Thomas Horse LLC

We have worked with the Thomas's many times over the years. They are honest and hard working and do a great job. Putting in 4 board oak fencing is hard work, heavy, and it needs to be precise. Pasture after pasture they have done great work for us. There is simply no better local company to work with.

They came out within 2 days of my phone call. Set the new post and took the sections off of old post that had snapped off.They waited three days to allow the post to set in the cement before replacing the sections. They also placee a large boot like protector around the post to provide added support. Bill then used long screws to set the sections more firmly into the new post. Bill and Cindy had built the original fence 9 years ago at a cost of $6,400. I honestly was surprised more sections did not fall given the sustained wind. While they were here I had them look at extending a deck and requested they send me a quote. They take great pride in their work and I can recommend them without reservations.

Bill and Cindy did such a great job. They came out as soon as we needed them. You could tell there love for their job it is embedded in the work.

Worst experience dealing with a Company in my life!

They were amazing. They had quite a lot to do and did a great job. It is still standing after four years. They were very respectful of the property. They cleane up after themselves. They were very prompt. If the weather wasn't good they would get us in on a day that was better. They were very friendly. They offered us good sources for companies who did rod iron fencing.

They were very nice when we first hired them, but since the work was completed we have had some issues that they have not responded to. We have a post that keeps popping up and the gate will not stay shut. This is a major issue because we have dogs. They will not return my phone calls and have put me off for the past two years. I have called nearly 20 times, leaving messages. I am very dissatisfied with this company and would never recommend them to anyone. They told us they would guaranteeing the fence for the lifetime of the fence and have not followed through.

Bill and Cindy came to the house to discuss what we needed and then gave us an estimate. They had great ideas and seemed to speak from a broad base of experience. I like the idea that they do the work themselves and do not use hired help. The fence turned out beautiful and we will probably call them back next spring to do more work. They were able to finish the fence in one day however due to their busy schedule, rain delays and unexpected circumstances, the time between the initial estimate and actual completed project was quite lengthy. They came to do the estimate in June but did not get the job done until October which was more than a month later than what they thought. Nevertheless, it was worth the wait.

They were supposed to measure and tell us how much it would cost to put a fence on the inside of our yard. They came promptly when they said they would come. They were thorough. The price quoted was high. It would not have been that long of a wait if we had decided to have them do it.

They did an excellent job of fence removal and installation of a new fence. They were very professional and courtious throughout the whole job. Job was completed within the time frame given allowing for weather conditions. Clean up was excellent. What impressed us the most was the detailed estimate of what was going to be done and that there was no contract just a handshake. We even followed Bill's advice on the brand of fencing stain to use which turned out excellent.

It started well. They were very attentive and came for multiple meetings to determine what the project needed. However it ended poorly. There were disagreements on how to proceed and it ended badly. They finished the project, but it wasn?t up to our satisfaction.

We had used this company at our old house with great results, so we called them first when we needed a fence at our new home. They responded same day, came out and gave an estimate a day or two later, and our fence was done less than two weeks after we had the building permit in hand. It's by far the nicest fence in our neighborhood, and the workmanship is top-notch. We also really enjoy working with Bill and Cindy; it is so nice to deal directly with the owners, who obviously take pride in their work and appreciate the business (something I haven't always felt with other contractors). We've already recommended them to our neighbors.

Bill and Cindy are great to work with-small business is the only way to go!!!! The fence looks great, and the price was reasonable. This is the second fence they have put up for us, and I would definitely recommend Thomas Fence and Deck to everyone I know.

Bill and Cindy were great to work with! We knew after sitting down with Bill to get an estimate the fence we received would be great, but the construction far exceeded our expectations, both in terms of quality and beauty. They were were efficient, professional, friendly. We continue to get many compliments on our fence from the neighbors and people passing by. It was just a joy to work with them and will work with them again in the future.

They had to change the original plan when it was discovered that my lot line was too close to my garage for a fence to be installed where we had originally wanted it. This didn't seem to be a problem for Bill or Cindy, as they worked with me to come up with a "PLAN B" that I am very happy with. I was very impressed with the professionalism and quality of this company. I look forward to working with Bill and Cindy in the future!!!

Aside from a material availability issue all went smoothly and as planned. The Thomases are warm and friendly people who stick to their word, arrived quickly for the estimate and even remained courteous when confronted by an unfriendly neighbor.

Overall, the process was satisfactory. If it was frustrating at times, it was due to some slow responses caused, it seems, by Bill's concern with the quality of his work more than with the mechanics of responses to specific times of communications. Several things that came up in the process required work beyond the contract and they were handled carefully. For example, the old deck had been built over pea gravel, which did not allow for the proper setting of the supports for the new structure, so work on the deck had to be stopped while the gravel was removed and replaced with dirt. So, some house siding had to be replaced and an additional length of handrail had to be included. So we, and the building inspector, were complementary of the work.

We have never gotten so many compliments on a home improvement project in our lives! Bill and Cindy Thomas worked with us to design just the right deck for our yard. They take great pride in building a deck that will last years and years and were very responsive to any of our concerns or suggestions. We were very happy with their work and professionalism. We put a B for price, but really have nothing to compare them to--we liked them so much, we didn't get a second estimate!

I was very pleased with their work. They did excellent work and I thought they were a really good company. The only thing that I would do differently is to set up a time for completion.

As far as the project itself, once the communication was established, everything went well. I don't have that many complaints about how their workmanship goes, but their communication skills is not acceptable.

I have 2 dogs that never stay in the yard. I wanted a fence that would blend with my natural landscape, as well as provide safety and containment for the dogs. Bill and Cindy spent a great deal of time discussing options with me. I also needed 8 ft. gates for access to the outlot, as well as several walk through gates. My fence is almost identical to the fence at the Minooka Park Dog Exercise Area. We had a small delay because of the storms and flooding in early June. Cindy kept me informed every step of the way and as soon as the ground was dry, they were able to start the job. I love my fence (and so do my dogs). It is beautiful and will provide years of enjoyment for me, and my furbabies.

They gave us a bid in August 2007 with a promised start of October, but the work on the porches was not completed until November 20, 2007 because they delayed the start date a couple of times. They also did not finish the agreed upon work because we ordered a DrySpace drainage system to be installed under the 2nd story porch. We asked in December when they would be able to install the DrySpace system and after several emails and phone calls, were told that the product, which is plastic, can't be shipped during cold weather (something we weren't told at the beginning of the project). We were told that in early spring they would get back to us. April 2008 arrived with no response from the Thomases. We emailed to ask about the DrySpace again - no response until a week later on 5/3 that we were being scheduled in late May. They told us that they had "two large projects underway" and will call us when they get started. We waited until June 3rd to ask again what our status is - no response to our emails and phone calls again. On June 12th, Bill Thomas sent us an email that basically states he doesn't want to do the work because the costs of the DrySpace materials went way up and he didn't want to lose money on this project. What started as $385 of DrySpace is now $885 plus $145 for labor! Needless to say we declined to continue our relationship with this company.

They were willing to work in the winter. They did a wonderful job. It only took a couple days and they were on time and hard-working. They were very nice and fun to talk with.

Bill had trouble because one of the pads in our driveway was about 1 inch higher than the rest. He first installed wheels on the driveway gates, but when the one gate would swing out, it would stop dead when it hit the 1 inch high seam in the concrete. So he left 1 wheel off in search of other options. Months went by. Bill and Cindy never called me or emailed me (as requested) with a progress report. I was left completely in the dark as to when the gate would be finished and operational. I would always have to call them. Each time, they were busy with another job or still researching the problem. They would say, "we'll call you next week" or "we'll be out there on Monday." But that would never happen. Eventually, the 2nd wheel failed and I had to take that off myself. We finally gave up on the wheels and asked him to put on some stronger hinges, since the weight of the gate was causing them to sag. Again, we got the run around. No calls. No updates. Last time I spoke to Cindy, they had some new hinges, but they were looking for the right screws. I was told "we'll call you this weekend and schedule some time to install." That was 2 months ago. I'm happy with the rest of the fence, but their failure to finish this job, lack of concern for my situation and not following up on their unfinished work is unacceptable and unprofessional.

They are absolutely wonderful. We would recommend them to anybody needing a wooded fence or deck. They are just wonderful.

We were very pleased with the finished product and the way Bill and Cindy conducted their business with us. They offered a number of alternative options for the new construction, were clearly knowledgeable of the their trade based on specific recommendations made by them, were very careful of our property and safety of our children during the construction phase, and were courteous and very straight forward with us. They added some nice details to the construction that gave the project a finished professional look. They cleaned up daily and left a broom clean job site. Once they started the project, it was completed expeditiously. The price was as quoted. If pressed for something to complain about it would be the project started later than expected but it was not an issue for us. They work off an agreed estimate with no money down until the materials are to be shipped to the site so it was just a matter of patience. Well worth it. Nice people too!