Kendall Design Build

My recent experience, with Kendall Design + Build, was one of poor workmanship and an indifference to customer satisfaction. As part of a remodeling project, I decided to replace a non-standard sized window. I met with Kendall’s owner, and she did a good job of selling the firm’s experience with work on older homes. I liked what she said, checked the web sites for potential issues and then decided to hire her firm. Subsequently, I encountered the following issues: •They did not file for the required city work permit. •Kendall installed the window with trim that did not match the window’s color. Although they had ordered the material, the mismatched colors were somehow my “issue”, and I was required to pay an additional fee to get the matching trim. •After the window installation was started, Kendall refused to complete the work or submit the window warrantee paperwork unless they received an immediate payment of the 10% completion holdback. •Their workmen removed 35% of the supporting structure above the window and did not inform me of this “modification”. (The new window hid the area that had been cut away). •When the structural “changes” were discovered, Kendall’s owner stated the reduction to the structure would not be an issue. To check if my home was indeed safe, I hired an independent engineering firm that concluded the window structure was 35% over stressed and needed to be reinforced. •To help resolve the difference of opinion between Kendall and the engineering firm, the City Building Department was contacted. After reviewing the calculations, the city contacted Kendall and indicated they were required to repair the structure they had damaged per the Engineering Firms recommendations or potentially lose their contractor’s license. •Kendall attempted to get me to sign a new contract which included a non-disclosure agreement. (i.e., a $3,000 penalty for each disparaging comment) before starting the required repairs. I suspect that is why there were very few comments on the company. •Their workman did not follow the professional engineer’s written instructions regarding the structural repairs for the shoring (support while doing the repair). As a result, they damaged the replacement beam which then had to be repaired at a later date. •Kendall took 7 weeks, after their discussion with the building department, to complete their one-day repair. (i.e., they were aware I had my other contractors on hold awaiting the completion of the window installation/structural repair to be completed) In the end, getting Kendall to repair their structural damage delayed the remodeling project for 2.5 months, required over 30 hours of my time and cost me an additional $1,500. There are numerous contractors in Southeast Michigan that do good work and treat their customers well; based on my experience, Kendall Design + Build is not one of them.

We had the pleasure of working with KDB for a remodel/expansion of a 50's bungalow. The new space is absolutely gorgeous, and better yet, the process was top notch. Our project manager was efficient, readily available for any questions, and quick to resolve the unexpected problems that pop up with any remodel. The quality of the work is excellent across the board. The trades were highly skilled, respectful of our privacy, and generally a delight to behold as they turned the sketches for our dream space into reality. We relied on KDB's design staff for expert, insightful recommendations, and they were also willing to suspend judgement and help us make it happen when our ideas were off the beaten track but something we knew we wanted. Work was completed on budget, and progress tracking was impeccable and transparent with thorough documentation of all costs. The icing on the cake is that KDB runs on passion and integrity. I am grateful to have found such an outstanding local business for our remodel.

This is our second project with Kendall Design and Build. We’ve done a backyard in St. Clair Shores and now a kitchen in the University District in Detroit. This kitchen was a complex job! We had to remove a window and make a new one on another wall on a 80-year-old home. Two rooms were fused into one room. The kitchen was demolished from floor to ceiling. The contractor and her team were 100% up front with every aspect of the work. They hire professionals with years and years of experience. Every aspect of this 9-month project was watched by Kendall. They are available within minutes usually and always within a few hours. These are women who care about the work. They love doing this! Our designer Emily was excellent as well. Every person on our team was delightful and competent. Now, did we go over budget? You bet! Who knew panel-ready appliances, walnut inlays, and custom cabinets could be so pricey? But I had many many choices to make and they helped me make the best and wisest choices. Was it worth it? It was. I would do it all again. In fact we will hire them again to do the basement!

I am the homeowner for the "Modern Arts and Crafts Bathrooms in Royal Oak"! Kendall Design + Build did an outstanding job renovating our master ensuite bathroom and a guest bathroom. The finished product exceeded our expectations and we have received so many compliments. Cannot thank them enough for their guidance and recommendations during the design process. From our initial assessment meeting until the project closeout, Terri and her entire team were very responsive and easy to work with. My wife and I received weekly project status reports and a budget reconciliation spreadsheet when needed. Our project due dates and budget changed mostly due to unforeseen circumstances (supplies out of stock or late deliveries) but Kendall was always upfront and transparent about these changes. All the contractors that Kendall chose were master craftsmen, friendly and very professional. Job site was always cleaned at the end of the day. Everything from the tile work to the drywall was done with the highest level of detail. When problems arose during the build, the Kendall team were great problem solvers and helped us resolve the issue quickly and to our satisfaction. I would highly recommend Kendall for all your design/build needs. We will be using them again for a future kitchen project.

It was our first major home remodeling project. Terri and Morgan came to our home during a pandemic and talked us through all the steps. Everyone on the team was very professional and did beyond excellent work. We still walk in and can not believe it is our HOME!

DO NOT USE this company. Terri sells a good story to get the job, but her crews and project management are TERRIBLE. We are well over 4 months into a new half-bath build and the quality of work is atrocious, wrong materials were ordered several times, their projects team do not communicate, they left the workspace and adjoining room filled with plaster splatters and sawdust (no joke - we came home to a crew member using a circular saw next to our kitchen - sawdust and debris everywhere and I know have to clean their mess because Terri said we didn’t pay for “white glove service”) and for the last week no one returns my calls about scheduling. I wish I could post pics of the project to show what we’re dealing with. Total amateur workmanship for a project that cost us over $20,000.

Initially by husband and I were attracted to Kendall Design Build by the fact that it was a company owned by two women and it was located right in our own neighborhood. Working with Terri and Morgan has been a real pleasure. We remodeled our entire first floor and they both did an amazing job from the concept to the complete project. Morgan is very creative, super talented and has a great eye for design. She is capable of grasping your vision and materializing it into something beautiful. Terri is an amazing manager. She is a problem solver; very responsive and wonderful to work with. She picked the best contractors to work in our house who not only did a beautiful job, but were always on time, accountable and very respectful! We would trust any future house project to these two wonderful capable ladies !

From the beginning to the end, Terri, Morgan and the team at Kendall Design helped us navigate through a pretty substantial remodel of our Rochester home. They were great with providing ideas and being upfront about what would fit in our budget so we could get the most out of our investment. The trades that Terri used were fantastic and were really respectful when working on site and made our project feel like it was the only one they were working on. We highly recommend Kendall Design and look forward to future home projects with them!

Kendall Design Build recently completed 2 smaller projects for us. One was the upgrade to our 1/2 bath and the other was a complete redo of our den. The den is a small room but needed to be reconstructed into a functioning office and place for all of our books. The design utilized built-ins to maximize storage but not overwhelm the smaller room. We fell like we have someone gave us an additional space within our home. Not only did the design meet our requirements (desk, bookshelves and storage) it also matched our current design approach, comfortably contemporary. The built-ins are stunning, the new chair fits the room but doesn't overwhelm it. They met their budget & while the schedule was impacted by Covid related issues, they communicated constantly and were on site when they said they would be. They also managed all aspects of the project, which was vitally important to us because we have our own careers and lives to deal with.

Terri was a pleasure to work with. We initially chose her services because she was local and a women owned business and we are so glad that we did! She was very communicative throughout the project and many of her team members and subcontractors were highly professional, kind, and skilled, especially Brandon. The price tag was steep but we had a big project and it turned out beautifully. We highly recommend if you want a project done the right way and professionally!

I can't say enough good things about Kendall Design + Build. Terri and her entire staff and contractors were very easy to work with. The work was done very well and the end result was a beautiful bathroom that adds not only to the aesthetics of the home but also the monetary value as well.

Loved working with Kendall and Terri. The work was done ahead of schedule and I'm really happy with what they completed.