Question 1

Do you offer free estimates?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Estimates are free and carry no obligation. We come out, look at the actual condition, talk through what you want and give you a detailed written quote you can compare against anyone else.

Question 2

How quickly will you respond?

Accepted Answer

Call (917) 945-2836 or send a message through this site and we will get back to you. Our hours are Mon to Fri, 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Sat, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Question 3

What areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

All five New York City boroughs: Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, The Bronx and Staten Island. We are based in Queens.

Question 4

Do you take small jobs, or only full projects?

Accepted Answer

Both. A leaking roof, a cracked sidewalk flag or a single bathroom is a real job and we treat it as one. Small jobs done properly are how most of our larger projects start.

Question 5

Are you licensed and insured?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Best Valana Construction Corp. holds New York City Home Improvement Contractor licence 2128242-DCWP, issued by the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, and we carry insurance. You can look the licence up yourself on the city's website, and we will provide a certificate of insurance to you or to your building before work starts.

Question 6

Do you handle permits and filings?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Permits, filings and inspection scheduling are part of the job rather than something handed back to you. Roof replacement, structural work, plumbing relocation and new construction all need filing in New York City, and work that was never permitted tends to surface at the worst possible moment, usually when you go to sell or refinance.

Question 7

Can you work in a co-op or condo building?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Most buildings have an alteration agreement, insurance requirements, approved working hours and a protocol for the freight elevator and the hallways. We would rather read all of that before we quote than discover it on day one.

Question 8

My engineer issued a facade report. Can you do the repairs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The inspection and the filing are your engineer or architect's job, and the repair work the report calls for is ours. We price the repairs and the access together and coordinate with them on sign-off.

Question 9

Do I need a roof repair or a full replacement?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how much life the membrane has left and whether the problem is the field of the roof or the details around the edge of it. A leak at a parapet, a skylight or a drain is usually a repair. Blistering, splitting and ponding across the whole roof usually is not. We will go up, look, and tell you honestly which one you have.

Question 10

Why does my interior wall get damp when it rains?

Accepted Answer

Almost always because water is getting into the masonry outside. Eroded mortar joints, a cracked lintel, a failed parapet coping or a gutter dumping water down the wall will all do it. Painting the inside does nothing. Fixing the outside does.

Question 11

How long does pointing work take?

Accepted Answer

The masonry itself is usually the quicker part. Access is what drives the schedule, because putting up a scaffold or rigging a suspended platform can take longer than the repair. We price both together so the quote reflects the real job.

Question 12

I got a sidewalk violation from the city. What now?

Accepted Answer

In New York City the sidewalk in front of a property is the property owner's responsibility, and the Department of Transportation issues the violation against the address. Send us the address and we will quote the corrective work. It has to be replaced to DOT specification, which means the right thickness, slope, scoring and joints, or you will simply be cited again.

Question 13

Why did my concrete crack again after it was replaced?

Accepted Answer

Usually because whoever poured it fixed the surface and not the base underneath. If the sub-base is not excavated and compacted properly, new concrete moves exactly the way the old concrete did. We do the part nobody sees.

Question 14

How long before I can walk or park on new concrete?

Accepted Answer

We protect it and tell you when it is ready, which depends on the mix, the temperature and what it is going to carry. Foot traffic comes back well before vehicle traffic does.

Question 15

How long does a kitchen or bathroom renovation take?

Accepted Answer

It depends on scope, and anyone who quotes you a timeline before seeing the space is guessing. Moving plumbing or changing a layout adds both time and a filing. We give you a milestone schedule in writing up front and tell you when something on it moves.

Question 16

Can I stay in the apartment while you work?

Accepted Answer

Usually yes. We put protection down on floors and in hallways before anything comes out, control dust, remove debris rather than storing it in the hall, and clean up daily. Water shutdowns get scheduled and announced in advance.

Question 17

What happens if you open a wall and find a problem?

Accepted Answer

Older New York buildings hide a lot behind plaster. If we open something up and find rot, old wiring or a structural issue, we stop, show you what we found, and price the fix before going any further. No surprise line items at the end.

Question 18

How do you price a job?

Accepted Answer

From actual scope: materials, labour, access, permits, specialist trades and site conditions. You get an itemised written estimate before work starts.

Question 19

Who is actually on my job site?

Accepted Answer

Our own crew. When a job needs a specialty trade we bring one in, we manage them and we stay responsible for their work. You have one number to call either way.

Question 20

Do you clean up?

Accepted Answer

Every day, and properly at the end. Debris leaves with us rather than sitting on the sidewalk, which in New York City is also how you avoid a sanitation ticket.

Question 21

How long have you been in business?

Accepted Answer

Best Valana Construction Corp. has been a New York corporation since 2007, working across the five boroughs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Licensing and Permits

Roofing and Exterior

Sidewalk and Concrete

Renovations

Pricing and Process

Still Have Questions?