Chicago Porch and Remodeling dba Mastercraft

I had first hired Chicago Porch & Remodeling LLC 2yrs ago to redo my front porch. They did excellent work and were very professional. So when it came time for me to do even bigger project, add onto my kitchen, I called them again. I knew I could trust them to do an excellent job, give me fair pricing and most importantly for me I trusted Tom the owner. They did not disappoint. My addition looks even better then I even imagined it would. Tom and his team completed the work when promised. Professional everyday. My project did not go over the proposed price. Listened and answered any questions/concerns I had along the way. All around a very positive experience. I have used them for 2 projects now and would use them again. Happy to be a referral.

From the start, we were very pleased with this company.  Tom worked with us from the design phase through the construction.  He always kept us informed and worked with us throughout to ensure we had the final product we wanted.  Tom and his crew are very detail-oriented and I am confident they want to do a good job for their customer.  We felt very comfortable knowing that they would do their best to do the job well.  We are so happy with our new deck and three seasons room - it's beautiful!  They are very nice and it was a pleasure to work with them.  They were extremely neat and very professional.  We would highly recommend them, and we already have!  We would definitely use them again.

Awesome

We did not use this provider as his estimate was second highest of the three we sought; however, his description of the work to be done was very thorough and professional.

We hired Tom to build an enclosed back porch on our 2-flat in Logan Square. Our experience was poor, and we do not recommend him. We got quotes from multiple contractors based on drawings done by an architect. Tom's quote was not the lowest we received, but we chose him because of his strong reviews and because his quote came with a contract that contained detailed description of the quality of the work he would do. The reviews did not match our experience - it kind of made me question Angie's List for the first time ? and the contract had detailed specifications for work that Tom never intended to do. There was conflicting language in the contract limiting the scope of the project to whatever was depicted in the drawings, and way more work than that was included in Tom's contract. It was very misleading. Also, he interprets words like ?enclosed porch? very differently than most people ? for instance, he doesn't think an enclosed porch requires a ceiling.

Tom blamed most of the disputes we had over project scope on the fact that we had hired our own architect to do the drawings. We did this to get quotes from multiple builders before choosing one. If you choose to use Tom, I suggest you use his architectural services, although I do not think it will completely eliminate disputes, since he told me early in the project ? when we were still getting along ? that I would be shocked by how often his lawyer has to sue customers over contract and payment disputes. Having hired him, I am not shocked by this.

Here were our major issues:

1. Our enclosed back porch, originally estimated to take 3-4 weeks, took more than 10 weeks (Feb 16-May 2).

2. Tom resisted doing work included in the drawings, but not his contract, such as installing a new gutter and downspout.

3. Tom refused to do work included in his contract, but not the drawings, such as a foundation.

4. Tom refused to put a ceiling on our ?enclosed? back porch because he hadn't built us a new roof, and he said the line at the top of the wall on our drawings wasn't labeled as a ceiling and so the drawings didn't call for one. He offered to build a ceiling for an additional cost.

5. The work site was not always left secured at night, even though we gave them keys and asked that they lock up the back gate.

Here were our minor issues:

1. Tom was mad about having to replace the downspout, so he cut the old one off at the ground level and left it open. It led to a catch basin under our basement, so he basically created a 4-inch entrance for rats to enter our basement from the backyard (we live in the city and rats are an issue.) We had to plug this hole ourselves after Tom left.

2. The contract required Tom to replace the exterior back door. Our old back door had a deadbolt on it; Tom replaced it with a door that only has a lock in the door knob and no deadbolt. It is a steel door, so installing a deadbolt is not easy.

3. When Tom installed the downspout, he didn't put an extension to carry water away from the house, so all the water dumped out at the corner of our new concrete foundation. This is bad for the foundation. We had to fix this after he left.

4. When Tom refused to put a ceiling on the enclosed porch, birds found their way into the porch through a hole in the roof. They left droppings on the floor of the porch. My tenant cleaned up the floor and left a window open to try to let the birds leave and Tom yelled at her for leaving the window open (he was worried it would rain and the drywall would get wet before the city inspection). Given that my tenants had already been without access to laundry in the basement during the 4 scheduled weeks of construction, and then the 6 week construction delay, I got complaints about Tom.

5. During the work, the corner of our garage siding was damaged and it has a hole that needs to be repaired.

6. Tom promised us he would not take another project while he was working on our porch, but he did.

7. Shards of glass were left in our backyard and the grass was destroyed by the demolitions debris. We had to fix this after Tom left.

8. Tom did not want to honor the Angie's List coupon that I had downloaded when we found him. He said I needed to present it up front, but it did not require me to present it then (he has since changed the terms of the coupon). He eventually honored the coupon, but it was a struggle.

These were some of Tom's good qualities as a contractor:

1. He always responded to text messages, voice mails and often picked up his phone when I called, even if he knew I wasn't happy with how the project was going. I respect this.

2. After the project became terribly far behind, I asked him to work Saturdays to catch up and he agreed to do so.

I was very happy with the service I received from Tom Partyka and his crew.  Unlike many of the contractors I have found in this city, he was very responsive, kept me up to date on when he could start the job and they completed the job on time.  Tom and his crew did a great job cleaning up and ensuring he did not disrupt our neighbors.  The deck looks great and we can't wait to get through the Chicago winter to enjoy it in the Spring.  I recommend Mastercraft Construction.  

Tom Partyka ( project manager ) was professional and friendly from start to finish.  Very soon after first examining the project, Tom issued an estimate in a timely fashion, complete with clearly outlined bullet points of services included.  He always kept me informed of every step of the process via email from the architectural drawings to securing the permit.  This type of correspondence was CRUCIAL because I currently reside in Minnesota and am unable to check on the rental home in Illinois very often.  Once the actual repairs started, Tom always sent updated pictures of the progress and offered advice on which colors/ materials would work best for certain situations that weren't already clearly defined. I was blessed to find such a professional, conscientious contractor amidst the sea of rip off artists that exist in this line of work.  His price was definitely fair and I plan to hire him again in the near future to complete other restoration work on my home.

It went great, they had a very busy schedule but found time to fit me in. Their price was better or close to other companies but I chose them because they were responsive, and offered multiple services. My dad was actually there during some of the work and and both of us couldn't believe how good everything turned out. I let them choose the color for the stain and it looked perfect, just like a new deck. I'm also having them rebuild my upstairs deck in the upcoming months and can't wait to see how that turns out. I would highly recommend them, they were very professional and reasonably priced for the great work they do.

I selected Tom Partyka, owner of Mastercraft Construction, for an estimate to remove and replace my two story wooden back porch and attached roofing because of his Angie's List rating by his customers, and the number and quality of the reviews he has received over the last several years.  I hired Mastercraft Construction because of the quality of work Tom has done for his customer's in my area.

Not knowing what to expect, I knew the City of Chicago has very strict porch construction guidelines.  I printed and read all 57 pages before meeting with Tom for the estimate.  He was very professional and patient.  He knew the city's laws and answered all of the questions I had from my research.  He was thorough in explaining the construction process and made specific recommendations on caring for the structure upon completion of the job.

Upon removal of the structure, masonry work on the back wall of the building was needed to ensure proper support of the porch.  It was an additional and unexpected expense, but I was very happy that Tom brought it to my attention and made certain that I understood the importance of fixing the issue before proceeding with building the porch.  It was a small price to pay for safety.

We passed the city inspection.

His crew is a reflection of Tom.  They were polite and respectful.  They worked quietly and cleaned the construction area each day.  Tom quickly made minor adjustments that I requested on the finishing. 

I highly recommend Mastercraft Construction.  I have received so many compliments from neighbors and strangers passing by on the beauty of my porch.

Tom sat down with us and we went over several options and ideas for the pergola.  He is very creative and gave us much to choose from.  We were very happy with the results.  Tom and his crew started and finished the job  when they said they would,  It was a big job that took about two weeks because they lost a few days to rain.  They did a great job and were very professional.  They cleaned up every evening.  Tom kept us well informed every step of the way and presented us with options as we went along,  No surprises.

During the work he was professional and punctual  His crew was quiet and no nonsense workers. Having  worked with other crews for different projects, I can very well say that Tom's was the best. I always able to feel comfortable to leave them at work without me being around. They were very well organized during their work, completed the work on time and left the work area clean and safe. Tom managed the city inspections. When the city inspector came back  with additional items to be furnished related to the porch, Tom helped me complete the parts related to the porch and provided me suggestions to resolve the other unrelated ones.

More than general contractor Tom is passionate person with genuine interest in his work and his customers. He is also actually a very interesting person who can speak intelligently about a wide a variety of subjects. Definitely a good sounding board if you want to bounce off your ideas. I would work with Tom on any of my future projects and I would highly recommend him to anyone as well.

Tom was very flexible and creative to adapt the design as the project plan changed.  I initially requested that he rebuild to the original porch dimensions.  After reconsideration, I asked him to shrink the footprint.  He had his architect revise the blueprints and provide two stair configurations.  To save cost, he proposed utilizing the existing retaining walls for two footings on each porch.  The smaller footprint also required revisions to the gutters.  Again, Tom explained several options and adapted to my choice and the job specifications.
Mastercraft Construction techniques exceeded expectations such that I almost wonder if the porch will outlast the building.  Given the understandable high standards for porch construction by Chicago building inspectors, this quality execution can reduce inspection delay and cost associated with reworking.  Furthermore, the high construction standards give me comfort that I will never have a porch disaster at this property.
Finally, Tom charged a fair price for his work.  Of the bids that I received, Mastercraft was neither the highest nor the lowest.  This middle position translated to considerable value given the quality construction and timely execution.

It was a pleasure to work with MasterCraft. The work was professional, thorough and the pricing was extremely fair. Tom Partyka, the president of MasterCraft, was very professional, knowledgeable about obtaining city permits, and doing the work completely pursuant to city code. Tom obtained all the proper paperwork and forwarded extremely impressive plans of the back yard decks he planned to build. He was always available for discussion and eager to answer any questions. He also provided a certificate of insurance. His men came to the premises early and ready to work. They did not work some days then disappear for others like some workers. They started the job and finished working when the work was done. They went the extra mile to please the condo association. One owner asked if Tom and his crew could build a deck extension and Tom readily agreed, only charging for materials. I asked Tom if he could straighten a bent metal gate that had been bent for a number of years, preventing the gate to close properly and would bang open loudly in a high wind. Tom and his men fixed the gate perfectly at no extra charge. The work itself on the roof was done swiftly in two steps. First, they removed the paint. Tom was very thoughtful to contact us when he discovered the original paint had two coats instead of one. Removal of both jeopardized the wood itself. Tom suggested a solid stain which turned out great. The new solid stain color looks amazing. The men were extremely conscientious to prevent smudges on any walls and cleaned up the roof completely. Tom even purchased extra stain and left it with us for future touch-ups when necessary. 
With regard to the 4 back yard decks, they did a great job. Tom was extremely knowledgeable about wood and suggested pine. The decks came out beautiful. An extremely professional job. They removed the old decks and removed all the wood from the premises. They cut fresh wood on the premises, removed the old cement bases and poured new cement bases. The precision of the measurements and fitting of the wood impressed me the most. The corners and fits of the wood were sharp and right together with no gaps. Perfect fits. Incredible. The design looks great. At the end, the team sanded the corners and got rid of all burrs to the wood. The clean up was complete. There is no sign that there was any construction work done at all. Tom and his men were polite, punctual and hard-working. His contracts offered several payments rather than a lump sum. Tom offered a final inspection to go over punch lists whenever we had them and always complied to satisfy whatever issues we had with the work. There were very few issues and were taken care of promptly. It was a pleasure to work with Tom, his crew and MasterCraft. I have requested Tom's services again for a complete overhaul of the caulking of our 4 unit building. Thanks, MasterCraft!

Great.

Everything went great.  Tom followed my design for the new deck off the existing deck and collaborated on fine tuning the final execution.  He was receptive to discussing the design, providing sketches and offered valuable input into the final design.  Once work began, he always asked for feedback and got approval for each step along the way, in order to prevent re-work.
When the deck and porch area was completed, he and his men began the garage renovation.  It was tricky because you had to slowly jack up the roof ridge at the same time as pulling in the bowed side walls with a winch.  It had to be done in sections and the men needed to be on scaffolding to reach the roof line.  After a section began to correct itself, new support beams had to be built as trusses to reinforce the roof.  Five trusses were custom-built and installed to support the newly realigned roof.  With the roof corrected, old siding was replaced on all four sides. A new side door and trim was added.
The final improvement was a shed roof canopy over the side door in an Arts and Craft design that Tom was able to copy from a photo I provided.  This was a typical Craftsman style seen on homes from 1900 through the 20's.  Few carpenters would be able to duplicate the design and get the details right.  Tom did a great job and again, he discussed each design detail with me before execution and it was done right the first time.  Everyone comments on how good it looks.  This added the period character that I am bringing into the renovation of the property I bought in May, 2013 as my retirement home.
My final comment is this- what does anyone want in a contractor they are considering - communication, talent, organization, positive suggestions and at a fair price - this is what you get with Tom Partyka and Mastercraft Construction Inc.

Tom P was great to work with.  When we had questions/concerns on his detailed contract, he addressed them, and modified a few clauses for my husband and I, to our satisfaction.   He was quick to get related and gain the trust of our tenants, which was very helpful, since we the owners, were rarely around.   For a 2-week job, he would update us every other day, often with pictures to show progress.   Tom was great at helping brainstorm solutions or create a design with half-baked ideas that we might have had.   In one instance, he came way across town, to address an issue in an apartment, based on the tenant's limited availability to let him in.   We were very pleased with the final outcome, and the overall communication along the way.

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Architectural drawing and a city permit delayed this work for some months.  Once started, the work went very quickly.  Several details were pointed by out the architect as needing to be completed to carry out the contract, in full.  These were corrected.  We're very pleased with the outcome.  Do take the extra time to work with an architect and get all necessary permits.  Do work with licensed contractors.  Do get several bids and meet with the contractors to discuss the proposals.  Do get recommendations.

Don't set artificial deadlines.  A process requiring permits can take time.  Contractors have to work on projects as they become ready.

They did good work. They treat their employees very well and provide a good support system. They worked quickly, did it well, and they cleaned up after themselves.

Tom and his team are professional, hard-working individuals. They do what they say they are going to do with no surprises at the end. Having experienced unpleasant outcomes with other contractors, Tom and his team made our experience pleasant, gave us peace of mind, and they have now become a trusted contractor for us. They are also very patient – they were willing to work with us on the details of the contract so that we understood exactly the work being performed.

I continue to use Tom and mastercraft because their work in high quality with exceptional service.

The work was pretty good.

I have had the pleasure of doing business with Tom Partyka of Mastercraft Construction on several occasions.The the quality of work he preforms, his knowledge and work ethic is superior. Tom made myself & my family feel confident with the huge decisions of adding on an addition. He was patient & his crew were respectful. We highly recommend Tom Partyka of Mastercraft Construction.

Tom Partyka worked for another contractor that we had previously worked with and liked and he  took our job under his company Master Craft but was still putting the paperwork through the previous company's paperwork.  We thought we were working with the previous company and he was still with them when we were actually only working with him and master craft and the subcontratcors of Master Craft.  The work was absolutely horrible. He did a very poor job of communication and managing his subonctractors. He didn't properly disclose to us that he would be using all the subcontractors he did before the job started which is standard practice.  The job took four times longer than it should have. The job was estimated to be only a month and a half and it started in April and ended in September. None of the contractors spoke English and were rude. Tom was the only one who could speak English and he was never around. They didn't have enough people on the job. We had to pay extra money to another contractor to clean up some shoddy work on the interior of the job. We had a leaking issue that went unresolved for over three months. A lot of our extra time and effort was put into trying to manage the contractors on a day to day basis. Tom was very unprofessional, he lied to us, and he never fixed a leaking issue in the new structure and we now have severe water damage in the structure where exterior and interior walls will need to be replaced. I would absolutely not recommend this company to others.