MGD DESIGN BUILD CO

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We had used MGD prior at our previous house with satisfactory results and reasonable cost.
This new house presented many design issues since the original house was unique, and log-based construction whereas we wanted a seamless addition filled with light, open space and traditional/stucco. Shawn Staples is expert as an architect and did an excellent job combining two styles into a very livable house. The construction is good, beautiful and reasonable in price.
There were some issues as there are with any general contractor job of this size, the first of which was failure to begin on schedule and the length of time (nearly 1 year) till completion. MGD is not a large firm and does good work but can get overextended. Also there were typical problems where there was miscommunication, but were resolved satisfactorily. The major complaint was the placement of the new washer and dryer which were reversed with the washer on the right -- the length and placement of the gas line to the dryer would be expensive to alter.
Pros: design, price for quality, willingness to customize.
Cons: delays when overstretched in assignments, possible miscommunications.
Not included in price: removal of trees, provision of applicances, etc.

All the staff that we came in contact with was very professional, skilled and responsive and contributed to the successful outcome of this project. The on-site staff did not hesitate to reach out to the home owner when they felt that additional input was needed. Great communication through the duration of the project.

They did a really good. I am pretty pleased with their price. Overall, the interaction was really nice. We had a little issue. They were very forthcoming. We got what we wanted from them just like the way we want.

After an unsatisfactory experience with an architect, we contacted MGD on the recommendation of a friend. Owner Michael Dent met with us several times, and we told him what we wanted, including our own solutions to the design challenges we faced . We agreed to go ahead with a preliminary plan ($2000). Michael and his architect Sean measured the house, Sean drafted a preliminary plan, and Michael sent a preliminary cost estimate. We agreed to continue with MGD, and they worked with us to refine the plan. After agreeing on a final plan and cost estimate, we moved out of the house, and MGD began work, exactly on schedule. Michael prefers to have all materials on hand or at least on order before beginning a job, so he can control the workflow and stay on schedule. For us, this meant dozens of decisions about trim, finish, hardware, sometimes without much time for research or reflection. His own crew, mostly carpenters, and all the subcontractors kept very close to the schedule throughout the 4 1/2 months of work. We met with Michael every week to discuss progress, and were in touch more often than that when we had concerns, or he needed decisions from us. We were very impressed with Michael Dent, and with the work done by MGD's employees. They were efficient, reliable, and punctual. They did what they promised, for the cost we had agreed to, and stayed on schedule. Our lead carpenter Tom Giroux was on the job every day, and was professional in every respect: making sure the work was done to a high standard, managing his staff and the subcontractors, managing us and our concerns, finding creative solutions to the snags that invariably arise in a complicated job. One gripe: Some of the subcontractors (plumber, HVAC, painters, iron railing installers, tile installers) produced a good result in the end, but we found we needed to check their work carefully, to make sure the result was what we had agreed to. Both MGD's carpenters and the subcontractors made some mistakes, which they corrected after we pointed them out. In a few instances, the result was not a mistake as they saw it, but it was not what we thought we had agreed to. In all these instances, we were able to work out an agreement. MGD's keeps its costs below those of similar firms we contacted, in part because MGD is a distributor of one brand of kitchen cabinets (Fine Line), and one brand of windows and doors (Eagle). These are high-quality, good-value products, and MGD can supply them for less than we would have paid for similar products made by better known competitors. The advantage of the MGD approach is 1) cost, 2) efficiency of installation, and 3) fewer decisions for the client to make. The disadvantage is ... well, fewer decision for the client to make, that is, some loss of flexibility; some other remodeling firms have clients find and work with a separate kitchen design firm. Michael's whole approach is like his approach to cabinets and windows. He thinks like an engineer, finding an efficient solution (in this case, a reliable, good-value supplier of cabinets and windows), and sticks with it. That's good in that he delivers a good result at a lower cost than similar firms, but he does not spend much time looking for other solutions. Bottom line: we are delighted with the result, we like MGD's streamlined approach, the quality of their work, and their reliability, and we would use MGD again.

It was great. The people working here were fantastic. They were on time. They kept everything clean. Michael Dent, the owner, was very, very good. The ideas we had for the kitchen, he suggested very nicely they wouldn't work and had some alternative ideas. It turned out better than we ever would've thought.

We had to fire the first builder (an ugly, expensive tale) and ended up working directly with MGD to complete the purchase. They were very understanding and great to work with. The windows and doors were installed by a second builder. Less than a year after installation, the door handles were starting to fall off. This was especially problematic on the front door! The second builder was unresponsive. Thinking it was defective hardware, I called MGD and spoke to Michael Dent regarding it. He was extremely knowledgeable about the hardware and thought the problem was unlikely to be defective hardware. He actually came out the house himself to take a look. He was correct that the hardware was in working order. The problem was when the second builder installed the door handles, he didn't use some of the internal parts designed to keep the mechanisms together. I don't remember exactly what they were but Mr. Dent did. He said unless you have a special tool for a particular part, propert installation takes quite a while. We were only having problems with the front door but he looked at the other 3 exterior doors and found the same thing. He fixed them all. It took him a good 2.5 hours to do them all. What was really amazing was that even though we purchased the windows and doors from him, he wasn't involved at all with their installation. Yet, he didn't charge us a thing for fixing the doors.

WE WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH MICHAEL DENT WHO MET WITH US BOTH TO DISCUSS OUR INITIAL THOUGHTS ABOUT REDOING OUR KITCHEN/FAMILY ROOM. HE WAS VERY RESPONSIVE and HELPFUL IN PROVIDING US WITH FEEDBACK ON OUR THOUGHTS AS WELL AS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL IDEAS FOR US TO THINK ABOUT. HE MET WITH US AGAIN TO GO OVER SOME PRELIMINARY DRAWINGS WHICH CORRESPONDED TO OUR INITIAL IDEAS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL APPROACHES. THEIR FEE WAS REASONABLE and THEY WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL IN HOW THEY WORKED WITH US.