Chermak Construction Inc

We loved the superb work that they did for us. Each element was done to perfection. Our ADA compliant bathroom needs were met by Vince Scott, our Site Supervisor, and Jacin Morgan our tiler. Each of the subs were excellent. That is an important element when hiring a contractor – they are only as good as their subs! Vince Scott led each of them to work closely with me to measure every element needed to make the bathroom fit my needs – and future needs. Each inch was confirmed! His carpentry work and finish work was superb! Jason Matthews was our project manager who made sure that we had the choices necessary to make the projects safe and beautiful. The subs that he had for us were Lobresti Cabinets for a unique design with an option for future wheelchair use. Progressive Plumbing were exceptionally careful about exactly where the handheld should be as well as the install of the Kohler Digital Valve for remote temperature control. Distinctive Glass gave us a gorgeous and smooth custom designed barn-door style shower glass with plenty of glass options. CounterFix did a gorgeous job of helping us choose a fully “Grout Free” shower base and walls! Stunning choices, thank you, Jason and the team. A truly worry-free experience.

It was very very good. Very professional.

Overall, we had a poor experience working with Chermak Construction. The reason we chose Chermak over other companies was because they're a company that does as-built measurements, 3D design, and construction. The as-built and design phases were disappointing, to say the least. They measured and re-measured the space incorrectly and presented designs that weren't even possible with the given space. We never ended up getting a design that gave us a clear picture of what the room would look and feel like. The communication between design and our, so called, Project Manager (Mark Lowe) was very poor. These things should have been a red flag for us to pull from the company and go with another, however, we had already spent $1100 for the design and weren't willing to go through the process of finding another company again. The issues of poor communication and mistakes continued to present themselves throughout the construction phase of the project as well. Plumbing, electrical, and roof vents were installed incorrectly and had to be re-done. Mark Lowe was difficult to talk to and unprofessional throughout the project. We consistently had to follow up with him when we'd e-mail him with questions, he consistently showed up late for meetings (or not show up), didn't take notes at meetings, and he would roll his eyes at us when he didn't agree with us. Sub contractors and inspectors would show up at our house without any warning and wouldn't always know what they were supposed to do, so I'd have to tell them. The project was completed two weeks late and the end result of the new room is usable but not what we expected. I believe Chermak took advantage of us and overcharged us for this project. They also didn't give us an Angie's List discount. This should have been a very easy project for a company of their size but it proved to be more than they were able to handle. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to work with them on a major re-model project. We had a conference call with the owner (Noah France) to express our concerns at the end of the project, and he did listen, but we did not leave that meeting feeling satisfied that these issues wouldn't happen again for someone else. We thought, as an owner, he'd be embarrassed by how poorly this project was managed and implemented but he didn't seem all that surprised. If you are still reading this, please steer clear of Chermak Construction.

After several years of putting it off, we decided to jump into a kitchen remodel. Our kitchen was small, cramped and pretty low quality from the prior owner's kitchen remodel. Lots of shortcuts and compromises were made and the kitchen was starting to literally crumble. After going to the Home Remodel expo in Seattle, we had 2 contractors come out and give us an initial consultation. We chose Chermak and are very happy we did. Although they could not give us an accurate estimate of our remodel, they did have some market data that would give us a rough idea of where we would come in at. The actual estimate could not be provided until we agreed to a design service that would map out our new kitchen. This was about $2,000 but would be used towards the full price of the kitchen remodel should we decide to continue with the project. Our original bid was $90,000 including tax. The final contract came in at $100,000. There were a couple of change orders that had to be done due to unforeseen issues (electrical, plumbing, etc) that could not have been predicted. We also added a change order to replace all the molding and door trim in our entire upstairs to better match the look and colors of the new kitchen (so glad we did this). The project stared as scheduled. Our project manager was Michael Regan, and our construction superintendent was Eric Andrews. Michael was great. We had weekly meetings every Friday with him and Eric to discuss the project in full detail as it progressed. Sometimes these meetings were short, other times they were up to an hour, but we were never rushed and all our concerns and questions were dealt with. Eric was fantastic. I was so impressed with his professionalism, concern for our project, and his skills as a contractor. He truly treated this project as if it were his own home. He never took shortcuts, had tons of issues to overcome and made sure they were to our satisfaction. He kept in communications with us during the entire project. As with any remodel project, there are hiccups. Our project was scheduled for about 2 months, but we ended up just short of 3. We had some issues with refinishing our hardwood floors where the subcontractor used the wrong material and the finish started failing after just a couple of weeks (this was right in the middle of the project), so the floors had to be stripped and refinished again. Chermak paid for our second hotel stay while we had to vacate the house. It was a stressful situation, because we knew it was going to delay the project (and we were getting sick of making food in the garage and washing dishes in the bathtub downstairs!), but from our experience in working with Eric we knew it was eventually going to get done right. And in the end it did...our hardwoods look fantastic and they're holding up just fine. There were other delays such as bringing things up to code, and a mismeasurement on our cabinets that required ordering a smaller replacement cabinet. But during these issues Eric was able to continue working on other aspects of the project to keep it moving the best he could. We did all the painting ourselves to save on some costs, and Chermak worked this into their schedule so we had the weekends to get the painting done. At one point they even removed some crown molding they had installed to allow us to do a better job painting, which was a huge help. Eric also gave us some pointers on painting walls and ceilings, and it worked perfectly (I’ve never been so happy with a paint job than the way our painting turned out!). As you can see from the pictures, the project was a big success. They tore out an entire wall which completely opened up the upstairs space. An island was installed giving us at least 2x the countertop space than we had before. The sink and range were swapped. The refrigerator was moved to the outside wall of the kitchen, which required moving the front door to the left a couple of feet and re-locating a heating vent into the bottom of the island. They also took over part of our garage and installed a new walk in pantry accessible from the dining room. Although I rated them a “B” on pricing, I’m pretty sure the price of our remodel was right on par with any contractor this size, how hot the remodel market is right now, and the scope of our project. It just amazes me that a kitchen remodel costs about 1/5 of the total value of the house itself! Overall I was extremely happy with Chermak, and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a project like ours. We have a brand new kitchen that really makes our house feel like a new home.

The guy that came spent a lot of paid time smoking. The job was estimated to take much less time and cost much less money. Not only did he waste my money by charging me for all his smoking and break time but he complained a lot to. I'm sure there are much better handymen out there. Wouldn't risk using again.

Chermak is fantastic to work with!  We came to them with our ideas and they beautifully translated our vision into reality.
We would use them again without hesitation!
To see before and after photos, go to Chermak's website
then Gallery - Exteriors and Outdoor Living - Outdoor Room

Our home is almost 100 years old. Translation: every project brings unusual challenges. Our Chermak team came up with creative solutions that not only solved the problems but also produced very tasteful and attractive results. They were professional, prompt and responsive. We could not be more pleased with their work and look forward to having them do other projects for us.

We had a great experience from beginning to end. Our PM was professional and helpful, the lead contractor was too. They communicated well and we always knew what was coming up.

They did a fantastic job. I would use them again.

Not very well. By the end of the project the lead carpenter and the lead project manager were let go.

The first company replaced the wooden handrails around the deck but he wouldn’t touch the deck after, so I paid him to go away. I paid Chermak to come out and redo what he did and do the deck. They were expensive and probably a bit more than other people. They were willing to work in the cold winter. I had three coats of acrylic put down on the deck surface they replaced. They put it down in the middle of winter and they had people working out there when it was freezing. I think I would recommend him. The cost included the materials and labor. They did a good job and that is what I wanted to begin with. The service is good and the quality is good. I don’t have any problems with their work.

It was a wonderful experience.  They are a full service company.  They gave me a project coordinator and he dealt with everything.  Their professionalism was outstanding.

They did a great job. Their price point was a little high but the quality was very good. You pay for it but they are good. They did good followup and good attention to detail.

Chermak assisted in finding a corner vanity for a small powder room and then did a total remodel of that area. The flooring was replaced in the laundry room. The company assisted in finding the best flooring for that area. At all times we were kept appraised of what was going to happen when. The project was done well and on time.

We got off to a slow start when the initial project/sales manager on our case left Chermak without ever really getting started on our work. But that turned out to be a blessing when the new manager, Jon Elkins, stepped in.
Jon is an excellent communicator. He not only kept us informed at every step, as part of his work he also persuaded our insurance company to more than double its initial estimate and pay fully for the part of the work caused by the backup. He ensures quality in the work performed on his projects, and he's just a very decent guy to work with -- something I also could say about the lead carpenter for our basement project, Chris Claussen. Chris was the onsite manager, and besides his skills as a carpenter turned out to be an excellent creative problem solver.
Chermak's brand seems to be, and quot;Excellent quality at a fair price.and quot; They didn't try to be the lowest bidder, but they delivered work that always met and often exceeded expectations. Chermak employs its own carpenters. In the case of our basement, subcontractors supplied flooring, shower tile, plumbing, electrical, wallboard, cabinets, counters and painting. They came when they said they would and efficiently performed first quality work. The plumber Chermak used was our regular company, South County. The floor guy, Fred, did an excellent job with the Marmoleum and the LVT, brought a tear in the new carpet to our attention and fully advised us on our options. I'd use him again in a heartbeat.
If it weren't for the torn carpet, Chermak would have finished the job two weeks early. But we chose to replace the carpet rather than have Fred repair the tear, and the replacement got stuck in East Coast snows and who knows what else. As it was, we finished one week behind the initial schedule. We were ok with that.
How did we feel about the work overall? Chermak exceeded our expectations and was a pleasure to do business with.
Update: With Jon Elkins' help, since this review we have used Chermak to replace the stairs and railing and repair joists on our wood deck, replace a sliding glass door and build two small garden sheds. As of this writing -- September 2014 -- we are using them to repair a damaged corner of our house. We continue to be very happy with Jon Elkins and Chermak, and expect to use them again in the near future.

We could not have had a better remodeling experience. We had had a smaller project done for us earlier by Chermak and were extremely pleased with the results and the carpenter who did the work. So, when we finally decided to start the kitchen remodel, we only got a bid from Chermak. Since it was very reasonable and came in at our target price, we were pleased. We did some of the demolition and painting ourselves, and there was no design work to be done since there were no changes in the layout of our kitchen. The project was estimated to take 6-8 weeks and has been completed in 4. All the subcontractors were very professional, knowledgeable, friendly and on time. Our lead carpenter, Chris, was amazing. He was so skilled and professional and he always had very good suggestions for solutions to little glitches that periodically came up (as expected with an older house). The work space was thoroughly cleaned up everyday and Chris carefully protected all the floors in the rest of the house. For the quality of all the workmanship and the professionalism of those doing the work, the cost of the project was more than reasonable. There's a lot to be said for the peace of mind you get when you work with people you can trust and who go out of their way to provide excellent service.

Started off pretty bumpy. Project manager told us he could meet the price estimates of other contractors, but we had to spend about $1000 to finish the design before we got a firm bid. Their cost ended up far higher than the original estimate. To be fair we added framing for a small deck so that was an added expense but nowhere near the add they levied on the project. Big markup on all of the materials they buy but they provide a warranty on those items. The schedule got stretched out a bit and progress slowed down as the workers were reassigned to other projects and fit us in when they could. Those issues aside, we got a spectacular bedroom suite that we absolutely love.
Their designer, Cat, is amazing; she is brimming with ideas and can speak both the customer and builder's languages. Her computer renderings of the design gave us a lot of confidence in making decisions. Our lead carpenter, Brad, is a gem. He is first class all the way, a superb carpenter, devoted to quality, great communication, super neat and tidy. He suggested several changes that really improved the design and execution of the project. Our experience with the other Chermak employees was similarly outstanding; all were courteous and very competent. They adhered to code and passed inspections with no problems. The inevitable problems that arose were solved quickly and without complaint. They went to great effort to control dust and mess and cleaned up at the end of each work day. The systems work was extensive here; lots of new plumbing runs, electrical wiring, floor heat, HVAC, etc... It all worked first time. They use high quality light fixtures and switchgear. The tile work turned out beautifully and was much more elegant than we could have come up with on our own.
In the end, we would recommend Chermak. Their work is impeccable. Be very clear with your expectations, scrutinize the contract and don't sign until you are completely happy with it. Hold the project manager accountable for schedule, cost overruns, overall contract compliance.

Their bid was more expensive but they have a good reputation and I wanted a local business. We started the design work almost 9 months before actually starting the work due to some family emergencies - this was not a problem for Chermak.
To keep labor costs down so I could spend more on materials two of us did all the demolition work to Chermak's requirements and disposed of the old materials. We did leave the under-layment of the floor for them to remove. This took a week. I also did all the painting and splash guard installation afterward. As a result we were able to get bamboo cabinets and a floating cork floor, Cambria counters and top-of-the line cabinets (made locally).
Nanr was the lead and she provided us with clear timelines, choices and suppliers for materials, phone numbers and names of the involved parties and a great deal of moral support which was extremely important. The weekly meetings kept us all informed and when there were problems they were dealt with quickly and professionally.
I was concerned about dust and noise but they did a good job of containment and because there was rarely more than 1 person working at a time the noise was both both predictable and manageable.
The forecast time of completion (5 weeks) and costs were as presented, even with a few mistakes made by suppliers. To make this happen I also had to stick to certain decision timelines which I was able to do. A couple small mistakes made in ordering that resulted in slightly higher costs were paid by Chermak.
They use almost no subcontractors and my only dissatisfaction was with the small business that did the wall and ceiling plastering work but Chermak worked hard to correct the problems in-house.
This was the first time I have ever worked with a contractor and the first time for a major house renovation and I had heard more than my share of horror stories. While the process was nothing Disney could make an animated film about - no dancing deer, banner-carrying birds or gluey music, it was also not the horror film I feared.
Bathroom remodels will be next - with Chermak and Nanr.

We had considered remodeling our kitchen for several months, but were reluctant to get started. We hired a designer to give us some ideas and that got us excited about the work. We interviewed a few contractors, from large to small firms, and were most comfortable with Matt from Chermak. He was both a designer and a carpenter himself and had lots of ideas that we liked. We had been warned by others that these jobs always take longer than advertised, so were preapred for the worst Matt estimated 8 weeks to complete the job. Suffice it to say we were overjoyed when the job was completed 8 weeks and 1 day later (we decided to have the stair treads replaced the final week and that took the extra day. Our lead carpenter, Spencer, was a gem -- very talented, professional, and courteous. He and Matt both brought great ideas to our job. We worked a variety of sub-contractors for selecting cabinets, countertops, tile, etc -- all great folks. You may pay a bit more with Chermak, but the peace of mind that that brought was well worth it to us. They had the manpower to bring to the jobsite when the need demanded to keep them on schedule. They worked with us to trim costs where we felt we could, and pointed out where we could best strategically cut costs based on their experience. Jeff, the Chermak electrician, was also a pleasure to work with. He made several valued suggestions on the new wiring we would have to have done for the job and presented several workable options. We discovered we would have to upgrade the electrical service to the house and that was accomplished without adding any extra time to the job. Needless to say, all in all, we were very pleased with the work Chermak did on our home. We love our new kitchen just as much today as we did when it was finished four months ago.

We weren't very satisfied with the project manager, the gut that came initially to do the consult. The workers that we had, the electric work and carpentry work were very high quality work but ruined it for was the guy who was coordinating all of it. We did not like the service that he gave us. We were not satisfied with the price that he gave us and he was not willing to adjust the billing, so that kind of soured the whole experience with them. There was a lot more work that could have been done and just based on the initial or the little work that they did, we will not going to continue with them and we don't like the way this was going. The electric work that was done, was very high quality. We very much appreciated the work that was done, so it's not the quality of the work, it's the guy who was coordinating it. We very much like the workers who were here but not the guy who's coordinating. The price was high. For the quote that we're getting for our bigger job, they were double on the fireplace, so it was high. My husband had a problem with the carpenter.

The remodel went well, It was only about a week longer than the plan. Any issues such as flooring backorders were handled by the company representatvie going with us to the flooring store and finding an even better instock pattern than that which was back ordered. This kept the project almost on time. The lead carpenter was an artist in what he was able to do on site.

We have used them previously on another remodel about fifteen years ago. We have actually used them three times over the last fifteen years. They were on time with the work and stuck with the estimate. They did quality work so we were quite happy with them.

Echo as others stated they are NOT the lowest bid. We choose to use Chermak primarily based on couple of factors including their reputation in the local market and numerous awards plus positive feedback from some references.The project didn't start well at the very beginning. We had customer service issues with two suppliers with tiles and bathroom fixtures Chermak referred us to. The concerns were address by Chermak immediately, and they found us two new suppliers which worked out better. We didn't have luxury of having a complimentary in-house designer available, unlike other bids we obtain, to help us through the selection process for tiles, fixtures, etc. That would have been nice to have free instead of added fee.Progress through the project was sporadic taking more time than originally plan. Primarily the delays due to tiles on back-order or plumbing supplier delivery mistakes or miss details by Chermak. During the delay, Chermak kept us posted. If there were mistakes or issues, Chermak responded in timely manner. Once the project unfolded, we saw the quality work including the work by the sub-contractors. Overall good experience, but with anything could have been better.

I suspect that Chermak was on the high side, cost wise, but I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for. The workers were punctual and very good about calling when they couldn't show up at a scheduled time. They were careful to clean up at the end of each day and the quality of their work was excellent.

Sometimes the mark of a good contractor is how they handle the mistakes which are bound to happen. When some sub-contracting plumbers backed their truck into our gutters, damaging it, I promptly received a call from Chermak assuring us that the cost of replacing it would be covered. When the check didn't arrive from the plumbing co. Chermak handled the necessary calls to make sure it got here. When the same plumbers forgot to turn the gas hot water heater back on, I called Chermak on a Saturday evening and, literally, one half hour later the plumbers were at our house to turn it back on. That's service!

Positives:
Chermak provided weekly status meetings, very good input and feedback. Owner input and corrections were accommodated where feasible; good alternatives were proposed otherwise.
They worked within a small (40' wide) lot, and met numerous challenges. They worked to maintain good relationships with the neighbors.
End result was high quality, especially millwork trim and wall treatments. Hardwood floors and stairs are excellent, match original finish. We salvaged the original top-nailed hardwood, and the flooring subcontractor agreed to use it in the two main-floor bedrooms, with new tongue and groove elsewhere.
We have lived in it for 4 years now, and are still happy with the result.
The Chermak electrician was great! Easy to work with, gave excellent input on placement of outlets and lights. Also wired for telephone, cable and computer access, including two in-the-floor boxes and covers.
Chermak stands behind their work; have returned to fix problems, some minor, some significant, discovered after occupancy.
Some negatives:
They ran behind the original estimated schedule by over 50%. There were weeks when no apparent work took place, sometimes due to subcontractor scheduling.
They provided very good project management at first. Then with the economic downturn, the original person was laid off, and some agreed-upon features were lost in the turnover. Example: Blocking in the bathroom walls for future grab-rails didn't happen, now requires removal of shower enclosures if/when we want to add it.
Subcontractors for plumbing and heating required owner oversight, rework.
Examples:
Original hot water recirculation loop did not reach all priority spigots, had to be reworked to a compromise.
Three shower/tub valves were installed for thicker shower enclosures than specified, so they now protrude almost 1and quot; too far. One shower spigot is installed about 1 foot too high.
Hot air heating vent dampers for wall vent plates from the 1930's house did not work, had to be reworked.
HVAC Subcontractor insisted on large central cold air return at ceiling level instead of individual room returns at floor level as in the original (and for which the original ductwork had been retained, but later removed).
Concrete subcontractor did a very poor finish on places in the basement floor which cover reworked drain plumbing and a small extension of the basement. It is rough, doesn't match the original smooth surface.
Our contract provided for written change orders, priced and approved by both owner and contractor before work. That did not happen. Change orders were lumped together after the fact, and negotiation was on who absorbed the cost, rather than whether it should be done. (Most change orders resulted from non-specific or vague original architect designs, or errors in those drawings, so they were appropriate to be done.).

Summary: Work done by Chermak employees is high quality. But keep close watch over the subcontractors as their work is being done. Some, like roofers, painters, framers were great. Others needed more owner oversight.
11/8/12 I upgraded the overall grade from B to A after living in the house another year, appreciating the quality, and observing that the problems we encountered were not that uncommon in the construction industry. There is room for a lot of improvement in that industry, and Chermak is no exception, but they are significantly above the average.