Our Clients Say It Best.

"We worked with Maltom on a 3,200 sf home renovation between the summer of 2022 through the winter of 2022/2023. We gutted the house, removed interior walls, added new roof support beams, totally opened up our floor plan, moved stairs, added custom slat walls and custom designed railings inside, remodeled all our bathrooms, expanded into the oversized garage to make the interior space larger, replaced windows, siding, added all new flooring and finishes throughout the house. I'm VERY picky and obsessive, and designed the remodel myself over the course of a year and worked with an architect develop the plans. The outcome is exactly as my 3-D model, and my husband and I are thrilled with the result. Tom and Margo delivered our project on-time, on budget, to expectation, and they were really enjoyable to work with too! We were nervous going in because it was a big investment for us, but Maltom was professional, transparent, great with communication, and they are collaborative. Our renovation was a great experience and we would highly recommend Tom and Margo!!" - Jenna

“From the first visit to talk through remodel design ideas to the final walk through, Margo and Tom were the best! We had primed ourselves that it was going to be stressful but Margo and Tom made it easy! They listened and were able to design a great master suite and laundry room. Tom’s workmanship was awesome and Margo’s creative design mind brought it all together. They’ll make it work for you too!” - Scott

“Maltom Inc is the best! They did a full kitchen remodel for us, including taking out two load bearing walls. The combination of Margo's organization and planning with Tom's level of hands-on expertise was amazing! Margo and Tom kept us informed of every update along the way (materials, cost, and timing, etc). Also, Tom was on site every day, so the project moved quickly. His presence every day also meant that questions were always addressed. And Margo has a great sense of style and eye for detail, so I felt like I could definitely trust her design advice. We are ready to book our next remodel with them!” - Rachael

We worked with Maltom on a 3,200 sf home renovation between the summer of 2022 through the winter of 2022/2023. We gutted the house, removed interior walls, added new roof support beams, totally opened up our floor plan, moved stairs, added custom slat walls and custom designed railings inside, remodeled all our bathrooms, expanded into the oversized garage to make the interior space larger, replaced windows, siding, added all new flooring and finishes throughout the house. I'm VERY picky and obsessive, and designed the remodel myself over the course of a year and worked with an architect develop the plans. The outcome is exactly as my 3-D model, and my husband and I are thrilled with the result. Tom and Margo delivered our project on-time, on budget, to expectation, and they were really enjoyable to work with too! We were nervous going in because it was a big investment for us, but Maltom was professional, transparent, great with communication, and they are collaborative. Our renovation was a great experience and we would highly recommend Tom and Margo!!" - Laura

“We highly recommend working with Tom and Margo of Maltom, Inc.!  We did a full bathroom remodel (and switched out 3 hallway doors) in May of 2021 and it turned out beautiful and worth every penny.    Tom and Margo make a great team and were very organized, communicative, resourceful and dependable.  Tom always showed up on time as promised, was very detail-oriented and clearly takes pride in his work.  He also had the ability to foresee and point out potential problems in advance, which was helpful in the initial decision making process.  We had a general idea of our overall plans, but were having trouble finalizing and pulling it all together.  Margo was also very detail oriented, resourceful and responsive and was a huge asset to us when it came to making all the final decisions.   Once we were ready to proceed, all details of the project were outlined in writing and clearly communicated to us in advance so we knew what to expect each day.  There were some last minute changes/decisions, but both were very patient and helpful working through it all and seeing the project through to completion.  They even checked a few weeks after project completion to confirm that everything was working okay.  We definitely plan to use Maltom, Inc. again and would refer them to friends and family without hesitation.” - - Jennifer

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. We contracted Maltom, Inc to finish the previously unfinished 800 sq ft basement in our 1920s Seattle home, and could not have been happier with our experience and our new space! We added a bathroom, family room, spare room and laundry room - a large project that included ceiling height, sewer line and structural improvements. Overall we were extremely impressed by Maltom, and would happily recommend them, and are likely to work with them again ourselves! Maltom was quick to bid and within the ballpark of other estimates - but Tom set himself apart from the others by actively noting where he anticipated complexity that others' didn't (ceiling height, stair header, sewer line, etc) and flagging potential risks and solutions. This was indicative of Maltom's ability to build trust through transparency throughout our experience. The project itself was right on time despite juggling multiple permits, contractors, and a few unexpected turns. And throughout we always had a good sense of how it was progressing via Margo's weekly updates which kept us in the loop on progress and the plans for the week ahead. It was also on budget - any overages were attributable to our choices of higher quality fixtures/finishes and some minor work orders. The few minor changes stemming from unscoped work were easy to coordinate and reasonably priced. Tom was attentive to the details and quick to address any minor issues we identified along the way - but more often than not caught them before we could, pointing them out via regular walk throughs. Margo was also extremely patient in helping us source a variety of fixtures/finishes, as well as helping to point out potential design improvements as the project progressed (such as a pony wall + glass enclosure for shower)! These guys check all the boxes! - Doran

“Tom and his team remodeled our kitchen from the studs up at the end of 2018. In addition to the standard kitchen work like new cabinets, flooring, etc., the project also involved the removal of two walls, a new skylight installation, new window trim, and the widening of a doorway to install a french door. We love our new kitchen and couldn't be happier with the way it turned out both in terms of looks and quality of work. Tom answered our (many) questions before the work began and helped us brainstorm solutions for unexpected issues as they came up. In the end our project finished on time and on budget. One note for my future self, I wish we had selected all finishes before the work began. We had a hard time finding a couple items, like flooring, within the allowed budget, which means we had go through the change order process. Thankfully, Tom and Margo were fairly flexible and clearly communicated with us throughout. I would use Maltom, Inc. again for future projects.” - Andrea

“We absolutely loved working with Tom and Margo, AND our new bathroom is amazing. The whole experience of working with them, from initial estimate to final walkthrough, was wonderful. They are professional, organized, very communicative and just generally great humans. Margo’s help in choosing materials was invaluable. Tom was always on time and very conscientious about our house and making sure we knew what he was up to. Can’t say enough good things about Maltom, and we will definitely call them for any future projects.” Meggan

“My husband and I first met Tom 5+ years ago when we were looking for a new house and were considering a fixer upper that would require extensive construction. While we ended up finding a different, move-in ready home, we stayed in touch with Tom knowing that we would want to work with him if we ever had the right project. That time came when we decided to begin remodeling our unfinished basement by adding a bathroom and a utility closet. Tom and Margo were so wonderful to work with and we love the finished product. Working with them was very easy and organized from start to finish. We provided an idea of what we wanted and Tom helped us fill in the details of layout, materials, and possibilities. Margo gave us a wealth of options for hardware, finishes, and materials that all suited our budget based on our preferences. And Tom and his crew were considerate, professional, detail-oriented and FAST during the build. They went to great lengths to minimize dust and mess and any inconvenience. Most importantly for us, they are very organized over email and very easy to contact and communicate with. We never had to wonder if they had gotten our message, or when they might respond to an email. Their communications and responses are prompt and their paperwork and administrative stuff is organized and easy to understand. We highly recommend their services and can't wait to work with them again when we are ready for the next phase of our basement renovation.” - Sarah

"Our project is the Columbia City remodel. Maltom, Inc. is highly recommended. They are a design/build firm, but we had most of our design work already done and they were able to bring the design to reality. Tom Lakomski is the owner and he has done a wonderful job managing the project, keeping to an aggressive schedule, working within our budget, and communicating with us on almost a daily basis. The project permitting got started in early February (2015), we moved out in March, and we moved back in early August. The team and sub-contractors were timely, professional, clean, and the work is impeccable. Remodeling is a daunting experience, and there were countless decisions to make and materials and labor are so expensive. But Tom was an incredible resource, understanding our budget and working with us to build a sleek, modern (transitional style), high quality house that we will be able to enjoy for decades to come. We would highly recommend Maltom with no reservations, and you can expect to get high quality work within your budget with clear communication and adherence to schedule. I will note that my husband and I have been extremely organized and very focused and clear about our design, scope, and budget - and this style has worked very well with Maltom. We have had only a few change orders (Cat 6 in the house instead of cat 5/canned lights in basement/nest thermometer/tile shower in guest bath instead of tub). Although our contract specifies a 12% change order fee, Tom had told us that the fee would be waived if the changes were discussed in advance and did not impact schedule or cause major changes etc. We have found that to be the case for all of our change orders (that the fee was waived). At the beginning of the project, Tom created a shared google calendar with us for all of the stages (permitting/demo/foundation/electrical/HVAC etc.), and also gave us written weekly progress reports and an ongoing task list. Tom understands that we are building our dream house, and often had suggestions about not only the infrastructure, but material finishes, fixtures, and modern design ideas. For example, one week he asked us how we wanted the front of the house to look (we are doing hardie board siding), and suggested that in the gable area people often add a contrasting shingle or shake to add interest. We ended up going with cedar shakes due to his suggestion, but truthfully we would not have even thought about it until all the hardie board was up. Just one example out of many that we have worked through - since we have not been working with an architect, his suggestions and advice have been invaluable. We moved back in on schedule, and had a walk through beforehand with punch list items. Everything was taken care of, and Tom followed up with us the day after we moved back in to make sure everything was wonderful. He also said he would be doing a complimentary 30 day, 90 day, and one-year check-in (and we had already paid our full contract). We had an open house a month after we moved in, and Tom came before to take care of about 10 small touch up items on our punch list. (Maltom also sent us a beautiful flower arrangement, and champagne!) We had one major issue when we had our first heavy rain after the summer and the oven hood leaked. It was quite alarming but Tom came out the next day to fix it. I'm not sure how we got so lucky to have such a responsive, efficient, and quality contractor, but we achieved a major remodel (added ~800 s.f., 1.5 bathrooms, new electrical, siding, gourmet kitchen, etc.) in less than 5 months - on budget and is our dream house that is more than we hoped for."

- Shawn

"Tom Lakomski has done extensive work for me on two different houses, including a remodel of a large space in my Leschi home and then a major remodel of my new home on Haller Lake. I feel extremely lucky to have found him. It’s actually kind of hard to write any kind of recommendation without sounding too over the top.

From the first to the last stages of a project, Tom is a consummate professional. He’s reliable, responsible and meticulous in maintaining the high standards he sets for the work he does. To begin with, he listens carefully, makes suggestions, and ensures that we’re both on the same page about everything. His wife Margo helped me with the design of the remodel on my new house and sent me sketch-ups of what the various rooms would end up looking like.

Tom then meets at the house with all his (excellent) subcontractors and writes up a proposal and a very careful estimate. When everyone’s on board, I get a copy of the schedule, and then everyone gets to work. He is always remarkably on schedule, and keeps me informed of the progress every step of the way. If anything unexpected comes up, or if I decide to change or add something, we discuss it, agree to changes in cost, and a new estimate and schedule are provided. He arranges for everything to be done and done on time, including inspections.

I especially love how helpful he is in the selection and design process. He and Margo met me onsite to pick out cabinets, countertop materials, bathtubs and more. I knew I wanted a fireplace insert, but didn’t know which one. I didn’t have time meet at the retailers he recommended, so he sent me brochures from three different manufacturers, and explained what it was I needed to consider.  I decided I wanted a hot tub in the back yard, and he sent me brochures for those as well. It’s really hard to overestimate how helpful the process was to me.

Even after the work is complete, Tom is there to answer questions and follow up in any way. He takes pride in and responsibility for his work. My hot tub kept tripping the breaker, and even though the installation was done by the hot tub company and not him, Tom and his electrician were there to diagnose the problem and get the hot tub technicians back to fix it. Oh, and I decided I wanted the towel bar in a different place, no problem. Honestly he should get a sainthood award for that last one alone!

I’m always impressed by Tom’s expertise in all facets of construction and design. I trust him completely, and would never hire anyone else."

- Mirjana

“SIMPLY THE BEST CONTRACTOR OUT THERE. We had worked with Maltom for a slightly major renovation in our house, which involved building a new loft, relocating the stairs, adding new foundation to support the new structure. I couldn’t be happier with the work Maltom did for us.
Evaluation: during our evaluation, Tom came home to walk through project in details with us and midway he stopped being a contractor but a partner to us in guiding us what's needed for the project. We truly appreciated many of his recommendation based on his wide experience
Price: cost wise, we found their quote quite reasonable but most importantly they stand by their quality of work. The estimate are precise and change orders are ONLY if we requested something new that wasn’t discussed earlier. We were happy we landed on budget precisely to what the original quote was and agreed upon changes and NOT a dollar more.
Quality: we had worked with multiple contractors in the past, sadly (and maybe us) its always been difficult to work with general contractors, as quality is usually a toss of coin as part of the work is subcontracted out and don’t always end up fine. But with Maltom, Tom personally is engaged at all stages of projects and ensures any work by sub contractor is as good as he would have done it himself
Side note: They also pride in keeping the work place super clean and neat, and if you drop by mid project to check in, you wont see any debris/ tools lying out of place.
Time: as they say when you work with a contractor, take the estimated completion time the contractor gives you and double it to usually get the real time it take to completed, but with Tom, he already gave us a pretty fast aggressive completion plan and despite some minor hiccups with local permits, to our surprise he actually finished ahead of plan.
Lastly they say when you work with a contractor, Usually you are lucky if you get at least 2 of 3 things you need on project, if they finish i) on Budget ii) on time iii) on quality. With Maltom I glad to to say you get 3. Maltom is the best out there, and you would be glad you worked with them.” - Sathish

“We can’t say enough good things about our experience working with Tom and Margo at Maltom! We were undertaking a bathroom remodel, expanding the footprint slightly (in addition to a small bedroom closet merging undertaking). Tom did an initial walkthrough with us, gave us a very competitive and comprehensive estimate, listening to what we wanted and then making helpful suggestions where he saw fit - and it was a pleasure coordinating with both of them to select our materials and iron out the finer details. Transparency throughout, the work was completed early and right at budget (even a shade under!). We always felt like we were working with people who cared about our home and us, and took great pride in their skills and work. They stayed in close touch, were super well organized, and gave updates regularly. The results were better than we could have hoped for! Hire Maltom! They will be our first call the next time we take on any remodel work. Thanks Tom and Margo!” - Nick B.

“I first met Tom and Margo (Maltom Inc.) when my husband and I were interviewing contractors for our addition/remodel project. During our first meeting, the team asked really good questions, revealing they had already invested time to wrap their heads around our project (we had provided preliminary design plans prior to our meeting). They also flagged some important issues for us (i.e. how our sewer depth would have implications for the plumbing strategy). We were impressed from the very beginning, and since that first meeting, Tom and Margo continued to build trust and add value with every single interaction. They patiently walked us through what it would realistically take to reach our goals, and they helped us pinpoint design alternatives that provided a bigger bang for our buck. The team has many strengths, and among my favorites: they are super organized; excellent at communication (both thorough and quick); transparent; fair; and to-the-point. They take ownership, expect the highest quality (and timeliness) from their subs, and care about their clients' work as if it were their own. They exceeded expectations, and I am thrilled with the services they provided. Tom and Margo offered a value and level of excellence that we didn't see in the other contractors we considered. I wouldn't hesitate to partner with them again.” - Andrea M.

DescAfter getting several quotes back in summer 2019 we decided to go with Maltom, Inc. for a few key reasons. First they showed up on time for the scheduled consultation, and the bid was sent back in a very timely manner. Also, Tom really understood what we envisioned even without a detailed design layout. None of the other bids were this thorough nor timely.

BEST DECISION EVER! We did a full bathroom remodel, moving pipes and toilet, removed plaster, insulated and drywalled, and did a beautiful tile job as requested. And when the original sink vanity we chose didn't really work with the room, he called and we made a quick change that worked even better than my original choice. They even installed a new sliding door in our back hallway. Tom estimated 2-3 weeks in total and started the job once all the materials were ready so there were no delays. The bulk of the work was done in 2 weeks, which was good since we only had 1 bathroom and I was 7 months pregnant. The only delay we ended up having was due to loss of the window by the supplier and having to reorder, all of which Tom handled for us and was all done in 3 weeks.

Another huge reason we recommend him to family and friends was how prompt and clean he and all his workers were. If they said they would arrive at 8:00 am, they were in the driveway 10-15 minutes early and would wait to knock at precisely 8:00 am. Every day they cleaned up before leaving which made a huge difference in our small house with two dogs and a cat. If I remodel anything else, we are using Maltom, Inc. again to be sure!

-Rheanna

“We are really happy with the bathroom remodel that Maltom did for us. It went smoothly from beginning to end. Over a month before the scheduled work start date, Margo started asking for input and then showing us options for the various things we needed to choose, e.g. tiles and fixtures. So everything was ordered and on hand well in advance.

Tom and another contractor started the work on the scheduled date, and ended up finishing the job ahead of schedule. One part of the remodel that required a lot of care was tiling the shower. There is a recessed window in the shower, and the tiling around it had to match up with the wall tiles. Having the shower tiling look nice was key to the overall appearance of the bathroom, and the tiling looks great.

Maltom is organized, efficient, and does quality work. We highly recommend them.” - Gary K.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the entire experience of working with Tom Lakomski of Maltom inc. We are pleased to give our highest recommendation to him and his crews. Tom is by far the most organized contractor I have worked with. From his initial proposals, his bids and pay schedules, and the calendar of work, Tom delivered each time on budget and faster than scheduled. He and his various crews communicate well, were on site on time each day, worked with precision and took the time to clean up the site at the end of each day, including areas around the neighbors. Tom made sure to source material early, and to make sure that I had as well, so as to avoid any delays due to product delivery. There were no extra trips to the hardware store for something he forgot! Tom is very approachable and very much a problem solver. He is aware of industry best practice and thus has many solutions for the various problems that crop up. He is also an expert on code regulations and works very hard to ensure passing the different inspections. Perhaps the best way to judge a builder is by his or her tool bag; Tom’s is immaculate so it is not surprising that his work is immaculate too. Our new building is beautiful and with the added peace of mind that it was beautifully built. We look forward to engaging Tom in all our future projects.” - Giles S.

“I learned about Tom and his company Maltom, Inc through a friend that engaged his services for some serious remodeling for her townhome.  I saw firsthand how well the work was done and she raved about the experience. When I found myself with some flood damage last fall, I reached out to him. He was very responsive over email and phone, on time for our walk through consult, and had great ideas around how to fix things.  He provided a detailed quote that my insurance company was on board with.  I added on additional fixes that he was able to handle as well as a full interior house painting that turned out spectacularly.  Throughout the entire process, he was clear about the pricing, the timing, how his team would access the house, and general updates.  The finished product was detailed and fantastic and I love my house again.  I'm hands off with these sorts of house things so I appreciated him handling every aspect including offering a final full house cleaning service that was impeccable. I'm already planning a list of future projects for him and his team to handle.

Choosing a general contractor can be daunting because of the horror stories.  No concerns here - I cannot recommend Maltom enough - fantastic start to finish.” - Mary M.

“Maltom Inc construction team lead by Tom and Margo, built the garage we had planned with efficiency, timeliness, and clear communication. Tom proposed solutions and alternatives to issues that needed attention. He and his team constructed our design, and we are completely pleased. Margo's notes, emails, and reminders kept us abreast of the progress and always let us know what the next steps were. We highly recommend Maltom Inc. for any building project you want done by an efficient, timely, communicative team.” - Elmer & Colleen

“Tom and his crew were wonderful to work with and we are so happy with the finished product. Our project included a master bath and walk-in closet addition to the master bedroom, connecting the main floor to the basement with the addition of a hallway and excavated stairway, new roofline and roof, outdoor deck, and repainting the house. It was, to us, a pretty big job, but the process didn't feel nearly so daunting working with Maltom, Inc. . 

One thing that was especially impressive was his communication style. We got weekly status reports via email, did frequent walk-throughs with both Tom and his project manager, and his other workers were always happy to explain anything to us. I always felt like I knew what was happening or would be happening in a particular week. 

Tom was also very conscious of keeping us within the budget we had set forth in the beginning. We went over it in a few areas, but that was our choice of upgrades. 

During the course of the project, we also brought home our second child. Tom was very considerate about the time frame of everything (it was very close to my due date), and everyone working for him was extremely clean when going in and out of our house. 

Overall, we were very happy!” - Amelia Y.

“Tom recently finished a bathroom remodel for us that came out fantastic. This was the fourth project he has done for us including a different bathroom, our kitchen, and an outdoor deck. In each case, the work was done quickly, efficiently, and at a very fair price. Tom always provides a comprehensive plan before getting started, completes everything on schedule, and perhaps most importantly, helped guide us throughout the process.

Other friends of ours have done remodels during the last year and each has horror stories to tell of delayed schedules, crazy pricing, or a sense that their contractor was always doing them a favor by even being there. With Tom, it was the exact opposite as this latest project went smoothly and the only hiccup (an unavailable vanity from Home Depot) was quickly remedied with Tom providing a few alternatives. Highly recommended for any remodeling needs.” - Kevin B.