Vail Builders Inc

Almost two years ago we hired Vail Builders to remodel our Kitchen. We were so impressed by Jim’s professionalism and attention to detail we asked him to return to gut our only bathroom, and perform what, to us, was a high-end remodel. This remodel involved custom cabinets, soapstone countertop, and ceramic floor and wall tile. Again, Vail Builders exceeded our expectations of finished product and attention to detail. Jim uses only seasoned building professional and all Vail Builders contractors were respectful of our home and to those of us that dwell here, in addition workspaces were cleaned after each work day. Jim is always responsive to inquiries, requests, and those inevitable changes that come up in the course of a major remodel. Communication is timely and thorough. Because of the age of our home and the long list of future projects, my wife and I look forward to a long professional relationship with Jim and the entire Vail Builders Team.

Vail Builders, and Jim Vail, get my highest recommendation. They have the contacts to get the job done - they repeatedly got subcontractors to come in at just the right time to keep the project on schedule during challenging winter conditions. Their commitment to quality is unwavering, and even an offhand observation by me of some imperfection would result in a fix. They even helped clean up an issue I caused. Jim and his staff were a pleasure to work with throughout the 6 month project, and the sub-contractors he uses are proven resources. Our "greenfield" project had many moving parts, and Vail Builders managed the project well. I'd recommend them for anything from a full new large build to a cabinet installation.

Excellent quality work. Jim works well with a quality group of subcontractors. He has great suggestions and design ideas to improve the project.

I highly recommend Vail Builders. Jim Vail took the time to get to know how I wanted to use my backyard and delivered a detailed proposal with a beautiful and creative design. As the project progressed, I was impressed by the solid construction and craftsmanship that went into every detail. The project turned out fantastic and is the envy of my friends and neighbors.

After working with another remodeler to build a new kitchen for a couple of months and becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of professionalism, I contacted Vail Builders after seeing them highly recommended on Angie’s List. Jim Vail promptly returned my phone call and set up an appointment to measure the room and to meet with my wife and I regarding our ideas. In just a couple of weeks, Jim had created a set of preliminary plans and the most comprehensive contract I’ve ever seen. Jim is thorough and extremely detail oriented, which is exactly what you need in a general contractor. Jim has high expectations of his subcontractors and is responsive and fair to his clients. I will plan to hire Vail Builders for any and all of my future building needs

It went fabulously! Jim Vail was easy to get a hold of and very punctual. Very polite and respectful. Came out to my house and measured the space. Also made recommendations to change the thin set mortar and the grout to a product that would last longer than the product I had originally bought. I'm glad I listened to Jim. The finished product looks beautiful. Got a very detailed bid for the work that same day. Was able to get me scheduled within one week of me accepting his bid. They covered my wood floor, granite counter tops and appliances with protective mats and plastic. Used a sticky mat at the garage door to prevent dirt and dust from being tracked in. The tile installer Rick Johnson was fantastic. Very laid back and polite. Showed up both days exactly at 8 AM like they said they would. When the work was finished, everything was cleaned up. No mess left behind. I would hire this company again in a heartbeat.

awesome - they always come in on time, on budget and with amazing quality

Am nothing but very please and impressed with Jim's customer service and communication. He helped us with the details ( who knew there were so many details!), and made recommendations along the way when a part of the plan came into question.

It went very well. Jim was willing and able to accept our small job and complete it in a very short time for a very reasonable price.

Vail Builders provided excellent quality and craftsmanship. The design influences that Jim provided, as well as the extra efforts he and his crew put forth resulted in a spectacular finished product for our family.

We have used Vail Builders numerous times and continue to be impressed. The craftsmanship of Vail Builders and his assistants is superb; he keeps the customer informed about what is happening; his prices are very reasonable; his subcontractors maintain his standard of craftsmanship; he stays current with developments in his field, and as a contractor he has a shrewd sense of color and design. (1) Early spring 2016. $3600. A few, difficult-to-find Chicago bricks near our front door had deteriorated. Meanwhile, another company informed us our chimney needed immediate work and gave us an estimate. Vail than gave us a chimney estimate that was 25% lower than the other company?s estimate AND at Jim Vail?s suggestion included taking an extra row of Chicago bricks off the chimney and using them to repair the front door area brick deterioration. Thus Vail solved two problems and charged us $1000 less than the other company?s estimate for one problem. The work is first rate. (2) About $25000. In late Spring 2016 Vail Builders redid our master bathroom. Removing a cabinet disclosed unexpected water leakage, and a smaller job suddenly was a total redo of the bathroom. Everything from the demolition job to superb installation of new woodwork, new panel door, tile work, new cabinets, plumbing etc. was professional and done to a high standard. Vail Builders left no clutter at the end of the work day. The craftsmanship of the woodworking is amazing. A subcontractor did the floor tile and shower tile work at the same very high standard. The same was true of the cabinets produced by another subcontractor. The same was true of other subcontractors. The job turned out beautifully. Jim Vail worked with us to achieve an excellent result and keep the unexpected costs of the expanded job within reason. It is a big plus that he keeps current with interior trends and technologies, has great color sense, and before the work started provided an extensive notebook of what was happening and where we could go to choose materials. (3) I would add a comment about the most unusual job handled for us in the past. On a Friday, July 3, 2015 afternoon part of our driveway unexpectedly caved in. I called Jim and he had two people looking at the situation over the holiday weekend who gave him bids on the excavating and repair work. The job started the next week and completed promptly.

Excellent work! Vail remodeled two of our bathrooms at the same time...quite the project. Enjoyed the entire crew and loved watching the progress. Very service oriented and responsive to our needs and wants. Great quality.

Vail knows what he is doing and he does it right!

Jim presented us with a detailed plan for the project, laying out responsibility and explaining why he proposed some things that we would have never thought about. We received one other bid and chose Jim's even though his was slightly higher because the level of craftsmanship he presented in his plan was something we wanted. His suggestions were to provided long-term structural solutions. He wasn't just in it to win the bid, make it look pretty and walk away. Some of what we were doing plumbing wise was against and outside wall and he insisted on spray foam insulation to protect the pipes against a typical Minnesotan winter. During the demo we discovered some unforeseen problems and Jim quickly provided solutions and he kept the extra costs to a minimum while still making sure that we didn't need to compromise on many issues based on weird plumbing. His crew and subcontractors were professional and friendly. He put down great floor protection that stayed on the floor during the entire construction project. I feel that he treated my house as if he was doing the work on his house. He performed the demo and construction for 2 bathrooms basically in 3 1/2 weeks with some leftover shower door glass work that lingered for a while - this was out of his control. I would highly recommend Jim and his team, he provided the level on communication that I asked for and kept me informed of scheduled work by including me in his calendar invites. As a IT project manager myself I was impressed by how well he stuck to his timelines and deliverables.

We had Jim Vail (Vail Builders) remodel our master bedroom suite (bathroom, laundry room and closet). We learned about Vail Builders after a trusted neighbor highly recommended them. Jim was fabulous from the outset helping us design the changes with 3D modeling software, sending pictures back and forth over the internet. He came over and studied/measured the existing plumbing, heating and electrical so that we could design the new layout with minimum (expensive) relocations. Jim has experience with the latest plumbing, heating and electrical improvements that are on the market and helped us learn about and choose what was available and within budget. We have had bad luck in the past with contractors leaving the house a mess, so we were delighted when Jim laid down plastic on all the stairs and hallways that subcontractors would be using. Plastic walls were hung to keep dust away from the part of the master bedroom that was not being changed, and zippered plastic was used to cover the bedroom door and keep dust out of the rest of the house. Jim was very nice to work with as were the subcontractors he had coming to the house. He pays attention to the details and strives for perfection. He kept us informed of the progress throughout the project. The remodel is absolutely beautiful ? better than we imagined it could be. We would hire Jim again, and will recommend him to friends and neighbors.

We had been dreaming of updating our kitchen for several years when we met Jim of Vail Builders, he prompting came to our home with ideas and pictures previous projects he had done, we hired him and the spot and never looked back. We felt as ease with his through knowledge, experience and easy to work with personality. The quality of his work is second to none, he does all of his own trim work with perfection, we were particularly impressed with the time an detail spent on our new stairs and railings. Jim is terrific with follow up, if you have any questions or concerns, he always answers his own phone, is right there to make it right. Needless to say we are so ver happy with our kitchen, and definitely plan to be repeat customers!

We were very impressed with the amount of time Jim took in listening to our thoughts. The comments and ideas he presented were great. We are not in a rush so we are waiting on the estimate for a future date.

Jim's explanation was very reasonable. It would have been better if his voice mail let people know he was out of town but I understand that these things happen.

Jim was great to work with! Most importantly, he did quality work and was very professional. He was always on time and returned calls/emails very quickly. He was good about listening to our needs and also gave advice that was very helpful for our project. He gave us a very detailed estimate and stayed on budget. The project was completed in a timely manner. I would highly recommend Vail Builders!

We have had significant water leaking at the support beam of our main living area in our home for the past 18 years during the Spring snow thaw. New roof venting was installed when the roof was replaced 15 years ago, however this did not resolve the issue. We've had other contractors look at the situation without determining a suitable solution. Jim Vail was able to pinpoint the cause and will be starting at this point with his remodel project. He has been very creative in addressing each bathroom and their specific needs coming up with economical, yet attractive solutions. In his proposal for the projects, he clearly identified contacts at each vendor along with websites to visit prior to setting up meetings with each individual to give us a better understanding of the products available to choose from and the costs. This was very helpful in that we could identify what we liked or didn't like before sitting down with the consultants which made the selection process go much more smoothly. Having completed other remodel projects in the past, we know the importance of having a good working relationship and trust in the contractor. We have had great success in the past using Angie's list to find compatible contractors. Once again we have found such a company and are looking forward to another successful completion.

Jim Vail and Vail Builders do amazing work. Vail builders just completed a Kitchen remodel and new wood floors throughout our home. We could not be happier with the work they completed. Jim's professionalism and perfectionism are outstanding. They added new custom cabinets, that matched remarkably well to our existing cabinets, new granite counter tops, tile back splash, and beautiful wood floors throughout. Jim makes sure everything is completely the way you want it, he is easy to work with, and very trustworthy. He takes that extra time each day to clean up after his day of work, which was a big bonus with having young children. We Highly recommend Vail Builders. We will definitely have Vail Builders back to complete more projects in the future!

We've had an excellent experience. Their prices are very reasonable. It is first class work. They are very, very good and also very good at letting us know when things are going to happen. They will call the night before to let us know that such and such is going to happen. Things happen within the schedule they are supposed to happen. It is an outstanding contractor/subcontractor relationship. It is okay to call them for small jobs as well as major jobs.

Vail Builders Inc just completed remodeling a small and very dated bathroom in my home. I worked with them several years ago on an upstairs addition, so I was confident this project would go well and it did. After the initial consultation to find out what I was looking for in the remodel, Jim provided excellent drawings and a detailed estimate to review. The new bathroom totally exceeded my expectations ? it looks fabulous! Throughout the project, Jim provided regular updates and checked on progress frequently to make sure everything was done up to his standards before the next step would begin. I highly recommend Vail Builders Inc and plan to use them again for my next project.

The demolition of the second floor initially included removing the old walls and flooring in the attic. The roof of my house was removed on a Friday and over the weekend the upstairs was completely framed in. The workers had to be careful during the demolition to make sure the first floor living and dining room ceilings didn't crack (and they were successful). The new second floor includes a master bedroom and bathroom and lots of closets and storage space. My house has a boiler and radiators on the main floor and the new upstairs has baseboard heat controlled by a separate thermostat. Additional features include a bookshelf instead of a railing to separate the bedroom from the stairs and a very nice linen closet in the bathroom. Everyone involved with the project did excellent work. In fact, I liked their work so much that I just signed a contract with Jim Vail to have my main floor bathroom remodeled this spring.

Initially we hired Vail Builders to install new wood floors to replace old carpeting on our main level. Jim Vail gave it some thought and suggested that replacing existing wood flooring near our front door with a tile entry would better meet our needs because of past damage from rain and snow. We chose slate tiles and the result is phenomenal. It feels like a new house, and just as Jim predicted, the tile entry and bathroom both looks great and is better suited to the moisture and wear and tear from traffic at the front door. We are thrilled with the work completed by Vail Builders, and we would not hesitate to hire them again for any home improvement project.