Holmlund Masonry Inc

Holmlund provided separate quotes for the chimney and stair work. I was very impressed by how professional and complete their quotes were. They integrated the two jobs into the same time frame. I was very happy with the quality of the chimney work and the new stairs with rails. Scheduling went smoothly and they showed up and got the job done as planned. They did have to come back to reinstall the front stair hand rail and I did have to reschedule one missed appointment time. Overall, I was very pleased with Holmlund's work and would hire them again. My only quibble with their work is that they did not do a very good job replacing sod that was removed along the stairs. They used some of it for fill and then did not have enough to completely recover the area affected. In redoing the sod replacement work, I found a lot of buried chunks of concrete and nails and ended up having to use dirt of my own for properly back filling. I expect that most masonry crews would have probably done the same, so if you have stair or sidewalk work done, be aware that they probably aren't going to do a very good job with sod replacement.

It went very well. The proposal arrived within 24 hours of the initial visit to survey the work that needed to be done. Their price was about $1,000 - $1500 more than another bidder, but Holmlund was able to get started quickly and has employees as well as subs to complete the work. They are not putting together a crew as needed, so you pay a little more, but you get better service. They return phone calls, start work on time, arrive early in the morning and stay till 5:00 or 6:00 every night. They even worked on Saturday, which was fine with me, as I wanted the job finished as quickly as possible. They were easy to deal with -- everyone from the office staff to the masons on site. Dan or Charlie are the ones to talk to. I would not bother talking to the owner.

Holmlund was one of four companies we contacted for a quote. They provided a thorough estimate with details and pictures of the work to be done. We selected them based on reviews on Angie's List and their price (lowest of the four). We scheduled the work a few weeks out at a time when we would be home. We requested a meeting with the project manager the first morning. The crew showed up prompty on the first morning and started work on time. The project manager did not meet with us as previouly requested. Our desire was to review the project steps and timing, and select brick. Calls to the office were forwarded to an answering service and not promptly returned. Work on both chimneys was completed in two days. The crew was efficient, friendly, and professional. Their work was excellent. The brick selected was a great match to the original and did not appear new (the vintage look we were after). They matched the original design perfectly. Clean up was okay and there was some damage done to plants around the house foundation. We had to call the office once more as a rain cap was to be replaced as part of the quote and was not done. They did not show up on time to replace the cap and suggested that we not use the rain cap and instead installed a screen over the top of the flue. Overall, we were very satisified with the work completed and would recommend. Communication with the office was lacking at times and not very responsive.

During the estimate, the estimator explained some problems he saw about how the chimney had been constructed. Some areas were built flat not sloped away from the house so water was getting at the morter and over time, deteriorated it so that's why the work needed to be done. They did arrive a little late as their previous project was delayed by rain. The estimator came out and explained to the 3 workmen exactly what he had told me needed to be done. The workmen were very intent on their job, no goofing around. They also repaired other loose bricks around the front of my house free of charge. I am very happy with the work done and highly recommend them for any masonry work.

super. high quality craftsmen did high quality work and the chimney looks great, has better top/cap, brick went with house style. would have preferred a double check of weather so that I didn't have the scaffold in my driveway for nearly a week between day one and when the rain finally stopped a week later.

My chimney cap and part of my chimney had been visibly deteriorating so I phoned Holmlund Masonry's main phone number which was answered right away. An appointment was immediately arranged for them to come and assess chimney repair needed and give a quote. They said they would email me a quote which I should receive by the next day. I received the quote within a few hours. I phoned Tim and told him I agreed with the quoted price. He said they would arrive to work the following Tuesday. Workmen arrived on the job on schedule. They work swiftly and professionally to prepare the work area and protected the grass and bushes from damage. The team of three men seemed to work well together. Very conscientious and showed attention to detail. Each had a specific task and completed the job the same day on schedule. They cleaned up the work area afterwards and left no damage. I would highly recommend this company and would use them again.

They did the work in the pouring rain. A couple of days after the work was finished, the first warm dry day, I came home and there was a section of brick that had serious efflorescence (it was WHITE), and there was efflorescence in other areas though not as seriously. They responded quickly to my call and cleaned the brick with an acid wash. The results were less than perfect, the mortar is quite a bit lighter in the areas of the efflorescence. I have since heard that acid washing may be a negative for historic brick. Overall, given the details I'd say the work was less than expected.

They quickly submitted a detailed printed bid with pictures and clear explanation. The workers showed up about 8:30 a.m. and worked until about 6 p.m., completing the project in one day. The replacement bricks were an excellent match. If I didn't know they had done the work, I would not believe they had been there. The bid had included replacing flues, but when the workers removed the top bricks and were able to examine them, they determined that the existing flues were in good condition. The price was reduced to reflect that change. I was very impressed with the quality of materials and labor.

Excellant. They went above and beyond. Great work. Would totally use them again.

I called for an estimate around noon on Friday. Tim called me back within 30 minutes to set up a time to drop by later that afternoon between 4-5. He arrived at 4:15, looked at the chimney from the ground and told me it needed tuckpointing, placement of a missing brick, and a new cement cap. He quoted $500. I asked him if he needed to see it more closely to find any additional problems, but he stated that anything he might find would not change the quote. He said he did not need money up front, could come by the next day, and we did not need to be home because they bring all their water and electrical equipment. I found this very reasonable and signed the contract. The next day they dropped off one of their crew at 10:00, and they completed the work about 2:00. We paid with a check. Timing is everything, and I probably called at the right time of year to get such fast service, but I found the experience excellent from beginning to end. Punctuality, work quality, friendly service, and pricing were great. I definitely would use them again. I found them on Angie's List by reading past reports. I was impressed with the comments of quality of work and and friendly service that I read about. I could have waited to get other quotes, but for the price and timeliness it seemed very reasonable.

We received estimates from several companies, most of whom recommended a tear down and rebuild of the entire chimney. Tim was the only appraiser who claimed that was not necessary since the masonry was fine except for the top two courses. This, of course, saved us a considerable expense. His workers arrived on time and on schedule. They were highly professional and neat. I subsequently learned from another contractor that Holmlund's masons are some of the best in the Twin Cities. I also had some unsolicited feedback from our city inspector, who had come out to inspect our new roof, that the repair to the chimney was first-rate.

They did anexcellent job even did some extra work found while doing agreed work at no extra cost. On time did work in one day even in the rain. No hiden costs Tim very easy to work with. Clean up was pretty good. Have already rec. to my neighbor. Would deff. use again.

The angle irons supporting my basement windows were so corroded that I could pull them apart with my fingers. The crew, Mario and Marcello, did a beautiful job. They managed not to disturb the stucco above the brick; they cleaned and reused the old brick above the angle irons, so there was no need to get new brick that would not have matched as perfectly. The new angle irons arrived primed and painted on only one side. I immediately phoned Tim Holmlund, and he brought paint-primer spray to the work site. Not the lowest bid, but I chose this contractor because of their 5-year warranty on labor and materials. Their bid stated they would leave the area in a clean condition at the termination of work “equivalent or better than per-work conditions.” However, I had to remind them twice to clean up the dust left on my deck, rear entry and garage door from grinding out the old mortar.

Arrived as promised, work was completed within one day, even with a rain delay, good cleanup. Globally a good experience.

I had an excellent experience with Holmlund masonry. They returned my phone call and promptly gave me an estimate. They worked with me to stay within my budget. Each detail was clearly explained. They returned the next day at about 8:00 a.m. and stayed until about 6 or 7:00 p.m. to complete the job. They left the area clean. I can't say enough about the quality of the work. Also although they replaced bricks with a different less porous type the match was perfect.

Overall, Holmlund Masonry did an excellent job. The estimate was prompt, clearly written in sufficient detal, and the estimator clearly explained what was to be done and answered my questions. The work was done promptly and professionally. The old chimney and planter were removed and most of the new chimney was built in one day. The excellent roof work was completed on the third day. I had several questions during the construction that were promptly and satisfactorily answered by company representatives. Cleanup was done promptly and completely. The workers were diligent and quiet. The new brick was a very good match to the old brick. My wife and I are very pleased with the results. Contractor promptly delivered samples of brick before the work began.

The owner was involved in the bidding process. The brickwork did look nice when they were done. We thought it was decorative brick along the bottom of our home, but we didn't know and they didn't identify, that it was actually concrete molding on the bottom. They demolished that and half of the foundation wall before I actually came back from work, so there was a lot of negotiation about how to remedy it. I was really uncomfortable about filling in with cement where the foundation was. The owner did stay involved and they offered a really long warranty. They did it one way and I was uncomfortable, so they did the rest of it another way. I was pretty frustrated about that. The owner came on the final day of work and wanted payment right then. The price was pretty good.

Very well, the crew came at 8am and finished within 3 hours. They were professional and took care of the yard to ensure a clean job that was well done. We were very happy with the service.

Service was timely. Company representatives were easilty reached. No issues or surprises.

They were great. They were prompt and cleaned up. They job they did was wonderful. Their prices were competitive; they were neither the highest nor the lowest.

Overall it went very well. They were very quick to respond to my first call and did an estimate fairly quickly. The estimate was typed up, easy to read and detailed. It included pictures of what was to be repaired and a brochure that explained their services. They started the project when they said they would and completed it within 2 days. They cleaned up everything very thoroughly. I couldn't even tell they had been there. They were also very friendly. I would definately recommend them.

Once I gave him the go-ahead, the work was done about a week later, all in one day. A crew came out early in the morning, and finished up around 8 or 9 at night. Everything was cleaned up nicely when they left. The chimney now looks great, you can't really tell where the new bricks are unless you really get up close and look, they did a great job matching the color. (The old bricks were spalling and not in good shape, so they couldn't be reused). Very happy with the quality of the work.

Tim came out to my house to estimate a job in that involved cosmetic work on an interior brick wall facade of a fireplace that had been water-damaged, particularly the mortar. The fireplace brick is called "Old Chicago," and is reused brick from buildings in Chicago that were torn down at about the time my house was built. The fireplace was originally wood-burning, which I had converted to a gas insert fireplace. I thought the water problem that had caused the damage was solved. But Tim got up on my roof and took pictures of the cracked concrete "cap," and also showed me where the mortar had eroded between some of the bricks. The pictures were helpful, but these problems were also evident just from looking at the chimney. Nonetheless, I was sort of dubious... I thought to myself "just because there is a crack in the cement cap doesn't mean enough rain is coming in to cause damage." (Duh) But then that night, after I had taken off the glass door of the fireplace in order to expose the brick, I heard a plinking noise in the firebox. Yes, it was rain. Now, I realize there may be a little rain that comes down one's chimney, but this wasn't an occasional drip. It was plinking a very merry tune. Well, I thought, this can't be good. So I was plenty glad I had signed the contract for repairs to the chimneys as well as doing the cosmetic work. The tuck pointing and chimney repair is great, and the cosmetic fix to the Old Chicago fireplace also looks very good. In addition to tuck pointing the interior fireplace, they "bricked in" four areas where originally there had been black metal grills that were no longer necessary to the fireplace's operation. Tim suggested I brick them in because they were no longer functional. I didn't expect it, but it made a vast improvement in the appearance of the fireplace. There isn't any Old Chicago brick around anymore, but they matched the brick so well that unless you specifically look for the patches, you really can't see them. I appreciated their craftsmanship. Just an additional note: In the course of getting four estimates, all contractors said it was "Old Chicago" brick, and all but one said there was also efflorescence (one contractor said it was paint, but the substance was powdery and came off when I touched it). But Tim was the only one who got up on the roof and pointed out the deteriorating mortar. Without repairing the source of the problem, eventually the mortar would have again deteriorated and I would have been right back where I'd started.

I was told that their only problem was their promptness. I called them out and they proved that wrong, because their timeliness was amazing. The the work was great.

The job went well. Tim Holmlund gave us detailed and professional quotes in November of 2007 for several different options, ranging from repairing the flashing only to complete replacement. We were not ready to have the job done at that time. We called them again in August of 2008, and Tim came out right away on 8-19-08. The original prices were not changed. We decided to do the complete replacement. They did all the masonry work on Saturday, 8-23-08, and completed the flashing and roof on Monday, 8-25-08. The results look very good. They cleaned up well.