Working with John was a horrible experience. I should have known that he was not the right fit for…read moreus when he referred to our furniture as "way too Pottery Barn" and too "matcy-matchy". Later came to realize that his billing and general business demeanor was questionable as well. We withdrew his services but after a considerable cost. He was abrasive, condescending and unprofessional. Be careful.

My family has worked with John Gray for 15+ years on three separate houses. Two in Chicago and a…read morelake house in Michigan. Last year I bought a Mies Van Der Rohe condo unit on Lake Shore Drive, which I planned to gut-renovate. Early on I wanted to design and GC the project myself. This became impossible due to an increased work schedule. On top of this, I had a tight and fixed budget. Initially, I reached out to John for guidance, and to help source good contractors. I realized that John's experience, his eye, his team, and negotiating skills would quickly pay for itself. We completed the renovation in 6 months: demo, new plumbing, upgraded electrical service, new integrated kitchen, hardwood floors, newly constructed walls and a renovated bathroom. Building management mentioned that it is one of the nicest units in the building. Even better, we came in exactly within budget, with no major surprises. I have lived here for a little over a year and am very happy with the end product. If you are seeking a designer to simply provide you with popular finishes or tell you what you want to hear, then John is not for you. John and his team are empathetic and versatile designers. They rely on an engaged relationship with their clients. This allows them to create a home that is a personal expression of his clients and their families. - Zack

We were looking to have an average size job done for some tile flooring in our house…read more In my experience, most contractors (even good ones) really struggle with communication and response times. Not Matt (MLM). From the first time I reached out to him on Yelp to the end of our project, he is probably the most accessible contractor I've worked with. We chatted about his action plan for the day every day before the job, and he was more than willing to help us out with any requests (we changed our mind regarding some specs several times). He was also willing to change any work that wasn't what we expected after install. The workmanship was on par with any flooring installer, but it was the transparency, communication, and quick responses to everything that led to this 5-star review. I should also point out that his price was extremely reasonable and there were no "hidden" add-ons. He was very open and honest throughout. I would urge anyone looking to do any remodeling to give him a try.

My wife posted earlier of how Matt screwed up our project. I rather use pictures to leave no…read morequestions. We had a signed contract and he continuously brought up costs to me. One day I finally asked why. He said it was because he was going to need more money. Everything was laid out in our contract. We added two stairs to our deck. He ordered our composite and never showed us samples. Then the composite came and it was way off the color we wanted. Then the price to our dock changed. Then he stopped showing up saying it was supposed to rain and no rain would come. Finally we cancelled the contract. I was hoping that he would be reasonable and work with us. I gave him a deposit and a draw to pay his workers. We have since had to tear the structure that was left down since it is unsafe and poorly done. He won't return a dime and all I have is a unusable yard and some poorly done stairs to show for it. I had no intention of hurting Matt's business or reputation but since he will not return any of the money, well the least I could do is save others from making the same mistake we made. *Im response to Matt's response. I was not fine with it when he left. He didn't leave. I actually fired him. As for the disposal of materials..... that was obviously part of the contract and he told me it cost him $69. He was given thousands. Technically I paid for the materials and disposal already. From his responses you can clearly see that he blames us for his poor workmanship. He called me a lite and a cheat. I posted pictures to add validity.

I appreciate reviews but don't like writing them (lol) but realize its helpful to Community, and so…read morefar Shims made it positive about 2 weeks ago we had light Maple Engineered hardwood installed through House by crew with good Thumbtack reviews. In the end 'looked good' but after inspection clear issues with 'directional flow' entering room/space (horizontal -vs vertical),,  What's worse we learned engineered wood (unlike laminate) comes in variations some look good natural  - but others [dark knotted sections in Trees appear like [ stains- dog poo- bear-like claws! ] So we decided Not hire them back, we posted to Floor repair comp on Yelp,  and Shims Remodeling replied too.  Andre stopped by immediately noticed issues "flow- got aesthetic issues (could've placed rotten boards in closets, hidden areas etc)- patterns etc;  basically things we questioned Thumbtack Installers, but told "You guys being picky" to later admit errors when wanted more work.  Yet Shim's who's stated is licensed- member of national Association- annual trainings, explains (will school you ha-ha) pros- cons, saw & understood the concerns Anyhoo last Saturday he arrived, carefully removed 2 boards (skill). when done texted photos of really good Job almost can't tell what was done. . as amazing Andre said he'd do free sample, we didn't think so, but he did & locked up as requested. After this experience & alot money spent on this project, gesture was awesome. Thanks With busy Season we hope Shims stop by other 6-8 boards, and 1 or 2 day proj's soon :)) See before & after photos (once I figure out how upload onto review lol)

I inquired about a large flooring/ceiling job in my basement. Shim took $124 for an estimate that…read moreshould be free of charge. It has been 1 week and no estimate or contract has been produced. In person, we agreed on the date to begin work, and now Shim is wavering on that. Unprofessional, incompetent, no regard for verbal agreements, poor customer service, unable to solve the problem at hand. Only interested to take money by just showing up at your door. Makes a business solely on estimates; has no intention to deliver any work. BUYER BEWARE.

My husband and I hired USA Pro Construction for a project to remodel our kitchen. This included…read moreceramic tile from the entryway through the kitchen to the powder room; new powder room vanity, lights, towel rack, toilet paper holder; kitchen cabinets, kitchen backsplash, granite countertop; painting, light fixture in hall, new baseboard; electric and plumbing for garbage disposal, sink and dishwasher, over-the-counter microwave. I really like Mike and believe he, his brother Keith and a couple of intermittent helpers basically know what they are doing. I would like to say I love the finished product, but it is just okay. Besides the overall incomplete and/or rushed items done in a non-professional manner (paint, trim) and the fact a 3-4-week estimate turned into 7-8 weeks, two of the largest items have major issues. 1. Our new cabinets went up right after the demolition of the kitchen and I immediately noticed they were the wrong cabinets. After admitting this was his mistake Mike continued to tell us new doors were coming. This lie continued for three months. We have now found out that we cannot just replace the doors. Our only option is to order unfinished doors and have them stained, etc. as close as possible to the color of our cabinets. We withheld part of our last payment to Mike but the total expense to replace the doors is more than double the amount we withheld. Unfortunately, we have decided to install the doors that were ordered in error even though they are far from what we wanted and have some minor scratches. My husband installed them. 2. The ceramic tile we had installed is a wood grain look. As the days went by after installation, we could see there was a haze on the tile. Mike said it might take 13 washes or more to remove this haze and twice he mopped on a special acidic cleaner. This did not help. After my 70-year-old husband spent two days (two different times) on the floor applying an acidic cleaner by hand and mopping the floor well over 13 times, the haze remains. We now are having a tile and grout company cleaning the tile, repairing a couple of loose tiles, adding grout where it has come out and sealing the grout in both our floor and backsplash ... with no guarantee the haze can be removed. Mike also promised to give us all receipts and warranties but, after numerous requests, that has not happened. Maybe this job was more than they could handle both knowledge-wise and size-wise or possibly their experience lies in other areas of construction. I know money may have been an issue for ordering new doors, but all Mike needed to do was let us know and we would have paid for them and deducted the cost from the last payment. Maybe better quality and less messiness will come with more experience and I hope for Mike's success with his business, but his priority should be honesty in communicating with his clients and quality work.

We hired USA Pro construction to do a complete new addition to our home! From the beginning, to the…read moreend of project, we had nothing but Great things to say! Everything turned out just as plans were drawn up. I would recommend them!

You get what you pay for and that's not a good thing. Initial communication was great and Joe and…read morehis employees came on time. They finished a job he estimated would take four days in less than 3. I paid Joe and they went on their way. I trusted that he would do what he said. I was wrong. The next day, when dry enough for me to inspect it, I saw that they had simply skipped over several parts of the floor in corners where they did not sanding and no staining. Worse, because they weren't careful and used the electric sander for even the tight spots, they carved into my wood trim in multiple places. Three times Joe promised he would come fix the issues and three times he was a no show. And all three times when he didn't show up, he ignored multiple calls and texts from me. I definitely regret using these guys. By, the way, I'm not sure they use the name A-Genesis Hardwood-Remodeling hardware any more. I found this page by googling the phone number. A-Genesis is not an active company according to the State of Illinois but Joe is definitely still active.

My floors are beautiful!!! He was on time and very reliable! now whenever I have friends over they…read morerave about how amazing the floors are!!! I have recommended him to all of my friends and now I'm recommending him to you!

I received a few responses to my Yelp service request. Tomaso responded promptly, provided the best…read moreestimate, and was very flexible in scheduling an appointment. He actually arrived before the scheduled time, and sent me a text letting me know of his arrival! COVID compliant, he had his mask. He knew exactly what to do to change out the faucet, and completed the job quickly and efficiently. No leaks or problems, and it looks great! I would not hesitate to call TLCC again!

I highly recommend TLCC for any home project you may have. Tommy gave me a very reasonable quote,…read morewas professional, courteous, on time, and did an excellent job. I hired TLCC to assemble a brand new pergola and create a concrete slab for my solo fire pit. He completed the project quickly and I'm very happy with the results. I will be hiring TLCC again very soon to help complete my backyard mini oasis as well as for some additional small projects in the home. Thank you TLCC!

Marcin does fabulous work. He is a perfectionist and it shows. We have had him complete five jobs…read morefor us over the past year: (1) repairing interior water damage to a celling; (2) reconstructing two of our decks; (3) removing and installing a new exterior door; and (4) remodeling our roof deck. Marcin took the time to go over the process in detail and took our concerns into consideration. In particular, we did not want to waste materials when reconstructing two of our decks. Marcin saved as many deck boards as he could, replacing them with new boards only when necessary, which saved us money. One of the best things about Marcin is that he is incredibly responsive to phone calls and emails. Also, he treated our home like his home... perpetually cleaning up after himself and leaving no trace that he was there when I got home from work. In designing our roof deck, Marcin and I worked very well together. He listened intently to how I wanted the deck designed and constructed and in response offered up solutions and ideas that fit precisely with my vision. Not only is Marcin a talented carpenter, he also has a great eye for design, which helps when you are looking to save money and already have a design in mind. He told me he would bring me three options for decking material, and instead brought me seven, all at different price points. The work Marcin does looks EXPENSIVE. As previously noted, he is a perfectionist and it shows in his work. He truly cares about each and every project he works on and his work product is definitely a reflection of who he is as a person. He is always striving to complete the job to your satisfaction. He and his work are excellent. I couldn't recommend him more highly.

We were replacing our deck railings and had gotten three estimates. Marcin was the last contractor…read moreto come out on December 1, 2015. He was the least expensive of the three and we did the contract with him. On December 22nd he came out an finished the job in the one day. The railings came out great and he cleaned up all the debris and leftover lumber. I would definately hire him again for any other project I might need to complete..

They were timely and sensitive to working with our contractor's timeline. The quartz is beautiful…read moreand we were able to look at the slabs. We highly recommend to anyone fantastic product and installation at a great price.

Their prices were fair, their customer service was excellent, and they communicated with me through…read morethe entire process. Their measurement and installation team was very courteous throughout the entire process. I would highly recommend this company.