Plekkenpol Builders, Inc.

They were excellent, their communication was excellent, and they showed up on time. They were very precise in what they did and we liked everything about them. We would highly recommend them and we would definitely hire them again.

I recently hired Plekkenpol builders to do the construction portion of a home modification . I have a disabled daughter who is in a wheelchair and I can no longer carry her down our 12 very steep steps . She is also to big for me to lift in and out of the bath tub safely . I was in desperate need of a solution and Plekkenpol builders went above and beyond to make this happen . In order to have an inclined platform lift installed our stair well needed to be wider . Plekkenpol builders found a creative solution that worked and fit into our project budget . They also added a custom door next to my daughter’s bath tub so that I could have a ceiling lift installed . Plekkenpol builders paired with Access Lifts on this project . Both companies communicated and worked together to make this happen in a timely and efficient manner . I am beyond happy with the end result . This wasn’t a glamorous project but it makes life safer and easier for my family . I would like acknowledge Craig who made the project happen , Chris who spent many hours doing the really hard work , and Brian who spent a lot of time on making the area look nice and finished .

Excellent workmanship.

Very well; they accommodated our ideas and made appropriate suggestions. The work was well planned and done on schedule, the quality was excellent, and the people were very easy to work with.

It couldn't gone better. The set a schedule in the beginning and met every single step. The workmanship is awesome.

everything was excellent

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They were the best to work with~!  Their foreman oversaw everything and the subs were excellent~!  They were personable and cleaned up at the end of every day~!  At the end of the 4-1/2 month project we were so very happy with this company and its employees~!  Quality all around~!!  Cannot recommend high enough~!!

They showed up on time and gave us everything we asked.  At that point, I think we had basically already decided to go with another company.  Their interaction with us was professional, but very limited.  So we have very little to say.

The project manager and production supervisor were both very nice to work with.  The only disappointment was their inability to work straight through to completion.  The job was interrupted several times and took much longer than anticipated to complete.  The quality of the work was outstanding, however, and was well worth the wait.

The above solution was not his first (and much more expensive) suggestion.  When I balked at that he suggested above solution, cautioning me that might only be a temporary one.  I appreciate the honesty.  Time will tell if this solution works long-term.  If it doesn't I only have myself to blame.
I appreciate that there was just a factual presentation of the fact.  No sales pressure.
I will use them again.

Bathroom turned out really nice. Really liked the tile after it was done. Had a little trouble with one of the workers who did not stay on the plastic that was laid down. Kind of have a trail on our carpet if the light is at the right  angle. They tried to fix the problem after we told them it was there, but can still see the path where the worker walked with dirty shoes.

Perfect

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It took a while to line up a work crew because of their busy summer schedule. Once the work started, Plekkenpol conducted a pre-project meeting where they described the work that would occur and the schedule. All of the work happened as described during that meeting. The work is of very good quality. They put up scaffolding to do the job and offered to paint the new wall, which was not part of their original scope of work, while the scaffolding was up. This saved me a headache later. I think Plekkenpol is a good balance of price, professionalism, and quality. I will definitely use them again.

This is my second project with Plekkenpol. They are simply the best. Prompt, professional, detailed-oriented and top quality work. Everyone involved in my project are top notch and really know their stuff. Every question is addressed promptly and accurately, phone calls and e-mails responded to immediately.  Although they're not the lowest cost remodeler, you get what you pay for, and in this case it's high quality work and a hassle-free project.
I would never again consider using anyone other than Plekkenpol!

The quality of the project management, the workmanship and the professionalism of the workers was outstanding.  The project required flexibility, as were weren't sure what we were going to find beneath the flooring and behind the walls when we opened them up.  There were surprises and the team successfully adapted the plans to accommodate them without compromising our objectives. The bath is tiny and can't be expanded at reasonable expense for structural reasons. Jim came up with a clean, uncluttered design that uses mirrors to make it look larger.  He increased storage using a recessed medicine cabinet behind one of the mirrors.
All of the workers arrived when they said they would and were polite and professional at all times. Doug, who laid all of the tile, is a true artist -- his work is gorgeous!  The crew cleaned up behind themselves as they worked. We never had to vacate our adjacent bedroom during the project and there was never a dumpster in the driveway.
We had one misunderstanding about the style of the shower doors that were to be installed. The header of the shower stall opening is a little out of level but otherwise all of the workmanship is outstanding -- the results are beautiful! 
Expect to pay a premium for this level of quality -- the bid was several thousand dollars higher than the competition and add-ons raised the price even higher.  Before you commit, spend some time in a kitchen/bath showroom like Ferguson to get an advance idea of how much the fixtures you'll want are going to contribute to the overall cost of the project.

It is not going well.  I have hesitated to put in a review ahead of the finishing of this job, but as I think of other potential clients I have felt an increasing need to send up a warning flare.  
I contacted Plekkenpol in May.  Jim came out and seemed immediately responsive.  The company had been highly recommended by both a friend and another professional, as well as Angie's List.  We signed on.  We gave lots of lead time.
The project has been slow and fraught with problems:  badly stained cabinetry which was "fixed" by a compromise.
"Overlooked" notes resulting in wrong doors, and no apology or quick replacement, but rather a drawn out impasse and after more than a month, a small standard glass sample sent for approval. (Wrong doors still in our garage--not picked up after 6 weeks)
Insistence from the installer that the mirror framing be higher than drawn or wanted, resulting in bad proportions.
Cracked shower doors resulting in more delays. Broken glass piece in the shower niche installation.
Long long intervals with no workers on the job and no communication or schedule.
Garbage cans on the front step not emptied for weeks at a time.
I feel I did my part:  I was prompt in my selections.  I used their suppliers, even when they were inconvenient or did not have stock.  I supplied folders of photos and sketches of what we wanted. I am just sick with the experience and the results.  My husband looks bleak and angry.  This is an expensive project and we are hugely discouraged.  I don't know how to get from what we have to what we want at this point.  I'm terrified of what up charges they may tack on at the end of this, even though they have not informed us of any.  I went in confident in Plekkenpol's good reputation and am now saying "Don't Use Them!"  
If things turn out better than they look now, I will certainly repost with the good news. 

UPDATE: This is a continuation of my unhappy posting of November 2013. I contacted the company owner at the same time as I posted on Angie's List. The response was immediate. The wrong doors were picked up, the trash cans were emptied and removed,  new doors were ordered, and the job is nearly done. I can't give them top marks because of the long delays, the glitches, and because I had to fuss, which I found really stressful. I call it the remodel from Purgatory, because there has been a lot of waiting and prayer and uncertainty. The Plekkenpol installing crew are all great guys:  pleasant and professional. The subcontractors were also pleasant.   I don't know if having subs from the SW metro caused the gaps in scheduling for my NE location,  although it was clear the plumber from New Prague had a long and difficult commute.   The cabinet maker in Blaine makes only the doors:  the boxes are put together north of Brainerd, and are of standard quality (comparing to big box store cabinet displays).  Having the Brainerd sub stain the cabinets was a bad decision--no quality control, and the whole job had to be redone.  What I saw in Blaine did not represent the staining result that appeared from Brainerd.  Finally, the project manager had suggested having a designer review our plans.  I chose Plekkenpol in part because I didn't feel I needed the extra time or cost of a design professional.  I  worked with a friend who is a retired commercial designer--we had visited showrooms and model homes together and she had seen my proposal, but she had not been present when I worked with Plekkenpol or signed off with them.  She was amazed that I did not have signed and dated drawings from Plekkenpol from the final pre-construction meeting, and indeed, the difference between my drawings and those Plekkenpol used for installation caused a shock when trim was installed.  The results are very nice.  The installation quality is very good.  It isn't quite what I designed, but we are adjusting our eye to what Plekkenpol built.  It may be that having ASID after one's name gets better results with Plekkenpol.  In that case, consider using a contractor who provides an in house design service.

They did a beautiful job.  Gordon analyzed the situation -- my original (1949) faucet was leaking.  It was not possible to replace the faucet, which meant I also needed to replace the sink, due to its unusual configuration.  Replacing the sink meant an entirely new vanity top, to replace the original ceramic tile.  Rather than attempt to remove the original tile, they built a new top to mold over the original vanity -- which was almost 6' long and narrowed from 2' wide at the sink to only 16" by the door.  I chose the "color" I wanted, they measured carefully and installed it when the materials came in.  They were very professional, checking with me at every step of the process.  I definitely recommend using this firm.

Turned out really nice.



They were real easy to deal with. Had other companies here for a quote and they wanted money up front even to bid on the job which I thought was a joke.



 Plekkenpol provided drawings and everything up front for no cost plus they've been in business for a long time, much longer than the other two companies that we checked with (the ones who wanted funds just to bid on the job).

Very professional.  Cost is probably higher than  small contractor but you will get great quality, professionalism and service.

They were not the cheapest but they were the only ones that were willing to do what we wanted to do. It's hard to find anything bad to say about them. Their quality is unbelievable, it's very high. You paid for the price and you got very good quality. The workers were neat and cleaned up after themselves. They vacuum and told us when they would be here. They were here when they told us. Whenever we had any questions at all, they would fix it without asking questions. They are very thorough and honest. I was impressed with their work. If you wanna do something difficult, Plekkenpol can do that. They can do pretty much anything you wanna do to your house. We recommended them to some of our friends and they did a really good job at that, too. They had such great ideas on the shower, on how to make it better, make it fit better; do something about the counter, change the headlight or make it ventilate better. They're just very good at what they do. They have the design concept and the construction knowledge.

We have heard horror stories from our friends and neighbors about their remodeling experience. 
Plekkenpol stayed on schedule and had at least one person at our home every day working.  There really was no punch list at the end because they addressed each item as it came up.
The crew that was used was the best.  We have to remodel our bathroom and we will be going back to Plekkenpol and requesting the same crew.

Plekkenpol cabinet-maker and painter did a great job building custom island to match existing oak cabinets.  They designed the island based on my needs -- including a cat feeding cubby!  They pulled up existing floor to sub-floor to install tile.  After some discussion and researching, they figured how to install so that it matched the height of abutting floors and there wasn't a large step from one room to another.  Replaced a door and baseboards.  All were installed carefully and fit very well.  They are more expensive than other firms, but I was VERY pleased at their attention to detail.  I've had other remodels done and when I compare the quality, Plekkenpol wins hands-down.  Jaime was the project manager and was very clear in his communication about the project.  He kept a close eye on each step and made sure the job was done right.

I like their work. They are very meticulous and they do a great job.