Framar Porches & Decks/Frackiel Builders

I am not impressed with John's work. He talks a good game but his delivery is not quite there. John did my back porch with composite wood and steel. He guaranteed his work but I have had issues with the boards and he refuses to come back to fix. I have to say I researched his reviews and they all had a common theme and it's that he talks a good game but doesn't stand by his warranty. I spoke to him about the reviews but he informed me that his business is under management and that all the problems happened under his son, but it's not his son it's John the owner who doesn't stand behind his warranty. Several of the composite boards he put down on my porch are already coming up and the work isn't even a month old. I have called him several types he responded when he wants to and say he is coming and never shows up. So I can say John repaired my deck and finished the work. He made some mistakes on deck but for the most part the deck looks good but he doesn't stand by his warranty

I had these guys do my front and back porch. Can't say enough good things about Mark, Bonnie, and the crew over at Framar porches. From the permit and drawings all the way to the little finishes, these guys were on top of it. I would highly recommend hiring these guys if your looking to redo your porch!

Excellent.

Framar came out, inspected porch, followed up with estimate and. completed work as required. They also discovered additional problem and were able to fix on same day for additional cost.

I found Framar/Frackiel Builders by seeing their trucks in my neighborhood. From that moment on it was a constant dream to someday build a deck on the back of my house. This summer that dream came true after more than a decade of yearning! Bonnie and Mark are so nice to deal with, honest, hardworking and fair. I got a great looking deck! The father and crew son of two came on four of the hottest days of summer to build my beautiful deck. I'm so happy every day to just relax on it! What is interesting most is that other deck builders told me the wait during summer on a deck is 4 to 6 weeks because it is their busiest time of year and they only have two people who do it. Framar/Frackiel Builders says they put up so many decks and porches a week because they have so many different crews working in multiple locations throughout Chicagoland. They were able to start in 7 -10 days, the wait being mostly to obtain the Chicago Permit. The cost was less than other estimates AND the pleasantness of working with Framar/Frackiel Decks far surpassed anyone else with whom I've worked!

Contractor was responsive to request for a quote. Quote was substantially less than we had gotten from another contractor. Was told they would fit us in between new porches as this was a small job. Got 1-2 days notice on when they would do the work. Crew of two showed up on time (before 8 am) and worked diligently throughout the day. Completed the job just before 8 pm (when Chicago noise ordinance might have halted the work). New brackets are solid making porches and stairs sturdier. Crew was good at incorporating brackets into existing porches for minimal aesthetic impact. Overall, very happy with the work performed.

.

Excellent, could not be happier. Fast quality work, polite personable workers.

.

Their price and timeliness is what stuck out the most. The cost was way lower then what others quoted.

....

unknown

Framar is a family business. They quoted us a great rate, completed the work on time, and worked with us on a reasonable payment plan. To this day, there hasn't been a hint of any issues. Brought us up to code. What else needs to be said? Bonnie, their expediter, is awesome.

.

At first it was fine then one of the boards they used started to warp, we called them and they said that was how the wood was and would not do any fixes on it.

unknown

unknown

It was a very good experience from start to finish.  They were reasonably priced, did quality work, and completed the project in a timely fashion.  We do, however, have a warped pergola beam that needs to be replaced, but I'm confident this will not be an issue.

Very friendly and professional.  Excellent workmanship and materials.  Will use in the future
and will recommend to others.

Frackiel Builders did an excellent job constructing my two story rear porch in 2009.  Some boards were beginning to warp so I asked them to power wash and seal the wood.  The price was reasonable and the workers were punctual.  However, the workers were very sloppy in spraying sealer on the windows of my house and my screen doors and windows and several other spots.  This was due to being in a hurry and being careless as the spotting was not even near the wood.  I spent at least an hour rubbing off all of this oil based sealer.  I moved all of the other items near the porch so nothing was damaged, but my house itself was splattered with sealer in many spots.  I also think (but cannot know for sure) that they did not power wash or seal the top part of the very tall post which goes up to the roof of my house - it was a lighter color than the rest of the porch after the sealing. My neighbors confirmed that they thought it had not been sealed. I called Frackiel to inquire about this and they sent out a second crew to seal the top of this post. They seemed irritated at this request. The second crew did not have ladders tall enough to read the top of this post so I am assuming that the first crew did not have these ladders either, so this part of the post may not have been power washed, so it did not absorb very well the sealer which was sprayed from a distance.  To seal this part of the post the workers sprayed from a distance (due to the short ladders) with spary going all over the brick patio which I had to wash down.  I am not now sure that the hardware at the top of this post was tightened.   It is possible that the first crew had taller ladders and did this, but I cannot know for sure as I did not observe the entire process. I am doubtful about this however, based on my observations of the second crew.  I cannot know for sure about the work done at the top of this post as I cannot reach it myself, but I am not confident that it was done properly.   The phone contact who scheduled the job was confident that it was all done properly, but I am not.
I think that the crews are in too big of a hurry and need to use taller ladders.

We got a citation from the city for the porch on the back of our two-flat. I got several quotes, but there's was the best. And the inspector said that Frackiel Construction is one of only two or three companies in the city that they can trust to not cut corners. They used larger bolts and better reinforcement than they had to. And they pounded the nails by hand (instead of using nail guns), which he said gives better results. 

I was not going to write a review, since I didn't three years ago, when I should have...but
Now, I am looking at my neighbor's porch, just newly built by Framers, as of today...it is the same style...although I have tongue and groove for the landings.   Craftsmanship, quality of wood...there is little or no comparison to mine.
When new, my wood was split in all the main beams, in just about every area that was weight bearing.  I called Bonnie and asked for better wood, I was told that all treated wood looked like that.   It's not true, my neighbor's treated wood is in great shape compared to mine when I first got it.
The bracings, the finishing touches of my neighbors all out shine what I have.  Different teams of carpenters did the work.  So perhaps a luck of the draw.
My carpenters took time away from the job to work on other jobs, I had been told it would be finished on our agreed date...and we were on a deadline with the movers moving furniture in the house...it was a battle to make that happen.
Even the quality and construction of the cement casing is far worse then my neighbor's.  Same requirements...just my job was so poorly done.
In clean up, they left nails and metal pieces etc.....cut corners, cut wood too short, didn't take pride it making it look good...slapped it up there and done.
The look of it, compared to my neighbor's, is embarrassing, with wood marks exposed and short railing pieces tipping because they weren't braced properly and warped planks with gaps....finishing touches that just didn't happen like my neighbors did.  
(I was not given options for design or finishing touches...my neighbor's porch was simply better carpenters, more invested in their work.)
This summer, one of my railings warped because of the half inch gap left by my carpenters.  It tore out the screws and curved upward, like a wave for about a foot and a half. 
I went over to ask my neighbor's carpenter, from Framers, asked if he would replace it.  He immediately came over, was glad to do it...and then I had to call Bonnie, three times...because she apparently doesn't get her calls from the office when out in the field.  Her receptionist was very nice.  
Eventually, yesterday, I got a knock at the door, the skilled carpenter fixed it.  I never got a call from Bonnie and that's pretty much how that went when they were doing my porch.  Poor communication with attitude...a very dismissive one.
After they finished my porch, there were some repairs that had to be done...things were loose in places.  Without calling ahead, they climbed over my six foot enclosed wood fence and worked on the loose boards.   At the time, I had two large german shepherds, needless to say, what would have happened if I had opened the back door and let them out without knowing he was there.   I happened to come home to see him repairing the second floor landing.  No phone call, no apologies, same behavior...just did what they wanted and that's how that whole project pretty much went.
So this is why I write this review at this time.  My neighbor got a great team, who did not leave the job, who took their time in doing quality work, who cleaned up properly. so the question is...should a business run like that...with one crew out shining the other?  And yet, both customers paying similar prices?  
My lesson learned...if you have poor quality wood and shabby work being done...inspect the wood before they start and keep inspecting the quality of construction...if you don't have expertise in that area...bring someone over who does..don't settle for less; ..don't pay for it until corrections are made.   And don't use a company who has little or no respect for you as a customers...who gets hostile if you question them or won't return calls...etc
This was a ridiculous and unfortunate situation and perhaps that old saying "you get what you pay for is true", but my neighbor's got a terrific deal...or so it appears for now.
I figure my porch is going to need repairs or perhaps major replacement in another three to four years, at the rate the splits and the warps are going.  We will treat it with waterproofing yearly.  We've been talking about another porch company coming over and giving it a proper finish...now that we see what it is suppose to look like.
In the beginning and in the end, Framers and Bonnie were difficult to deal with...communication was horrible, quality of work was horrible, time frame was all on their terms.
Would I recommend them?  Absolutely not. 
But I would recommend those two carpenters who built my neighbor's porch.

Handled the permitting without problem. Completed project in timely fashion with minimal inconvenience to tenants. Helped us to find electrician to move wires and add outdoor lighting. Inspection went perfectly.

I looked at a couple people on your list. I just talked to a couple of people and I felt very comfortable with them. I felt like the guy who I spoke with seemed knowledgeable. He has not completed the work yet, but so far it has been an A.

After the original estimate, I was unable to continue with the project for several months; but when I was ready to go forward, they honored the original estimate.  Following a suggestion of mine, they redesigned the porch to provide small decks, and added other details I requested.  They showed up when they said they would, kept everything clean during the process, and completed the porch ahead of schedule.  It's very sturdy, convenient, and attractive. When I had a small problem at the end of the project, they cheerfully resolved it.  Theirs was the best price I received. I have recommended them to others.