We are so pleased with the results. It looks great! It has been a year since this project was…read morecompleted - I wanted to see how everything held up. Four other contractors assessed and quoted the project. Three quoted much lower (didn't actually address the problem), one higher (included rebuilding the our chimney?). First contact with Illinois Home Improvement/Best Brickmasters was Peter Zieba. His thorough knowledge of brick building structures and Chicago bungalows in particular filled us with confidence. Peter kept in contact daily (or every other day). He was easy to to find him via email or phone - no problems. His crew worked through some of the hottest weather in Aug-Sep 2013. In addition to their collective craftsmanship, they carefully removed and replaced our 6-foot, flower-filled window boxes (heavy and awkward). Our little bungalow is the house of our dreams. We wanted the best care and restoration we could afford. Illinois Home Improvement/Best Brickmasters provided that. Hire them for your project!

Be very cautious with IL Home Improvement. The owner, Eric, is professional, but will take your…read moremoney. I provided Eric with detailed architectural plans of a deck and mudroom addition, which were drawn by a professional. I received 3 quotes. Eric was the highest. I told him that we wanted to work with him, but that his cost was higher than his competitors. He said that he had been doing this for 30 years and had completed 100 projects like mine. His quotes were accurate, unlike his competitors who will raise their price during the project. I told Eric that we were willing to scale back our project to fit it within our budget, but needed him to tell us how we could adjust the quote. He said that he could look at the details, but would need $500 to cover the cost of producing an itemized quote (I received detailed quotes from the other contractors). When I met with him again, I very clearly communicated that the original price was over budget. He acknowledged my desire, and gave me his word that he would be within 5-10% of his original estimate. I reminded him (several times) that we would scale back our project to hit the budget. Eric's itemized quote came back 20% higher than the original, AND he removed several large items (finish carpentry, painting, electrical installation, tile installation, heated floor, electrical fixtures, exterior locks and hardware) from the quote that he led me to believe were in the original.* If you add all of these back into the quote, except for the finish carpentry and painting, his cost WENT up 40%. With the carpentry, it would have gone up even more. When I asked him why the big price increase, he didn't have a good reason. I asked him if he could get his cost down. He said he would cover the paint costs, and that I could change some materials and get rid of the mud room foundation, which would knock the costs down about 6-8%. In summary, this was a very frustrating experience. *In Eric's first quote, he wrote, "Having examined the drawings and the site for the project I hereby propose to furnish all labor, material, equipment, service and incidentals necessary to perform and complete the work for the project according to the drawings provided by (architect), dated 10/26/2016 (permit) and per Trade Descriptions outlined below. To be fair, I told Eric that I was thinking about doing the trim for our project to save money, and I may have another contractor do the electrical. It is possible that he misunderstood me and thought that I didn't want those costs included in his response; however, it is doubtful. Even so, his cost went up at a minimum 25%. I asked Eric for a refund. He would not give it.

Touchstone Group did a fantastic job tuck pointing our home and repairing damaged glass block…read morebasement windows. Even though the job spanned two of the hottest and most humid days of July, they worked hard and made sure every little detail was perfect. They were pleasant to deal with and their pricing was fair. We would definitely hire them again.

Our HOA hired Touchstone for some masonry repair work. They were clear and communicative from the…read moreoutset - their quote included lots of photos and details about what was included in the job. They made short work of the project and were very professional while they were here. There were a few things that I wanted to make sure to see before they covered it up and they were great about keeping me posted. Genuinely no complaints - the work they did looks great and we're very happy. I definitely recommend using Touchstone if you've got a masonry project!

Terrific company, faster than the speed of light, and great job went above and beyond for the HOA…read moretoday. Very kind owner and affordable. Repaired damaged fascia.

If you are thinking it's time to make the plunge and redo that ChicagoLand Roof, before we get hit…read morewith a Big Winter Season, or torrential summer rains and storms, then search no further than Star Roofing! This past winter 2022, when many of us got hit with very heavy winds, we lost a nice chunk of our shingles; and with so many others whom experienced the same issue, Star Roofing responded the fastest and provided a very reasonable price to repair. At the same time as the repair, we requested a quote. Of course we obtained numerous rates from competitors, but we really admired the professional and friendly folks at Star, who provided us with a fantastic rate to redo not only our house roof, but garage, replacement of gutters, downspouts, soffit and fascia. We wanted the Full "Make-Over" experience! The work was completed in 2 days, with no delays, promised arrival times met, and the foreman/roofing crew were extremely polite and professional throughout the duration of work performed! They left absolutely No Mess! Our yard, patio, flower beds and gardens..spotless! These folks are seasoned pros, and the whole process from front to back was seamless, with the exceptional assistance of Gerardo ( Sales), Brian and Dina (Owners), and Pedro, (Roofing Foreman)! The crew were very skilled at their craft! I would highly recommend these folks to anyone seeking a roofing job well done and a reasonable price for quality products, sales and service! Robin G. Big Oaks Chicago,Il

We own a tavern in the Old Irving Park Neighborhood and decided to take down the ugly paneling…read morewhich had covered our wall. Behind the paneling was an exposed brick wall which was in bad need of repair. I did my homework and got three estimates for the wall and decided to go with Thatch Masonry. I was very satisfied with their work. They worked around my schedule, did everything they promised. Very friendly staff, from Dee who answered the phone, John the owner, to the guys who did the work. Great Job Thatch!

We had water seepage problems all throughout our 6 unit condo, especially the bottom units. Once…read morewe decided that work had to be done we called 3 companies to assess the property and propose on the work. We received 3 proposals for work on the 6 flat building and we ended up choosing Thatch. I was very happy with the work they did. They ground out all existing grout, replaced it and then finally sealed the brick. We will use Thatch every time we need our condo sealed going forward. I would recommend them to anyone who lives in a condo that was poorly built and has weephole issues or seepage problems. West Town Condo Assn

Reid is extremely easy to work with and do great work. There is a reason they are busy and always…read morebooked! We had a few minor things crop up unrelated to their craftsmanship after the roof was replaced. They were responsive and came out to check things out with no hassle! 100% Recommend Reid to anybody looking for roof work.

I want to support local businesses, and Reid is only a few blocks away from me, but unfortunately,…read moreI would not use them again. I had a 2-flat flat roof completely redone by them in 2021, and 2 weeks later the 2nd floor living room ceiling sprung a leak and started dropping plaster. They came to patch the leak on the roof, but it was up to me to fix the interior damage?? Wtf?? It's now 5 years later and I had another roofer to tell me inadequate sealing at the parapet is likely responsible for more moisture damage on the 2nd floor ceiling (again) Reid came in at $17K, whereas Matthews was $18.5K. I should have gone with Matthew's roofing, in spite of the higher cost. They've been at it for much longer.

What a crappy job by Steve Tan, and Paul from Done Right Roofing & Tuckpointing, and Metro City…read moreRoofing for three jobs: Roofing, Tuckpoint and also the handrail job. Steve came out and gave me quote promptly, and "sincerely". They finished the job in a few hours in a hot day. ( My neighbor just told me that they were in the roof top for less than one hour). When I came to check, I was puzzled and surprised to see they finished the job so quick, so I planned to climb the ladder to the roof, and Steve stopped me and claimed: really no need to check. They already repaired all the cracks, and re coated the whole roof with alumina. He was so "sincerely" that tricked me that I did not go to check before giving them $2800. And later on, I gave them the big tuck point project. I did not realize how thing were finished until the tuckpointing job finished like a nightmare. They claimed they had tens of years experience in tuckpointing. So I paid them upfront of $4200. But for my house, they hired the first group of people and it did not work out. And then they hired a 2nd group of guys, and the job were done horrible. Now I went back to check how the roof was finished two weeks ago. I took many photos for my record. They did NOT coat the whole roof with Alumina at all. Cracks were everywhere. They just did not do what they claimed. But they still gave me ten years warranty. How they can warrant a job which they did not do? There are many unfinished items listed in the contract, but Steve called me that night, claiming: all the contract items were finished and pushed me to pay them immediately. During the day time, I met with Steve a few hours earlier, and at that time he and I knew it was almost mission impossible to finish the job by that night. Anyway I paid him $900 for the handrail job, which he claimed will put it in the front entrance. And now the handrails are still lying in my front yard. But anyway he tried to push me to pay full amount that night, until the next day I found how crappy these jobs were finished, and there were many open items they did not even touch it, but this did not prevent Steve to claim the jobs were fully done. I texted both Paul and Steve, asking them to give me finished invoice, stating finished items, before I can pay them. And so far several days passed none written statement. I asked them to answer me "Yes" or "No" whether they fully coated the whole roof, and so far no answer either. Without satisfactory feedback from them, or fully refund me back of $7900, I will prepare all the proof, signed contract, and their "finished" job photos to the police, and bring them to the court. For whoever used their service before, I strongly suggested you check to make sure they delivered what they claimed. Thanks, Owen.

These guys were great. Actually found them by driving behind their truck. I called the number on…read morethe truck and they came right over. We scheduled the work and agreed on the price. His guys showed up early and got the work done quickly and correctly. They fixed the fascia on my roof line. I have a very tall house and they did not have a problem.

Fortune was the more economical (vs an architect) but still historically-minded option when we…read moreneeded to restore our 140-year-old home's facade. Still a significant investment (!), but worth every cent. The team was extremely professional start to finish, from the communication with the scheduler/office staff to the artisans actually doing the work/painting. They left the work site spotless every single day, which we extra appreciated after having the opposite experience with another contractor who did the interior reno. The before and after photo speaks for itself-- our home is stunning and we are grateful for the team for their attentive, painstaking work. It was covered in aluminum siding from the 1960s when we got it, wood rotting beneath, and now the original materials (cedar shingles), in the original configuration wow once again.

Needed window work (exterior painting, wells, trim, windows, some glazing and a few panes replaced)…read moreon a 1927 brick 3 story. I called Fortune because, after working in Wilmette for years, I've seen the incredible prep work they do on huge jobs. Prep is EVERYTHING! Pete Fortune came out to look, was very nice, knowledgeable and didn't blow off my (compared to their work I've seen) small job. I had other quotes and theirs was the top but not out of line. Ended up looping in their construction team to fix the garage doors and jambs and they are top-notch! Everything is finished, work is BEAUTIFUL, the crew was a joy and Pete is a mensch! FYI, the 4 year warranty on work, fact that they pay their guys fairly and their workman's comp insurance add serious value for a homeowner. Will be calling Pete about tuck pointing next year.

Stay away. Had a roof done in 2015 by Dardon. Had a leak in 2016, they came out and fixed it. It…read moreleaked again in 2020, same spot, and again came out and fixed it. This year same leak, so had a different roofer come out and fixed it properly. This time I went up with roofer and saw what was causing leak around exhaust box. Dardon never installed the shield around the box. On the previous leaks, they just caulked all around it. They never fixed it properly. Go with someone else.

I had a complete re-roof of a flat roof by another company in 2010. I noticed the roof leaking…read moreearlier this year. The original vendor gave a tap dance and on a subsequent trip put some sealant in a few areas. The leak had not been completely fixed. Dardon Roofing was recommended to me by a contractor who I have worked with over the years. The estimator came out and did a bid, which I accepted. When the repair guys came out a week or so later, they determined the scope of the work would be a bit less than they initially thought. The two guys who came out identified a couple areas where a seam had opened a bit, and a couple small holes. The two men completed the job in just over half a day, and to my amazement, the boss reduced the price as a result of the reduction in expected work. The men who worked were professional and polite and did not make a mess. The repair looks good, and I expect to get many more years out of it.