PRAIRIE HOMES & RENOVATIONS INC

The positive feedback is that the cabinets that were put in are great.  They are from an Amish company in central Illinois.  The demolition was done very well and limited the mess and dust.  The negative is that we now need to redo the flooring and spend another $3-5K because of incompetence.  The flooring started to come up after about 9 months, and now it is almost all loose.  The flooring people that have come in and given us estimates have all been shocked at the poor workmanship.  They had tried to build up the level of the flooring with a thick layer of thin set.  The thin set did not adhere to the tile.  Additionally, the dry wall installation is terrible, the painting was terrible, and the overall work was pretty bad.  The contractor, John, is a nice guy and was responsive until the last check was written.  He just uses very poor subcontractors for the flooring, dry wall and painting.  We did talk to him about these problems but nothing was offered as to fixing the problems.

unknown

Prairie Homes and Renovations completely remodeled my 5x7 bathroom. I dealt only with John from Prairie Homes and he managed all the sub-contractors for plumbing, drywall, tile, electric, etc. Implementation was very smooth. John showed up promptly each morning, reviewed the previous day's work and plans for the current day with me, then I was off to work and I'd come home at night to another chunk of work done. The cost ended up on the high side of what I expected, but this was largely due to my choices of materials, extra work to switch the toilet and sink around, and required work to bring plumbing and electrical up to code. Any contract changes were thoroughly explained to me so there were no surprises. They also went out of their way to do some additional work in the house to keep my other (not-so-up-to-code) bathroom fully functional in light of plumbing changes required for the master bath. Everyone that worked in my house was professional and friendly and I am very pleased with the end result!

We received 4 bids to complete a major renovation of our home and decided to go with Prairie Homes because of their combination of excellent reviews on Angie's List, the fact that they're local to our neighborhood, and the quality of the estimate. Work started in early July and finished mid-August (about 8 weeks), which is exactly how long we were quoted.  John helped us through every step of the process - hiring an Architect, permitting through the city, making important decisions - everything. He was always prompt in his responses and completely upfront about the cost. There were no surprises, and believe me when I tell you that our home (with custom EVERYTHING) should have resulted in all kinds of surprises. 
John and his crew worked hard, every day for 8 weeks. He responded to every question and every piece of feedback we had, usually within an hour. He charged us exactly what he said he would charge us and the quality of his work is fantastic.

John and company finished on time (9 weeks as estimated) on budget (except where we upgraded) with excellent quality and excellent responsiveness. We obtained three bids and Prairie's was lowest even though their cabinets (through an Amish cabinet supplier) were of a nicer quality. We worked through a challenging wall removal to open up the space and move most of the ductwork through to the second floor. That work was done well and without problems. The cabinets are excellent and craftsmanship very good. John communicated well with us and was cognizant of cost. I recommend John and Prairie to everyone considering a remodel project. Our project was completed exactly in the number of weeks he projected and with not a single outstanding or incomplete punch list item. Other bidders were substantially more money without any discernible advantages.

Removed a wall between kitchen and dining room, to create a nice flow to the front room. Removed soffits from around the kitchen ceiling to allow for 42 inch cabinets. The walls were pretty messed up from several layers of wallpaper and wallboard that we removed, so John's guys had to prep all that for paint. They did an amazing job. The walls were so smooth it was like they were brand new. They installed a new double entry door. When the old door was removed there was some bad wood and drywall there so they repaired that too. Once the permits and inspections were done, they really got to work. John helped us order beautiful cabinets and they actually arrived a bit ahead of schedule. That was great. The cabinets were installed in 2 days time which we thought was pretty quick. They looked amazing. Better than we imagined. We elected not to have granite countertops due to the expense so we went with a different style. Once we got the countertops, John was on hand for the installation to make sure everything went perfectly, which it did. The walls were ready for paint (we did the painting). The floor was ready for a new surface (we did that too). They cleaned up everything so nicely. They had their own equipment to clean and haul away the debris. Overall it was a good experience for us, since we had never hired a contractor for anything ever. John helped us rookies get through it. We would certainly hire him again and would recommend him to anyone.

.

WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH THE WHOLE PROCESS AND THE END RESULT!  We have had several remodeling experiences, and this project went the best of all of our projects by far!  
John Novotny has built a fine business with the combination of his own quality work and excellent sub-contractors.  These people are concerned about their workmanship, reputations and making sure that the homeowner is satisfied with their work.  John (& subs) use quality materials and are attentive to details.  John is a very good listener and he provided helpful insights and suggestions for the project.  Every remodeling project that we have undertaken has had a few unexpected things arise along the way, John made sure that these worked out to our satisfaction.  He is open to questions and communicated in a very responsive manner throughout the project by phone, text & e-mail.  This is one of the reasons that we felt that the whole process went very smoothly.  Additionally we tend to add work after the initial contract is signed, and John was fair and reasonable in the costs for the change orders that we made.  Final details were finished in a timely manner and the work was done professionally from beginning to end!
WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND JOHN NOVOTNY/PRAIRIE HOMES & RESTORATIONS, AND WE WOULD DEFINITELY USE HIM AGAIN FOR FUTURE WORK!

iJohn Novotny of Prairie Homes spent time with us planning a remodel along our wants and needs and also provided new ideas. We ended up doing more than we initially planned.  The wall between the dining room and the kitchen was removed.  The ktichen walls and ceiling were gutted to the joists and rebuilt.  New flooring was laid and custom cabinets, cove molding was installed according to a new floor plan.  Electric service was updated. Ceiling and undercabinet lighting was added. Plumbing was changed to accommodate new appliances(separate purchase) which they also installed.  Decorative backsplash and range hood completed our new kitchen.
     Now, when we enter our front door it's as if we have a new home.  We are happy we incorporated John's ideas into our plans.  Our home has a new,open floor plan. The remodel is beautiful.  We feel safer as well due to the various updates that were done.  John was always available to explain what was being done and why and was very receptive to our desires and any changes due to whim or necessity. Any problems that arose were handled promptly and to our satisfaction.  The workmanship and quality is outstanding. John, Josh and the rest of the Prairie crew did a great job!  We are most pleased!  My husband already has another job for them for next year.

This project was done exceptionally well from the moment we first me John.  Everything to his puncutality in coming to our home to discuss options, pricing, blue-prints, getting permits, and paying attention to all the details was exceptional.    John was a professional throughout the entire project, and knew how everything was going to work throughout the entire project.  
Once we signed the contract, he coordinated the architect, presented multiple options to us, and got all permits going with the city. We didn't know everything that was behind the walls but had a pretty good idea based on what was seen in the basement, and what was above. Once we had agreed on the worst possible case, he cut into ceiling to ensure his throughts were correct.
Once the permits were set-up and approved, he tarped off the entire section from ceiling to floor, and got to work.  They took down all the drywall, custom cabinets, sink, plumbing, electric, gas, and whole house vacuum, revamped the entire support beam structure, and then relocated all the electric, plumbing, gas, and vacuum through those pillars.  they then framed the pillars and finished it with wainscotting. His team then finished up the painting of the walls and ceilings, and completed all the remaining clean-up work that needed to be done.
John took care of every extra detail that we asked for, and we couldn't be more pleased.  John is a true professional and his team did excellent work for us.

unknown

We hired our own architect to draw up the plans for the remodeling and addition. We then took it to bid and we hired Prairie Homes & Renovations Inc for the job. One week before we were to go to permit my office building had a fire and I moved my office back to my home. We changed the blue prints to include a bathroom in the plans and then went back to Prairie Homes & Renovations for a new bid. When we received that, we went to get our construction permit so that construction could start. The renovations included a 9 by 9 foot octagonal tower room at one end of the house (with a copper roof), a two story peak front addition, a bay window addition and a bathroom addition. Also included was a new roof thoughout, new stone and stucco exterior, new windows, new doors, new insulation, new electrical, etc. The complete job took about five months but was well worth it. We basically changed the style of the house from a colonial to a unique chateou look. Prairie Homes was responsinve thoughout the process. I wish I could show before and after pictures here.

John accomplished everything that he promised in great time.  Throughout the whole process John walked us through what he was doing and what we could do or needed to do to make sure we stayed on track.  He offered so many ideas to help us make our bathroom something we love.  And if I am totally honest, he is such a patient professional as my wife and I find it difficult to make decisions.  
We will be using Prairie Homes again for any work we have around our house.

It could not have gone better. I had had five estimates done by different people/companies with this one being in the middle range. The contract that was provided was clear and very detailed. John from Prairie homes was the perfect contractor/remodeler--he was friendly, knowledgeable, professional, timely, and very hard working. The project was completed within the estimated time alloted, and each day John would explain what would be done the following day and what time to expect him (and the plumbers, electricians, and/or painters) to arrive. I love the results! It is even better than I expected. I wish that I would have taken before and after pictures. Each time I enter the bathroom, I feel like I am in an expensive hotel/spa.   I am telling everyone I know, that if they need any remodeling/building done, then they should check out Prairie Homes & Renovations.

Everything went well.  Work progressed in a timely fashion and on schedule.  We are very happy with the finished kitchen.  John was good to work with.

We contacted John after the great reviews we saw on Angie's List.  He was prompt to show up for the estimate and very professional.  He talked with us about options and gave suggestions without being overbearing about his opinions.  He was clear about timelines, the renovation process, and prices.  Throughout the entire install John was very friendly and professional.  He met all timelines and always let us know what his plans were for each step.  He managed to keep our house as clean as possible during the install.  We added on a few additional items (trim and a closet door in our living room) during the renovation and he gave us prices and timelines for the additional items. We gave John keys to our house to work on the renovation while we were at work and we felt completely comfortable giving him access while we weren't there.  The quality of his work is top notch.  I would recommend his work to anyone.  There is not one item of our kitchen that we are not thrilled with.
John is professional, friendly, timely, and extremely qualified.

John and his team we great to work with; always professional, and responsive to our goals.  I would recommend John without hesitation to anyone looking to improve their home from the small details to a major renovation.

This was our first time for a major home remodeling, so it was a big learning process on our end. But, from start to finish, John and folks were good to work with. I tend to be a bit on the anxious side, and it was good to work with someone who seemed to take everything in stride. Things will all outside contractors and the village inspectors went very smoothly.

Overall, Prairie Homes exceeded our expectations throughout the entire process.  From our initial meeting with John Novotny, we knew we could trust him.  He was willing to explore many cost-saving measures with us that other contractors were not.  Then, he was always very responsive and up-front with what was going on with our remodel.  The subcontractors and employees were always very respectful and they all did outstanding work.  John was great about making suggestions without being pushy or overbearing, and the quality of work is outstanding.  Our remodel was completed much faster than we'd expected and we could not be happier with the result or with our decision to use Prairie Homes.  Now, we just have to save up enough $$ to have them come back and finish our basement!  :-)

We were very pleased with the work John and his sub contractors did. Initially, I was a bit hesitant to use a contractor that did not employ any of the workers, but we liked John and decided to go ahead. As it turned out, we were quite please with all of them. I would have any of them do work in the future. The job proceeded nicely, and was done very professionally. The bathroom looks great and we are quite pleased. We also plan on using Prairie Homes for additional work within the next week or two. There were a few things that needed adjustment after the job was done and the final payment was due. My wife suggested not paying until the two minor items were complete. But I said that I trusted John to take care of the items and that I would pay him. I did so, and he did return and take care of adjusting a door and some trim. He seems to be very thorough and takes pride in his work.

John/Prairie Homes was very helpful in creating the design layout for the new kitchen. He listened to my concerns and what I wanted to achieve as a final result. He was thorough in his explanation of what to expect and the timelines that were required. He offered alternative suggestions for cost effective options and a varied group of suppliers for key items. He also made suggestions keeping in mind that I travel for business and work full time-not being able to be spend a lot of time shopping around for items. I was not disapointed with the vendors he recommended for cabinets, tile, or countertops. All offered a breadth of quality options and the abilty to add my personal touch . He really helped to keep me and the project on track. We emailed regularly to confirm status, focus on what decisions I needed to make, when I needed to pick colors, finishes ect. He started as agreed the Monday after Thanksgiving and his teams were very respectful of my home and my new family of kittens ( kept them locked up but his team made work area safe for them to roam at night). I felt that I was kept closely informed of every step that was taken. John also pointed out opportunities to correct exisitng issues that were found ( ie repairing a ceiling stain I had mentioned bothered me in an adjacent room that we were able to correct when the painters were scheduled to paint kitchen-hence the painting of the living areas mentioned above) and could be addressed as part of the remodel vs doing later at higher cost and/or additonal disruption to my home. I never felt these were pushy selling, rather suggestions based on our conversations that really told me he was listening to what I spoke about in our meetings. The entire project was scheduld and executed to return my kitchen by Christmas and provide an outstanding result. Overall I am VERY happy with the final result. I have a brand new kitchen with custom cabinets, shiny granite countertops, and beautiful tiling all around!, I never believed my old kitchen could look so beautiful and be so functional. My main floor looks like a new home and I cannot wait until the warm weather arrives ( or above 20 degrees) so I can set up the sun room and enjoy the new space overlloking my yard. I have had sevreal projects done in my home and in past homes and I need to say, this was teh most enjoyable and easiest project I have experienced and I know it is due to John and his teams professionalism, respect for the property, and abilty to listen to the needs of the customer. I would highly recommend Prairie Homes!

Everything went very smoothly and fairly quickly. John kept us informed as to what was happening next and when it would happen. Any day-to-day issues were resolved quickly and professionally. It was easy to contact John when we needed to, as we had his cell phone number. We decided to go with John initially because he said he could keep the kitchen's bead board ceiling and in addition add new lighting. None of the other contractors were willing to do that. I thought that there would be problems under the ceiling or getting the ceiling down and back up, but if there were any problems I don't know about them. The ceiling now looks just like it always did, but now it has new lighting fixtures in it. Also, John asked if there was anything above the kitchen that needed to be fixed. Since the kitchen was being gutted, this was the time. It was our chance to fix the slow bathroom drain that the house inspector mentioned when we bought the house 20 years ago. It was a little tricky but that works great now. Another reason we chose John was the cabinets. We looked at cabinets that the other contractors provided and were not impressed. They seemed to be cheaply made and nevertheless expensive. John works with some Amish cabinet makers and when we saw their cabinets we liked them. We got cherry shaker cabinets with inset doors. This matches cabinets in the living room and preserves the historical look of the house. At the beginning John had suggestions about how we should arrange our new kitchen -- some of which we took and some of which we didn't. We appreciated the input. We were a little bit wishy washy with the design at first but John worked with us and we eventually came up with the final look. The kitchen was gutted by the end of the first week, and from there it steadily came back together. They were organized enough that there were no worries about our dog getting into things. We mostly left them to their own devices, since both my husband and I work during the day. We would get little updates from John or we would call John as needed. When it turned out that John's counter top guy didn't carry the counter top we wanted (Eco by Cosentino), he found another place to get it on short notice. That worked out just fine. Also, John pointed us to a place to get tile for the backsplash. We got the contractor's discount there, so were able to save some money. When everything was done, John had us make a list of the things that we wanted him to adjust. There wasn't much that needed to be done. It's been about five months now since the kitchen was completed. There have still been no issues with any of the work done by Prairie Homes and Renovations.

Overall the project went very well. John from Prairie Homes cares very much about the quality of his work and offers very high value for the cost. The custom made cherry cabinets we bought are beautifully done and would cost a lot more at other places we believe. John did a lot of the work himself and/or frequently stopped by to see how things were going. Prairie doesn't do design work although John has lots of great ideas. The "drawings" for the kitchen were more like computer generated 3-D views. Enough to give you a sense of what was going on but not precisely drawn or all that informative about things like cabinet sizes. Still, at the end of the day it worked. The designer John referred us to was outstanding to work with and helped us a lot with color choices, tile selection, paint, etc. Our experience with John's subcontractors was a mixed bag. Some, like the designer and the electricians, were really great to work with. The others were ok to work with. We can say that the very small number of "issues" we had to deal with in our project came from a couple of the subs or were the result of insufficient communication from John. We want to emphasize that these types of things happened rarely and John was always fair in his resolution. You hear sometimes about "nightmare" renovation projects and this was not even close to them. This wasn't even a bad dream. Just a few bumps along the road. We would strongly encourage you to consider John for your project. He always had our best interests in mind and is very easy to work with.

We embarked on a very LARGE two-story addition and complete remodel of our 25 year old home. We contacted John Novotny, owner of Prairie Homes & Renovations, back in early 2008 but ran into problems with the City of Naperville in obtaining a building permit. Prior to contacting John we worked with an architect to draw up the plans for the addition. John worked with us, our architect and the City of Naperville every step of the way. Construction started in February 2009 and was completed in August 2009. All the sub-contractors were professional and worked with us on the details. If we ran into problems John was there to handle and correct anything that came up. He was very responsive and a pleasure to work with. The work was completed on time and in a professional manner and we love our remodeled home and addition. John obtained all of the inspections and lien releases that were needed. John is a very attentive contractor desiring to meet the needs of his clients. He also does beautiful woodworking. John even came back 6 month later and fixed a few minor things that we found. We would HIGHLY recommend Prairie Homes & Renovations for any addition or remodeling needs.

John had met with us about 6 months prior when we were thinking of adding a 2nd story. We were very impressed. When we decided to remodel we contacted him again, for a bid on our plans. John was very professional. His bid was not the lowest, but also not the highest. We were again very impressed with his resume and his ratings on Angie's List. He provided us with a list of references and the ones I spoke to had good things to say. We signed the contract and demolition began in Oct 2009. John and his subs were all very professional. I had the opportunity to speak with the plumber and the electrician about what we wanted. We had very few problems along the way, but everyone was handled quickly. For instance, there had been an electrical issue with the garage door not getting re-wired quite right. I called John and the electrician was out w/in 48 hours to fix it. The dumpster company snagged one of our gutters, John handled everything and it was fixed as soon as the weather permitted. John was very accommodating to our rather crazy schedule, and the fact that we made changes to the plans. He was willing to discuss our concerns and offer suggestions based on his experience.