This review is not about work as we were unable to hire Chicago Porch Experts. We called and someone came out to our house to review our screen in porch and go over work we wanted done. The person spent time going over the work and left, saying he would have quote in few days. Waited till end of the week and no quote. My wife reached out on Friday and was told they would work on the quote and have by Monday. Well this was few weeks ago and no response. I don't understand why you guys waste my wife's time looking at project, then don't follow up. If the job is not big enough just tell us, don't waste our time. I would say if you have big job they deem it is worth their time, give them a call, otherwise find contractor that actually wants to do the work. read more

I do NOT recommend hiring Chicago Porch Experts. I'm the president of a condo association for a 6-unit building; we have a three story deck for all six units. We recently hired Chicago Porch Experts by Emtrak Construction to redeck the third floor and then power wash and stain the entire porch. We had a terrible experience. The primary issue is with communication and organization. The actual work, primarily the redecking, is good, which is saving them from a one-star rating. But they lack the organizational skills to work on a project of this scope. I'm not going to list out every single incident, but there was a lot of miscommunication throughout the entire process that caused a ton of strife for the building. Lots of my emails went unanswered, and they refused to schedule anything, even when I'd ask for tentative dates, in favor of either showing up unannounced or only giving me 12 hours notice of when work would start. I have to give ample heads up to the building so that they can move their furniture and so that they know they won't have access to the deck for the day. Despite telling them this, Chicago Porch Experts would not/could not accommodate this. They tried to make things right, I'll give them credit for that, but it was not sufficient for the amount of issues created. Out of all the contractors I've worked with in my role as president, this is the worst of them by far. I don't recommend using Chicago Porch Experts if you're a condo association or anyone looking to have larger work done past simple decks for single family residences. read more

We had a great experience with Chicago Porch Experts by Emtrak. Our 3rd floor wooden balcony flooring and joists were in need of replacing. Karl and his team did a great job. Karl was responsive and his team arrived on time and completed the project quickly. We ended up going with a composite flooring and we are really happy with how it turned out. The price was fair and I will be reaching out to them for future projects. The team was polite and respectful. Really appreciate the help with this project! Thanks guys! read more

Chicago Porch Experts by Emtrak Construction - Decks & Railing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Our wooden front stairs were built in 1984 and badly in need of replacement. We also had some adjacent concrete that was starting to crumble and sink. It was so nice that CPE handled that for us too. We received our estimate and then Karol came out to work out some details. We are very happy with the work they did and I am going to contact Matt in 2024 about replacing the back deck. read more

Chicago Porch Experts by Emtrak Construction - Front stairs and one block of concrete. - Decks & Railing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Overall great experience! Emtrak built a deck on the back of my house. They completed in less than 3 weeks from the time Karol came out for an estimate, The team was very responsive, professional and efficient. I am very happy with the result, and will be using them for any future needs. read more

Chicago Porch Experts by Emtrak Construction - Decks & Railing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Do not hire them!! Karl this " general contractor " he made the plans &?got the permit without our approval. We did not even see the plans until he was ready to start so clearly when we saw them we had some changes We wanted wider steps and different style roof We wanted a hip roof instead of the flat roof he wanted to do plus my husband went through the materials that Karl had to buy for building, the deck & the roof. Karl was our third estimate. We agree on a $12.200 without them doing the pillars & give him a down payment of $6.700 . People that work for him are good people, but rookies they are not professionals.In two weeks they all work three days doing only the deck & railing and broke my door step stone !! I had to play guessing game with them ...they do not Tex or call you back...meanwhile in those 3 days he had to redo them step three times first they were sitting in the air then they 8 1/4 +5/8 pitch on each step to minimize the hight but that was still wrong if you were to fall you could break your neck from them so there was no other way but to redo them again so now from 2 steps we ended up with 3 !! Now of course Karl is nit happy because he Is realizing he can not do what he does with others on Wednesday when I went to pick up my daughter from school, he came in my property he took all the lumber that was order to finish the job we all agreed upon & the job he took more tha 50 % down paymentIt was my daughters birthday to, but he doesn't care took all the wood that was there for the roof and left .Everything is recorded and after seeing that all the lumber was gone & the job is not even 1/2 done While his employees were still cleaning we call the police jus so we document his unprofessionalism He is an arrogant person that doesn't deserve to be close to dealing with people !! don't throw away your hard-working earned money with them !!! read more

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Karl and his crew were awesome and easy to work with. They provided us a quote that was half as much as every other provider for the same amount of work! We had two privacy fences replaced on our patio and rooftop and they were able to complete everything in two days! If you need any fencing done in the city Chicago, look no further if you don't want to over pay for subpar work. Highly recommend and we will be lifetime customers of Emtrak! read more

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Our back porch needed to be replaced, and Chicago Porch Experts did a beautiful job. Matt was very responsive from the start, and Karl came out to discuss the project and provide a detailed estimate. They were much easier to work with than any of the other contractors we contacted for proposals, and the estimate was competitive. Karl also evaluated the foundation of an extension on our house and provided us with cost saving recommendations. The team was courteous and hard working. The demolition and framing of the new porch were very quick. The finishing took more time than expected due to delays on both sides, but the finished porch is fabulous. We asked for the porch to be screened in and since completion we have been out on the porch almost constantly. Karl even had his team hang a swing on our front porch when I decided I wanted it there instead of on the new porch. We would absolutely use Chicago Porch Experts again for future projects. read more

Karl stands by the quality of his work. We've hired him for our roof shingles replacement, back deck replacement, sliding doors replace, installing bathroom exhaust fans, kitchen exhaust hood replacement, painting, and installing a shower door. He comes back to help fix any issues we saw to ensure quality service. read more

Emtrak did a great job replacing my back stairs and gate. Their bid was much lower than the other 2 bids we got which I know can be a red flag, but not in this case. They started the job the date they told me they would and finished in a timely manner. We couldn't be more pleased with the job. They were also the first to respond to the request I made for a quote on Yelp. read more

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Karol and his team quickly and efficiently build porches and decks for all my investment properties while correcting city building violations. As a real estate broker and investor, quick project turnaround, price and quality are very important to me and Emtrak Construction provides every time. Thank you for the great work. Damian Wojcik Chicagoland Brokers DW Properties Inc. read more

These guys came to our rescue!!! We just recently bought a house in Albany Park that was rehabbed (we bought it from the Rehab/Investment Group--never ever make that mistake again!!) ...after we closed on the house we come to realize that the porches were crap and falling apart and would be a matter of weeks before atleast the landing or a couple of stairs would have collapsed....and come to find out our front porch was not even up to code (thanks to Karol--pronounced Karl). These guys responded to my inquiry online and they sent Karol (pronounced Karl) out to look at both front and back porches (and I didn't have to be there) and then they emailed me a quote which I was NOT expecting--it was completely reasonable as I was expecting to have to take out a loan to have new porches hahaha. I had additional questions and concerns that I wanted to point out to them...so they sent Karol again and he explained a few things and I told him let's start--they started the next week and in 2 days I had new porches!!! All pine and gorgeous!! It feels sturdy and looks sturdy and I can't wait to paint/stain them but due to the ridiculous rain in Chicago it's been impossible. The crew that Matt and Karol sent out were awesome guys and you can tell they love what they do and they are proud of their work, which is how it should be. So I highly recommend this company! You will not regret it!! And they accept Zelle/QuickPay payment--which is AWESOME!! read more

Karl did an excellent job replacing our back stairs. They completed the job in one day and came back the next morning to clean up. Everything done is according to code and the stairs are sturdier and safer than our previous stairs. Definitely recommend Emtrak! read more

These guys are fantastic. I just had them replace/lift and level/install new supports and the floor in the front room of my 1912 bungalow. Over the years, a corner of the room had sunk significantly due to eroding wood and footers. Even the roof line was sagging. They at the same time removed my broken concrete front stairs and built a beautiful wood porch and new stairs. All of this in a week (even with rain delays) at a very fair price. Karl also scheduled and connected me with concrete guys to replace my front sidewalk. Everyone on the crew was polite, timely, respectful of my home and informative about the process. I couldn't be happier. This was the first of many renovations to my new very old home so I was nervous and probably overly excited. Karl spent extra time answering my many questions which made the process a breeze. I truly appreciate everything these guys did and I definitely plan to use them again in the future. read more

I must admit, when my husband told me he chose this company to install our deck I was worried giving the lack of reviews but I am extremely pleased with our deck which was just completed today. From obtaining the permit to passing inspection everything with seamless and professional. The work crew was pleasant and on time every single day and did a phenomenal job! Karol the owner answered all our questions and concerns and I highly recommend this contractor, you won't be disappointed! read more

Chicago Porch Experts by Emtrak Construction - Decks & Railing Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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If I could give these crooks zero stars I would do so. My condo association entered into a contract agreement with Emtrak back in the spring to rebuild five porches commencing 30 days after city permits were issued. The Association paid $10,000 for plans & permits when the contract was signed. After the plans & permits were issued Emtrak stalled the commencement of construction due to the "unavailability of materials". All the while they continued to build porches throughout the city. In September after wasting the entire summer building season, Emtrak contacted the Board Association with a demand to increase the signed contract price by 30% as well as committing to rebuild only two porches at that time. There extortion attempt was rejected by the board attorney & a demand made to honor the signed agreement. As of this date no work was done, Emtrak has not answered any written correspondence from our attorney, returned numerous phone calls or returned our initial payment. Buyer beware this company has shown themselves to be disreputable. read more

We worked with Emtrak Construction to have our front porch replaced in Oak Park, IL. The crew showed up on time, removed the steps to see what was needed, purchased the supplies and installed the steps and associated material. Emtrack Construction is price competitive and the guys do great work. read more

I was in the construction industry for over 40 years and now retired I hired EMTRAK to remove my large deck and build a new one from scratch in Elk Grove Village. Karl and his crew are the best. I know what excellent construction is and these guys are great. You can't go wrong with this family owned business. I highly recommend them. read more

Karol Ramotowski and his team at Emtrak Construction have done multiple projects in our home. We love working with them! Their prices are fair and the crews are friendly and efficient. In 2017 we had our walk-up attic gutted and turned into a beautiful playroom for our boys -complete with spray-foam insulation and new windows. Then in 2018 they completely tore down and rebuilt our front porch. The crew had to jackhammer out 16,000lbs of concrete stairs and rebuilt the porch using a wood composite material that we have been very happy with. Adam went the extra mile and mitered the ends of each step giving it a very finished look. We will continue to work with Emtrak Construction on future home projects. read more