Normandy has dishonest and incompetent people at all levels. If I could give negative stars, Normandy would be the company. Initial timeline from Normandy, written in the contract, was 9 months. After 5 months, Normandy could not produce accurate architectural drawings - they initially estimated drawings to be complete in 4-6 weeks. Basic items like location of existing windows, elevation labels, and incorrectly placing 2nd floor bathroom layout on 1st floor, are a few examples of Normandy's incompetence. Normandy reported having requested a building permit, until I asked for confirmation, then Normandy admitted the request for a permit was not made (one of many lies). When issues were escalated, each next "manager" blamed the previous person's incompetence. After 5 months, there was not one person that could answer basic questions from Normandy's drawings (Danny, Leslie, and Ashely are equally incompetent). Troy Pavelka (Normandy's Vice President) is the most dishonest and incompetent of the group. Troy's response to every issue was to ask for more money and time. When I insisted Normandy adhere to the contract budget, timeline, and statement of work, Troy requested to cancel the contract. Only a dishonest company like Normandy would cancel a contract they wrote. I should not have ignored all the other reviews of Normandy showing the pattern of dishonesty and incompetence. read more

Our project was to completely remodel the kitchen of our Downers Grove house. We shopped around quite a bit across the well established builders in the suburbs of Chicagoland area. We decided to go with Normandy Builders and we couldnt have been happier with the overall experience - from design to completion and post completion support! Our designer, Bryan Brisky, was one of the reasons my wife leaned towards Normandy, she felt very comfortable with the relationship she built and the straight forward and well established grounding the designer brought in to our project. The overall vision my wife had for the project was quite different and part of creativity was successful because of the insight Bryan provided. He not only listened to what my wife wanted, but also provided fiscally responsible decision points that helped us ensure we didnt go over/above what we should spend (bang for buck). Once the project kicked off, one of the best things that happened to us was we were assigned Chris Tomko. He truly was the most amazing person outside of our designer from Normandy that made the process completely seamless. Case in point, we had a pre-planned vacation for a week and Chris was checking in daily with the progress of our project as he normally did but was very extra involved to ensure we werent nervous all while construciton was ongoing during our vacation. There were several timelines within our project that were hit right on the time as planned, if not earlier, all while supply issues happened - Normandy has a very good reputation and flex with their vendors so it was good to get proper results even when things didnt go well since they made things right. Example, some of our cabinetry wasnt fully perfect, minor flaws but they re-ordered and replaced them. Our project entailed several plumbing, electrical, drywall, etc. milestones and Normandy worked seamlessly with the village permit department and pre-post inspection approvals. During construction there were no problems, at all, Normady fixed any issues as needed that impacted our existing house if anything happened. Example, we had a minor drywall scrape and they fixed it. Of course, we paid as part of our fees the use of air filters, coverings for furniture, close out of rooms so dust doesnt go to those rooms, etc but we definately GOT WHAT WE PAID FOR in the end. My project also included adding a new sub-panel in my basement for electricity for my higher grade appliances, new coffee station with built in cabinetry, bigger exaust output and input for air, electric car supply to my garage via basement. Normandy continues to ensure quality is of utmost improtance - backed by 5 years of warranty for workmanship. I had them stop by to re-caulk the kitchen area and they are very good at just standing behind their work. Yes, it was a bit more than other builders but i was happy parting away with a small percentage extra because it turned out to be the best way to put my money to work. Had I gone with other bigger builders or smaller ones, I am not sure if I would be given attention AFTER THE PROJECT WAS COMPLETED! If you need any further questions answered, feel free to connect with me on google (zoobearz@gmail.com) and would love to help you make the decision. My official name is Mohammed Khan from Downers Grove if you want to reference me so they know you decided based on my review and feedback! Overall our project was over ~120K ish in cost, appliances were seperate via ABT. read more

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Every aspect of working with Normandy Remodeling exceeded our expectations. Kelley and Leslie were an excellent design team, so patient and focused on helping us design a master bathroom that was both functional and tasteful. Mike's project oversight was thorough and reliable, with clear communications every day. Each subcontractor provided quality work, right down to the cleaning crew who came through at the end. I would happily work with Normandy again. read more

Normandy Remodeling - General Contractors Near Me - Hinsdale, Illinois

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Blown off by a contractor's 2nd meeting is not great ettiquette for a potential client.

It has been quite a few years since we had our kitchen done with Normandy. I am just now writing about our experience because although I knew we were taken advantage of, I did not realize to what degree until I began our full house remodel project this summer. I was green, totally inexperienced---and in a rush because we moved into a home that needed immediate attention. I was busy getting my family set up in a new town and I failed to pay attention to every detail and ask enough questions. I blame myself for quoting our max budget right away, not pushing harder for detailed invoices or asking why the bill didn't decrease when we removed something..... and for trusting people on something I knew very little about. Now, as I work with my architect and builder to gut our home and rebuild it, I see what working with a company of integrity looks like. read more

I am long overdue for this review! My sincere apologies to Maury Jones who has been more than patient waiting for me to boast about my FABULOUS experience with Normandy Remodeling. And...boast, I must! I had a vision (at least I thought I did) about adding an 'outdoor' addition to my home. Maury Jones (designer) worked side-by-side with me through multiple designs until we got it right, together. While he had recommendations, he did not dismiss my wish-list items and tried his best to find every option available to make our collective vision come to life. My new outdoor 300 square foot addition is inclusive of a luxurious stamped concrete 'rustic hardwood' foundation, vaulted ceiling with faux beams, large screen panels (so I can enjoy my view), custom stone knee wall, new patio door, lighting/ceiling fan and even speakers! Every inch of Normandy's craftsmanship was executed to perfection! If you are looking to enhance the beauty of your home, call Maury at Normandy! Every time I walk by the doorway of my new addition, I love it more every day. I could not be happier, and I cannot wait to use it this coming season! read more

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We met with Kathryn O'Donovan at Normandy on a Master Bathroom Remodeling project. We never got to the contract phase because their pricing was over-the-top expensive when compared with several other design & build proposals. Kathryn possesses a lot of knowledge, experience and design expertise, which we were willing to pay a premium for, but Normandy's pricing was nearly 50% higher than their competition. read more

I was not the homeowner who hired Normandy for a large remodel project. We had some issues with our bathroom shower and after a wait were able to get their service department out to our house. These guys were great! They were able to help me identify that most likely the issue which caused the tile to crack in the shower has to do with the ice jams in the gutter or a satellite dish. I cannot thank them enough for their thoroughness in the matter. I hope that they can help me put our bathroom back together but understand if they do not because it is a small project. read more

Normandy added a much needed bathroom to our first floor. This old house has a second floor bathroom but my husband and I are getting up there in age so this addition has allowed us to age into our home. I can't say enough about working with Troy and Alex from Normandy. We got three quotes from different contractors and Normandy was right in the same ballpark. More than that, we had complete Trust in their professionalism and integrity. The bathroom result is amazing and fits so naturally into our old home design that it looks original to the home. Working with Normandy and in particular Troy and Alex has been one of the most positive experiences of our lives. (That is, working with contractors) Punctuality, working within the time frame, working within our budget, and basically taking care of all the various details and subcontractors. But above all trustworthy. read more

Don't bother calling them! I'm working on a kitchen remodel & called them about the project & was hung up on twice!! The first people you speak with seem Totally unprofessional & not knowledgeable at all. read more

After visiting the home remodeling expo at Pheasant's Run, we decided that there were two companies we were interested in to do our bathroom remodelling. Normandy was at that time our second choice. We started work with the other company, but too many questions were not being answered to our satisfaction, so we decided to visit Normandy's showroom. We met with Jennifer Cross who understood what we were looking for right away. She gave us excellent suggestions, helped us with a color scheme etc. Rick and crew did a great job with the demolition and rebuild. We were totally satisfied with the experience. Everything was cleaned to our satisfaction when the job was done. Jennifer even picked out a color scheme for an adjoining room for us. A year later, we damaged a couple of doors to the cabinets. We contacted Normandy to see if we could purchase replacement doors. They actually replaced them for free as part of their guarantee! If we have any other remodeling to be done in the future, there is no question - we will use Normandy. read more

You should tell the people who drive around with the logo of your company on their vehicle to read parking signs. They parked in a 5 MINUTE PICK UP SPOT for 45mins and didn't even enter the business which those parking spots are intended for. Also it prevented guests who those spots are intended for from parking there. Very very very rude. read more

I am looking at my house now, as we are all isolated these months of 2020, and every day I think, thank goodness Normandy took care of it when they did. Shelter in place takes on a new, happier meaning for us, thanks to this company. Our little old (1887) house needed so much work, and the designers and construction staff listened to our concerns and needs about our kitchen and first floor a few years ago, and came up with the perfect plan for us. The work was performed just as scheduled and the project finished right on budget, which had everything spelled out in detail. The designers and skillful tradespeople were amazing. Last year, we of course decided to ask their thought about our upstairs, especially our little bathroom. Again, every day I think thank goodness for Normandy. There were some very interesting problems, and creative solutions were found for all of them. The finished result is exactly what we needed. One really nice thing about a place like Normandy is that you can ask for their help beyond the kitchen or bath during the planning, which for us included replace the back door, build a cubby next to it, change out the kitchen door, extend wood floors. In fact, now there is only one room left in our house that doesn't have Normandy's graceful touch on it! read more

Used Normandy a few years back to remodeled two bathrooms. The overall experience sucked. Too expensive. The job took way to long to complete. They used sub-contractors, who never talked to the project manager. Clown show! (They put an electrical outlet directly in back of the water faucet) read more

Our kitchen renovation project is completed - four weeks early - thanks to the diligence of our Normandy superintendent, Rick, and Normandy's great crews! From conception to design with Kathryn (she's great designer) .... to completing each & every last detail ... Normandy has been responsive and through! Has it been easy? No, renovations right down to the wall insulation are not - but with upfront organization on our part & guidance from Normandy ... once our demolition was completed ... each day was a new & exciting experience! Rick was easy to reach & extremely responsive and his follow up & great humor made it a joy to work with him. We've recommended Normandy Remodeling to others and will continue to praise their designs, professionalism and consideration of our ideas and working in our home home. Thanks for making our kitchen vision a reality! read more

Absolutely awful customer service. I am in the process of renovating my home and asked for someone to come and look at the property and help with interior design and architectural work. I spoke with 2 women during 2 different phone calls and it seems as if they don't want to waste their time coming to a home unless there is a contract signed for them to do the work. I have never had such a difficult time trying to work with someone and give them MY money. It seems like there are other similar reviews regarding this same issue. Don't waste your time with a 20 minute phone call when they just want you to sign on the dotted line and take your money. read more

Normandy Remodeling - impressive from the very first step! Laura Barber took excellent care of us... Helped the design of our master bath come to life! Pete Juska PM'd our project and executed it perfectly- every trade that took part did a fantastic job and everyone was respectful of our home! Everyone was professional and truly executed our vision. Thank you everyone at Normandy!!! Very impressive group!!! The Vitale's read more

We worked closely with Bill over the course of a few months on plans for a complete first floor and master bath renovation. Bill was friendly, thoughtful and a terrific designer. We provided him with a blank slate and he gave us a number of incredible designs and things we may never have thought of on our own. He was a true pleasure to work with and we appreciated his passion for his work and for his client service. While we did not ultimately proceed with Bill and Normandy at the completion of our bidding process it had nothing to do with Bill and what he provided to us over the course of our project. I would highly recommend Bill to see if his designs are right for your renovation. read more

We hired Normandy to conduct a massive project for us in 2018. We added a three story addition to our existing 80 year old Georgian home which we loved. This included a new kitchen, new bedroom, two bathrooms, hardwood floors, new basement, and a washer/dryer relocation. Normandy was a fantastic coordinator throughout the process, from keeping us informed as we received necessary Village approvals, all the way down to turning a full door into a pocket door at the last minute to help with traffic flow. Construction took about 6 months end-to-end, beginning in the harsh January month. We interviewed a few candidates for our project and went with Normandy because it became apparent that their organizational skills were unmatched by the others. Granted, the project was a little more expensive than other bids, it was worth the cost given that our family needed to live in the existing part of the home throughout the process. You don't receive a Gantt chart (look it up if you don't know) often for home construction, but these guys were all over it and stayed with it. Jeremy Paris and Eric Reiman were our designer and superintendents respectively and I would recommend them to anyone. read more

We interviewed 5 different remodeling companies in which 4 were close to our home. Normandy is quite a distance from us and that was originally a concern. Would they know the local codes? Would their staff have to travel far and not be available for last minute issues, etc.? We truly wouldn't know until we started the project. What sealed the deal for us and allowed us to be comfortable to sign on the dotted line occurred after our 1st meeting with Normandy's designer Liz Reischneider. Many designers have exquisite taste, and their projects can end up being quite nice, but sometimes the end result can represent more the designer's personality then the clients. We weren't sure exactly what we wanted, but once we shared with Liz the type of lifestyle we live (a lot of casual entertaining) and showed her items in our house that reflect our personalities, she was able to put together our dream kitchen (as close to our budget as possible). There was an actual time we were vacillating between 2 totally different styles. Unknown to us at the time, we were leaning towards a design that truly didn't flow with the rest of our house, or our personalities. Liz kept us on the right path. Looking at the finished kitchen, we are so grateful she did! Our worries about hiring Normandy because their home office/showroom was far from our home turned out to be unnecessary. Steve Maro headed our project which included a total kitchen remodel and new floors throughout most of the first level. His years of expertise, eye for detail, high bar of excellence, ability to keep the project on schedule, deal with unexpected issues in a fair and professional manner, help us live in the house throughout the project as comfortably as possible...and much more...exceeded our expectations. Each person in his crew were professional, skilled and cleaned up after each day's work. Normandy even provided restroom items for their crew such as paper towels, bathroom freshener, hand soap and a waste basket!!! Normandy had checks and balances in place for our project. Being a very organized company helped to keep problems at a minimum. And, when an issue occurred, they were trustworthy and corrected the problem. If you haven't already guessed, we give Normandy a huge thumbs up! Thank you Liz, Steve and the Normandy team! We LOVE our new kitchen!!! read more

My husband and I remodeled our kitchen with Normandy 18 years ago. We had a very good experience with Normandy during the remodeling process and have thoroughly loved our kitchen all these years since. Fast forward, during a pandemic and the week of Thanksgiving, this past weekend our exhaust fan over the cooktop decided to drop out of the hood! I called Normandy Monday morning and explained the situation. It being the week of the holiday I figured this situation would have to wait until the following week. Much to my delight I received a phone call from Tom in the service department Monday afternoon. By 4:00pm Tom and his coworker Kenny were in my kitchen assessing the damage. It was a challenging job to reinstall the exhaust fan but by 6:00 pm it was in the hood and operating. Tom and Kenny were excellent! They wore masks and maintained social distancing as they worked on our fan. They were very neat and professional. I can not thank Tom, Kenny and Normandy enough for helping us to maintain my beautiful kitchen. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! read more

Ashley at Normandy was a pleasure to work with in the consulting stage of our project. We ultimately are going with a different company, but Ashely showed professionalism throughout the entire process and was very knowledgeable. We would highly recommend her and Normandy to any friends or family in the future. read more

I've worked with several designers that work for this co, and they have always helped tremendously. Being into design and construction I am very busy, which makes it hard to meet all of my " more needy" clients. I always feel comfortable sending my work their way and trust how they handle our jobs! read more

Normandy has done quite a bit of work in our neighborhood and we had seen their work firsthand before reaching out. Troy and Jeremy did a great job redesigning our space from a MONSTER (and very ugly!) master bathroom to a regularly-sized bathroom, good size master bedroom, great closet space and added a 4th bedroom to the house because of the ingenious way they thought outside the box. They moved walls in ways we didn't know was possible and the result is unbelievable It was impressive to see their ideas on paper and even more impressive to see it for real! Throughout the work, every contractor they sent was friendly, trust-worthy, hard-working, and proud of their handiwork - as they should be. The attention to detail was top-notch. Our superintendent, Bruce was honest and kept the team on track when we hit a few snags. He was personally committed to making sure we were happy with the project. We are absolutely thrilled with our new space! Thank you, Normandy! read more

We had several projects at our home including full gut and refresh work in the master bed/bath, powder room, kitchen, living room and exterior. We spoke with numerous designers/ contractors and decided to go with Normandy based on other reviews and their radio ads which indicate that they handle all the details and quote their projects accurately. Although their quote was one of the highest, we decided that given our busy schedules and the need for trustworthiness, we would bare the added expense. They are well established and would be around if anything were to go wrong once the work was completed. We worked with a designer, Karen, who was helpful during our selections process. However, there were several items (interior wine cellar door, folding back door, etc.) that they were unable to source within budget that required us to locate, design and procure the items. When the items were delivered, Normandy refused to provide any assistance with delivery. So instead we hired workers and coordinated the logistics ourselves. So much for "handling all the details". We also worked with our project manager Paul. Since all the work is subcontracted, Paul's job was to coordinate the timing of the projects and to provide the crews with instructions on what to do/ where to go and to validate that their work was completed. Although had clear knowledge of the business, he was not respected by most of the crews as they routinely didn't show up or they were thrilled to catch us a home to get direction. Other items we experienced over the 4-5 months: * Damage on a lot of walls leading to the work areas. Normandy doesn't offer painting services and we were told damage should be expected. Over $1K of additional painting cost was not. * Porta-potty included in our contract was not delivered. This caused a situation of having to clean up after someone "exploded" in the bathroom and didn't clean up after themselves (toilet, walls, floor). * Crew didn't properly attach brick to siding of the house casuing pipes to freeze. * Crew lost our lockbox key in the snow! * Crews continually asking us where things were (water main, electrical panels etc.) as they were never told. * Our tub was dragged upstairs causing chips in the acrylic which were "fixed" with a SHARPIE! * Arched glass door was installed 4 times as the drywall and carpenters never worked together. * Half wall of lapboard was pulled and reinstalled as the incorrect side was installed. * HVAC vent in bathroom was tiled over! The only time we received a call from Paul (that was not a call back) was when he needed money. With each bill we were expected to leave a check within a day or two. We pushed back on signing the completion certificate and paying the last bill (as there were items left unfixed and we didn't feel we got the value we expected) we were threatened indicating that we would need to go to court and that their contract doesn't make any references to the quality of the project management. Only that we would receive the installed items as indicated in the contract. Although this may be true, their commercials and the way they present themselves leads you to believe that you should expect a good experience. Clearly not the case. Three months (and $$$) later we still had a dinged up interior glass door that doesn't latch properly, dings and dents throughout the house that were never fixed and now the caulking within our white tiled shower has all turned the lovely shade of urine. And I don't even have the energy to call them as I really don't want to deal with them anymore. So in summary, if you are busy and want someone to handle all the details, don't bother with Normandy. The premium you pay isn't in the quality of their work or smooth running of their projects, it likely goes to their advertising company to come up with slick ads that make you cringe every time you hear them. read more

Always class acts. Of course I recommended them to my sister and her husband and they were so impressed with Normany and Troy's sincere thoughts and conscientiousness. We continue to be impressed and trust Normandy! read more

I wanted to get an estimate to have a lot of work done on a home we are seriously considering buying. We wanted to be sure the repairs would be within our budget before we bought it so we wouldn't get in over our head. They wouldn't even come look at it because we didn't own it yet. We did find others to come out, we did buy the house, and someone else got our business. read more

Please note we did not go further than an estimate - so I cannot comment on their actual work -- This was our 3rd estimate with a construction company for a home addition. While the actual design plan was great (he hit all our points) - I was deeply disappointed with the price-point. I explained our budget up front and that was not paid any attention to at all. Having had estimates from other companies I did have a ballpark and Normandy came in well over double my budget and over 100K more than any other company I spoke to. If you're looking for budgetary points to be adhered to these are not your guys. We did not go any further than an initial plan and pricing as they came in far too high. read more

My wife and I were looking into putting an addition on our house. We worked with Alex at Normandy. He did an outstanding job working with us and listen to our needs. Unfortunately, the project itself did not make sense for it was just too expensive. However, I would strongly recommend Alex to anyone looking to do an additional. He went above and beyond to make sure all of our needs were being addressed. If you look at Normandy I could not more highly recommend Alex for your job. read more

Normandy was responsible for our house catching on fire (they threw a live spotlight into our attic). To compensate, they offered a nights hotel room and a fire extinguisher (my husband used our 3 before the fire department showed up). We were told they do not "normally deal with insurance companies" and were not comfortable with fixing our burned out/water damaged family room and kitchen. In addition, it would take a long time because we would have to get in queue gain because they had so much other business ahead of us. We were obviously not a priority or important to them. We have been living in our basement for a year and a half. Granted it was during a pandemic so didn't move as quickly to fix--but a year and a half living in our basement with three little girls looking for a new architect and construction company to fix the damage. A year and a half and they will not take responsibility for their mistake. Our two year old daughter was sleeping only 5 feet away from the fire until the night before, otherwise I can't even think of the possible outcomes. After the fire, we had to call numerous times to have their subcontractors come back and put in the fire detectors as we promised our daughters they would never have to live in fear again. It makes me so sad to see the emotional damage it has caused our three young daughters. My husband and I dreamt of this addition and saved for 10 years to make it come true and it turned into such a nightmare. We lost so much but are so blessed our family is safe. read more

Decided to go with Normandy for our Sunroom addition and upstairs remodel. We knew the initial cost would be higher than going with other contractors, however after hearing nothing but nightmares about other remodels friends and family had gone through, we wanted to go with a reputable builder as "There's no dollar sign on a piece of mind this I've come to know" (Zac Brown). :) We worked with Maury Jones on numerous design iterations before going to contract. He was very professional and straight forward and made very clear going into the project the potential for additional costs due to "Hidden and Unforeseen" issues given our home was built in the 1940's and was initially designed for related living, and this likely wouldn't be discovered until the demolition phase. While we braced for this, it never happened and the only cost creep was due to additional changes to the scope based on upgrades we requested. While there were some mistakes with the custom windows and doors, Normandy always stood behind them and reordered and expedited at their own expense. Our Superintendent, Bill Thomas, was extremely responsive throughout the process and addressed any and all concerns we had, and made sure any issues we had with the work of their subs was addressed immediately. When soot from the new gas fireplace inexplicably appeared on the siding and aluminum facia, they replaced all of it without hesitation. They worked around our schedules and respected our "nobody in the house before 8:00am" rule as we were living in the house during the remodel and didn't want workers around as the kids got ready for school. When I wanted to self-perform certain tasks that I didn't want to pay extra for they were very accommodative and understanding and worked around my schedule, rather than complain I was slowing them down or getting in the way. Bottom line, Normandy was extremely professional and responsive throughout the entire process. The only area where I feel they could improve is by painting adjoining areas impacted by the renovation and returning them to their original state. I understand that they do not want to get involved with painting newly renovated areas and avoid the inevitable "I don't like it" scenario, however when adjoining ceilings and walls are impacted by a renovation and need to be touched up with like colors, I feel that work should be included. Very minor issue compared to all of the work that was performed, and performed exceptionally well. When the inspectors come in and rather than flag or cite a bunch of violations they instead complement the work and the construction, you know you are working with a good outfit. Give 'em a go - you'll be happy you did. read more

If you are a female, RUN the other way. This company wants your "husband" present at meetings and to sign contracts. I want a modern kitchen, not a company that acts like it is 1900. Utterly appalling. Women are now more educated than men, and in many cases out-earn them. But I need my husband's "permission" to pick out cabinets? No thanks. I would give negative stars plus a "highly sexist" rating if I could. Thanks for setting us back a hundred years...Companies like this are why it is so hard to be a woman today. read more

Im returning to add a star to my review based on the fact that I was contacted by Greg of Normandy to state that he would like to visit my home as see if there was anything he could do to remedy some of the issues raised in my review-I will update further if necessary. let me say that at no time were any agents of Normandy rude or denying a fix of said possible remedies and my review is based on my 10 yr later review which I want to be as truthful and honest as I see possible! read more

Last summer, I had my kitchen remodeled by Normandy Builders, and I am currently in the process of having my bathroom remodeled. My kitchen is so beautiful. It is a very current transitional design with off-white painted wood cabinets, unique artisan and glass tile, stainless steel appliances and elegant quartzite countertops. It looks just like a picture in a magazine. And, just as important, the quality is amazing! I loved working with my talented designer at Normandy, Ann Stockard. Ann's good taste, enthusiasm and personal interest in my project made the process really fun and exciting from beginning to end. The finished design is very elegant and unique. I am working with Ann again on my bathroom design and I can't wait to see the finished product. Ann helped me work within my budget, to devise two quality and stylish designs. read more

We worked with Leslie Lee to build the most incredible back porch. The design completed our house in a very elegant way. The construction quality is exceptional. Every time we entertain on the deck, our guest rave about the space and we always mention how pleased we were to work with Leslie and Normandy on the project. read more

My husband and I went to the showroom a few days ago to get an idea for our basement that we wanted gutted and remodeled, A female designer approached us and when we said we were planning on redoing our basement , she asked where we lived, We told her south side of Chicago and in a small Georgian so the basement wasn't very big. She then informed us they really couldn't help .. they only do large jobs I believe she assumed we weren't worth the time or bother to find out any other information after that . I was pretty insulted and would never suggest someone go and check out the beautiful showroom . Let me just say again .. we wanted to redo our basement including adding a bathroom and laundry room ..Guess we didn't fit the mold of the people they want as customers. read more

We had a two-story addition (family room and master bedroom and bath) built by Normandy over 18 years ago at our home in Highland Park. The work HAS NOT stood the test of time. First, if you are unlucky to hire them make sure that you stipulated EVERYTHING in writing and then watch the subcontractors like a hawk. For example, in my contract I stipulated that they use three quarter inch thick drywall instead of the standard five eighths. Guess what was delivered to the site. Fortunately, I caught the substitution and it was replaced with the stipulated thickness. I also stipulated that they "glue and screw" the dry wall, not nail it. Upon arriving home from work on evening I discovered that they had installed the dry wall in the master bedroom by nailing it to the studs. Called my construction manager on the telephone, no response. The next day I told the workers to stop installation. That got Normandy's attention.Their response to the problem was to offer to screw over the nails. My response was to ask how were they going to get the glue in behind the drywall. Since it was in the contract, I made them tear it out and reinstall. I also took the next several days off of work to watch the dry wallers to prevent the installers from taking further shortcuts. Speaking of short cuts, the roof of the addition tied into/overlapped the existing roof. Instead of removing the shingles on the portion that overlapped they were going to bridge over it. They saw not problems in that building technique. My city building inspector however did not concur. According to him it was a fire hazard and since they were required to build according to code the shingles were subsequently removed. Back to the drywall. Within months there was separation at the joints. True Normandy came back twice to make repairs but the problem persists. In short one of the worst mudding and taping jobs ever done. I could go on, and tell you the story of how they did not hook-up the heating ducts that ran under the crawl space or properly insulate the crawly space or even properly install the vent fans in the bathrooms. Other problems have cropped up over time, like a cracked drain piped in the master bedroom bath that over time leaked and took out the ceiling in the first floor family room. And the list goes on. I'm currently in the process of adding a two-car garage, half bath, mudroom and a gut/remodel of my kitchen. The thought of even calling Normandy for an estimate never crossed my mind. What I have done is shared my experience with Normandy with neighbors who have had significant work done on their homes and I am happy to say that none of them have employed Normandy. NEITHER SHOULD YOU. read more

Can't say enough about our entire experience working with Normandy Design and Build. From our very first meeting with Jim P. to discuss adding a complete new bath, to the construction phase and working with Jim L., the entire process was above and beyond our expectations. Both Bill and Jim kept us informed every step of the way, completed the job ahead of schedule and within our budget. All of the trades were experienced, professional, and great to work with. We would definitely recommend Normandy to anyone looking to upgrade their home. read more

We recently met with Maury from Normandy. While we won't be moving forward with them, we found the meeting very informative and professional. Maury took the time to understand our wants/needs and was upfront in letting us know Normandy probably wasn't what we needed. He still took the time to offer his advice and knowledge. We found this to be very professional and appreciated we weren't pressured into anything that didn't make sense for our family. We recommend checking them out. Should our needs change in the future we will keep Normandy in mind. read more

This company won't give you the time of day unless you are willing to overpay for a project. The first thing the designer asked was how much my budget was(we are doing a master bath) after spending a minute looking in my bath. After I told him what I thought was a significant amount of money, he immediately tells me "well, I don't think we can do this bath for that amount and immediately ups it by 10K more than my budget. He goes on to say most of his clients are "high end". He came across very snooty in my opinion. So he took measurements and said we'd talk. Never heard back from him to even give me an estimate. How professional is that? Unless you want to waste money find someone else. read more