FIRST ONSITE Property Restoration

Shawn Veninga

4 months ago

Used these guys back in 2018 when they were CATCO now they are First Onsite (same guys) and had problems throughout the process of a rebuild from a fire for a multi family house. First, the manager that came out, Richard Johns, sold us on their general contractor and that he would be there every step of the way. Richard also said that the company just rolled out a new 5 year warranty on all workmanship which was a major buying decision to go with them. Shortly into the process of the build, their GC called me and said he was leaving. Then, when the project was finished up and they turned the water on in the building, the water started gushing out of the first floor apartments. They pointed fingers and said they put it back the way it was but we had four meters to start before the fire and the plumber just jacked up the work. They refused to pay for the repairs until it went for a month. I refused to pay for their mistake and they finally paid for the labor to repair the water damage and I agreed to pay half for the plumber to come back out and fix the plumbing (which I probably should have even done that). Fast forward to 5 years later to me reaching back out to them to get some warranty work taken care of. The initial paperwork said 3 years warranty and they promised with the new program to get the 5 year warranty paperwork out once it was issued. Well, now they are not covering their 5 year warranty work as promised. These folks were shady all the way through and I would be very careful when dealing with them. I will be trying to file a BBB complaint against them this week to see if that is an avenue I can still pursue. Either way, buyer beware of these guys and their practices.

Janet Sullivan

5 months ago

First Onsite was very professional . Mike and his crew were very polite. Left my house in a very manageable way and very clean. Could of not asked for nicer people to handle this very messy broken drain pipe in wall. They were also very nice to our crazy dogs. The main concern was the comfort and safety of my family and our animals.

Tommy Siam

6 months ago

I hired this company back in July for a restoration project at my house; had to call them back a second time because it wasn’t done right. Even when they brought their so-called “expert,” the work was still little more than half done. I requested a discount from the estimate based on the work my family and I ended up having to do ourselves. It took three months for me to get a response and it was “no” and a curt order for me to remit payment. They are very unprofessional in their email communications and handling of customer satisfaction issues. My suggestion if you need any type of restoration work would be to use another company.

Kyle ODonnell

8 months ago

We had a flood / sewer backup in early October 2022. First Onsite was referred to us by our insurance company. At the beginning, everything seemed great, however, as other reviews mentioned, our experience with First Onsite in St. Louis (and Corporate) is an ongoing nightmare. Attempting to keep the details short: The scope of work essentially includes replacing the flooring, redoing two hall-sized full baths, dry-wall / trim, and paint in an ~1100sqft condo. Our contract date was 12/8/2023, ~2 months after the incident as that was the earliest they could meet (several contractors were backed up at the time). We were out of our home for ~10 months. Easily should have been less. As of Oct 31, 2023 the project is not 100% complete / finalized. List of Issues Throughout the Experience Include: Promises / expectations / response times practically vanished after signing the contract. Refusal to provide an expected completion date. No sense of urgency unless we complained to yet another higher level of management. Unprofessional and uncalled for communication / comments from laborers to upper-management to the Regional Corporate Counsel. Failure to listen / follow instructions resulting in several unnecessary delays, damage, and rip-out and re-dos. Failure to obtain permits in timely fashion despite being warned. Unacceptably sloppy work. See included pics*. No regard for our personal property. See included pics*. Losing and failing to replace parts of newly purchased materials. Replacing lost parts of newly purchased materials with lesser quality items. Damaging newly purchased materials during installation. Installing items after being instructed otherwise; making said items nonreturnable. Attempts to charge for work not completed. Reusing ripped out materials and attempting to charge for new replacement materials. Claiming to “make us whole” on damages and has failed to do so. In closing: First Onsite has made an already stressful life event even worse. Fortunately, due to other reviews, we were made aware of similar situations and fully documented our experience w/ over 600 pictures and videos along with countless emails. *Pictures were taken after the contractors left our property for the day (sometimes leaving it said way for days, weeks, or even months) or after they claim the “project is complete”.

Lee w

10 months ago

First Onsite are top-notch Professional Restoration Specialists! This company was assigned for restoration repairs after having a broken water pipe under the concrete floor. They took over dealing with the insurance company, walked me through the process, and kept me in the loop every step of the way. The removals and repairs went well, the crew was attentive, courteous, and respected my home. Thanks, I appreciate the job that your crew did at my home.

mary konopka

11 months ago

Micah really took the time to ensure all of our questions were answered, and he went out of his way to make sure things happened as they should. Isaiah also took loads of care and made sure we were informed every step of the way what was happening. The best part was the availability of Micah to answer a call, or get back to you right away! That was definitely appreciated. Everyone did such a good job. Very friendly and professional. The job looks great! Thank you for your hard work.

Marc Levitt

11 months ago

Let me share my experience with First Onsite, a construction crew that goes beyond mere construction work. These folks are true experts at handling insurance companies. That’s a vital skill when disaster strikes. Last December, a frozen pipe burst, causing significant damage to every room in my place. It was a catastrophic situation. Dealing with the insurance company was quite a challenge. Their adjuster underestimated the costs significantly and made multiple errors in his report. It took me weeks to figure out how to rebuild and set a budget. Then, someone recommended First Onsite, and I decided to give them a call. Dave Flynn and Steve Rogers promptly arrived and put together an estimate that greatly exceeded the insurance guy’s initial assessment. Steve’s experience in the insurance world proved valuable in crafting a solid estimate. I chose First Onsite as my construction crew and submitted their estimate to the insurance company for review. However, the company pushed back, claiming the estimate was too high. When we had a second adjuster reassess the damage, Steve and Dave accompanied him. “Let’s start in the master bedroom and compare our estimate with the original adjuster’s one,” they said. As they walked through the rooms, it was evident that First Onsite had done incredibly thorough work. Soon enough, the adjuster requested First Onsite’s digital files, conceding that they had covered all aspects well. There was no need for further negotiations; their work was rock-solid. I’m truly grateful for First Onsite’s professionalism, accuracy, and expertise. They are not only skilled at what they do but also pleasant to work with. Dealing with the disaster and insurance battles was tough on my family, but working with First Onsite was a relief. It turned things around, and now we’re finally on track and feeling hopeful for the first time. With a proper budget in place, we are now in the final review phase of the architect’s plans, looking forward to starting the project with First Onsite at the helm. I’m confident it’s going to be a smooth ride with them leading the way.

Dave Fogerty

a year ago

Very pleased with the initial inspection & the follow up with replacement items that needed including installation. Jon Stetzel was very flexible & professional during the process which worked well around my busy schedule. Thank you!!

Christina Davis

a year ago

Quoted some flood damage for our insurance that has temporarily displaced two of my children from their bedrooms. Steve seemed really nice. We weren’t sure how much we’d get for the repair, so we were on the fence about having flooring redone right away, so he said he would make a separate quote for the flooring so it could be removed easily if needed. Nearly word for word. I felt reassured that we’d finally have a contractor who would actually show up. Upon completion of the claim, getting the new quote that included new flooring from First Onsite, I thought we weren’t getting enough from insurance to cover it so I said we wouldn’t have his company do the flooring. At that point he told me it was all or nothing because it wouldn’t be profitable enough without doing the flooring. He told me and our insurance agent that he would take off the flooring. Even if I asked for just the painting or a few small things to be taken off, he wouldn’t do it. I don’t appreciate being told one thing before the quote and then something different after. He cared more about making as much money as he could than helping us get our house put back together. I also found that he quoted the bathroom vanity removal and replacement. When I asked about it, he had the audacity to tell ME “The vanity was damaged by the water, FYI, that’s why it’s in the quote”. When in fact, it was not damaged by the water. I pointed out to him, in person, how far the water reached and it stopped at least 10 feet from the bathroom. My insurance agent was not happy to hear about that part. I do not like working with dishonest companies that care more about money than their clients.

Amber Schlottach

a year ago

Mary D was excellent help