I am actually in ELmwood Park - tried to update location but it did not show here. If I could give Nelson 0 stars I would. I typically don't write reviews but this man is pretty much a scammer. He was pretty pleasant through contract signing for completing a basement with laundry room, bedroom, bathroom, family room & kitchenette. We were told the process would take 4 months. It took 8 with many days of him and his crew just not showing up. If you questioned him on anything he did, he would just not show for a while. He literally cut a 2 x5' hole in my upstairs family room hard wood without discussing it with me ahead of time to make headroom for the stairs. We are now a few years down the road from his work and paying over $10K to have the leaking shower totally torn out and redone. The new contractor discovered all the short cuts Nelson took from not overlapping the membrane, screwing holes through the membrane, not using treated wood, not even gluing in the quartz window ledge. AND he didn't even put a pea trap in our shower drain which was not even centered. Disappointed in Elmwood inspectors not catching that one. We also discovered after the fact that he installed PVC for our dryer vent (which is not code). ABT will not hook up a new dryer until we get that replaced which will involve ripping out another wall. Our ventilation in the basement was not done properly either and have paid over $1,000 to try to remedy that but haven't been able to fully resolve the issues. These are just a couple of the major things but there is definitely more. We would have been happy to pay more to NOT deal with all of the headaches Nelson caused. Save yourself the hassle and find another contractor. read more

I don't like to shame anyone, although in this case thought it was important to let people know what this company is about and to save them aggravation and money. The owner Nelson will at first come off pleasant up until the contract is signed. Then his disrespect for YOU the client shows up. And if you are a woman the disrespect is worse. Their work is not good period. They take short cuts and try to convince you it is the correct way. Not even close, trust me. That's when the owner tries to talk his way out of the shoddy work. Stay away, save yourself the aggravation. read more

They took 7 months (actually not finished yet) to redo a front and back porch. Demolition was speedy. Construction has been slow and finish/details (sealing holes, putting up siding, connecting electric) haven't seemed to be on their work lists for 4 months. Workers were drinking on the job site one day too (reported them obviously). If you're on any kind of timetable, I'd strongly suggest a read more

I originally contacted Sonin to bid on converting an attic space into a master suite at my home in Forest Park 8/23. All communications are routed through an admin named Morgan. After some back and forth and a holiday weekend that involved traveling for me I was able to schedule a meeting with owner Nelson 9/7. During this meeting I shared detailed architectural renderings (That I spent thousands on) as well as a detailed punch list. Nearly an entire month past and I heard nothing. I followed up with Morgan on 10/4 (Yesterday) inquiring if they needed anything else from me or when I could expect a bid. The response was that Sonin would require $720 just to complete the bid due to "People getting estimates for loan qualifications or insurance." This was the first I had heard of them wanted to be compensated for a bid, which should have been brought to my attention a month ago. It was also only brought up because I followed up, they never got back to me. I think I also made it clear this wasn't some scam to accumulate bids, I'm already thousands in having paid an architect. Sonin wasted an entire month of my time. I'm glad this came up now instead of during the project since it would appear the ethos of the company is "We're going to disappear for a month then ask you for 3/4 of a thousand dollars to do the job we said we'd do." This type of approach is not at all compatible with me and I'm leaving this review so you can decide if its compatible with your project or not. read more

We've been looking for a contractor to remodel our modest, 200 sq. ft kitchen: new cabinets, floor, and windows. I've done construction work in the past, and in fact did the remodel of this kitchen myself 15 years ago. But I'm fifteen years older now, and have suffered serious post-COVID symptoms for the last six months. So we had to look elsewhere. We worked with Home Depot for several months, coming up with a detailed plan at a (more or less) reasonable price. But the last few projects we had Home Depot do (front bay window, rear bay window, and picture window with two double-hungs, one on either side) have been a logistical nightmare. HD's left hand doesn't know what it's right hand is doing. So we looked (on Yelp) for smaller, independent contractors and came up with, among others, Sonin. When Nelson arrived at our home, he immediately suggested changes that were not in our plans -- removal of the soffit above the wall cabinets (to what end? I can't reach that high), gutting the perfectly good plaster walls and putting up sheetrock (again, why? Plaster has twice the r-value that sheetrock has), and other suggestions. I told Nelson "no," and repeated to him what our plans were. He said he'd get back to us as soon as he could. We didn't hear from him for a week. When we finally e-mailed him after five days of waiting, his response was simply "I regret to inform you that we cannot do your project. Thank you so much for considering SONIN Construction." When pressed for a reason, he responded "The project is a little to [sic] small for us we usually do full gut and remodel kitchens." I'm pretty sure if we had agreed to the expensive but totally useless changes he suggested, our kitchen would be high on his to-do list. And if you don't mind spending money on unnecessary alterations, Sonin might be what you're looking for. As for us, we're seriously considering returning to Home Depot and dealing with their interdepartmental miscommunication and delays. At least they don't treat you shabbily. read more

Absolutely the worst experience I have ever had with a contractor. Quality was terrible. Timing terrible. Communication terrible.

Terrible , terrible, terrible contractor !!!! DO NOT HIRE THIS COMPANY, PERIOD !!! Got in way over his head and just left the job unfinished!! Would not return calls or texts !! Do yourself a favor and find someone else!! Tried to short cut on structural work. Did not use materials that were agreed upon. "Carpenters" hung kitchen cabinets upside down then put 20-30 holes in the backs trying to find studs !! AVOID THIS BUSINESS AT ALL COSTS!! YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID !! read more

I have heard all the horror story's about contractors! Was deeply afraid to buy a house that needed work, but we hooked up with Nelson and his team, and they are truly a breeze! Wouldn't recommend anyone else. Just look at my floors. Turned out amazing! Great team work. He knew our budget, and we went from there! He helped us so much! And has a great eye for detail! read more

Sonin Construction - General Contractors Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

See all

Sonin (Nelson and his crew) did an awesome job in remodeling our house, originally build 100 years ago. The scope of our project included redoing all siding, re-design of main entrance, changing windows, painting inside, and fixing ceilings since we also updated lights in the house, and removing all big bushes in front and back yard. All was done in around 4 weeks (which was less than planned) with multiple teams working at the same time, but all coordinated for not affecting other team's work. Everything was within planned budget, which gave us margin to solve couple issues found during the project since this is an old house. Nelson was with us the entire team, giving lots of ideas about the design, and materials to use considering our personal taste, preferences, and budget. He always kept a straight and open communication and we always felt protected, and didn't have to deal directly with other contractors involved. The result was just amazing and we highly recommend. Thanks Sonin! read more

Sonin Construction - General Contractors Near Me - Forest Park, Illinois

See all

My experience with Nelson at Sonin was negative and is based on only working with Nelson to the point of contract and not the work itself. The first thing I'll point out is that on these review sites you'll see 100% of the reviews give 5 stars and that is because in Nelson's contract none of his clients can leave a public review less than 5 stars. Keep that in mind as you're evaluating him. I did not sign the contract, so I am free to leave my truthful story. I received several quotes from contractors and from the short meeting with Nelson thought he'd be the best to do the work but his price was a little high. We discussed and he matched the next closest quote and I told him I wanted to move forward. He had a 17-page contract that I began reviewing. Through reading the document I realized there were many cost unknowns like who is buying building materials, who's buying paint, etc. When he came out for the quote, he mentioned he would buy these things and gave me a list (not in the contract) of what I would be responsible to buy. Since this was a 17-page document it clearly said he wouldn't be liable for any additional cost not mentioned so I wanted to clarify this before signing. Just as I began asking these specific questions to him over the phone he abruptly (after confirming he was able to talk freely) said he had to go and would call me back. That was the last time I heard from Nelson because he never called me back. In the following days I sent him a several text messages and have been unable to contact him. We ended up signing with a different contractor. In my opinion, Nelson is going to get you to sign a contract at any rate you're happy with and then creep in additional cost throughout the process. When I asked a few clarifying questions it brought this to light and he went running for the door. I would be very cautious signing a contract with him knowing this is how he may operate. read more

So this my Sonin story. I reached out and got called back within the hour and had Nelson over the same day. Within 24 hours we had the quote for remodeling our 2nd bathroom and replacing our windows. Two days later the demo began. In three weeks, the project was finished and I was left with perfect windows and the modern bathroom I've always wanted. Nelson made the process so easy and gave me the options that I was looking for while being informed of every aspect of project. It was incredibly stress free and easy. All of his crews were incredibly friendly and true professionals. I can't wait until our next Sonin project. read more

Nelson and his crew are amazing. Don't look any further, hire these guys immediately. They are professional, friendly, incredibly talented and fair in their pricing. We had a fence and pergola started from another company that ended up unfinished and dramatic, to say the least. Nelson answered my online request immediately, came over to survey the situation and offered up solutions that were cost effective and just smart. His team is easy to work with, talks through solutions on getting the job done right and is a pleasure to have working on your home. They go above and beyond. Sonin will be my first call for any work we need done on our home going forward. Nelson and Javier are the best! read more

Absolutely fantastic work by Sonin Construction! They put in a new support beam to open up our living room, dining room, and kitchen for an open concept. They also extended our hardwood floors into the kitchen and refinished all of our hardwood floors on the first floor, including a few repair spots. Everything looks amazing! Nelson and his team even worked through the holiday to be finished before we moved in. Nelson is always prompt to reply and very easy to work with. Looking forward to using Sonin Construction again in the future! read more

Working in real estate development, I've had a lot of interaction with contractors. Sonin Construction is one of the best! I received two quotes for replacement of my back deck. Nelson, the owner of Sonin Construction, was rehabbing a home down my block, so I asked him for a third quote. He came in under the other quotes I had received. Even better, he was able to start the project within two days and complete it a day after. My deck looks fabulous and it's nice knowing the owner is local in case there are any unexpected issues. I would wholeheartedly recommend this company to anyone! read more

Nelson was great to work with! Professional, prompt and friendly. We were in need of a contractor fast, he quoted us on a Sunday morning and then began work the next day! He is efficient and reliable. We love our new bathrooms and Sonin made it minimally stressful :) read more

I highly recommend them. They are very professional, organized, with a great price. I had my basement finished by them, as well as a deck built in my backyard, and both look awesome! They were fast and efficient since the beginning, including the project, permits and execution. I have plans to make an addition in my house with them in a near future, as me and my wife were very satisfied with their work. Again, highly recommend them! read more