Built by Design

Because of their help with the power line, we put all that behind us, kept them on to build the addition and that is when the real problems began. They showed up a few times a week in the beginning and after that infrequently and eventually not at all. And if it was snowing or cold out, they would merely drive by or if they stopped they wouldn't get out of truck. Their concrete company underpoured the floor in the breezeway, which connected the garage conversion to the addition, by three inches. Since they saw this after the fact, they covered it up by having a concrete ramp poured. When it came time to tile, the guys who came to install the tile informed me that they would not be able to on the ramp as the tile would crack. Mike and Dave decided the most cost effective thing for them would be to grind the ramp down which created a three inch lip - so that basically when anyone walked through the breezeway to go into the mudroom, they would more than likely trip, unless we put a big sign that warned "watch your step". We decided this wouldn't be very welcoming or aesthetically pleasing, so we contacted Mike and Dave with every confidence that they would apologize for the mistake and make it right - were we ever wrong. Dave talked circles around us, giving us every excuse why this happened, then blamed us for the tile we picked out, then blamed the tile installers for saying anything, then informed us that their solution was the ramp and we made them take it out, so it was basically our problem. At this point we had to hire an attorney and with no resistance or argument, they hired the concrete company that we employed to do our driveway to pour the floor level with the garage conversion. And they also had to fix everything else that went along with their initial oversight - raising the doors and each step on the staircase leading to the room above the garage. After all this, our home did turn out beautiful, but we did realize that it would've if we hired anybody else. Dave and Mike turned out not to be what they sold themselves as: they do not have high standards, are not professional and don't completely have the integrity they claim.

Overall, we're incredibly happy with our basement! We love the look and receive constant compliments, especially with regards to the concrete floor, fireplace and the bar area. Both Dave and Mike were very easy to work with, addressing any concerns or questions quickly and taking changes to the original plan in stride. They, and their subcontractors, were very considerate of us and our house, doing a good job cleaning up each day and trying to cause the least impact on our daily lives. Mike and Dave spent considerable time at our house making sure everything was done right. The original unfinished basement presented many challenges, from water line placement to load bearing walls/poles and more electrical wire and cable than one can imagine!As well as much duct work that had to be worked around to not lose the ceiling height. The previous owner had done much of the electrical work himself and it needed a complete rework. Built by Design's attention to detail and design allowed us to solve all of the existing problems and turn design challenges into integral parts of the basement design. Dave and Mike really worked to understand what we were trying to achieve while being sensitive to our budget concerns. For example, we found the fireplace style in a magazine, but when we priced it, it was over $6,000 to match all of the components used. Mike and Dave worked patiently with us and helped us achieve the same look for under $1,500. Much time was spent on getting the heating and A/C done right. There were concerns regarding the capacity of our existing systems with all of the new finished space. In the end, we have had no issues with either heating or cooling in the basement or throughout the entire house, with no upgrades needed to our existing systems. We give Built by Design a lot of credit for taking the time and effort to do the job right! We did face some challenges with the finished layout of the bathroom versus the original design, specifically the placement of the vanity. Mike and Dave worked with us and helped determine a solution that gave us the look we were after, even though it cost them a bit in re-work to make us happy. We couldn't have asked for a better partners in the whole process. They seemed very focused on our satisfaction throughout the project. Built by Design didn't work FOR us, they worked WITH us.

When we bought our split-level home we knew right away that the basement would have to be finished. We knew how we wanted to use the space and after talking with friends decided to hire Built by Design to design the "perfect" space. They walked us through a few different design options and worked with us to get the most "bang for our buck" budget-wise (no one else we talked to seemed to care about what we wanted). The project came together nicely and we got everything we wanted for a good price.

Our old, outdated and cramped kitchen was hard to work in with a family of four, but with a baby on the way it was quickly going to be impossible! We didn't want to spend a lot of money but wanted to update the look and feel of the kitchen while gaining as much storage space as possible without changing the floor plan. Built by Design was able to work within our budget and timeline to give us exactly what we hoped for-lots of storage and counter space and a look that didn't scream 1980 any longer! Mike and Dave were always there to answer any questions we had during the entire project and their sub-contractors were on time and didn't leave a mess behind each day. They were great about communicating with us about schedules and deliveries. If a problem came up, they solved it right away; if we didn't know what we wanted they were right there with lots of great ideas that didn't blow our budget sky high. The project started and ended when they said it would, their costs were fair and the quality far exceeds anything we had hoped for. We LOVE our updated kitchen and recommend Built by Design to everyone!