Cherry Design + Build LLC

He and his team were extra careful to make sure that the rest of the basement was protected and I really appreciated that. One big deal for me is having subs that don't smoke so they don't stand around on a break smoking in the driveway, and all subs were non-smokers so that was a real bonus. They did fine work, got started right away and finished pretty much when I expected it to be done. Cory and Cody were always very courteous and let me know when they'd be there as well as when they wouldn't. Definitely a quality remodel company.

The product we received from Sam and Eric we are very pleased with. The kitchen looks wonderful, just like the design he created. We hired Sam in part because he could do both the design and the build. This paid off for us because his designers eye offered an improvement along the way that enhanced the look of our kitchen overall. Also, Sam was able to shift gears quickly when we changed our minds about the design. Sam had recommended peaking our flat ceiling, but we took it off the list. In the first week of the remodel, we changed our mind and wanted the peak back in the design. Sam was able to shift gears quickly in part because he was both the designer and builder.
In working with Sam we found that communication was the primary challenge. Sam?s default communication mode seems to be e-mail and text, and there?s too much space for interpretation in both. In some e-mails we sent a list of questions and he did not respond to all of them. On one occasion Sam asked me a question over e-mail, ?We temporarily installed the shelves today. Had a question about the open corners by the hood. Do you want them sharp?  Rounded?  Mitered?? I replied to this e-mail asking for clarification about what ?mitered? looks like. I never received a reply, and the next day I found the corners mitered. Fortunately, that worked for us. Overall, communication was clunky and because of it we got a bit frustrated. My recommendation in working with Sam would be to opt for at best an in person conversation, or second best a phone call, and then lastly e-mail.
Along the lines of communication, if you have an interest in keeping anything that comes out in the demo process, I recommend putting together a list of exactly what you?re interested in keeping. So, take some time before your remodel and decide what you do and don?t want to keep. Sam was pretty expeditious in disposing of items and some we may have kept had we thought more about it.
Sam has a system of breaking down the bid in to line items with labor and materials broken out. This proved very helpful when we took out the peaked ceiling, and then put it back in. The line by line break down allowed us to understand where the bulk of the cost was going. This system made it easy to see how much items we took on ourselves, e.g. countertops and floors, would change the amount. The itemized bid removed many questions and mystery from the overall process.
The worksite was kept overall clean and in good shape. Debris was carted off routinely during the demolition phase. Sam installed a plastic dust screen with zipper between the kitchen and the living space. The tape seemed to wear off and the screen came away from the wall now and again. This could have been maintained a little better. I have to confess, our cats didn?t help the matter as they pawed the tape away near the floor. Curiosity, go figure. There was some sawdust in our carport we had to ask several times to have it cleaned up. This is a reason why we rated "Bad" for responsiveness.  The bulk of it was kept tidy, there?s some particulars that could be better. I would give Sam and crew a B- for keeping the site tidy and clean.
A strong point of Sam?s that we?ll give him an A for is his keeping to a schedule. There are the horror stories out there of contractors who can?t finish up a job. Sam estimated 4-6 weeks, and he hit that. He schedules his subs and plans the work pretty timely so that the pieces of the puzzle fall together in sequence. We opted to be the general contractors (GC) for the floors and countertops. Sam gave us good advice to get the countertops schedule ASAP as they take a bit of time. Scheduling the floors with Sam turned out to be problematic, communication again being the issue. I think Sam operates as the GC excellently, but sharing the work with us was somewhat problematic with scheduling. Again, communicate in person or via phone. Getting the job done on time Sam does well. We were happy to have the remodel come in on time.
Look at the pictures, they speak for themselves. Some aspects of the remodel Sam was generous about, and some I had to hold him to task on. Examples, Sam applied his design eye and installed for us at no cost the crown molding above our pantry and above refrigerator cabinets. He also provided at no cost flood lights that he had on hand for part of a redesign. On another matter, the tiling around the range hood proved difficult to finish, so he left a bare spot. I had to insist that it be completed per the design, difficult or not. Eric finished it off and it looks great.
Overall we were pleased with the end product Sam and right hand man Eric, of Cherry Design Build, delivered. There were good and bad, as with any project. My opinion, for what it?s worth, Sam has a good business going, and as in any business, communication is essential or there?s bound to be unmet expectations. We?re happy with the outcome of our kitchen remodel. We?ve enjoyed one dinner party already and foresee many more.

Sam came in with the lowest bid, along with very prompt and polite communication, so we chose Cherry Design + Build for the project, and are glad we did. 
For us the timeline was especially important. We were anxious to get the largest parts of the work done during the summer and move back into our house in time for school to start. Sam and Eric understood this, and thanks to their efficient work, we were able to get back into the house in plenty of time. They brought in subcontractors for certain elements of the work (e.g., asbestos removal, electrical), and coordinated those visits into the project schedule without a hitch. And though we had a design ready from an outside architect, Sam and Eric clearly have good design eyes themselves, finishing the work attractively and elegantly in all details. Sam was also great about staying in touch. While we were out of the house, he emailed us pictures and updates every few days, and answered our questions promptly.
In a world where the word "contractor" usually brings forth complaints and groans, if not horror stories, we were wonderfully pleased with the Cherry team. They showed up on time, did the work smoothly and well, paid attention to detail, and were pleasant and friendly to have around when our schedules overlapped. We'll be happy to hire Sam and Eric again for future projects. Thanks, guys!

The work completed was first rate. Sam and Eric are both incredibly talented contractors and very hard-working. They did first-rate work on everything and really appreciated their attention to detail and obvious desire to do first-rate work. They were also willing to work with us on taking a few things off the bid to help save a bit of money. We ended up doing the painting and some of the tiling, and I really appreciated their willingness to be flexible on that. Not all contractors we talked with were comforatble with that kind of arrangement.
The time and documentation Sam provided going into the project was great. Scheduling generally went well and the project was done on time. We did run into a couple of instances where we were a bit out of synch in terms of expectations, but in those cases Sam was very responsive and committed to making sure the result was what we wanted.
Overall, we're very happy with the work. I can't imagine finding two more solid, dependable and skilled people to work on your house. They were focused, on-time, great to us and my kiddos, and kept things clean and tidy throughout the project.

Sam provided us with suggestions, information, and resources at the beginning of the project that helped us make decisions on material and product choices. The crew was always on time and cleaned up very well after themselves each day so we could still use the rest of the bathroom while the work was in progress. They were responsive, professional, and fair. While the work was in progress, we found some of the tile got scratched from the particular kind of grout we chose. When we pointed it out and asked them to fix it, they redid that portion of the tile at no extra charge. Overall, the workmanship is superb and we got exactly what we wanted - an updated, quality, tile shower that we love using every day.. We couldn't be happier with the end result!

Sam Adams, the owner of Cherry Design Build, was very professional, responsive and trustworthy throughout the entire project. He was respectful and thoughtful as he worked with us using our architect’s plans. He was diligent in understanding our intentions and also very good about pointing out potential issues as well as suggesting helpful details where the plans were less specific. He understands older homes (his home is of a similar era and his website shows his renovations to his own home...a plus in appreciating his attention to detail). Sam also has outstanding subcontractors...all equally attentive, careful in their work, responsive, and very effective/efficient. Someone was on site EVERY day...so we had progress that was stunning to us and the neighbors. Sam’s ability to time his subs so that there were no lags in production speaks to a real understanding of the business. This business acumen showed whenever changes came up...he was crystal clear on the fixes and the costs. He got agreement with us and documented that agreement immediately. We were always clear about what was happening. Cherry Design Build was not the least expensive bid and they weren’t the highest, which we believe demonstrated the “goldilocks” approach of just right! Of special note was the tremendous respect Sam and his crew (Tucker and Eric) showed with each other and with their subs. One of our neighbors commented that she overheard a discussion where there was some confusion around a task. She was stunned at how respectfully they treated each other and resolved the issue. They were also kind to the local kids and very good with our cats. Finally, they were very, very tidy! Our site was very organized throughout the process...which was a relief given our tight lot. As a result, we had no real surprises and we engaged them to install some closets in the basement while they were here! Our experience with Sam and his crew was a wonderful one and we will ask them to do any further construction work in the future.

Job went very well, started on time, ended on time, came in on budget, work was as good or better than expected in all aspects. Very satisfied with the finished product. Sam was very punctual, and cleaned up thoroughly each day. Also, the design work was top-notch and enabled us to see exactly what we would be getting before any demolition started.