White Crane Construction LLC

Working with White Crane was the only positive part of our house fire experience. They were kind, professional, and thorough. They were understanding of the insurance process and helped us to provide all of the necessary documentation. And most importantly, they guided us through every decision, even when we were still in shock, and helped us to come out of a hard experience with a beautiful home that we are excited to live in every day. The house came out better than I could have imagined. The project was completed on budget and on time and we had frequent communication with the team.

We are extremely pleased with White Crane. From the beginning, they had great ideas and kept our budget in mind. They made the design process very easy. Donella had already talked with us got to know our style before we started and she was able to narrow down our choices. We really liked that we didn't need to visit every vendor to pick out tile, counter tops, paint, fixtures, etc. - almost everything was in the office. And the computer rendering was really helpful in imagining our spaces. Communication was excellent. We had weekly update meetings with our project manager, but if something came up in the interim, we would send a note and the issue was addressed right away. And the workmanship of the finished project is great. Everything is solid, looks fantastic, and works perfectly. We have only good things to say about White Crane!

White Crane did a wonderful job from the moment they came to our home for our initial meeting through the final walk through of the work! They presented us with design options that were totally suited to what we described as our needs. All of the White Crane staff we worked with with highly experienced, professional, prompt, courteous and responsive. The design staff provided wonderful options for all of the materials and accessories and the project manager was at all of our meetings and coordinated and executed the project on schedule and within our budget. This is the third time we have worked with White Crane and have always found their work to be outstanding and their coordination, communication and consideration during the remodeling work made the process a pleasant experience! We have a gorgeous new master bathroom and love everything about it!

Wonderful experience. On schedule, all employees and subs friendly and professional. Listened to what we wanted and came up with designs that fit our lifestyle.

fantastic so far it's in process

They were very professional, prompt.  They honored their commitments.  They had excellent follow-up.  They met with me to discuss concerns or questions I might have had along the process.  They stood behind the quality of their work.  

We were very happy with the final outcome! We had two egress windows installed, a bathroom with shower, custom built in shelves, new carpeting, painting, handrail and solid doors (stained), and trim work for our basement remodel. Our project manager, Bill Braniff, was always personable, professional, and prompt throughout the project. We had concerns about spray foam insulation that Bill helped us address and he helped us find an alternative solution that would provide enough R-value for insulation needs in the new areas of the basement. Both Bill and White Crane's designer Katie were attentive to our preference for low-VOC for paint, caulk, stain, etc. Due to our son's asthma and other family members' sensitivity to VOC, it was a crucial issue that White Crane handled with genuine care. We were living in our home during the remodel. We were very pleased with how White Crane managed all the parts of the project (subcontractors, noise, dust, communication) and how well they minimized the disruption as best they could day to day. Robin was always prompt and took time and attention to carpentry (and many other!) details. Overall, we would recommend White Crane to others to consider for a remodeling project. We appreciated their ability to work in collaboration with us -- always addressing issues that came up in a timely manner and being friendly and patient with our young children. We are very happy with the quality of the finished remodel of our basement. White Crane uses subcontractors who are solid in skill and reliability. We have a wonderful space that we use for our family time and for guests!

Could not be happier! White Crane and the entire crew(including sub contractors) exceeded our expectations. White Crane's entire process is very well thought out and worked well for our project. The design process was straight forward and very well guided. They stuck to their timeline and kept the job site clean every day! Having a experienced project manager went a long was for us. We love the new space in our home and can't wait to have white Crane do more work for us.

The entire White Crane team was wonderful. Responsive, professional and attentive to details, they handled the job effectively gave us a beautiful end product. When issues arose they worked with us to find the best solutions possible. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a quality builder/remodeler! Can't wait for the next project!

Their attention to detail is amazing, they are responsive, listen attentively, and our fun to work with! The remodel was a big project and at times when I was stressed and having a melt down, the project manager and senior designer listened and affirmed and addressed my concerns. And the work was done with the highest standard.

Working with White Crane Construction through an extensive, (nearly) whole house remodel was a great experience. We talked to a number of potential partners to work with on our remodeling project, but I felt like I had an immediate connection with Susan (owner) and Katie, our designer. One of the biggest challenges for our remodel was our lower level. It was a half-finished, unheated space that was not really used by the family. Katie worked with us to get to know us and our family, learn how we wanted to use the space, and then designed our basement to gain the maximum utility for the space. We went from a basement with a functioning bathroom, dingy laundry and utility area and no living space, to a beautiful lower level. We added a 4th bedroom, a comfortable and cozy den that is great both for the family and also for our kids to have friends over as teenagers, and a space for crafting. Our experience with White Crane was as good as I think you could ask for when working with any contractor. Noah, our project manager, met with us regularly to update us, make decisions when necessary, and answer our questions. Inevitably when you renovate an older home (this one was built in 1914) you come across unexpected conditions that you have to deal with. When that happened, Noah and Katie were on top of it. When we wanted to make changes, I really appreciated the fact that they would discuss the cost-benefit of what we wanted to do as if they were spending their own money. And finally, the project came in on schedule.

We had been planning and researching a major remodeling project for years on our 1924 home. We had spoken to multiple high end contractors, who either wanted to take up to a year to complete the project, or were intent on designing what they thought we should have even if it compromised the integrity of an already marvelous house. However, when we spoke to White Crane, THEY LISTENED! As is common with homes of this era, the motivation was to add a powder room on the main floor and create better flow to the back entry/mudroom. We needed to redo the kitchen, back entry to make it all come together. White Crane came up with a wonderful design that met all our needs within the existing footprint of the house, within our price range and timeline. The design and their reputation got them the project. Their project management led by Bill, our Project Manager, allowed us to sleep at night. They were on top of everything. Very committed. Communication was great. All was completed beyond our expectations. Contact White Crane Construction for your remodeling needs.

We again worked with designer Katie and Project Manager Bill. This was a tricky project due to the MAC requirements of the exterior door and sidelight but that team found solutions and we were able to move forward in a timely manner. Katie and Bill are a great team. We love the finished project and it gave us the access to our outdoor space that our home was desperately lacking. Jake, their carpenter, built a beautiful and very sturdy deck while protecting the old stucco. At the end of the project, we had one pending issue with the downspout that had to be reworked due to the deck railing. They did not give up until a solution was implemented. That type of follow through is very appreciated and will keep us going back to White Crane and recommending them. Thanks guys!

We again worked with designer Katie and Project Manager Bill. This was a tricky project due to the MAC requirements of the exterior door and sidelight but that team found solutions and we were able to move forward in a timely manner. Katie and Bill are a great team. We love the finished project and it gave us the access to our outdoor space that our home was desperately lacking. Jake, their carpenter, built a beautiful and very sturdy deck while protecting the old stucco. At the end of the project, we had one pending issue with the downspout that had to be reworked due to the deck railing. They did not give up until a solution was implemented. That type of follow through is very appreciated and will keep us going back to White Crane and recommending them. Thanks guys!

My husband and I hired White Crane Construction to do a kitchen addition to our 1929 tudor and give the main living areas an overall much needed facelift. 
We had spent several years meeting with various builders and designers in the Twin Cities, White Crane was the first to come into our home, listen to our ideas and say, "Yes! We can do what you want in your budget!" Katie Jayden, their Senior Designer, was very clear about what our options would be to stick to our budget, keeping us financially in check throughout the entire process. Never having done anything like this before, we were worried about surprise bills or being over budget, because that's what always happens on HGTV, right? When we signed the contract, we were given a payment schedule and not one time were we billed more than what we planned for. In fact, one payment was even lower than planned due to some demo work we had done.
We started our project in November, we were worried about the weather and staying warm while we were missing a roof and walls in our old kitchen. White Crane's and our Project Manager, Bill Braniff, and all the subs took extra care to keep us warm, putting up zipper doors, extra insulation, temporary heaters whatever was needed to do to keep us warm. One night after our dog had tried to go through the zipped up door and tore it down, Bill came over that evening to fix it so our family would be warm. Through every step of the project they were attentive to us was at that level. They were onsite every day at 7am, working hard and addressing any concerns (which were few) we had within hours.
It's April now and our project is pretty much complete. Our kitchen and main living spaces turned out better than we could have ever imagined, they are all so beautiful. The design and materials used are on par with what I see in magazines and we feel very, very lucky to have this space in our home. I have no doubt that our A+ building experience and the finished product has everything to do with White Crane and their work ethic/style. I honestly have to say I miss all the subs being around, we really enjoyed getting to know them. I hope that if you are thinking of remodeling you will consider using White Crane, I am so glad we did! 

While searching for a company to do the remodel we interviewed a few different contractors.  Ultimately, we chose WCC based on our positive initial interaction with them, their design software and their detailed and thoroughly documented bid/design process.   

On our first call to WCC we spoke to Katie, a designer, who talked to us about our ideas, budget and general scope of what we wanted to do.  About a week later we had a meeting at our property to evaluate the project further.   This was followed by measurements, photos, and estimates.

The design process was very detailed and thorough.  Katie took the necessary time to understand not only the makeup of our home, but also our style, our budget, and our goal to make our living space functional with how we live.  Her commitment to understanding our goals built instant trust in her.  One thing we appreciated about the design process with WCC was their 3D design software that allowed us to visualize our ideas; this was incredibly helpful.  We are both visual people and would not have been able to envision our project through blue prints alone.  We appreciated the fact that the design meetings took place in their comfortable office space with the proper technology and samples available to make the decision process a lot smoother.  WCC was flexible and took our schedules into account when planning design sessions. Katie was very helpful in would could have been a very overwhelming time, there are so many decisions that need to be made but she always kept us on track and had thoughtful options that showcased our style.

The construction process was set to take just over 3 months to complete.  We received a detailed calendar of the project milestones and completion dates.  Though we were not living at the home, WCC treated the jobsite like a lived in remodel. Given our excitement level, we visited two or three times per week to check out the progress and they did a very nice job keeping the worksite clean at the end of each day.  We were amazed at the level of coordination and how quickly they progressed.  After the first week the house was gutted and the addition was framed. 

Throughout the construction process we met with Noah, our project manager, multiple times to walk through the house to ensure their work was meeting our expectations.  The craftsmanship definitely exceeded my high expectations.   We appreciated Noah?s end of week updates on the progress of the project and his calm, confident demeanor which allowed us to relax knowing the project was in good hands.   We also felt it a positive that Katie (our designer) stayed engaged throughout the process to ensure that our plans translated appropriately into the work that was being done. 

We felt White Crane was quick to respond to any concerns or questions that came up.  Example: after the sheetrock was complete, we noticed one of the doors to be smaller than we expected.  Once our project manager was made aware of this, the door was reframed the next day. 

Overall WCC did a beautiful job with the home.  They kept the character/design of a 1946 house while incorporating many updates as well.  They added new archways perfectly matching the originals, renovated existing 1946 cabinets turning them into a wet bar, and transitioned new wood flooring into original wood flooring, seamlessly! 

We love our new home.  We have received so many compliments from friends/neighbors, even from others in the remodeling business.  We are very pleased with WCC?s work and would definitely recommend them to others.

The kitchen and main floor bathroom was a total "gut to the studs" and remodel.  We lived here through the last half of this.  White Crane and the team were great to work with.  The designer and project manager and carpenter were excellent to work with and fantastic at communication.  We were also very happy with the subs that they used.  Good people to have around the house and quality work.  Very pleased with the process and end result.

Following our recent completion of a whole house remodeling project, I highly recommend the services of White Crane. Their tastefully designed sign in our yard from March through August is an apt metaphor of that experience. It incorporates clean, creative, and simple lines on a solid base, and it was part of our yard each day over 5 months without getting in the way. We wanted a creative, intelligent and communicative general contractor, who shared our vision of the space we wanted remodeled. We interviewed three general contractors- all known for quality work, and decided that White Crane was the one best able to shepherd us through the decisions and project issues we would encounter. Our decision was based in large part on the initial meeting we had with Design Architect, Lynne Shears. Her enthusiasm for the project and how it addressed the character and charm of our home was bolstered by her demonstrated professional knowledge and confidence. She impressed us in person, but we also looked for her work online and saw the awards she had won for work with other projects, with a focus on kitchen design. As we began planning, our following meetings were highly productive. She presented choices reflecting our agreed direction, and we were able to move quickly to make decisions. Our project divided into two major stages. Twice we had to move ourselves and whole rooms of furniture out of the way as we went from the first stage to the next. No corner of the house remained untouched, and we planned and executed our moves with White Crane?s help, while living in the house and sharing our space with subs. We maintained weekly communication with our Project Manager, Noah Martin. His team of White Crane support and subcontractors were friendly, professional and very easy to work with and around. He was responsive to requests, and kept us abreast of any activity that impacted us. This was a complex project with different subs for heating, plumbing, electrical carpentry, cabinetry, tiling, floors, sheetrock and taping and painting. All contract work remained on schedule throughout, while accommodating: work changes that developed, such as unforeseen reinforcement of joists; change orders we requested such as adding outlets, changing materials, and adding more painting to the overall project; and of course the moves we needed to make to get out of the way. We are very happy with the house they have turned back to us, and the way White Crane worked with us to make our home a place we will stay for years to come.

We had a very positive experience with White Crane.  From initial bidding all the way through punch list the design and construction team was professional, transparent, proficient, and responsive.  We worked with Lynne, who is one of their designers, to help us come up with a plan to remodel the kitchen in our 1916 Mac Groveland home.  She listened to what was important to us and came up with a design that reflected what we wanted.  She had her own great ideas as well, many of which we gladly incorporated.
The project included total demo of the kitchen (including new floor), moving the location of the backdoor of the house, building out a new storage space and reinsulating in the attic, and opening up and rehabilitating the large front porch of the house.
The project manager - Noah - was engaged, communicated reasonably well, and was on top of all the details regarding schedule.  The construction crew was professional and tidied up their workspace at the end of every day.  The quality of the work was top-shelf.  In particular the carpentry was beautiful and matched the style of the rest of the home perfectly.  
Lynne stayed engaged throughout the whole project to make sure that construction reflected the design.  Communication between designer and construction teams was great.  In fact, Lynne knew many of the contractors.  It was very helpful to have Lynne to suggest colors, finishes, and fixtures, in addition to doing the core architecture for the project.
White Crane wasn't cheap, but the project came in on time and at budget.  It was estimated to be a 10 week project and they stuck to that schedule.  Change orders were minor and very reasonable.
We are very happy with the kitchen, the attic, and the porch.  We would hire White Crane again without a second thought.

I have never used a General Contractor before.  WC staff are very talented and professional and guided me thru a million decisions and choices in the planning stage.  I always felt listened to and that my choices and style and desires were pulled in to the planning process. 
I received an excellent work book listing all details of the project and a calendar with dates/deadlines, which was invaluable.    
We had a major glitch with one sub contractor and it was handled immediately and very well.  The client came first.  
All calls/emails were returned promptly, all concerns were addressed right away, all questions were answered very well and in a detailed fashion.   All appointments were honored and both staff were always on time for meetings.  
I was told when all workers would be here and what they would be doing.  I was informed about when I had to leave the premises due to fumes, etc.  
Near the end of the project we met and agreed on a list of odds/ends that needed to be addressed and they were.    
I had a problem with the back order of a light and they adjusted the schedule so it could be installed.  
I would refer WC to any friends or neighbors and I would use them again.  I love my new first floor!

Generally very well. Susan, Lynne and Caleb were good to work with, responsive to questions and concerns and kept on top of the sub-contractors getting everything done in proper sequence.  It does pay to be clear in your intended use of the space. Working with Lynne we went from our initial idea of one big room with a bathroom awkwardly in the corner somehow to splitting the addition into two sides, one a nice big Music Room with the piano in it, the other the Mudroom with a big long closet (something sorely lacking in our house), some handy kitchen cabinets, a space plumbed for a washer/dryer at some point, a broom closet and a bathroom with shower. The traffic patterns might have been weird with this, but Lynne suggested that we cut a doorway in our living room wall; this was a brilliant idea that had never occurred to us, and it was cut with an arched top just like our kitchen doorway and now looks like it has always been there. In fact the whole addition looks like that, photos of the old one just look shabby and awkward. There are other details; we had put underfloor heating in the kitchen and adore it. The mudroom is a tile floor as well and we went with underfloor heating in there and the bathroom, with the bathroom also having a cast iron baseboard radiator. Caleb from White Crane worked with the city inspectors to get approval for this, saving us having to have a radiator in the mudroom. White Crane suggested that we use one of the old radiators from the upstairs back porch getting torn off. They had it sandblasted and painted and it is the heat for the Music Room, a nice re-use that looks exactly right in the house. They incorporated a set of cherry doors we already owned on a closet. They indulged my desire for an indoor-switched outlet under the soffit for Christmas lights.  White Crane were completely integral to the success of the addition. The design work was excellent, the general contractor and project manager role was invaluable and not a task I'd want to take on as a novice to this, and the schedule was adhered to and the pricing about right. White Crane was clear on their pricing; we paid for design services initially, then took them on as contractor.  They were clear also on the pricing of various options; we had the exterior painting done by them, for instance, but took on the interior painting ourselves.

Extremely well managed project.  Respectful and professional staff.  Very much appreciated that the job site was left clean at the end of each day.  It was helpful to know a couple days prior what aspect of the project would be worked on and which sub contractors would be on site.  End result is beautiful.

We are very happy with our experience with White Crane. They
provided high quality work and professionalism throughout our project. We liked
that they are a local company that combines design and construction - making
the process of our renovation project run smoothly and efficiently. We had a
number of decisions to make and a lot of communication to coordinate - all of
which went really well thanks to great organization and ideas. Lynne was great
with design and our project manager, Bill, was awesome. Susan runs a fantastic
business and is attentive to questions and needs. After new windows and sliding
glass door were completed on rear of the house ? Susan was attentive to the
exterior paint needing to be done so that it didn?t look mismatched to the
original ? so they painted the entire rear to match the original. We have a
beautiful home with comfortable spaces for our family. White Crane provided
attention to detail and quality for all aspects of our renovation.

Lynne, their designer is extraordinary and understood exactly what we wanted, needed and focused on the ?little? and big things that we most appreciate on a daily basis. They transformed an eyesore of a bathroom into a showplace.  Our kitchen, great room, entry, floors and entire basement are amazing, comfortable and beautiful living spaces that reflect our style perfectly. We?ve referred several people, all of whom choose White Crane once they see our home. We couldn?t be happier and plan to use White Crane again in our next home.

The project went very well!  
The space in the attic was a very tricky space with tightly angled walls/ceilings, not an easy design for a bathroom and closet area.
The end result is great, great flow and amazing use of space . . . it is now my master suite retreat!
I worked with Katie (Designer at White Crane) on all the design details and finishes, we worked together to keep the budget in line.  I showed her some designs that I liked and she had great ideas and finishes all selected as options for me to choose, which made it easy to complete the design details.
The central air and heat is working great up there . . . I was afraid it would still be quite a bit hotter upstairs in these summer months, but its the end of July and its only a few degrees hotter up there, I am very pleased with how that turned out.  The thermostat is downstairs and I keep it at 73 in the summer and I sleep upstairs comfortably, even on the hot days.
Caleb (White Crane Project Manager) was great . . . he was on top of all the details, all the contractors, inspections, and the dependencies between them.  We kept in touch weekly at a minimum, he let me know what would be happening each week/day; and between if needed . . . and of course in person at the house often.  He negotiated all the issues that came up with the subcontractors and gave me good options and needed info when I needed to make decisions and trade offs.  He brought Katie into the dialog when it potentially impacted design.  Caleb was a master of the schedule and kept it on track, even getting inspectors out asap to keep things moving.  I have pets and an alarm system and we figured out how to make all that work with all the workers coming in, even when I was traveling for work.  He is very easy to work with and easy to have those tough construction discussions with.
I found all the contractors White Crane used to be polite, courteous, and professional.  They all had a good sense of when to ask me something if I was home and when to call Caleb.  
Susan (White Crane owner) was in touch with the project from beginning to end, making sure all was meeting expectations on all fronts.