We had a hideous concrete slab that called itself a porch. For years, we didn't really know what…read moreto do with it, so we ignored it. But after redoing our garden beds and restoring our original exterior windows, that hideous slab became un-ignorable.
It turns out finding someone willing to build a new porch is really difficult. We spoke to six different companies and most wouldn't be transparent about their pricing, quoted insanely high numbers, had spend minimums, tried to forgo the vision entirely to be closer to (but still above) our budget, or never replied.
We reached out to Jack, not expecting much different, but were immediately impressed by the time he took to speak with us about our porch and design goals. He walked us through different considerations, proposed different materials, and answered questions to be sure we were all aligned and the integrity of everything would be solid. He then sent us an incredibly detailed recap and proposal of what he would do with itemized pricing, really underscoring his authenticity in wanting to be a true partner.
Throughout every step of the project, Jack made sure to consult with us through any decision we needed to make or reconsider based on the actuality of what we were encountering. In construction, the only guarantee is that something will come up, requiring flexibility, and every time it did, Jack had solutions that actually ended up exceeding our original design. He was also incredibly patient whenever we deliberated on different ideas or when we were moving through his workspace.
His commitment to our project and work was noticed and remarked on by multiple neighbors, as he and his team worked through long days and some brutal summer heat to get it done before we had family visiting. In fact, several stopped Jack, or us, to get his contact for themselves.
Whenever it came to the finishing details, like custom balusters and top rails, Jack was quick to be critical of when a piece didn't turn out as well as the rest, pointing it out and starting over. Jack also had to laminate multiple pieces of wood together and seek out a specific machine to achieve the custom rounded top rail we were after for the new railing.
By the end of it, Jack delivered us a porch that exceeded our expectations and our initial hopes. Having worked with so many vendors on so many different projects, we taught ourselves to not expect perfection but in this case, Jack delivered the closest to that of anyone, ever.
The truth is, there just aren't many craft people like Jack around anymore. And there are even far fewer with customer service as incredible as their talent. Jack is one in a million and we consider ourselves supremely lucky to have met him and that he had availability in his project schedule.