I recently had the pleasure of working with Adalberto and his team from Zepeda Concrete, and I…read morecannot speak highly enough about the experience. After getting over 15 quotes from other contractors that felt more like sales pitches, I finally found Adalberto doing work on a neighbor's house. His craftsmanship immediately stood out, and I knew he was the one for the job. The attention to detail on the steps and sidewalk at the entrance of my home is incredible. For Adalberto, each project is a true work of art. You can tell he loves what he does, and that passion reflects in the final product. All my neighbors have complimented the new steps, and it turns out that Adalberto has done work on other homes in the area as well. The old steps were poorly constructed, leaning toward the house, with no rebar and not up to code. During demolition, Adalberto noticed that the foundation wasn't properly set either. He took care of everything, installing rebar across the steps and anchoring them to the house to prevent any future sagging. The work was thorough, and I feel confident that the steps are solid and built to last. One of my neighbors was concerned about potential damage to her side of the property since her fence was just millimeters away from the old steps. Adalberto went above and beyond to ensure the area was spotless, and the steps were built precisely in place without any damage to the fence. My neighbor was so impressed with the care and quality of the work that she also got Zepeda's contact for future projects. The price was incredibly fair, the work was completed quickly, and the communication was excellent--Adalberto walked me through every step of the process. I'm beyond satisfied and would highly recommend Zepeda Concrete for any concrete work. If you're looking for quality, honesty, and artistry in your home projects, Adalberto is the person to call!

Disappointing Experience -- Concrete Driveway…read more We hired this contractor to install our concrete driveway in August 2023. Unfortunately, after only a few years, we have noticed significant deterioration throughout the driveway, including peeling/flaking concrete and multiple areas where the surface is coming off. We contacted the company about the problem, and a representative came out to inspect the driveway. We were told that the damage was likely related to weather and salt exposure, and that the concrete selection may have been incorrect. We were also told that we would hear back from the concrete supplier/company to determine what could be done. Unfortunately, despite our attempts to follow up by phone and email, we never received a response from the concrete company. We also contacted the contractor again and have not received a meaningful response or resolution. We understand that concrete can be affected by weather and road salt, but we expected a driveway installed in August 2023 to hold up significantly better than this. What is most disappointing is the lack of communication and follow-through after we reported the problem. We are simply trying to determine what caused the premature deterioration and whether anything can be done to repair or resolve the issue. At this point, we are very disappointed with the lack of customer service and accountability. Based on our experience, we would encourage anyone considering this company to ask detailed questions about the concrete specification, warranty, expected durability, and who is responsible if the concrete begins to fail.

Sam and his team did great job repaving our front porch, removing and replacing our steps and…read morewalkway. They left a red chalk mark on top step. I reached out to Sam and he came and put a glaze so we don't see it anymore. His price was much more reasonable than another company we got a quote from.

S&A Cement 224.659.2275 I wholeheartedly recommend S&A…read moreCement. The crew worked together efficiently to replace a cracked d section of my patio. The removal and pouring of the new was done in a day. Next day forms were removed. Sam told me he has been in the business for 40 years. He works along with his team throughout the entire process.

Good communication, fair price, great workmanship. Quick to respond for estimates and job…read morecompletion. Highly recommended!

Over the past twelve years, I've had General Masonry Construction handle several projects for me,…read moreincluding building a wood burning fireplace and chimney and replacing my front walk and stoop. Their work is excellent and their prices are very reasonable (their price for my fireplace and chimney was less than half of a quote I got from another contractor). I have received many compliments on the design and functioning of my fireplace. Their staff is very professional and helpful. I would recommend General Masonry Construction to anyone considering a masonry construction project. Paul L. (Northbrook)

I needed my damaged chimney fixed, I called Delta and spoke to a very pleasant woman named Kathy. A…read moreman named Olec came out to inspect my chimney, they did the work at a reasonable price, very easy to work with and they made the entire process painless. Would recommend to anyone in the area for brickwork or tuck-pointing needs.

Terrible Company! Avoid this one for sure! Run by a guy in his 30s who inherited the business…read morefrom his father. Shoddy workmanship from the masons. Owner shows up for the estimate and intial start of project the disappears . No oversight or supervision. He had his workers come back out 4 times for for regrouting and joint work. Their mixture of mortar was compromised at somepoint due to adding water after initial mixture got too dry. The end result was the joint work stated to Crack and flake away after 3 months . On the 3rd visit when I had complained about a stone that was inferior and I told them not to use oxidized from the iron content. When the workers come back out and scratched the surfaced, it appeared gray. They called me a f---ing scammer I was like wow! When I informed Filip the owner about it, his response was there's 2 sides to every story. What does they tell you about the business he runs? I paid $7,500 for shoddy, shifty half ass workmanship. My grandfather was a mason. He would be rolling in his grave if he saw the inferior workmanship. Avoid this Company!

Our chimney was in bad shape and I tried contacting several companies and Edmar seemed the best so…read morewe went with them. So glad we did! Very pleased with the experience. Everything from the estimate (with Edward) -- scheduling (with Martha) --- and actual repair/rebuild work (Chris and Marcin)--- went very smoothly! I highly recommend Edmar!

I hired this company to redo my concrete steps and wrought iron railings and they nailed it:…read more * The proposal from Peter was much more detailed than the other quotes I received. * The crew led by Art was very efficient. They demolished the steps, poured new ones along with a new walkway, and got a perfect shape. They also replaced my house's unusually deep limestone door sill. * They redid my railings, extending them to match the slightly higher layout and also repainting them so i didn't have to get all-new ones. Very friendly, professional, and a good value overall.

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.

Awful experience and awful work! Not responsive when asked…read moreto fix poor workmanship. Originally installed in 2010 and began to show crumbling after 1 year. Repairs made several times but problem never fixed satisfactorily. Now claim warranty is over and want to be paid again to fix problem which they never resolved in the first place.

Krugel Cobbles replaced my old driveway and did an amazing job! It's beautiful and fits my house…read moreperfectly! They were very responsive to my needs and wants on the project and stood on their heads to please us! I would highly recommend them for their skill and their willingness to work with a "know it all" homeowner who has a big fat opinion! They went out of their way to please us and be sure we were happy! Thanks Krugel Cobbles!!!!

I had a large porch on a 3-story mixed-use building that required new railings and staircases and…read moregeneral bracketry / reinforcement to bring it up to code. Brian and his guys did an EXCELLENT job, he was very professional and easy to work with and I appreciate no B-S or "surprises". They even went beyond that which I asked to make sure it was a job well done! I would highly recommend them (A+) and will gladly hire them again on future jobs.

Amazing deck, beyond expectations! Brian is easy to work with. He told me exactly what materials…read moreto buy. I purchased everything from Menards quite easily. Menards delivered everything to our garage. Branico removed old deck, built deck and cleaned up all materials in less than three days. The deck is the Sturdiest part of our house! Lol. Priced fairly and same as competitors. Very superior structure, so well built. Money well spent, great investment.