Timbercreek Developers

It pains me to write this review because I admired this contractor for a long time, but I cannot stay silent any longer.  I followed Timbercreek Developers for three years, touring homes it built in Central Illinois.  My wife and I were taken by their ranch-style homes, which we found perfectly suited to our tastes.  In June 2008, I bought what I thought was our dream home (we had contractors previously build homes to our specifications in Virginia , California, and with another Central Illinois builder).  The design and layout of the home Timbercreek built was thoughtful and tastefully done, however, our experience has shown that the subcontractor work was subpar.  Although Timbercreek was the General Contractor, the ultimate responsibilities lies with it.  Hence the review.
Shortly after moving in June 2008, we started having problems with our water heater.  Specifically, the water heater ran so hot that it began melting the plastic exhaust housing on the top of the unit (a definite fire hazard), which caused the unit to shut itself down every other day.  Timbercreek's response was to point us to the subcontractor for their action and wiped their hands clean.  It took several years of replacement and failure before we finally gave up and installed a tankless water heater.
Our problems were not confined to that issue though.  About 6 months into our ownership, our sump pump failed (thank goodness I had a back up installed).  When I took a look at the sump pump, it looked like it had been used for years.  It became obvious after having the pump replaced that the unit was not installed new.
A year into our ownership, our kitchen sink garbage disposer began leaking.  After removing and inspecting it, I discovered the housing had been cracked and that someone had attempted to seal the crack with a substance that had since failed.  The devious part is that the subcontractor installed the unit so that the crack was in the rear, virtually impossible to notice during an inspection.
As with any home, you don't notice minor issues until you live in the home.  While this is to be expected, our experience with Timbercreek has been unacceptable  (i.e., wall switches that do not control anything; creaking floor boards, faucets not fasten tightly).
The final straw, which prompted the writing of this review is that the vinyl siding on our homes is starting to discolor in blotches that we have since confirmed was a product manufacturing defect that we expect will get resolved under warranty (we are currently undergoing the evaluation process to determine if the company that supplied the vinyl siding will honor our claim).  I have since discovered that another homeowner who had an similar home built by Timbercreek, had the same problem.
As I have previously noted, Timbercreek is the 4th home we had built.  It is by far the most expensive home we have purchased and the poorest in quality.  It you decide to have Timbercreek build your home after reading this review, then take the appropriate steps to protect your interests.  However, I cannot recommend Timbercreek.

Excellent. The basement build-out exceeded all of our expectations.

Project was started on time and proceeded quickly to finish (started July 11,2011 and finished September 15, 2011).

We found Jim Walder to be be very professional.  He was prompt.  He offered good advice.  He allowed us to do the flooring, painting, and cleanup to save money (he was also understanding and provided us with a "Bid" instead of a "time and materials" "Estimate" when we asked him).  He keeps you up-to-date on all activities related to your building project.  He follows  up on the work of all his own workers and sub-contractors. 

Most importantly, Jim Walder is; honest, hard working, responsive, professional, and pays attention to detail.   He pays close attention to the quality of work he is overseeing and stands behind all the work  he and his subcontractors perform. He is indeed building "a tradition of excellence" in Central Illinois.  You will always be able to get your job done cheaper, but not better than with TimberCreek.