Schrader and Company, Inc

We hired Schrader because of the positive reviews, however I believe that the direction of the company has changed from restoring older homes to new construction. All of the men that did work on the house were professional, skilled and solution-oriented when faced with the many problems of an older home. However, the owners attempted a few times to attribute design problems to the "character" of an old home. At times we felt that our "small" six figure project was mocked because we were unable to fit their particle board/melamine cabinets and other high end finishes into the budget. Unfortunately, we mistakenly used the sales team as a design team. We were agressively sold an expensive subcontracted banister which was installed into stairs that will need to be rebuilt even after requesting that it should be done last only if the budget allows. If you use Schrader because of their excellent master craftsmen and woodworking abilities, use an independent design group that provides true to scale digital renderings and follows the project to finish. It is a conflict of interest to involve the sales team during the design process. Also, subcontract as much as you can on your own. We had many small electrical, plumbing, sheet-rocking and tiling issues that were never resolved because we didn't notice them soon enough. Overall, everything was built to code, and I'm happy with the outcome, but the project ran way over budget and aesthetic details were not resolved in a fair manner. Don't be fooled by google and Facebook reviews. They have negative reviews deleted.

We have a turn of the century house that probably had the kitchen added in the 1920s. What I especially appreciated about the team at Schrader was their experience with, and respect for, old homes. While some contractors/designers we contacted preferred to just gut the kitchen and start fresh, the folks at Schrader worked with me to keep the original built-in cupboards (with their glass-windowed doors), to find a way to feature an old Hoosier cabinet that had been hidden in a pantry, and in general to keep the architectural features and items that lent character to the kitchen and eating nook. Our kitchen is relatively small, and Jeremiah (who took the lead on the construction project) went so far as to lay out cardboard templates of the island and oven door, so we could test out the best placement and be sure there woulld be enough room for me to work with the new layout. The team worked well with surprises, such as rotted out floors and bad water pipes. Workers were always there when they said they would be, and did a remarkable job in cleaning up the place after each day's work; they set up plastic "walls" to seal off our living area from dust generated in the renovation.The project took longer than I had hoped, and cost more than we would have liked, but that was not at all their fault. The people from Schrader listened seriously to my needs and preferences, and worked to design and create a kitchen that would work for the house and my family. They had great ideas and followed through with great craftsmanship. The result was a very charming and beautiful kitchen that is also wonderfully functional. I love working in my new kitchen.

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We found Schrader and Co when we were calling around to find someone to install antique hardware in a couple of pocket doors that we were installing in our home. They were the only ones who were not only willing to do it - but were excited about the job. The doors are extremely large and the hardware had to be custom installed due to the width of the doors. Robert and John are so talented - they were able to get the measurements down to 1/100 of an inch so they fit perfectly. While we were there for our pocket doors, we saw their showroom and examples of their cabinetry. We enjoyed our pocket door experience so much that we actually changed directions on our kitchen and decided to have them draw up plans and an estimate. Needless to say - the kitchen is stunning and it was not an easy job. Our home is over 100 years old and due to settling, the kitchen space actually varies from one corner to another by about 4and quot; - this does not sound like a lot but when you are installing floor to ceiling cabinets with baseboard, crown molding, lower cabinets and two rows of upper cabinets - getting the job to come out perfect is extremely difficult. Everyone who comes through the kitchen thinks that it belongs in a magazine - it's a perfect blend of modern conveniences (soft close drawers and doors), antique finishing (to blend with the age of the home) and flawless installation. We would not have done anything differently. In terms of cost - my husband and I had priced out kitchens (fully loaded - a similar design as what we had Schrader do) and while Schrader probably cost us 5% more in total... we are certain that saving that 5% would have cost us in other ways. Cannot say enough about how kind the whole team is and how easy they are to work with and how absolutely FLAWLESS their work is.

We highly recommend Schrader for work if you truly value the investment in your home and the outstanding quality of the work done on it. Long ago we decided that no one else is permitted to work on our home. With builders here every day for five months for our addition, we were delighted to see them every day and work with them as the usual questions arose. They were a pleasure to have in the house. They kept everything clean and picked up daily - on every job they have ever done for us. All work is done on a specific contract basis so there are no cost surprises at the end. The addition project was actually fun and fascinating to do and definitely way above the mediocre experiences we have heard about from other builders. The addition was carefully planned to meld with our 1928 Colonial style house. The cabinetry work is superb. They stand behind their work if problems should occur. If anything goes wrong, they fix it immediately. The additional people brought in (roofing or heating, for example) are highly qualified as well. The business interface is very professional. The people are wonderful to work with. We can not compare prices since we did not bother to get other quotes for our work. Having tried other firms in the early years of our home ownership, we would never try anyone but Schrader now.

They are expensive, but they very high quality. We have had very positive experiences with them. We did get a quote from them for some work that we wanted to do, but we didn't have the money to do it at the time. We have a very old Victorian Era house, so things are not standard. They are excellent at that kind of work. They appreciate the style of our house. They are good at figuring out custom work. They are very good at explaining everything. We got a very detailed contract of what everything that they were going to do was. We didn't go with them for this latest thing simply because we don't like to borrow money to do home improvements. We would use them again. We are anticipating that we will go ahead with some of the ideas that we have. With regard to price, they are more expensive. But things that we want high quality work, we have to pay for it. Otherwise it is not worth paying that much money for something that is less important to us.

The fit and finish was phenomenal. Very easy going and great to work with. Price was a bit higher than I expected. All in all I would recommend them to anyone. They did everything.

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I liked their professional approach and their knowledge. I liked their timeliness as well. The overall experience with them was excellent. They are expensive but I didn't get any other estimates, and so I don't know what other people charge. They were excellent in everything else.

The man was very cooperative. He always cleaned up after a days work which I found to be great because then I didn t have to be looking at the mess everyday. He was always on time and the price was very good because he brought the cabinet doors and took care of everything so I didn't have to myself.