Meadowlark Builders

1) Start date May 14, scheduled end date July 27 (74 days). Date they asked for final payment was 10/25/18 (164 days). So 90 days late, 222% beyond time budgeted. Minus 1 star for taking all **** Summer and part of the Fall. 2) Initial demo of bathroom tile on second floor shook loose a connection in the copper piping in the floor, flooding first floor and basement. Took months to get everything cleaned-up to near-original condition, required constant hounding to get their attention. Minus ½ star for the poor attention to a problem they created. 3) They asked for a progress payment when only 1 milestone associated with the payment was finished, a walk-through with a subcontractor. Minus ½ star for requesting money for nothing. 4) Remodel included repair to water-damaged ceiling in laundry room. The work was not on the original schedule, kept asking when the work would be done, they responded with, “What work?”. Had to break out the contract and quote them back their scope-of-work. The project manager’s response? “Wow, I didn’t realize that, sorry”. Paraphrasing. Minus ½ star for Read Your Own **** Contract. 5) Had a gas fireplace insert installed. Three times. Installed before the wall behind was insulated and finished so it was removed for that, then re-framed and re-installed in the wrong place, had to be re-re-framed and re-re-installed. Minus ½ star making something simple so complicated. 6) Had portable storage pod in driveway. Had some landscaping scheduled for after the original finish date which required the pod to be gone. Project manager “guaranteed” work would be done before landscapers started, which wasn’t true. Had to schlub everything back into the house where it sat piled-up and in-the-way for a month, then had to get another pod and put it all back. Minus ½ star for that bogus guarantee. 7) When the project was almost 60 days overdue, it took a negative post on their Facebook page to get some additional resources and oversite from the owners. Minus ½ star for making me complain. 8) We kept having morning meetings, sometimes changes were discussed. I’d come home to find work was done without the changes. We kept having meeting, I kept bringing up the same issues, time and time again. Minus ½ star for not taking notes. 9) It’s the 4th of July, were on vacation in Chicago, our neighbors call and say there are 2 unmarked cargo vans at our house – is everything OK?. I call the project manager, who says there are no workers at the house, so I call the police and start scrambling - what is the best way to ruin our vacation so I can get back home fast? But – Oops! It’s some painters, they’re in the house, false alarm. Minus ½ star. 10) Had a hardwood floor put into an office space room. On a Monday, the project manager e-mailed me to say the wood would be delivered that day and installed on Wednesday. I get it, it’s called “acclimating”. I get home that night and the floor is down. Then it sat there for maybe a month before it being top-coated. Minus ½ star for what was the rush to ruin the wood? 11) The bathroom remodel is at “plumbing final inspection has passed”. My wife takes a bath in her long-awaited, life-long-dream of a soaking tub. I hear it raining in the house. Something came loose, water is poring through a light fixture into the room below. The next day, the project manager – who I haven’t seen in a month – comes in, doesn’t say a word to me. Not, “Hey sorry this happened, glad your wife didn’t get electrocuted, we’ll get this fixed…”, none of that. Not a word. I ask for Meadowlark to come up with a plan in writing to put GFI’s on the circuits that could get flooded if this happens again. Their response displays a genuine lack of concern for my family’s safety. Minus 1 star for making me so angry that I post a video of the water pouring through my ceiling to their Facebook page. 12) Lots of other issues I didn’t even cover (e.g., the “4-star” painters). In their defense everything looks pretty good, finally. So plus 2 stars for that. So, unless my math is poor, that means 5 stars minus 6 stars plus 2 star = 1 star.

Excellent work, couldn't be happier. The design staff worked with us to scope the work to fit our budget, and created a wonderful design for us, taking our input into consideration but also adding value with creative design solutions. The quality and craftsmanship of work was even more impressive. They combined off-the-shelf (I.e. affordable) cabinetry with a little custom carpentry to deliver exactly what we wanted.

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I thought that they did a good job. They were very professional and they were nice people to work with. There was a part in the attic that was delayed, but they did finish the job.

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The work was done on time, with ongoing consultation. Excellent workmanship was the balm that reduced the pain of paying the price.

It took a long time. Architect got confused with toilet dimensions. Had to redo plumbing and build an alcove since toilet stuck out too far. But otherwise Joe Scanlon project manager was awesome.

This was a joint project using Meadowlark Builders, Arbor Insulation(also a Meadowlark company), and Meadowlark Energy. I gave a full review of the project under Meadowlark Energy. This review will be abbreviated.
We were very happy with the carpenters from Meadowlark Builders. They did an excellent job and were looking out for us during the project. If they found things that were not specifically in the estimate, they would check with us and take care of it as part of the job. Sometimes this added more time to the project, but the project manager and the carpenters were always trying to make sure the job was done correctly and to Meadowlark standards.
I was impressed with the mindset and the and quot;corporate cultureand quot; that Meadowlark is creating. Nobody tried to cut corners to make the job go faster and my wife and I are very pleased with the result.

Meadowlark was recommended to me by another contractor I had worked with and trust. I had to call them a few times and I could tell they were very busy but once the insulation division and the builders division finished coordinating my estimate, things went smoothly and the job was completed in an expert fashion.
Meadowlark answered all my questions before the estimate was final. They never made me feel like I was taking too much time getting more details and were very helpful in giving me different ways to achieve the result I asked about. I would use them again for any other siding projects or remodeling.
The carpenters were expert and also personable. A project manager was assigned and was there at the end of every day checking with the carpenters and also checking with me to see if I had any questions or concerns. The project manager was also there before the job started when deliveries arrived like lumber, a dumpster, porta-potty, etc. to make sure we did not have to move anything or were inconvenienced in any way.
Meadowlark is a great company. I feel confident recommending them to others.

This was a smoothly executed job thanks to the management and planning of Meadowlark Energy and the skills of their
employees.   I had originally priced out one side of the house and their estimate was not the most expensive, but they gave me the most details about what they wanted to do and gave me a higher quality package ( in my opinion) than the other bids.
A lot of time was spent in planning to give me the energy efficiency improvements I wanted.   The carpentry was done by Meadowlark Builders and they had their supervisor  here before the estimate was made to discuss the best ways of doing what I needed. 
The house originally had foam insulation from 1978 that had a lot of shrinkage and the sheathing over that was just a half inch of rigid foam.  Cedar siding was placed on top of that.   Due to the lack of overhang on the roof, a lot of planning went into the solution.  The final plan was to have new foam insulation installed, then a one inch SIS(Structural Insulated Sheathing) panel over that, then a tarpaper overlay (instead of Tyvek) and the last step, new cedar siding.  The old vapor barrier was removed to prevent two condensation planes inside the wall which could lead to mold. 
When I approved the estimate I was absolutely sure of what was going to happen along with the total cost.  At that point, a project manager contacted me to assure me that during the project, all my questions and concerns would be addressed.  The project manager was even there as materials were being delivered so that there was no inconvenience for my wife or me.
The job was done very, very well and we are extremely happy with the result.  The carpenters were top notch and would alert me to problems they found along the way and told me how they wanted to fix them.  I had a window that was not securely installed and that was repaired with no extra charges, but that is just one example.
The crew was here for a total of three weeks.  Once the siding was removed from one side of the house, two installers from Arbor Insulation (also a Meadowlark Company) came in and put in the new foam insulation.  While they were doing that, the carpentry crew was removing the siding from the other side of the house which was insulated on the following day. 
Our house was always secured with plastic sheeting every evening until the SIS panels and tarpaper were in place, so we never had to worry about rain. The crew was always very polite and patient if I had a question.  The project manager came by at the end of each day to check on the progress and make sure we were satisfied with what was being done.
After the job was finished, the project manager asked me to look around the house and if I found anything, they would be back the following Monday to take care of it.  I had a couple of little things like painting a conduit on the back of the house that had some foam overspray and they did exactly what they promised and went through my list on Monday.
This is the way contractors should do business.  All the people from Meadowlark Energy, Meadowlark Builders, and Arbor Insulation were great to work with and demonstrate a high level of ability and attention to detail.
I had Meadowlark Energy do a blower door test a few months ago and also take some infrared photos of the walls to find cold spots, etc.  They sent the same person back after the siding/insulation was done to make sure the house was not too tight.
The test showed a nice improvement in air changes/hour and they also tested the area near the furnace and water heater to make sure the pressures there were safe for venting the exhaust from those appliances.
I recommend Meadowlark to anyone who wants to improve their home and work with an outstanding group.

The process from start to finish was excellent. Meadowlark's designer, Melissa, was considerate of our budget as well as the fact that we were remodeling the only full bathroom in the house. She planned the project so that all materials were ordered and on site before work began. Our project manager, Greg, and the subcontractors used were all excellent. Work began on time and was completed on schedule. We love our new bathroom and would definitely work with Meadowlark again.

We discussed several options and decided on a 5-year fix, knowing that major reconstruction would be required later since the trees grow through this remote deck.  He came prepared to tackle any deck  job and completed it quickly.  We made some adjustments as the work proceeded and I was impressed with how careful he was with getting my approval throughout the cutting of the holes as well as  new planks needed for one edge.  We will readdress the deck problems later, but I have gained about five years and can enjoy the deck until then.

* The energy audit took several hours.  I followed the building analyst around the house as he conducted his review.  He patiently, politely and clearly explained what he was doing and why.  He came prepared, and the equipment that he needed to use was quickly set up and then, afterwards, put away.  When he came in the house he put covers over his shoes, removed them if he had to go back outside to his vehicle, and then put them back on each time he came back into the house.  During the audit, he discovered some asbestos seals around ductwork.  This meant that he couldn't conduct the part of the audit where they use a door blower to test air flow, sealing, etc. since it might disturb the asbestos.  He recommended that I buy some latex paint and cover the asbestos.  I did so, and he immediately scheduled the remaining part of the audit.  At the end of the audit, the building analyst gave me some preliminary thoughts so that I would know where the subsequent full report was headed.  We scheduled the follow up for several days later.  The general manager came to our home with the report and went through it very closely with us, responded to our questions, and listened to and acknowledged our goals.  They recommended some priorities, but we asked for an estimate to do everything that they recommended.  They came back with the estimate promptly and communicated with us in a prompt and professional style to schedule the work.
* The main work was scheduled for two days + a couple of extra days to finish smaller things and clean up.  They arrived right on time the first day.  They had previously requested that neither we nor our pets remain in the house for lengthy periods for two days after they installed the spray foam as it gives off fumes while it is "curing".  (This was a bit of a bummer, but we had some spray foam installation done by another company the previous summer and were not asked to steer clear -- and we got headaches right afterwards, so we understood and accepted the need to vacate.)
* After the first two days, some further time was needed for the drywall patching and painting, some of the sealing around the windows, and general clean up.  We were back in the house during the fourth and final day.
* At the end of each day, the project manager -- who was on site -- sent us a progress report and explained what was going to be done the next day.  During the time that we were not supposed to be in the house for any length of time, we came by the house at the end of each day to check on the day's work, and everything looked good and matched the progress reports.  Additionally, plastic/cardboard was put down on the floor to keep carpets clean.
* At the end of the project, the project manager conducted tests to assess whether or not the updates met the anticipated improvements, so we have a before-and-after picture.
* Several days after completion, the project manager scheduled a follow up to get feedback on our experience.
* We felt very good about working with Meadowlark and would recommend their work to others without hesitation.  They are not inexpensive, so be ready for that.  However, we felt it was worth it for the professionalism and quality that they brought to the project and the piece of mind that it provided us.  Overall, an excellent experience.

Meadowlark came to our house to do an energy audit.  The crew:
Ran a pressure test to determine how much heat was leaking through unsealed walls and the roof.
Took thermal pictures throughout the house showing where air was leaking.
Evaluated the heating and cooling system, and the hot water system.
Looked for problems in the house "envelope".
Reviewed energy bills.
A few days later Brian returned with a complete analysis document and recommendations of what should be done to improve efficiency and what problems needed to be corrected.
Brian also provided a quote from Meadowlark Builders to address the issues found.
I elected to do some of the work myself, and contracted Meadowlark Builders to do other work that I did not want to do myself.  (I have submitted a separate review for Meadowlark Builders)
In addition to the energy issues, they noticed a leak in the roof which needed to be fixed.  This was actually outside the scope of the audit, but I am grateful that they pointed out the problem since I wouldn't have noticed it until it had gotten much worse.

On Friday, Meadowlark's crew installed the energy recovery ventilator. This device brings fresh air into the home and exhausts old air out while recovering the heat from the air that is vented out. The crew drilled intake and exhaust holes in the foundation, mounted the ERV on the basement wall and ran ductwork from the ERV to the house ductwork. The also put in the wiring to power the unit.
The insulation crew arrived early in the morning, and we vacated the house (along with our cat) since they would be spraying foam in the attic and the fumes can be dangerous. They sprayed 4and quot; of open cell spray foam on two walls in the attic which would be difficult to insulate with batten style insulation. They also spread 9and quot; of cellulose on the entire attick space. We returned the next morning. One of the crew had stepped on the ceiling drywall and cracked it, so Meadowlark had someone come out and patch the spot.
Meadowlark followed up with a pressure test which indicated that we were due a rebate from DTE. Meadowlark sent in the appropriate paperwork to DTE and we received a rebate of $775 based on the work that had been done. Meadowlark also obtained a $500 discount funded by Better Buildings for Michigan of $500. Again, they did all the paperwork required.
The house is approx. 2800 sq. ft.
Meadowlark is not inexpensive, but they did a very professional and thorough job.

Executive summary: We're thrilled with the result and would have Meadowlark do more work for us without hesitation.
My wife and I are really particular. I mean _really_ particular. We had ideas about problems we wanted to solve with the space we were renovating, but little in the way of concrete ideas about how to solve them. Meadowlark worked with us extensively to understand our needs and desires and presented us with some broad outlines for how to proceed. Once we had settled on a general outline, we spent quite a while working through all of the details: window layout, woods, floorings, doors, you name it.
The construction itself went quite smoothly. During the construction, we met with the project manager weekly. At the weekly meeting, we went through the previous week's progress, the anticipated next week's progress, any issues, and any details that we needed to settle.
Perhaps the most important aspect of a contractor is trust. Throughout, Meadowlark was honest, fair, and conscientious. Whenever there was a question or issue, they worked hard to make us happy. It always felt like we were on the same side, trying to get the best result.
The final result is, frankly, everything we hoped for and more. It's beautiful, and the layout functions better than we could have imagined.

The energy audit done by Meadowlark Energy was very well done and professional, the only thing was that some instrument that they had wasn't working and then they took some pictures and when it came time for the gas people to fix it, they didn't organize it very well but in general, I was happy with their energy audit and the way did it and their presentation. They assigned us a project manager who was not very reliable, he wasn't very good and I think they let him go right after our job was finished. The work got done, we had a little problem with scheduling and they brought someone for the attic fan whose prices were very high and then they were not very helpful with getting us somebody else.

Just purchased this house last fall. As the weather turned cold, so did the inside of the house. Meadowlark came out and did an energy audit. The main concern was airflow coming through the fiberglass insulation. It was decided that re-insulating the house would be a tremendous help. The workers were prompt. They always wore shoe covers when entering the house. They also laid down floor runners so the floors would stay clean. It took them approximately 2 days to remove and re-insulate. The job in the attic sounded like a nightmare! They said there was layer upon layer of old insulation and at one time, a major mice problem.
Mark, the project manager, was always at the house prior to workers starting and he also stopped by at the end of each day to inspect the work. Mark did some minor energy saving for me above and beyond the insulation. He fixed the attic door with rubber door sealer and installed hooks. He also fixed the microwave venting so I would not get the COLD NORTH WINTER WIND through the outside vent. He made sure everything was cleaned up and put back to normal when the guys were finished. Jake, from Meadowlark re-tested the house and found the house with a 52% reduction in airflow. Meadowlark did a great job and I will keep them in mind when I need other things fixed around this house.

The cost of the work done by Meadowlark was high, but the work was impeccable!  The cost included a foreman to oversee the workers and coordinate with he plumber, etc. I always wonder if that cost will be worth it, but Mark surely was.  He actually called to tell me what was going on at every step and would let me know if there was a delay or if the plan had to be tweaked.  Along the way he and the workers had a better idea for protecting the water line from the pump to the water heater, so they carried that out without it affecting the cost of the project.  The insulation took longer than quoted since the area was larger than they expected (and the weather colder so they had to heat the product longer), but Mark kept me informed and it was no problem for us.  All the work was still completed in a reasonable time period--Mark managed the different crews and their schedules. Plus, there were no overruns on the cost.  Meadowlark energy has been so pleasant and easy to work with--they stand out from other companies I have hired.

My description here will be much shorter than the one above, since I wasn't home when he performed the audit.
I signed on at a builders' show to have the audit done so that I would get a discount off their regular price.  However, because of all the work I had already put into my house, my price came well below the discount price.
The booklet he put together impressed me with its organization, simple detail and specs, readability, and specificity of his proposals.
I found Brian to be very professional and competent.

I am very satisfied with my experience with Meadowlark Builders. The workers were very professional. They performed all services agreed on.The price was comparable. They gave us a reasonable estimate and did not vary from it. The workers were prompt.They knew what they were doing and stayed on task.They performed their work very efficiently. I would use them again.

It went well. I am lucky to have such a talented trim carpenter. The skilled trades subcontractors were well informed about the products they were installing. The work was completed on time and within budget.

It was wonderful! Meadowlark addressed any problems professionally and quickly.