WHEELER & SON CONSTRUCTION CO

Claude Wheeler is old school - the type of contractor and man that you want to work with. He sat down with my wife and I from the very beginning to better understand our intent - to make our outdated kitchen into something modern and comfortable and inviting. But without spending a ton. We had a budget and his first estimate respected that budget. Then he told us in the most open and affable way - Claude has a dry sense of humor - that he would be willing to spend our money if we wanted to consider such and such an upgrade (we did some). But never pushy. And then he brought in his subcontractors to also understand our desirata and work with us in designing our kitchen. I note here that Claude has worked with many of these people for 20+ years. They trust and admire Claude; it was a good working relationship but with "Mr. Wheeler" clearly in command. From there we moved to timelines - he promised us our kitchen in 2 weeks (as opposed to others who suggested 4-5 weeks) because he said he would have everything lined up before he began work. And he did. Claude also provided us with a clear and simple contract spelling out our mutual obligations. And references; we went out to see one of his jobs and the people we spoke with were glowing in their appraisal. They proved correct. The work began on schedule and proceeded smoothly. Claude kept up apprised of minor glitches - as when he discovered some wiring in the soffits that required unexpected work and more money (but only another $255.00) and he promptly addressed unexpected issues such as a stud in one wall that was warped slightly. He could have hidden it over but instead had it ripped out - requiring refacing of the just installed drywall - at no additional cost. Because he's a perfectionist and a craftsman. (Another example: We had asked that workmen use a downstairs bathroom. When it appeared that one of the new guys doing floor installation hadn't gotten that message and used my wife's upstairs, Claude dropped some nice cosmetics stuff off for my wife to make up for it.) Claude and his guys also did a few "little extras" for us at no additional cost, such as installing some drape tie backs in the dining room. Two weeks later, we had a 95% complete kitchen. And a beautiful one at that. The minor things that still needed to be addressed - a cabinet that had a minor flaw that we probably wouldn't have noticed if Claude hadn't pointed it out - will be concluded shortly. Claude and his team are responsive and responsible. Excellent work at a fair price. We will use him again for other projects we have planned in future. Juan & Nancy Alsace