My family recently completed a new home construction project with R Henry and The Design Element -- we couldn't be more pleased with the results. I'm going to break the project down into a few areas for clarity. Getting started We had some ideas on the type of house we wanted. We provided Rich and his team with pictures of houses and floor plans we found online. The architects took what we provided and put all the concepts together into a design we loved! Education and guidance Going into this project I was concerned about the decisions I would have to make and the potential for cost increases. Everyone at R Henry and The Design Element kept our needs and finances in mind. They educated and guided us every step of the way. They helped us understand what products would be critical to our home and items that wouldn't make much difference when it came to resale value. They also helped us steer clear of products that could result in less than ideal quality. Architecture Every element of the home architecture was thought out, right down to placement of windows and the direction they opened. We wanted a lot of windows and an open floor plan. Jeff from R Henry helped us figure out the ideal floor plan and window placement so we were able to get what we wanted without breaking the bank. Kailee guided us to get an excellent kitchen layout that is spacious and convenient. Interior design We had several collaborative meetings with The Design Element and R Henry. One great thing about these two businesses is how closely they work together which provides continuity. Put simply, the interior of our home is amazing. We loved the products and finishes recommended by The Design Element. I want to give a special acknowledgement to our designer, Megan. She listened to our requests, sent us amazing options and guided us in what would look great. I feel like we had the freedom to get what we wanted and at the same time the guidance we needed to make sure everything worked together. We were so impressed with the home design itself that we extended our work with Megan to have her help us select furnishings and other decorations for our home. Everything is stylish and beautiful! Project management Overall the process was easy and I would do it again. There was a ton of moving parts and I couldn't imagine trying to manage the project all by myself. For this, I want to give a special acknowledgement to Aaron from R Henry. We actually started this project living across the US and he kept us in the know every step of the way with pictures and weekly, if not daily emails and calls. He sheltered us enough from the crazy pieces all needing to fit together and yet was transparent with us and explained all the details without them being overwhelming. He shared what was being done, why it was being done and how it was going to happen. Very clear and concise. Aaron always made time for those burning questions -- his patience and ability to keep things moving was key to the project. Quality and craftsmanship R Henry and The Design Element strive for quality. Our friends built a home at the same time we did with another builder. When I look at the products and finishes in their home, they do not compare. When my wife and I considered less than quality products, our builders and designers educated us on the pros and cons on those products. If our motivation for selecting a product was financial, they helped us find high-quality products at our price point. R Henry and The Design Element are proud of what they do and only want the best for their customers. I want to acknowledge the amazing woodwork done by Rob -- a master at what he does. We provided old barn wood from our family farm and he turned it into spectacular doors and accents throughout our home. His work on the shiplap is impeccable. We plan to continue Would we use R Henry and The Design Element again? Absolutely. The combination of quality, attention to detail, transparency and education, seal the deal. As a matter fact, we are already considering when we will have our next project with them. read more

Where do we start? We are so thankful we found R Henry. We wanted to build a unique and special house for our first complete build. We had observed several builders completed projects over a period of time. As we researched R Henry's work, more and more we became confident with the work they did. That being said, we met with Rich who is the owner and we provided ideas and plans that we were interested in. He took the time to listen to our requests and interests and ultimately provided us something that was far better than what we were originally looking for. So the process began and Rich was able to answer all of our questions from the finances to the building process. Rich introduced us to Aaron who would be our project manager who has been at our every beck and call, without hesitation. We then met with Megan who absolutely understood our tastes and ideas and paved the way for everything that made our beautiful home. After each planning meeting we had with R Henry we felt as though we were a part of their family, we felt more and more confident that we had made, not only the right decision in a builder but we had also made new friends. They had invited us to take part in their tour of homes and at each home we were welcomed by name into that specific home by a representative of R Henry. From day one we have had clear communications with Rich on the finances and timelines of the project. Aaron, our project manager has went above and beyond his duty by suggesting specific ideas and keeping this project ahead of the timeline as well as informing us of the details of the change orders that have come up during the project. Megan has been meticulous in providing us all of the options that work for us and our budget. With each meeting, Megan was able to take our ideas and create a beautiful place that we love to call home. We had even wanted work with a different plumbing fixture company other than their suggested Ferguson, and R Henry was more than accommodating when we went with a different provider. We appreciate all of the benefits of working with R Henry and knowing the idea that their contractors are professionals that pay attention to detail. Their contractors are not just your local "guy" who can get it done at a lower cost, which usually results in poor quality, and that made us feel as though they were building for us not just a job number. R Henry will build our next house, as they have made this build an enjoyment for us as well as a learning experience. We are so impressed with what R Henry has done with the project, the level of professionalism that has been displayed from the initial conversation with Rich to being able to work with literally most all of their staff. They have treated us far beyond our expectations. If you want a quality house with subject matter experts assisting you through the entire project look no further, R Henry is your builder. read more

I've been working in residential construction doing concrete work for nearly 20 years. I'm the first person on site to start foundation work, and one of the last to leave when we complete the exterior concrete. I'm able to see the process of building a home from start to finish. I've thoroughly witnessed over 1,000 new home builds. Of all the many builders I've worked with over the years, I can honestly say that R. Henry Construction is right at the top! Eric Simon D&S Cement Company, Inc. Northfield, MN 55057 read more

My husband and I love our large, wooded lot, but we were unsatisfied with our 100 year old, dated, very small house. Having no personal experience in home remodeling and a limited budget, we were unsure as to whether or not we would be able to remodel and expand our house within our budget. Thankfully we decided to work with R. Henry Construction. R. Henry was able to design for us a beautiful addition to our home, with efficient use of space while seamlessly integrating our existing house and maintaining our limited budget... all of which we were able to view in 3D renderings (of both the interior and exterior) before a shovel ever hit the ground. We were thrilled with the final modern farmhouse style design- and they even accounted for an entertainment center that would house our record player and record collection! Throughout the entire process R. Henry was conscientious of our budget concerns, and continually looked for ways to cut costs that would not impact quality or design. Rich, one of the owners of R. Henry, worked with us through the design process and budgeting process. He kept us well informed and helped us line up the financing we needed, as well as identify ideas to save us money. We felt well taken care of and were comforted by his expertise. One of the more unique aspects of working with R. Henry is their location in the Mankato Design Center. Not only did this place serve as a headquarters where we could meet to discuss plans, even after business hours as we both work full time, but it also served as a one stop shop for interior and exterior design. MDC made designing our home easier because all of our needs were met in one place. From shingles, to cabinet handles, to furniture, and easy access to material samples we were able to find everything we needed for our home within the MDC. The interior designers on site were always friendly and genuinely interested in the outcome of our home. Margot, our designer and owner of The Design Element, helped accommodate our price range by being resourceful, developing alternatives to expensive materials, repurposing whatever was available, and designing custom solutions. Margot was dedicated to our vision. She was always very accommodating of whatever last-minute ideas we would blurt out along the way and she would make them happen. For example, we wanted to have a creative rustic interior and Margot found old doors from a farmhouse and was able to repurpose them in our home, which meant custom sized doorframes. Margot made sure we liked the design, and the carpenters at R. Henry executed the job seamlessly. For example... Margot also orchestrated the design and building of a kitchen island from a beautiful farm table we wanted to incorporate, used pallet wood in our entertainment center to add to our effect, and Rich himself built a beautiful headboard in our bedroom from our old wood floors, at our request. During the remodel our project manager Russ kept us updated as to progress being made. This was extremely comforting because we were able to make sure that we were being kept within not only our budget, but also our completion date as we were not able to live in the home duiring the remodel. Russ even helped my husband carry a fridge out of our house after hours, and came back to our home after the job was finished to touch up any paint we may have dinged when we moved our furniture in, and to address any other minor issues that may exist- at which point we had no complaints! R. Henry surpassed all of our expectations. Thanks to them, my husband and I were able to fulfill our vision of a beautiful home at an affordable cost that compliments the lot we never wanted to leave! We couldn't be happier with the end result and we highly recommend R. Henry Construction! read more

We are extremely happy with our R. Henry built home. The building process went very smoothly. Our questions, comments and ideas were solicited, anticipated and addressed with courtesy and sincerity. The home building process was not overwhelming, in fact quite the opposite due to the exceptional competence of the owners/workers. Our home's construction and finish definitely reflects the high-quality standards of R. Henry Construction. David and Sue Nelson read more

RUN!! HORRIBLE experience!! And I am not alone. I personally have spoken to a few people who went through the same thing I did but are too afraid to be sued/threatened with legal action by R Henry (as they did me) to say anything. Few things that made it not a great experience:: They under bid the allowance items causing price to go up and add unnecessary "change orders". Charged a 15% fee on difference in price for said change order, along with the upscale in price for the change order, but that 15% fee- well that appears no place in the contract in which you sign but have to pay. We designed our plan and yet it is now of their website as theirs along with a gentleman from Stillwater who's plan is very similar to a house they built yet they did not pay that gentleman for the plan and now claim it as there own their website. Some of the issues we have at our custom built home were to have our house re-painted, sheet rock fixed, siding repaired, concrete redone, floors repaired, cabinets completely redone, cambria needed to be re-done 3 times, garage doors need repair, our front door that was order through a company they own, Artisan, was replaced 3 or 4 times (lost count) and still have an adjustment issue - just to name a few things that went wrong. Do NOT let their new, fancy building fool you.... they have a very poorly ran business, complete lack of communication, and constantly said "this isn't how we normally do business" to us time and time again after another issue arose. We had 1 guy framing our 4,500 sq ft house who was "assisted" by a summer worker who just graduated with a degree in Theology. Oh, one of the the owners, Rich, he is a former banker- to the best of my knowledge this is his first job in construction. It shows. Is that what you want when building your $500,000+ custom house?? I wish we didn't. I am more then willing to discuss what happened to me and my husband with anyone looking for references on this company or are thinking about hiring them. read more