Chelsea Woodworking

Remodeling your home is war. It requires careful, tactical planning – a full commitment to the resources necessary to win the battle, impeccable leadership, and a highly-skilled army. Charles Shiver is the general that we will follow into battle every time. Over the years, Charles has remodeled or built about half of our home – most recently our kitchen, which while modern and sophisticated, also fits perfectly into the spirit of a house built during the Great Depression. It boils down to experience, intuition, design sense, and execution. Shiver conquers every challenge and delivers victory. The kitchen is exactly what we envisioned, and it actually exceeds what I thought we could accomplish. When you consider a contractor, especially if you live in an older home where remodel jobs are never easy and a lot of money is on the line, choose Charles. Walls are bowed, floors sag, nothing is square: this dramatically affects everything from how your cabinets fit to the appearance of flooring, and from the way trim fits with other design components to how new windows wed with frames, all twisted by a foundation settling into old age. Mistakes can be costly both in time and money, but also in the aesthetic of the finished project. In our case, having built a huge addition with great room, master bedroom, and full bathroom, and now our beautiful kitchen, Charles Shiver delivered what we consider perfection. Another factor that cannot be stressed enough is the relationship you build with your contractor. Charles is courteous and friendly. He made sure the house was clean before he left to minimize the chaos that big projects cause. Unlike some contractors, he worked closely with us to coordinate the schedule and allowed us to take on tasks that fit our skill set. He built trust and backed it with skillful building and advice. As long as Charles wields hammer and saw, we will never go into a construction battle with another builder. Skip DeWall and Mary Hellner, Chelsea, MI

Charles is very talented and well versed when it comes to working on historic homes in the Chelsea area. He is great at coming up with solutions, and making client's wishes a reality. He is very easy to work with, timely, and dedicated to the job. I have worked with Charles on several homes in the area, and his knowledge and expertise are wonderful.

Charles did a wonderful job updating my kitchen from the 1950's. He removed the dated flooring and replaced it with tile. He added a new counter top and back splash, removed a ceiling fan and horrible lighting and replaced it recessed lighting. Moved electrical outlets to accommodate better workspace, installed wooden blinds and painted over a previous Pepto-Bismol pink with this beautiful green. I've been very happy with all the work. He had great attention to detail, and kept my plans focused and on budget. Terrific work!

Charles did a terrific job remodeling our bathroom. Charles is very knowledgeable about all phases of the remodeling process, and he does extremely high-quality work (including structural work and complicated tiling). The person who installed my shower glass said he would always be happy to follow Charles because everything was done perfectly. I was so impressed with Charles’s woodworking and staining; I never knew that window and door frames could look so good. I felt confident that I could trust Charles to bring any issues to my attention, and I appreciated his detailed and accurate invoices. Charles was careful with my home, and his daily clean-up was very thorough. I will definitely contact Charles for future projects.

Charles Shiver of Chelsea Woodworking has completed a number of projects for us and worked on a number homes in our neighborhood. For us, his work he has spanned a broad range of projects: from minor repairs to finishing an entire lower level. The lower lever improvement project was approximately 900 square feet with: two bedrooms, shower bath, living room and kitchen. We have always found his work to be superb and his willingness to share ideas has resulted in a better finished product. He is happy to work with your concepts and provide ideas for other construction options that could save on time and money. Pride in his work is a standard element when he is handling projects and this sets him apart from other professionals. He takes the time to do it right. Should a complication develop he goes out of his way to help ensure everyone’s understanding of the problem and provides alternatives to solve the issue at hand, giving estimated costs associated with any changes, should they be needed, and gives you the likely consequences of the various options presented. Charles has worked on all types of residential homes. We feel his experience in dealing with with period homes is second to none. We own a 1880’s Queen Anne Victorian. I’m formerly a residential builder and developer of new homes for 25 years. His knowledge of period homes has enhanced and helped us preserve our unique house. With his advice and help we believe our home will last another 130 years with it being more energy efficient and stronger than the day it was built. When asked, Charles is always our first recommendation. Jim & Kim Myles Chelsea, Michigan