Viking Custom Builders

We interviewed 4 different contractors before choosing VCB. We felt that his communication style and organization was best suited for us. We especially appreciated all of the documentation that he provided - the weekly project updates, the budget allowances, the invoices, etc. He is very prompt about responding to calls, texts, and emails.
In the past, we have had many projects done on much smaller budgets, and we have been accustomed to working with contractors that need to be hovered over in order to make sure that they do what they promise to do. I can see now that VCB holds themselves to a higher standard, and my husband and I may have caused a few bumps by being very "involved" in the project. There are a couple of things that I wish had gone differently, but in the end it was not worth the money to change it. And these things would not have changed my overall experience to rate it any lower.
The basement is beautiful, and even our building inspector noted that it was quality work. We had subs for plumbing, electrical, tile, and drywall/texture. Plumbers, tilers, and electricians were A+ professionals. Drywall came out fine in the end :). The main floor bathroom is also wonderful. Having a basement finished is an intrusion to life, but Erik, Lewis, Arnold, and Rob were very respectful of our property and our needs with our children. The basement was spotless every evening before the guys went home. It says a lot about their work ethic and what Erik expects out of his employees.

Excellent experience! Finished 1 week early! Staff very professional and easy to work with. Very responsive. Small punch list and left finished basement clean. Would highly recommend!

Erik Nielsen and Viking Custom Builders are VERY impressive. They handled our basement finish from design to finishing touches. Several great points: 1) Project cost quote. Before anything is signed, Erik puts together a comprehensive quote for the project. If you stick to the allowances for material selections and don't decide on extras like moving a water heater, for example, that is exactly what it will cost. There are no overruns. 2) Schedule management. Before the project begins, a full Microsoft Project schedule is provided in addition to a list of need dates for customer selections (bathroom fixtures, vanities, colors, flooring, etc.). They also provide a suggest list of vendors to help with the selections. We stuck with their recommendations, and couldn't be happier. Erik sends out progress reports and schedule updates on a weekly basis. They will be done when they say they're going to be done. They actually finished our project a week early. 3) Project execution. This is one of the coolest things: They will not be going through your main house during basement work. They will use the egress window, and install a portapotty on site. Everything gets loaded through that window - it's really amazing. The crews are VERY efficient - they will load a complete tool set for the task at hand, limiting interruptions due to something being missing. They are also very clean - the day's work was always cleaned up. Even the building inspector was impressed! 4) Communication. All of the work crews were very friendly and knowledgable, and readily available to answer questions or address concerns. Erik is extremely responsive - I don't think we ever waited more than 4 hours for an email response. I cannot think of a single bad thing to say about this experience. No, they will not be the cheapest you find. But the quality and service you receive is worth it. I'm kind of sorry that all they do is basement finishing - I'd love to have them do more stuff to our house!

Fabulously. Very professional and knowledgeable. Excellent work done to perfection. Adhered to timeline, cleaned up each day and was very courteous.

They are fantastic. I can't say enough good things about the professionalism of friendliness of the team as well as the quality of the work. Erik is wonderful to work with - his proposals are spot on in terms of creativity for what you want/need in the space, and he's collaborative with you throughout the process. Super responsive, and very organized so he keeps things on track for an on -time completion. I would use them again and again if I had more basements to finish!

Viking did a fantastic job on our basement. Erik was professional, easy to work with, straight forward, responsive, and detail oriented. The quality of the work was excellent and completed on time. There was one issue with our low voltage writing, but Erik quickly refunded our money for the initial work. Overall we are thrilled with our basement finish!

Erik was very prompt in getting us scheduled for an initial consultation. After speaking with him about what we wanted, giving a general idea of our budget and our time frame (which was ASAP as we had an immediate need for more living space), he drew up plans on our basement and presented us with a bid in a very reasonable time-frame. We had also contacted two other companies to get bids from. Viking's bid was MUCH more reasonable than the "big basement company" from Denver. And they were a little bit more than a smaller local company. Most importantly, Viking really listened to what we wanted included and not included in our basement design. The big basement company kept trying to add more stuff and elements we really didn't want (and kept them in the plans after we told them to change it) to the point it was ridiculous. Viking was able to start us a few weeks after signing our contract. Which was faster than other companies told us when speaking with them. As for the actual work, it went very well! Viking has a small crew of core workers that does certain parts of the job, while subbing out other parts like electric, carpet, tile and plumbing. While we were not excited about having subs, it couldn't have gone better. Every person that came to our home was committed to doing the job correctly, not just rushing through. The Viking crew was great, the foreman even giving me his cell number, so if I had any questions or concerns I could get in touch quickly, and they always contacted us if they were not absolutely sure of what we wanted with an aspect of the job. Any questions or concerns we had were not trivialized and were addressed to our complete satisfaction. The Viking crew even stayed late a couple times and worked a couple Saturdays (with our permission) in order to keep ahead of schedule and get our basement finished. For materials selection, there are several companies that Viking works with that you can choose from or you can find your own. We liked this as we could search for something different if we wanted. The crew was very tidy, cleaning up at the end of each day. It was a pleasure to go down and see what each day's progress had been, not having to step over/around a mess! Communication was excellent- from the beginning to the end of the job! Having your basement finished is not a quick nor a quiet job, but the Viking crew made it as wonderful as possible! We would absolutely use them again.

Viking is amazing. They were extremely helpful in helping design our basement. They kept us up to date on absolutely everything. They were the easiest company to work with and we are extremely happy we chose their bid. We got weekly status updates every weekend or on a Monday. The update would tell us step by step exactly what was done as well as give us a detailed outline of what was happening the following week. They finished the basement two weeks earlier than originally planned. The guys that worked in the basement were professional and courteous. About a month after our basement was completed, a pipe froze and burst and caused a huge mess. Viking was there for us right from the start. They talked us through what to do initially until they were able to come out and help us (since it happened late at night). The owner followed up with us and said he and his crew will be able to help us out and fix what broke. We are extremely pleased with Viking and would hire them again in a heartbeat. If you are looking for someone to finish your basement, Viking is the perfect option. I can't recommend them enough.

Viking Custom is the epitome of professionalism.  Erik worked with us through the design process and I believe he helped us avoid some potential design flaws.  He was very responsive at all stages of the process.  The crew began on time and always worked diligently, cleanly and with the utmost courtesy.  

The basement work is of a very high quality and the Viking crew were very skilled in all stages.  The post-construction "punch list" was short and only minor issues (paint touch up, door adjustment).  There were a few mishaps with suppliers sending the wrong size doors and a delay in delivery of another item but they continued to work through these issues.  Despite this the project was actually completed about a week ahead of schedule.  

We had bids from three other contractors.  Frankly they were lower but not by that much.  I'm glad we went with Viking and would highly recommend them for your basement finish needs.

Overall, very pleased with the process. Erik had some creative ideas about how to finish the space and we were able to incorporate most of them. The estimate was accurate and work was completed professionally and on time. When a glitch occurred (cabinet sent broken) they fixed it immediately. The quality of the work by Erik's employees and subcontractors was first rate. We did end up spending a bit more than we'd planned to, but that was due to changes we made to the contract once construction had started. I would advise reading the fine print because any changes once work has begun can add up. I really appreciated the fact that they installed a porta-potty outside and were able to access the basement without having to enter the main part of the house. Also, Erik is good about providing a list of vendors and letting you select items from them or online - whatever is a better deal. Throughout the project, Erik gave me a weekly updated status report and we could call/text for any questions that arose during the remodel. Overall, very happy with the end result and the process to get there.

Done in a high quality way in less time than projected - 7 weeks vs 8-9.  Primary crew of 4 wonderful to interact with and seemed to enjoy their work plus each other.   Everyone treated us with respect and no question on our part was perceived in exchange as a "dumb" one.  Adjustments from original plans were handled with aplomb and on the fly.  Erik Nielsen gave good direction to the overall project, his core crew and subcontractors: He's very well organized.  Both Erik and his crew chief Dan were very easy to communicate with.  We're happy with the outcome and are very much enjoying our new basement.  We show it off to anyone who's interested and have already had multiple guests who all raved about their experiences there.  No regrets!!

Bottom line, I think they did a very good job.  They took a little longer than originally forecast.  They were very good at communicating and stayed on budget.  

Inviting a crew into your home for nine weeks requires confidence and partnership. Erik inspires confidence starting with the initial meeting. Erik almost always answers the phone, he is very organized, he cares about his product, he cares about the customer, and he cares about his crew. VCB provides 3D renderings and a project plan, so expectations are properly set and well managed. Our project included an exercise room, a large family room for a home theater, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Most finishes were specified to match our upstairs. VCB did a great job finding the same or similar materials. Our basement is beautiful, and I am very happy we chose VCB. We can't believe how much it has added to our home. I strongly recommend VCB.

The entire process of finishing the basement went very smoothly. Contact with Erik was very smooth the entire time, from the beginning with the design and layout of the basement, to the selection of the floors and finishes. We chose to go with Erik primarily because of his ability to effectively communicate with his customers (some of the other people gave us bids and then never contacted us again!!), and as we later learned, with his staff.

During shipment several items came broken, but Erik kept on working with us until they arrived without being broken and were installed. The inspector for our town knows Erik and the men who work for him, and told us that he is always pleased with the quality of their work - as are we! We highly recommend Erik. You cannot go wrong with hiring him. We got multiple bids for the basement, and Erik's was not the most expensive.

Like other reviewers on Angie's list, we were pleased with Erik Nielson at Viking Custom Builders. We had a negative view of contractors prior to meeting Erik. He is definitely the exception. He only does basements and his system is efficient, detailed, hassle-free and quick. He sends a project plan every Monday with the details of what was done the prior week and what will be accomplished the current week. He provides a quote upfront and the amount will not change unless you upgrade materials. All materials (flooring, faucets, etc) included in the price are good quality, but sometimes you may want more. All of his employees and subs are polite. The work site is cleaned every night - tools organized/put away. Erik works with you to design your basement. He is a creative problem solver as there are always challenges with basements. Erik responds to texts/emails within the day - usually within minutes. He is a hardworking professional. When he handed our basement to us, it was immaculate. Carpet vacuumed, everything installed correctly, everything clean. Our basement will never again look this nice.

Erik and his team were very responsive. They provided great workmanship on our basement. They put up the drywall, added cabinets, put in a bathroom, painted, built a banister, and put in carpet.Erik honored our budget and was upfront about all costs.We highly recommend them.

Erik with Viking Custom Builders is wonderful to work with.  He is knowledgeable, honest, and very conscientious.  Very concerned about making sure the customer is happy and everything turns out as anticipated.  He has a great team that are also easy to work with, and do a great job. They are experienced, and accomodating, and timely.  Overall a GREAT experience!  I HIGHLY recommend them!

We could not be happier with how the project turned out. VCB was beyond professional. From the start Erik Nielsen was communicative, punctual, and responsive. We received weekly status updates. Any time that there was an issue or question he contacted us immediately. He was always available via phone or text. His entire VCB crew, especially the other Erik, as well as Andrew, Dirk, and Nate were all extremely professional as well. Every evening at the end of the work day, the entire work space was cleaned and swept and their tools put away. Even the subcontractors they used were excellent, especially the electricians and the HVAC guys. They finished the project early and on budget (except for situations where we went over the allowance on the material selections we chose). I am by far not an easy customer. In fact I bet I was a bit of a pain in the rear with all of my requests, all of the do-it-myself projects when it came to the low voltage and home automation, and how involved I was with the entire project from start to finish, but VCB was extremely patient and accommodating. We interviewed several other contractors before choosing VCB. The experience throughout the proposal phase was just as pleasant and professional as the building phase was. Also it didn't hurt that they were the cheapest of the 5 bids we received, and on top of that their quality throughout the construction process has been outstanding. Our family is so incredibly happy with our new basement and we cannot say enough good things about Erik and the VCB crew!

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Very good experience overall. Job was finished way ahead of schedule. Very professional and quick to respond to phone calls and emails. Great price for the amount of work done.

It went perfectly from start to finish.  They came in thru the basement window and the work looks great.

The first project the Viking completed for us was a kitchen remodel.  The second project was an 1100 sq. Ft. basement finish including extensive cabinetry, tiling, custom entertainment center and a full bar.  Throughout both projects Erik and his team were very courteous and straight forward.  I was well informed on all issues and they kept to the schedules.  The craftsmanship on the finish work is great.  They were even understanding the couple of times that I changed my mind mid-stream.  They will not give you the cheapest bid, but you can know that you will get a quality job and all schedules and expenses are shown up front with no surprises at the end.  I will definitely use them again in the future.

After returning from a trip to Italy we decide to create a paver patio in our back yard.  We loved the work but the interior and entry to our patio was lacking.  We spoke with Erik at Viking about our thoughts and he immediately knew what we were talking about.  After some design discussion we decided to switch out a sliding glass door with french doors and create a window seat in a bay window overlooking the patio.  When installing the custom window seat Erik had the foresight to suggest that we create storage space under the window see so we can keep the pillows and such we used.  
In short the project came out better than we could have expected.  The professionalism, creativity, value and shear talent of Erik, and his team, urge me to recommend Viking Custom Builders for your any interior work you may need.

Initially, Erik Nielsen seemed professional; he provided a good plan and reasonable quote.  He started the job and the work he did seemed OK.  He had a tendency to leave early, especially on Fridays, but the work was progressing at a slow but steady pace so we didn't worry about it.   However, he left all the construction debris on our lawn.  When I complained that this might be killing our grass given the duration of time the materials were left out there, Erik became emotional and stated that he "could not work under these conditions."  After consulting with his wife over the telephone, he abandoned the job completely and never returned.  We were left with an unusable, incomplete bathroom and ripped up tiling.  I have never dealt with a contractor that is so unprofessional and unable to deal with his clients concerns. 
I have subsequently worked with several other contractors and they have all responded well and professionally to any questions, concerns or even criticisms.  Just as a comparison, we recently had our brick walkway redone and the contractor we hired (with good Angie's List reviews) mistakenly placed the bricks in a different pattern than the original.  When I asked him about it, he promptly redid the entire walkway, at no additional cost, despite the fact that it set him back one full day.  I urge you to NOT hire Viking Custom Builders or Erik Nielsen.  Unlike other contractors, he does not take personal responsibility for his work or his errors.  There are a lot of other good contractors out there - keep checking Angie's List.  Good Luck!

In reading the response from Viking Custom Builders, I'd like to add that no 25% deposit was ever requested of us.  Mr. Nielsen's response seems plausible, but is not accurate.   Why would he have even started the job if he required a deposit in advance? Clearly, something does not add up in his story.  Payment was not requested until after he had already abandoned the job, and we made payment for the work done despite the fact that the project was not completed.  Once again, I urge caution on the part of home-owners.

We spent about a week and a half working with Erik on several different basement design ideas.  He gave us visual renderings via email so that we could determine what we liked.  Once we decided on a floor plan, Erik gave us a bid for the work.  At that point we removed some features and added others to stay within our budget.  Weekly status updates and open communication with Erik was such a key to the success of our working relationship with VCB.  One huge benefit off working with VCB is that Erik's team uses a basement window entry for most of the work. They also used a dumpster and a portable toilet.  We are so pleased with the outcome and will definitely use them for any future remodel work.