I asked Illini Home Improvements to insulate a room that is above our garage. This room was very…read morecold in the winter, and very hot in the summer. They came out and inspected what insulation I already had, and explained clearly why that insulation wasn't working. Basically, the builder had not insulated properly, either due to not knowing the proper way to insulate this type of room, or due to cutting corners. They explained to me what they would recommend, and why, and gave a firm estimate and time frame for when they could do the job. I agreed and their team showed up when they said they would, did the job, and cleaned up after themselves. They stuck to their quote even though the job took a significant amount more of insulation than expected. I was able to inspect their work via the attic, and they did exactly what they told me they would do. So far this room is warmer in the winter, but will never be as warm as the rest of the house due to being over a cold garage, and due to having inadequate heating vents. But at least the room is usable now and we can use a space heater as needed. My thanks to the team, and I'll call them again when I need something insulated. Note that despite the name of this company, they don't do EVERY kind of home improvement; this company specializes in weather-proofing/ insulation.

Had a multiple door install job for them, since the job was "too small", they recommended one of…read moretheir contractors. I was unhappy with the way the installer (his name was Chuck) handled the job. The screens were torn (not his fault), but instead of replacing them and coming back to finish the job as he said he would, he returned the broken screens to my porch about a month later with a note taped to it with a disconnected phone number. He didn't leave the packaging materials or instructions, so returning them to the company wasn't an option for me. I had to pay $90 for replacement parts, and Illini Home Improvement refused to accept responsibility for the job since the contractor was no longer employed with them. Frustrating to say the least and my doors are still not in working order.

David is a very talented and conscientious contractor. I had storm damage to my house. As he worked…read morehe kept me informed as to what materials were needed and projected costs to me. When my homeowners insurance denied my claim he personally called the insurance adjuster and explained why they should provide some coverage. He is thorough, honest and trustworthy.

We created a problem with our RV microwave that we knew was over our level of competence. Called…read moreA.G. Electric and they were able to respond in a reasonable amount of time - 2 days. Anthony arrived today and had our problem solved within an hour! Did not realize how much we would miss a microwave. The fix was thorough, correct and quick. We really appreciate their service. We can recommend this company located in Thomasboro.

They performed work for me recently for my church. Did an excellent job and would highly recommend.read more

Yikes!!!! STAY AWAY FROM THIS CONTRACTOR…read more We contracted with them to do a very simple job of installing trim on our kitchen cabinets. However, when they were done they left a very large and unsightly gap at the top of the trim that was installed. I was told this was due to the unevenness of the counter tops. Normally, irregularities would be discovered and addressed when the field measurements are taken. But apparently there were some miscalculations, so we ended up with the gap. I offered to compromise and provide some additional trim to cover this gap in lieu of tearing out the newly installed trim and starting over. Unfortunately, when I brought this proposal to New Prairie Construction's attention, I was told it would cost me over $200.00 to repair their mistake. I'm unsure how this became my fault, but I'm very disappointed. In addition to the workmanship, we agreed to a not to exceed, time and materials contract. However when I got the bill, it was hundreds of dollars in excess of their original not to exceed limit. They eventually adjusted the bill, but it took several e-mails and discussions for then to own up to their mistake.

We moved to Urbana last year into a lovely old home that needed bathroom and kitchen updates. We…read moredecided on New Prairie to perform both bathroom remodeling projects, after seeing their good work at my sister's house and hearing others recommend them. Our experience was outstanding! Jill and Julie are very customer-oriented and extremely competent. They helped us flesh out the basic design, which was a great start. Their crew did great work and the whole process was pleasant. My husband picked out all these non-standard fixtures but they adapted beautifully to do the correct engineering to make it all work. After the work was completed, we found one issue, which they came back right away and fixed for free. We look forward to working with them on our kitchen remodel this year.

No call no show even with a signed contract to complete the work. No return call from the office…read more Inexcusable.

I own a pressure washing company in Champaign (Guys Who Clean) and know Carol & A-Z Painting for a…read morefew years now. This is the best interior/exterior painting company in Champaign. Carol employs some amazing people with an amazing work ethic. It is a pleasure to recommend her business to my customers and not worry about the quality of their work. I have pressure washed some houses for A-Z in the prep for painting, and they turned out phenomenal after her crew put up the finishing touches. I'm always happy to work with this company. Thanks A-Z Painting for doing such a great job. All my customers are happy with your work.

I requested a small repair to be done on my elderly father's house and it took them months and…read morerepeated calls from me for them to complete. The. When I was able to view the work I saw they painted the area with a completely different color than was on the house. Unresponsive and bad service.

Bash-Pepper is at the top of my list for contractors. They set the standard. Great communication…read more Upfront estimates. Friendly workers. They showed up when promised and completed the siding job faster than I expected. Before leaving, they did a thorough sweep of the area to make sure all nails and debris were picked up. These guys are the best. Top-notch work.

I hired Perkins Home Improvement (Tim Edwards) to help finish a kitchen remodeling project that…read moreanother contractor started. The previous contractor left my kitchen a disaster, but thanks to Tim I have a kitchen I can finally enjoy being in. First thing Tim did was evaluate the space and identify the problems--the main problem being that nothing was plumb: the walls were warped, the floor was sloped, the cabinetry was not flush, the drywall was separating where the ceiling meets the walls, and the paint job was an absolute mess. Tim was undaunted. He knew exactly how to handle it. I desperately wanted a bifolding door for my large pantry, but framing it was a tall order considering the opening was non-standard and the door would have to be special ordered. But the greatest challenge was installing it so that it looked straight in spite of the fact that the opening was cock-eyed on account of the uneven walls & floor left by the previous contractor. Tim & his crew did an ABSOLUTELY STUNNING job. I cannot understate the precision and craftsmanship it took to do this job. These guys, under Tim's direction were so outstanding I was speechless--the sheer math it took to get this right and to fit the giant door so perfectly was on par with the stones in the Egyptian Pyramids (still a mystery how it was done!) Tim is by far the best contractor I have worked with in the area (and I've been here for 18 years and have been through many contractors!) He takes enormous pride in his work. His knowledge and expertise with older homes especially is incomparable. Tim's crew also fixed our ceilings at half the cost others were charging. It's because Tim came up with a creative work-around that resulted in an absolutely stunning kitchen ceiling. Again, he was working with a total mess of ill-prepared drywall and paint. His creativity and ability to see a solution that led to an elegant solution was simple and inexpensive. Having had three projects now completed by Tim & his crew I can honestly say Perkins is a league above all others. The downside is about being so good is, he's in heavy demand :(

I contacted Brian based on on-line reviews. He responded quickly and was able to assess my…read moresituation quickly. I needed him rebuild my front stoop steps, tuckpoint my brick mailbox, and fill various driveway cracks. We came to a monetary agreement and he started work almost immediately. The stoop and mailbox were completed in two days and the driveway in a few hours. Excellent quality work. I wouldn't hesitate to use Brian again.