John Gehri Zerrer Builder

My home was almost entirely rebuilt from the inside out, including all new roof framing, significant other re-framing, mostly new doors, windows and interior finishes, all new HVAC and mostly new electrical and plumbing systems. Zerrer's finish carpentry work was good, which is the reason I didn't give him an F for quality, but his project management, cost estimation, and attention to basic details were terrible. I had to have almost all recessed downlights replaced because he installed uninsulated lights instead of the insulated ones called for in the architect's drawings. I had to have significant additional insulation added because there was cold air coming in at several places. After problems with a shower curb I learned that he had used regular drywall instead of a waterproof underlay and had to have it replaced at my expense. Zerrer refused responsibility for any of these problems, and I was forced to sue him. He lost and had to repay me for my direct expenses, but the compensation did not come close to making me whole. I am aware of one other very recent incident where one of Zerrer's clients had to threaten a lawsuit because of his work practices. I also know three other former clients who would never use him again. Although I do know one client of his who raves about his work, that was unfortunately not even close to my experience with him. Caveat emptor!

John worked with us on the design from the start and made suggestions that held true to the concept and yet let us make our budget and quality desires. His crew and sub contractors were outstanding in both the quality of the work and the manner in which they went about their work day in and day out. He addressed township issues, weather issues, changes in plans, overcame some surprises as you always find in these projects. We had to be away for two weeks during the project and he kept us in the loop with email, texts and pictures. He quickly addressed the punch list at the end with the one issue we found and we are very pleased with the outcome. He held his team accountable, answered all of our questions, and was a pleasure to deal with.  We will use him on our next project and I have already recommended him to friends.

John Zerrer did a great job building my house. I interviewed a number of builders and it was clear John Zerrer has a good knowledge of techniques and materials. Most of them do. What separated him from the others was his craftsmanship, and his sense of proportion and balance. This was important to me as I was involved in the design and needed someone who understood my intentions. His whole crew was tuned-in to the project, and cared about doing it right. Without question, Zerrer was the right choice. During construction Zerrer always looked out for our interests. My wife and I could trust that he would do what was needed to satisfy our wishes and always tell us the truth. We had some unusual and unexpected complications (there always are) and they were taken care of competently and quickly. He understood what mattered to us. The house ended winning the American Institute of Architecture award. Considering all the design decisions that have to be made during construction, the contribution of Zerrer and his crew was crucial. But more important than that, the house is well built and gorgeous. Inevitably, a guest will admire the craftsmanship and design and say, ?they don?t build them like that anymore.? Actually, John Zerrer does.

We were extremely pleased with John's work and that of the sub-contractors with which he worked. John was on the site every day either overseeing the work, or doing it himself. He was always professional, enthusiastic, and up front about the costs and time the job would take. He gave us great ideas about finishing trim and even milled it himself. Our house is beautiful and well built. If we had to do it over again, we would hire John.

Zerrer's finished carpentry work is good, but there were numerous examples of poor coordination of subcontractors, plus faulty insulation, that made a potentially good outcome a disaster.