Angie's List Reviews
This was my first major renovation project, and I had watched enough "Holmes on Homes" shows to have nightmares. I went with Elite Home Builders because they were rated the highest in Chicago on Angie's List and had the highest number of ratings at the time. Ira, from Elite Home Builders, provided the estimate and oversaw the project. I told him my budget, and he estimated what he could do for that budget. He provided a very detailed estimate which included allowances for materials, such as tile, tub, vanity and granite counter top. He brought tile samples, granite samples, and vanity finish samples out to the house, and took me to the Studio 41 showroom to pick out the tub, faucets and handle sets. He helped to guide us in the direction of our budget and didn't mind salvaging some faucets, the commode and light fixtures in order to save money. As a first-timer, I really appreciated this value added service. He was flexible on the project start time, to coincide with my move-in date. His crew, Marcin and Arthur, started on the appointed day, always arrived before 9 am, and were highly professional, courteous, clean, and quite efficient. They kept me posted about what to expect on a day-to-day basis, and Ira checked in several times as well. The cabinet company, glass company, and granite company were also professional and on-time, and the overall project went according to plan. In the end, Ira's team was able to build the bathroom I had pictured in my mind. I've lived with the bathroom for a couple months now, and in retrospect, I'd have to say that the end result is better than I hoped it would be, and I don't know why I was so worried in the beginning.
Where to start? It's been quite an experience, and I feel lucky for having come across Elite Home Builders. Ira, the owner of the company, has been accessible throughout the entire project, and would call a few days in advance to fill me in on things to come. He also kept the management of the building in the loop, which can be a headache in itself. When Home Depot was delivering all my bathroom fixtures, he coordinated with my building's garage to ensure he had access to the loading dock. He personally helped move everything into the unit, and was extremely responsive with providing different tile samples on multiple occasions. He came with me to pick out the slab of granite as well as the sink, and threw in sink racks for both bowls of the sink as gifts. He also managed to get the granite place to throw in a granite cutting board. Marcin and Arthur are dedicated workers who are extremely talented and efficient in their craft. They do not impose and are very polite; if it weren't for the noise construction normally makes one wouldn't even know they were there. They also did not hesitate to correct something if it was not to proper specification. Accidents happen, and there were few, actually only one that really stands out, when they were installing the 300 lbs tube they put it through the bathroom wall because it was slightly bigger than the space it needed to fit in. They repaired the hole in the wall for no extra cost. Ira has also been pretty accommodating; both my wife and I work full time and are usually available late afternoon. Ira would have no problem meeting us after hours or on the weekends. He also took care of meeting with the fabricator for the granite while we were at work. It's been about a four week long project, and the experience was really positive. I had my doubts about remodeling at first, having never done it, but overall it's been amazing and the results are incredible. A lot of people who have had remodeling keep telling me how fortunate I was to have found this company. I highly recommend them.
Everything was done exactly according to plan and on budget. Moreover, they coordinated well with two suppliers for furniture to be installed in the room, working directly with them so that the room was properly prepared for these installations. They were very responsive and cooperative. They worked on the schedule we had requested.
From the first meeting with Ira, it was clear he cared about this project. He led us in the right direction when choosing materials and in planning the layout. He and his crew communicated well and dealt with our concerns professionally and quickly. The original project was to install a new bath on the second floor. As work progressed and walls were opened to install new plumbing we decided to replace the old plumbing and waste lines that had become deteriorated. This restored the water pressure to the existing second floor bathroom which had been an increasing problem. Ira and Adam went with us to meet with their suppliers and helped us choose fixtures, tile and paint. The job was finished within the time estimated.
This is second time I've used Elite Home Builders -- and any project in the future I will use them as well. As last time, they finished the project on time and on budget. They were so clean that I never had to move out of my house (or even down into the basement bedroom for a night) despite having a 14 month old son. Every night before they left, they swept and cleaned. My upstairs was tidier and more dust free during the remodeling then it normally is. I've used plenty of contractors in the past before I came across Elite Home Builders and never had the same service and results as I've had on these past two jobs. Trust me, if you go with Elite Home Builders, you will not be disappointed!
