We are very happy with the work they did for us, We asked if they would move the furniture out and…read moreback in since we are no longer able to do that, They did the work, replacing carpet with hard service, and painting. and then replaced everything just as it was. We love it.

After working with Plekkenpol for over five years and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on…read moreat least three different projects, this is not a review we expected to write. We have referred them to family and friends--three of those referrals have resulted in projects--and until recently, trusted them without hesitation. Historically, price transparency was something they were willing to provide. Unfortunately, something has changed. Most recently, we were quoted $30-35K for a relatively straightforward mudroom remodel and back door installation. When the formal bid came in at a single lump sum number over $40K with some modest scope additions, we asked for additional transparency into that singular number to understand how much each part of the project was costing so we could determine where adjustments could be made. We were told that a further breakdown of the lump sum would not be provided. Over the next two weeks, we removed multiple significant items from the project scope, yet the total price barely changed in response. We asked repeatedly for greater transparency to understand what was still comprising the lump sum price we were being quoted and never received it. At a certain point, the math just did not add up, and it became increasingly difficult to reconcile the number we were being quoted by Plekkenpol with the project scope. When we expressed frustration with the lack of clarity, the response was dismissive and unhelpful. We were told that regardless of project size--even on significantly larger projects--additional price transparency would not be shared and that we should trust them that we are getting the best price. To be clear, this was not about the money--it was about transparency and partnership. We simply wanted to know what we were being charged for. Because Plekkenpol would not tell us how they arrived at their lump sum price, we ultimately chose to end our long-standing relationship and move on. We recently recommended to another family that they consider Plekkenpol, but after this experience, feel obligated to advise them not to proceed due to Plekkenpol's unwillingness to provide transparency in pricing.

We had a 2-car garage put in the back alley at our Highland Park house, and we had a really good…read moreexperience with Sussel Garages. We met with them in the late summer of 2022, and were debating on whether not to have this done end of 2022 or first in the spring in 2023. We ended up going with spring of 2023, and were first on their priority list. While the project took longer than expected, and we had some set backs, we were still very happy with the communication. In full disclosure, we did have to have one side of the garage re-done due to some James Harding and a portion of the roof re-done (due to rushed contracting work), we still were really happy with the overall project. Would definitely recommend them again.

My friend had them build a garage in St Paul. She wanted me to look it over because she was having…read moreissues and was concerned about Sussel not doing the work properly. My first look inside I saw the concrete floor was not finished correctly. Know how the sidewalk or walkways you see everywhere outside? That's what they did inside. troweled crack control joints and the floor was not troweled flat at all. The lighting was done incorrectly and not according to plan. Not a single light was installed over the workbench but off to the other wall instead. the sheetrock wasn't hung in any timely matter at all. missing vapor barriers. She told me that they charged her $1500 for electric service connection which she later found out that $300 was what Excel charged Sussel. The subs Sussel uses must be getting shorted on pay for them to do such shoddy and incomplete work. Can't think of any other reason for them to not care about getting it done correctly. She said she has not been successful in getting them to fix anything and they sued her when she tried withholding the last payment. I really feel sorry for her getting taken by a company that really does shoddy work. I've read other reviews about Sussel and it really seems to be about which subs they use. My advice? Hire your own subs. Make sure everyone sticks to the blueprint.

I would give zero stars if I could…read more I entered into a contract with Excel builders to add a bathroom to an existing unfinished space. They had full access to the space and many opportunities to inspect and measure it. I informed them multiple times over the course of 5 or 6 meetings that it was a tricky project and a prior contractor had already failed because his design did not meet MPLS building codes. Excel assured me over and over again that they understood and promised that their final product WOULD meet code - something we even insisted in including in the contract. After spending many hours meeting with them, visiting plumbing showrooms, discussing the project in great detail, they suddenly informed me that they had relied on their memory of the code rather than verifying it and that their design would not work. See the attached picture of the horrible design they provided as an alternative - everything was crammed into one corner. Luckily, they returned our $10,000 but they kept their design fee even though their design was not legal. I would strongly caution against working with them, unless you have a project that is very simple and will not require much attention to detail. If you want to work with a top-notch company, TreHus is the way to go.

Trent is great to work with. His passion and knowledge makes you feel comfortable and really comes…read morethrough in his craftsmanship. Whether you are trying to change the feel of a kitchen or remodel a bathroom, Excel builders makes you feel like you are their only client. Highly recommend.

We worked with Jeff and found his planning and attention to detail to be a refreshing change from…read moremany of our other bids. He was professional, thoughtful and listened to our specific needs. Most of all though we appreciated that he guided us based on what he thought was best for us and didn't try to pitch us with a hard sell. Highly recommend.

Jeff is an excellent contractor. He is thoughtful respectful and really cleans up the job site…read moreevery day. I would highly recommend Jeff for any jobs kitchen, bathroom, remodeling or decks

A big shoutout to Mark Sletten and Sletten Interior Solutions. They replaced my awful cracked…read moreacrylic tub and surround with a new tub and tile. On time (1.5 weeks), on budget, and incredible workmanship. If you have any projects you've been putting off, highly recommend! I've been telling my friends & coworkers about how great the experience has been, and they have been jokingly asking if he'll travel out of state lol. But seriously, we're lucky to have such an awesome contractor right here in St. Paul.

Services were sub par, high priced, and work was incredibly slow. Poor communication…read more Mark came out and quoted a project for $17k on a remodel of our only small bathroom that was broke (and needed a remodel anyway). I had remodeled the bathroom at our previous house, so I have a good handle on what is involved, but we were too busy to take it on ourselves. I solicited 5 or 6 bids and Mark's seemed the most professional but also the highest cost. I highlighted that this was our ONLY bathroom and speed was the utmost priority and that ideally I would like the project done in like weeks not months. Mark didn't express much concern over timeline. Now there were some materials shortages, and COVID and whatever, but it was just excuse after excuse, with sometimes no one showing up for a month at a time. And the strong impression was this project just wasn't organized or a priority. They didn't start for over 5 weeks, and when called on it, I was told that the timeline we discussed was for starting the project, not finishing it. I wish I had recorded our initial conversation, because it seemed he took crummy notes and then later reinterpreted them to suit his needs. Nearly 2 months into the project he expressed surprise this was our only bathroom and sort of sheepishly asked what we had been doing in the meantime (going to neighbors houses we are friends with). How that CORE piece of information I had stressed repeatedly during our first few meetings had slipped his mind, I have no idea. He the said he would hurry to finish. Then no one showed up for 3 straight weeks. We nearly fired him about three different times, including in mid JAN promising to have the shower done by Valentine's day (we hired him first week of OCT). Needless to say that deadline was totally missed by a month or more. Moreover key elements discussed during the planning stage were simply forgotten by him (tile wainscoting), and then when asked about them several months in he had to scramble. Early on in late OCT he had stressed the need for us to drop everything and go pick out tile so he could order it and have it there by mid NOV. Then MONTHS later when he was actually ready to install the tile (JAN), the project again had to go on hold because he had not ordered it yet... This is despite repeatedly asking him if he needed us to order tile, or front cash for materials to speed things along (not sure if he was having cashflow issues or what). Anyway, once the project was 95% done, they just had to install a glass divider (another element he had forgotten about). So that was another several weeks, then when they came to install it, they had cut it for the wrong side of the room, the side away from the shower...so more weeks to completion. By this point I couldn't even talk to him because I was so angry, but firing him when we were 98% seemed pointless. Anyway, I left it in my wife's hands, who he then took advantage of. Telling her he was giving us a "$1000 discount" for all the hassle, while charging her $300 more than the estimate and payment plan we had agreed on. This is despite us generally picking cheaper materials than were in his estimate and giving him wide latitude on specific choice just to try and speed things along. Hiring Mark was one of the 3-5 biggest mistakes I have made in my entire life. Worse than some car accidents I got into in my teens or that time I bought a super expensive bike right before we had a kid and I mostly stopped biking. The stress related to this has probably literally taken 6 months off of my life expectancy. I am serious.

We used Boemer Construction to convert our detached two-car garage into a full living space. Evan…read moreBoemer was very thorough in his approach, consistently meeting deadlines and made sure to work within our budget. He always was reachable by phone or text and showed up when he said he was going to. Highly recommend him and the team he brings with.

We spent all summer talking with siding contractors to replace our siding and trim. All of them…read moredisappointed us for various reasons (costs, games, delays). We finally contacted Lakewoods Remodeling, and we are very glad we did. Their pricing was very reasonable, and they did not play games. They started when they said they would start. They finished when they said they would finish. They used high quality materials. They did high quality work. They showed concern for making everything look good (and it does). To summarize, the value they provided was excellent. We would definitely use them again, and we highly recommend them.

We recently had our roof replaced by Lakewoods Remodeling, and the experience was seamless. The…read morecrew was respectful of our property, worked efficiently, and the end result looks fantastic. Highly recommended!

My neighbor has been working with Northrup on a project, and the experience has been entirely…read morenegative for the neighborhood. They have taken months to complete a small project. One contractor shows up every few days, parks illegally (well over a foot from the curb) then sets up a table saw across from his truck. Only one car can pass at a time, and he sets up like this every time he is here (which is nowhere near every day). I can't speak to the price or the quality of the work, but professionalism and speed are clearly not priorities for this company.

They were easy to work with and despite a little weather delaying them a day they go the roof done…read moreand cleaned up in a day. Quality work and friendly workers. Best price for same product - and had a good experience with the sales associate. No high pressure and I had to convince them I knew I wanted the more expensive shingles because they didn't try to upsell me.