PRAIRIE HOMES & RENOVATIONS INC

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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.

I found them to be very upfront and forward, they got back to us quickly. We didn't decide to do the job yet, but it was for unrelated reasons. Generally speaking we had a very positive experience with them.

The overall experience of working with this company was excellent! We received 5 bids from various contractors in the area. In the end, we selected Prairie Homes and Renovations for the following reasons. 1). John Novotny, the owner, spent quite a bit of time working with us to design the deck and make suggestions. 2). They provided the most detailed quote. So we knew what to expect, etc. 3). They were willing to work with us on changes or requests during the building phase. 4). All the workers on site were very skilled, polite and professional. they arrive each day at 8am and left at 5pm. 5). They communicated to us the different phases and timelines of the project. 6). They left the backyard very clean! 7). Overall, the quality and workmanship of custom benches, railings, counters etc. far exceeded what we expected. We would highly recommend using this company to anyone!

This was a large project for us, especially since we live in a small 50's ranch, and I stay home with three small children. John gave me an exact start date and showed up THAT DAY and ON TIME! They meticulously plastic-sheeted off the area for dust. After that, everyday either John, Chris (his skilled employee), or his subs were on time and worked full days. Never was there a day when I didn't know who was coming or when. This made the project virtually stress-free. Although I was nervous about having a house full of men, John's subs were professional and courteous. Everyday the house was left broom-swept and picked-up. Working with John was a joy. We first met about the project almost two years ago, but never seemed annoyed with my lack of haste. He was easy to contact and returned any calls promptly. He worked well with my kitchen designer to make this project a success. Overall, the project took just two months. I will be using John again for our future projects. Obviously, I recommend him. Actually, I think you'd be nuts not to hire him.

John was a professional from the start. He came by the house to give us an estimate and once we had insurance approval, he gave us a start date. He called the day before to let us know when he'd arrive and then came just when he said he would. He let us know how the project was moving along each day. A wall of plastic kept anything he was doing in the closet area from reaching into any other place in the house. The work took almost a week to finish, what with drying times for mud and paint , and that's exactly what he told us it would take. He cleaned up as if it was his own home. Amazing. And he had very pleasant, professional demeanor that leaves you feeling like he knows what he's doing, and when the job was done it was obvious that he did! Just beautiful. We will definitely use Prarie Homes & Renovations for any other job we have in the future.

I used this company from Angie's List that had great reviews and I had a bad experience. He was in my area and had 3 fabulous reviews, which makes me question Angie's List and renewing my membership. I cannot believe that those remarks were not even close to my experience. I called him on a Wednesday, left a detailed message saying what the project was, that I had gotten his name from Angie's List, had seen the fabulous reviews and was excited that he was local. He never called me back. I decided to email him on Monday, stating the same message, and he called me back on Tuesday and came out to my home on Wednesday. It takes 5 days to get the estimate and it wasn't itemized like I asked. I sent it back as soon as I received it. He said he was going on vacation, so a couple days later he emails me a new estimate with just the painting itemized and nothing else. He grouped the costs on the estimate and had down that he would broom sweep the room after they drywalled, but not clean. The room contains a huge bay window, sliding glass doors, built in cabinets, a fireplace open to kitchen and a bar. His total estimate was for $4,000 and $1,950 was to just paint the room. I emailed him back and said that $375 was the cost 4 years ago to paint the same room and does this seem to be a little high to you given that it is an open floor plan like this. I received no response and I never heard back from him. I even told him that I was hosting Thanksgiving. So now I have 2 holes in my ceiling and paint that needs to be done all over. I could have been really nasty in my contact with him, but I kept it professional. I thought maybe my project was too small, but I had told him about a number of other things that we were going to need done in the future, such as a second story addition. He could have had all that business! This is someone's livelihood and I don't want to take that away. I had a bad experience and that's great for those other people who had good experiences.

It went extremely well! He listened carefully to our ideas, generated some of his own, responded to our questions and continued to seek our opinion throughout the project. His work is beautiful and flawless. He has a real sense of space and design. An added bonus was that he cleaned up after himself.

We decided to remove our deck and put in a 4 season addition instead. While we were at that, we did some minor remodeling in our family room and kitchen. John handled everything as mentioned above and kept us up to date on every aspect such as how the actual costs were lining up with the estimates. He asked for our input on design and very diplomatically made suggestions that were better than our ideas. He has a good "eye" for detail and function. His subcontracters were polite, on time, and cleaned up after themselves. We did not have the dust I was expecting. We could not be more pleased with the final product. It is open, full of light, comfortable and inviting. We repeatedly have others tell us how much they like our room. It is the highlight of our house and we use it a lot. We wish we had done this much sooner.

John did a very good job, he was on time, thorough and used good quality material. He did a majority of the work himself and was always professionally dressed, courteous and used high quality subs when needed. He always consulted us along the way to insure the project turned out as we wanted. We did have a detailed contract outlining all work to be completed. John was very good about making sure things were right. I wanted a high quality finish work that was quality all the way through. Prairie Homes gave me this along with a person I could trust confidently who was in my home on a regular basis.

John was quite helpful in advising me on the water problem in my basement. He removed some moldy drywall & wood beams underneath. His price on the removal beat his next closest competitor by about $100 & he was available sooner than they were also. He even disposed of the waste, while the other company did not include disposal in their offer.

The original columns were not installed properly. Within a couple of days, he had the job done and installed the sealants. He did not do the painting, but he did excellent work. He generally works by himself and is meticulous - but not so that it would extend the job unreasonably. Absolutely beautiful. He only does larger jobs, not the smaller jobs. Very thorough on his clean up. When he gives the estimate, he explains everything. If there are problems with materials, he lets you know, and makes adjustments accordingly in cost.

A breeze! It was a real pleasure working with John and his company. No problems! None!

From the very beginning, John was very upfront with us about the scope of the work, the approximate cost (he later provided exact costs), and was there every day to see the project from beginning to end. He is a real professional, and easy to work with. The project came in on time and within budget.

In addition to providing quality workmanship, John Novotny, the owner of Prairie Homes and Renovations, took what could have been a very stressful experience and turned it into a pleasant and exciting one. One of the bids was much higher; his and the other two were within a few hundred dollars of one another. We chose John because we felt comfortable with him. We felt confident in his work and that of his subcontractors. He helped us with the selection of fixtures, tile, colors, etc., and gave us valuable advice and direction. His allowances on the bid were reasonable, and he was quick to inform us precisely if we chose more expensive items, so we could make a judgment as to whether or not it was worth the extra cost. We were particularly happy with his contact at the tile supplier, who was very helpful in choosing and designing the wall and floor tile layout. He kept in touch every step of the way, letting us know who would be working that day, when they would arrive and how long each phase would take. He arrived when the subcontractors did to make sure they knew how to proceed, and he respected our wishes if we needed a day without any work going on. He gave us a realistic time frame for the job and met the deadlines. He made sure the site was cleaned up at the end of every day, covering surrounding areas and taking care they were cleaned up as well, and we are delighted with the results. We have a beautiful new master bath that enhances the value of our more than thirty-year-old house. We highly recommend Prairie Homes to anyone planning a major remodeling project.

Very well. John Novotny was a perfectionist ensuring he understood exactly what I wanted done and checked with me along the way. He met his budget and time line. He is incredibly trustworthy and honest, very important traits when in my house alone for long periods of time.

John responded to my initial call promptly and supplied us with estimates and references. I was looking for someone to help me get our addition up so I could do the finished work. After talking with a few contractors we decided to go with John and Prairie Homes. Work started and finished as planned. John was very patient with me doing demo and purchasing materials. I was slower with demo than planned but they worked around me and kept the job on schedule.

My wife was pregnant when our basement was flooded when the power went out (sump pump backup). We had many estimates done, but went with John due to his professionalism and the fact that he was willing to commit to a start date. (I was paranoid of mold with a pregnant wife at home). It was an inspire decision on my part. John is a true craftsman, and takes great pride in his work. All of the work came out better than I had even hoped. The tile work, trim work, and the built-in are truly perfection. After the original estimate, my wife was so pleased, she had John do many additions to the basement. The only issue that we ever had was with the painting of the built-in (which was subbed out) and John quickly rectified the situation, at no additional cost to us. If we ever need any work done on our home, John will be our first call. We absolutely, without question, would recommend John to anyone who truly wants high quality work done. There were no corners cut, and it shows.

John returned my call the same day, and made himself available immediately for the quote. He did the work by himself which was a big positive for us. We were not dealing with a foreman. If we had a question, or concern he was the one handling it. He made great suggestions on how to improve our sump pump system, and implemented those changes. When he finished each day, the work space was swept clean, and tools were put away. Overall satisfaction was excellent.

It took us a long time to get the right materials for the job to be done, but when we had gotten it all, John did a wonderful job, starting with getting rid of all the old and then installing the new.

John did what he said he would do! He kept us informed throughout the project and was even open to change as we progressed along the way. He was on time and left the place looking immaculate after he had done.

My overall experience was excellent. John is a skilled builder/craftsman and very flexible and receptive to any homeowner suggestions. He handled any small, unforeseen issues as a matter of fact. His carpentry skills and electrical knowledge are top notch. He is exceptionally trustworthy and fair. While John was totally unknown to me before this job, I would certainly seek him out to do any other major project.

JOHN WAS GREAT. HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL. HE WAS ABLE TO GET OUR PERMIT CLEARED THROUGH THE VILLAGE HALL QUICKLY, SO HE COULD START THE JOB SOONER. ONCE HE STARTED THE JOB, HE DISCOVERED THAT SOME OF THE PORCH FOOTINGS AND JOISTS WERE STILL IN GOOD SHAPE. HE KEPT THEM AND GAVE US A DISCOUNT. JOHN ALSO HAULED AWAY EXTRA DEBRIS WE HAD FROM ANOTHER PROJECT.