did almost everything possible to make us feel not only that our project was in competent hands, but that it was being done by someone who approached the work with the care and dedication that he would have toward his own kitchen. It was immediately clear from meeting with Guy that he is more than just a contractor; he is also a craftsman. He was immensely professional, but he is also extremely personable. We especially liked how when explaining what his approach would be, he was clearly thinking it through, and was eager to explain his thought process, not to dismiss out questions with the “trust me, I’ve done this a thousand times before” statements other contractors gave us, and which we found less than reassuring.
Guy was involved in nearly every single aspect of our kitchen redesign and renovation. He reacted to mini-crises with calm; and most importantly, he refused—even when he might have without us knowing—to cut corners. He was also flexible, adapting on the fly as some of our own design ideas changed over the course of the work. He treated our apartment with respect, making sure to clean up after the work. And when we had a few loose ends to tie up after he had completed the project, he didn’t push back but insisted on taking care of them immediately.
He appreciated little details that meant a lot to us but that other contractors had seemed to overlook. To cite just one example, our kitchen had a utility closet with a rather ugly accordion door. We didn’t quite know what to do with it, but Guy insisted that he could come up with a better solution than simply keeping the door as it was. Eventually, Guy had the idea of creating a pocket door, using another door in another location. It was the perfect solution, and made a huge difference in the aesthetics of the kitchen, and it was the kind of thing that wasn’t necessary; it hadn’t even occurred to us to change it.
We should also add that Guy is just a real sweet…guy. I can say without hesitation that if you use Guy, you will not be disappointed. More than this: I think you’ll be thrilled.
Kristine Meredith, Culpeper, Virginia
I chose Brannock Enterprises to build my custom home in Culpeper, Virginia because it was clear to me that Guy is a true home builder. Unlike other home builders who schedule crew members or subcontractors to build your home and just check in periodically to see how it is coming along, Guy was on-site every day, managing every detail and personally involved in helping to build my home, right alongside his crew members.
One of the many things I appreciated about Guy was his ability to listen and his dedication to making sure I got the home I wanted. He is easy going, easy to work with, and committed to getting every detail right. He worked with me to site the home so it would provide the views I wanted, and worked closely with me to get the best quality products, fixtures and workmanship while staying within my budget. Throughout the home building process, he made suggestions for ways the construction could be improved to deliver the results I wanted. He also surprised me with a custom built-in keystone detail for my stone fireplace which I just love.
In home building, the quality of the subcontractors is as important as the quality of the builder himself. Everyone Guy brought in to build my home was top quality and a delight to work with. My brother is a contractor too, and when he came out to visit and see the home after it was completed, he told me it is incredibly well built throughout.
We began the process in April 2014, broke ground in May 2014, and moved in in November 2014. The whole process stayed on schedule and within the agreed-upon budget. I would definitely recommend Guy and Brannock Enterprises to any one who is planning to have a new custom home built.
Bruce Gessell, Herndon, Virginia
Working with Guy and Sandra Brannock was a really wonderful experience. Sandra designed our kitchen and Guy performed the construction. He completely gutted our kitchen, moved doors around, and rewired everything. The entire project was completed on time and within our budget.
Guy was cooperative and gave us all the support we needed. He has access to the best subcontractors in the area. We are really really happy with everyone who worked on our kitchen remodel from the floor guy to the painters. Every one of them did a wonderful job.
Guy is an extreme perfectionist. When we ordered custom made cabinets, he inspected every piece on the truck before they unloaded it and sent 2 pieces back immediately before they took them off the truck. I was astounded at how good he is. Since he finished our kitchen remodel, we have had absolutely no complaints or unfinished items on the punch list.
I honestly did not expect that Guy would be as good as he is. If I had a house to build, I would choose Guy to do it without question.
The custom cabinets that Sandra recommended are super — solid as a rock and the finish is wonderful. We replaced all our appliances with Viking because they are American made – stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave and warming door. We love the Mexican limestone flooring in our new kitchen. The guy who installed the floor was incredibly good. They used laser levels and it is amazing how flat and level the floor is. You could drop a marble on the floor and it won’t roll anywhere.
Guy designed and installed the tile backsplash himself. He is really artistic and very very good.
We spent a lot of time with Sandra at the Granite Store selecting countertops. We selected a distinctive leather finish countertop that is dark gray and black with pink and ivory veining. It also looks like it is made of soapstone. Everyone who sees it just loves the finish.
I highly recommend both Guy and Sandra to anyone planning to remodel their kitchen or home. They are an excellent team.
Suzanne Tipple, Warrenton, Virginia
Guy remodeled our kitchen, family room, powder room, master bedroom and bathrooms. Before starting our home remodel, we sought quotes from two builders. We selected Guy because we just clicked. Guy is a great communicator. He patiently answered all my questions throughout the remodeling process. He and his crew are super nice and easy to work with. Guy and his crew completed the job in a timely manner and were thorough about completing the punch list.
Kris Miller, Reston, Virginia
Project: 4-story townhome kitchen and bath remodel, Reston, Virginia
We were referred to Guy by his wife, Sandra, of Expert Kitchen Designs. Sandra designed our bathroom and Guy did the construction for the complete master bathroom renovation. We were so thrilled with his work on the bathroom that we hired him to renovate our kitchen.
Guy and his entire crew were wonderful. What we liked first and foremost was Guy’s competency. He does the job right! And, he maintained a pleasant attitude throughout both projects and cheerfully accommodated us when we changed our minds in the middle of the project and requested changes to the original plans. We showed him pictures of what we liked as far as lighting and he custom fabricated the lighting to our specifications.
There were many challenges during this project. Everything (cabinets and appliances) had to be moved in through windows because the stairs were too narrow. Every time a new challenge came up, Guy was up to the task and cheerful.
Challenges we encountered during this project included getting needed approvals from the Fairfax County building inspector. Guy successfully resolved the issues that the building inspector raised and proved to the county officials that what we wanted to do was within the realm of acceptable building practices.
Guy also worked with the County to get approval for us to keep our existing sprinkler system without having to reengineer and recertify it.
We have recommended Guy to our neighbors and to everyone who needs home remodeling services.
