We are very happy with the work they did for us, We asked if they would move the furniture out and…read moreback in since we are no longer able to do that, They did the work, replacing carpet with hard service, and painting. and then replaced everything just as it was. We love it.

After working with Plekkenpol for over five years and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on…read moreat least three different projects, this is not a review we expected to write. We have referred them to family and friends--three of those referrals have resulted in projects--and until recently, trusted them without hesitation. Historically, price transparency was something they were willing to provide. Unfortunately, something has changed. Most recently, we were quoted $30-35K for a relatively straightforward mudroom remodel and back door installation. When the formal bid came in at a single lump sum number over $40K with some modest scope additions, we asked for additional transparency into that singular number to understand how much each part of the project was costing so we could determine where adjustments could be made. We were told that a further breakdown of the lump sum would not be provided. Over the next two weeks, we removed multiple significant items from the project scope, yet the total price barely changed in response. We asked repeatedly for greater transparency to understand what was still comprising the lump sum price we were being quoted and never received it. At a certain point, the math just did not add up, and it became increasingly difficult to reconcile the number we were being quoted by Plekkenpol with the project scope. When we expressed frustration with the lack of clarity, the response was dismissive and unhelpful. We were told that regardless of project size--even on significantly larger projects--additional price transparency would not be shared and that we should trust them that we are getting the best price. To be clear, this was not about the money--it was about transparency and partnership. We simply wanted to know what we were being charged for. Because Plekkenpol would not tell us how they arrived at their lump sum price, we ultimately chose to end our long-standing relationship and move on. We recently recommended to another family that they consider Plekkenpol, but after this experience, feel obligated to advise them not to proceed due to Plekkenpol's unwillingness to provide transparency in pricing.

Terry rebuilt my deteriorated chimney from the roofline up and repaired and tuckpointed the…read moreexterior brickwork around my home. He is friendly, knowledgeable, highly skilled, and takes pride in his work. Thanks!

BEWARE: Do not use Terry Holter or Twin Cities Masonry…read more On 3/1/24 Terry at Twin Cities Masonry (TCM) provided an estimate for two projects I was considering at my home. I explicitly asked that he break out the prices for the two projects, as I was getting numerous estimates for the work, and wanted the ability to easily compare and choose what portion of the work I wanted any particular vendor to complete. He provided the following: 1) A stucco repair for cracks in the stucco on my chimney. a. Recommended a complete chimney tear-down and rebuild. $24,500 2) A minor repair and resetting of some cosmetic stonework on the front of my home. a. Recommended new footings and reset stones with new mortar. $1200 To complete the contract, Terry wrote "$25,700 or circle choices." After receiving several other estimates for the first repair, with no other vendors recommending a full chimney rebuilt, I chose a vendor who was able to complete the chimney repair for $3800. On 4/29/24: I emailed the executed contract to TCM, and followed up with the mailed copy. As instructed, I crossed-out the chimney work, and circled the portion for #2 - the cosmetic portion of the work and mailed it with a check for $600 - half of that work, as instructed on the estimate. On 5/13/24: since I had heard nothing back from TCM, I sent a follow-up email. On 05/14/24 at 5:05 PM, Terry Holter from TCM called me to discuss the contract. He asked what happened with the Chimney repair, and why I had opted to not have him do that work. I told him I went with a vendor to repair the stucco for that work, rather than replace the entire chimney. He then said he wasn't interested in doing the second part of the work for the $1200 he quoted, and suggested that he would do it for $2400. I told him that wasn't acceptable, as he had quoted $1200 for that portion of the work, and told me to circle which portion of the work I wanted to have him do. He said "ok, if you want to play it that way." I told him I wasn't attempting to "play" anything, and simply expected that any contractor would abide by the terms of their written estimates. He said "well, it may take a while to get to you then." I told him that was fine, as it was cosmetic work, so he should contact me when he can fit this work in between other work, as I know it isn't a large job. At that point, TCM proceeded to ignore my repeated follow-ups: 06/14/24: I sent an email: "Good afternoon and happy Friday Terry, I wanted to follow-up on the executed contract I mailed on 5/15, with a check. The check hasn't yet been cashed so i wanted to confirm you received it. Please let me know. Thank you." 7/10/24: I sent another follow-up email: "Good morning Terry, I hope your summer is going well. I wanted to follow-up again on our contract, so we can get the work scheduled. I haven't heard back from you since our conversation in mid-May, and while I know the work is not top priority, I do want to get a sense of approximate timing." 08/07/24: Good morning Terry, I am again following up on the executed contract. I have received no response at all to my repeated inquiries. The only time was our phone conversation on May 14th when we confirmed the work to be completed under the terms of the contract, and you indicated the work would be scheduled as your existing jobs allowed. While I understand summer is a busy season, and I can be flexible for the work completion date, I do deserve a response and at least a provisional start date. The favor of a response is appreciated. As always, you may also reach me by voice or text at XXX-XXX-XXXX. 08/07/24: For the first time, Terry responded to an email from me as follows: Hi Aaron, Is this a joke? We have no executed contract... The proposal wasn't sent within the 30 days of the original proposal date and thus was revoked as it states on the proposal as it also states we will not be bound by an oral acceptance. I have no idea why you continue to email me. I have no signed contract or deposit from you and have no interest in working with you. Good luck with your project. Best Wishes, Terry Holter Twin Cities Masonry 2002 Ramlow Place Saint Paul, MN 55116 612-702-9210 terry@twincitiesmasonry.com Summary: 1) TCM is recommending repairs that go far beyond the scope of what is required, to enrich themselves. 2) TCM is attempting to change written estimates after the fact, to charge far more than originally quoted. In cases where customers refuse to allow this, TCM then simply refuses to honor the original estimate - effectively "ghosting" their potential clients. 3) TCM then claims to have never had such a contract or agreement. Terry Holter and Twin Cities Masonry are a business who I would never work with, given their shoddy, unprofessional and unethical business practices.

It's hard to express how happy we are with our new deck that was built by the Cedar Mountain…read moreConstruction team! We had quite a unique setup, and they were extremely creative utilizing the landscape, building over the stairs and utilizing the existing wall. Needless to say, the end result was an impeccibly designed (and fully up to code) beautiful deck we'll be using for years. Josh and his team were also very respectful of our home, always cleaned up, and went above and beyond by taking care of debris outside of the project. Josh was also an effectively communicator about plans, next steps and would bring us in during all decision points. We're really hoping we can bring in Cedar Mountain Construction again for future projects, and would recommend them for anyone looking for a unique project to be completed.

Being a home owner you learn when opportunities open up, you have to quickly jump. P & I learned…read morethat this summer. We realized the asphalt on one side of the house was slanting into our house. This meant water drained toward the house. We got an opportunity to get this fixed and extend our patio. P's dad told us about Andy and we are glad he did. He and his crew were professional and efficient. Now we have properly grated side of the house and a lovely outdoor oasis.

We needed to repair and replace a driveway approach, and we got three bids. Theirs was lowest, but…read moreI was wary that might mean poor work. Instead we got solid estimates on time, a solid estimate, and really professional service and a quality job delivered as promised. Happy to recommend their crew and their work.

My neighbor has been working with Northrup on a project, and the experience has been entirely…read morenegative for the neighborhood. They have taken months to complete a small project. One contractor shows up every few days, parks illegally (well over a foot from the curb) then sets up a table saw across from his truck. Only one car can pass at a time, and he sets up like this every time he is here (which is nowhere near every day). I can't speak to the price or the quality of the work, but professionalism and speed are clearly not priorities for this company.

They were easy to work with and despite a little weather delaying them a day they go the roof done…read moreand cleaned up in a day. Quality work and friendly workers. Best price for same product - and had a good experience with the sales associate. No high pressure and I had to convince them I knew I wanted the more expensive shingles because they didn't try to upsell me.

We had a 2-car garage put in the back alley at our Highland Park house, and we had a really good…read moreexperience with Sussel Garages. We met with them in the late summer of 2022, and were debating on whether not to have this done end of 2022 or first in the spring in 2023. We ended up going with spring of 2023, and were first on their priority list. While the project took longer than expected, and we had some set backs, we were still very happy with the communication. In full disclosure, we did have to have one side of the garage re-done due to some James Harding and a portion of the roof re-done (due to rushed contracting work), we still were really happy with the overall project. Would definitely recommend them again.

My friend had them build a garage in St Paul. She wanted me to look it over because she was having…read moreissues and was concerned about Sussel not doing the work properly. My first look inside I saw the concrete floor was not finished correctly. Know how the sidewalk or walkways you see everywhere outside? That's what they did inside. troweled crack control joints and the floor was not troweled flat at all. The lighting was done incorrectly and not according to plan. Not a single light was installed over the workbench but off to the other wall instead. the sheetrock wasn't hung in any timely matter at all. missing vapor barriers. She told me that they charged her $1500 for electric service connection which she later found out that $300 was what Excel charged Sussel. The subs Sussel uses must be getting shorted on pay for them to do such shoddy and incomplete work. Can't think of any other reason for them to not care about getting it done correctly. She said she has not been successful in getting them to fix anything and they sued her when she tried withholding the last payment. I really feel sorry for her getting taken by a company that really does shoddy work. I've read other reviews about Sussel and it really seems to be about which subs they use. My advice? Hire your own subs. Make sure everyone sticks to the blueprint.

We had Prominent Roofing complete a major exterior project on our duplex in St. Louis Park,…read moreincluding new vinyl siding and windows throughout the entire property, and we couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. From start to finish, the team was great to work with. Communication was clear and consistent, the project was completed on time, and they did a great job keeping everything moving without sacrificing the quality of the work. The difference in the property is night and day. The new siding and windows completely transformed the exterior, and everything looks beautiful. You can tell they take pride in the finished product and pay attention to the details. Overall, we had a great experience with Prominent and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking for siding, windows, roofing, or other exterior work in the Twin Cities. Great communication, quality workmanship, and a finished product we're extremely happy with.

Nothing but the facts and no opinion!…read more Scheduled job to start work 3 months after first meeting. Roofing, siding, gutters and additional building. We were told the roofers would use an elevated collection bin for the roofing to avoid damaging the landscaping and surrounding area. Didn't happen. Roofing was completed, driveway and landscaping were damaged. Asked about the schedule for siding, gutters and additional building. No answer. Month later part of the side was done, the contractor loaded up the remaining new box of siding and left. Notified Prominent immediately what was happening but nothing was done. Hired a lawyer who sent a letter to Prominent but neither him or I received a response. My attorney said for me to "keep track of every call/text/email". Two months later the remaining wall was sided but not without damaging our water feature in the landscape. The gutters were to be completed just a couple days after the siding but didn't happen for another two months. We had seamless gutters and the replacement gutters were apparently seamless but used prefabricated corners which created seams. Not what we had. Took another month before addressing the additional building. Well over 50 text/emails and over 40 calls in order to get the job done. Lots of no answers, misinformation, and extreme frustration.

A big shoutout to Mark Sletten and Sletten Interior Solutions. They replaced my awful cracked…read moreacrylic tub and surround with a new tub and tile. On time (1.5 weeks), on budget, and incredible workmanship. If you have any projects you've been putting off, highly recommend! I've been telling my friends & coworkers about how great the experience has been, and they have been jokingly asking if he'll travel out of state lol. But seriously, we're lucky to have such an awesome contractor right here in St. Paul.

Services were sub par, high priced, and work was incredibly slow. Poor communication…read more Mark came out and quoted a project for $17k on a remodel of our only small bathroom that was broke (and needed a remodel anyway). I had remodeled the bathroom at our previous house, so I have a good handle on what is involved, but we were too busy to take it on ourselves. I solicited 5 or 6 bids and Mark's seemed the most professional but also the highest cost. I highlighted that this was our ONLY bathroom and speed was the utmost priority and that ideally I would like the project done in like weeks not months. Mark didn't express much concern over timeline. Now there were some materials shortages, and COVID and whatever, but it was just excuse after excuse, with sometimes no one showing up for a month at a time. And the strong impression was this project just wasn't organized or a priority. They didn't start for over 5 weeks, and when called on it, I was told that the timeline we discussed was for starting the project, not finishing it. I wish I had recorded our initial conversation, because it seemed he took crummy notes and then later reinterpreted them to suit his needs. Nearly 2 months into the project he expressed surprise this was our only bathroom and sort of sheepishly asked what we had been doing in the meantime (going to neighbors houses we are friends with). How that CORE piece of information I had stressed repeatedly during our first few meetings had slipped his mind, I have no idea. He the said he would hurry to finish. Then no one showed up for 3 straight weeks. We nearly fired him about three different times, including in mid JAN promising to have the shower done by Valentine's day (we hired him first week of OCT). Needless to say that deadline was totally missed by a month or more. Moreover key elements discussed during the planning stage were simply forgotten by him (tile wainscoting), and then when asked about them several months in he had to scramble. Early on in late OCT he had stressed the need for us to drop everything and go pick out tile so he could order it and have it there by mid NOV. Then MONTHS later when he was actually ready to install the tile (JAN), the project again had to go on hold because he had not ordered it yet... This is despite repeatedly asking him if he needed us to order tile, or front cash for materials to speed things along (not sure if he was having cashflow issues or what). Anyway, once the project was 95% done, they just had to install a glass divider (another element he had forgotten about). So that was another several weeks, then when they came to install it, they had cut it for the wrong side of the room, the side away from the shower...so more weeks to completion. By this point I couldn't even talk to him because I was so angry, but firing him when we were 98% seemed pointless. Anyway, I left it in my wife's hands, who he then took advantage of. Telling her he was giving us a "$1000 discount" for all the hassle, while charging her $300 more than the estimate and payment plan we had agreed on. This is despite us generally picking cheaper materials than were in his estimate and giving him wide latitude on specific choice just to try and speed things along. Hiring Mark was one of the 3-5 biggest mistakes I have made in my entire life. Worse than some car accidents I got into in my teens or that time I bought a super expensive bike right before we had a kid and I mostly stopped biking. The stress related to this has probably literally taken 6 months off of my life expectancy. I am serious.