CRD Design Build

We interviewed a number of design build companies to determine which one would be best suited to tackle our complicated remodel. We had purchased a Seattle house, which was built in 1903, with the idea in mind that a major remodel would be needed. In 2020 we started planning a project in order to expand the kitchen, add a bathroom, expand a second floor bedroom, replace hardwood floors, add new windows, build a garage, and raise the house in order to dig out a full basement which would be able to be used as an ADU. The approach of handling our project was well thought out and was handled by staff whom we felt we could implicitly trust. Even though we nailed down very specific plans at the beginning of our project, we understood that in any major project such as ours there would always be gray areas that would need to be worked out as the project progressed. Because of this, we needed to feel we could successfully work with a contractor who would be totally honest and fair with us. That was the reason we chose CRD and fortunately our choice was a good one. The design team was excellent, presenting suggestions and creative solutions while at the same time respecting our ideas but keeping us from making major design mistakes. The construction team on site communicated with us exceptionally well, returning calls and texts the same day they received them. Whenever there was a misstep it was corrected to our satisfaction. CRD had our trust at the beginning and because of their integrity, our trust in them has not waivered. Our project is now nearing its completion and if we have another such project we wouldn't hesitate to contract with CRD again.

CRD was phenomenal to work with and went above and beyond in designing and building the addition of our dreams. It was a massive undertaking, and we doubled the size of our home, going from a single–story 2 bed 1 bath, to a two-story 5 bed, 2 bath. We can’t imagine doing the project without them, especially given the structural engineering needed. We engaged CRD in early 2018, and had a rough idea of what we wanted. They were able to refine our idea and help us realize how to better utilize the space. The design process took a year and involved a lot of revisions. By the time construction started, we had nearly all materials pre-selected. CRD provided many resources, including 3D models, blueprints, and a detailed document that laid out every detail of our project, including a large gantt chart with completion times. They told us construction would take 5 months, starting in June of 2019, ending in November, a bafflingly short timeline. Given everything we’d heard about construction time frames, we fully expected our home to still be under construction in February, especially since we planned to live in the home during construction. Flash forward to November 2019, and somehow, amazingly, we were hosting Thanksgiving for the whole family in our new addition. Not everything went smoothly for us. Shortly after construction began CRD discovered that the front of our existing home was 1 ½ inches lower than the back, due to the chimney pulling the foundation down over the past 90 years. On two occasions we woke up to waterfalls of rain in our living room. The demolition company they’d been working with for years ceased to exist without any warning to their scheduled clients. But every time a wrench was thrown, we were able to sit back calmly with the knowledge that CRD would handle everything, and they did. Our lead carpenter, Darryl, was especially committed to making everything perfect for us, and more than once he surprised us by tracking down better solutions to make the home perfect. The project was expensive and ended up being quite a bit over the initial quote we received. Many of the additional expenses were a result of change orders that we felt would be better to take care of during the construction, but there were also a few surprises as a result of working on an older 1930’s home. The added expenses were clearly communicated, and we were given options for how to proceed. We had weekly meetings in our home, and it helped us plan for what to expect each day. Living in the house during the addition was challenging, but also exciting, and the entire crew was very respectful of our space and kept things clean. It would have been less expensive to move to a larger home, but besides loving our property and neighborhood, we were able to design the new space to our exact wants and needs. We plan on living here our whole lives, so the expense feels very much worth it. You can bet that any future major home renovation projects will involve CRD.

I cannot speak highly enough about CRD. From the design phase to the finished product, the team was on time, professional, communicative, and had absolutely perfect execution of our kitchen remodel and redesign of the whole main floor of our home. We loved working with Megan as our designer- she totally got us and our design aesthetic. the computer program they used at the time really helped us envision what the space would look like since we were tearing down walls (with 3D virtual reality even!). She thought of everything. We did not feel decision fatigue, she walked us through each piece in bite sized pieces. She was so fun! Denny always came to us if/when the budget would be impacted by some big ideas we might have-- this helped us make decisions. But ultimately we ended up right on budget. In the build phase, the same lead carpenter, Blake, worked at our house every day. He was on time, communicative, and a total perfectionist (which we loved!). He really became part of the family during the process since we lived at home during the remodel so we saw him everyday for 13 weeks! Our kids grew to love him, and we did, too. The remodel finished right on time (well a few days late b/c the cabinets were a few days later than anticipated- not their fault, and boy did Blake try his best to get them to hurry up on delivery). We went right from CRD to a general contractor to finish up some other work in our home, and we quickly realized how good we had it with CRD. We could not be more pleased with CRD's process, accountability, and quality of work. 2 years later, things are still in tip top shape. We get compliments everytime someone comes to our home. You will not be sorry!

CRD did a fantastic job delivering the bathrooms that we had been imagining for years. They were great at communicating and offered ideas for deign and cost savings when needed.

CRD was amazing to work with from beginning to end. We did a whole house to-the-studs remodel, including digging down our basement. We gave them our budget and our vision, and they made our house into a dream home. The design process was easy and fun, and we could not have been happier with the carpenter (Josh) who lead the construction process. The final result is AMAZING. As could be expected with a big project, there were a couple minor hiccups along the way, but CRD went out of their way to fix them at no cost to us and in a way that didn't impact the construction schedule. We highly recommend them.

CRD Design Build was amazing from start to finish. We chose them because they really took the time to make sure we understood the Design Build process and how the project timeline worked. Denny, the owner, was fantastic in helping us translate our dreams into reality. And our designer really took the time to listen to our wish list, suggest design options that we wouldn't have thought of and help us customize without going over budget. The 3D rendering was incredibly helpful during the design process! Once construction started, Michael, our project manager, and Josh, our lead carpenter, were very knowledgeable. Josh was on site every day taking care of the house and directing/ coordinating all of the work. The rest of the carpentry crew were always pleasant and willing to answer our questions. And when the inevitable, "oh no" moment happened during our construction, Michael and Josh figured out how to fix the situation with as little stress as possible. We finished on time and on budget. Our house is absolutely amazing. We would hire CRD again in a minute!

We hired CRD for a substantial remodel of the lower level of our Craftsman home in Seattle (relocating and expanding the master bathroom, reconfiguring the laundry space, repositioning support beams, etc.). Throughout the design process there was good communication and Denny & team provided several options for us to choose from; all the while considering our wish list, listening to our ideas, and providing their prudent guidance & suggestions where appropriate. Blake, our lead carpenter, was awesome: great attention-to-detail, thoughtful approach, reliable and professional, good communicator, and he kept the job site spotless. (We remained living in the house during all of the construction, so this was a huge plus and much appreciated.) The quality of CRD’s work, and that of their subcontractors, is top-notch and it shows in the finished product. Our project was completed within budget, began on time, and actually ended a bit ahead of schedule. This was quite a substantial investment for us ($100k+), but CRD kept everything moving forward smoothly and handled all of our questions and concerns quickly, thoroughly and fairly. We are very happy with the end result and would recommend CRD to anyone considering a design/remodel project in the Seattle area.

We used CRD for our 4th extensive remodel. CRD is definitely the best we have worked with and surpassed our expectations. The weekly meeting was critical to keeping the project flowing as well as gave opportunity to discuss items. The quality of the work was outstanding as was the design. We also used the interior design team and that was well worth the experience. When problems arose, the staff were quickly problem solved. The team listened closely to our needs and helped guide us to a fabulous product. They presented new ideas for our house that we hadn't considered.

CRD design is so good and reasonable we have had them on 3 out of four remodels. Even their subcontractors show the same care and attention to detail. And they clean up every night. Start and complete per schedule. A well run business.

We love our CRD remodel! We converted a spare area of the basement to an ADU, converted a carport to a garage with new interior access, and remodeled the master bath into a beautiful Zen-like spa. We’ve lived with our new spaces now for six months and it is an awesome lifestyle upgrade. At the beginning of the process CRD designers proposed great ideas and at the same time were very open to our suggestions. The production plan was detailed, meticulous and all went pretty much on schedule. The builders were professional, timely, efficient, and at the same time receptive to our preferences and able to adjust on the fly to accommodate them. Work spaces were kept tidy and disruption was minimal. That says a lot given that construction occurred in three different parts of the home. Our house was originally built in 1940 so invariably some issues with how the house was constructed were uncovered. CRD staff found ingenious solutions to problems. Denny Conner, managers, designers, front office, our onsite carpenter and the various sub-contractors were all easy to communicate with and very talented. We loved their team approach. They listened! We couldn’t be happier with how the project turned out.

The team at CRD made this process, from start to finish, as painless as possible. Now we have the kitchen we have always wanted and it has transformed the way we live in our home. Whether it was design help or carpentry updates, they were communicative, responsive, clear, on schedule and within budget. I highly recommend CRD!

CRD provided such an amazing service from beginning to end that it's hard to know where to start this review! From patiently answering questions at our first meeting, to informing and supporting us in every design decision, to the 3D model on our iPad to truly "see" what it would look like, to providing us with and setting up a temporary kitchen in our basement, to the gracious professionalism of the construction team with weekly update meetings. Especially now that we're living in it, we're so impressed with the quality of the workmanship and the design recommendations. Our project was on-time (to the day!) and on-budget (to the dollar!); such a relief to be able to trust a company who was doing something so enormous and important for our family!