Design-Build Contractors & Firms Near Ypsilanti

“I approached Meadowlark with the need for a significant renovation to transform a poorly laid out bathroom/spa into a safe, first floor accessible bathroom suite for an elderly client/friend following a fall and broken hip. I laid out an aggressive goal of compressing the design/build schedule as my friend would need to remain in a rehab center while the project was completed. The following business day Meadowlark’s President Melissa Kennedy met me on site and brought their head of construction, and project manager ready to get to work. (I was impressed). I provided them with a clear scope of work and challenged them on how much they could compress the schedule as we needed the project finished yesterday. Eight weeks later we brought my friend home from rehab to a much safer, redesigned home. The eight weeks included both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. At the top of the list of Meadowlark’s strengths are their people and leadership, and willingness to challenge themselves. Most contractors would have politely explained that my goals were unachievable. Second would be their handling of inevitable issues that arise in any remodeling project. I can’t say enough about Sarah Petersen, our Project Manager, who was key. A firm is only as good as their employees and pool of contractors, especially in our circumstances, and Meadowlark has a pool of high quality contractors. As we neared the completion concerns arose about everything being ready for a safe return home, and Melissa and Sarah met me onsite on a Sunday morning to review remaining work. The relationships Meadowlark has with their contractors became clear by how contractors responded to insure final details were completed. Meadowlark was also able to include refinishing the home’s wood floors and incorporate a new powder room and laundry facilities to the project scope without delaying the schedule. Due to the circumstances the project was structured on a time and materials basis. There are few contractors I would trust with this arrangement on something this size. While transparency could have been improved I am satisfied with the resulting total costs and Meadowlark deserved every penny of the margin earned on this project. Overall A+.”

“My husband and I were just crazy enough to go through a complete kitchen/first floor renovation with two children under the age of 5. Up until February 2020 the Forward process could not have been smoother. Chad called me and asked all the right questions and just made me feel at ease. I knew my shopping was done at that point. Later, we met Carly who deserves a medal in Client Reassurance for all the times I said "Are you sure about this?" and she would say "Just trust me, that’s what I’m here for". Every time, Caryl was right! The design process was so collaborative and I always felt like I was being presented with well thought out design concepts based on the needs of our family. In Feb 2020, construction started and for a solid month we were plugging along full speed ahead, in fact, we were tracking three weeks ahead of schedule! I came home one day to find Brian leveling our ceiling so our crown molding would be straight and as he explained the whole process to me I just couldn't help but marvel at his keen sense of detail and exceptional skill! March 2020 rolled around and COVID happened. Yes, even a firm as exceptional as Forward couldn't work around the fallout of a pandemic but they still put their best foot "forward" and made us feel like we had not been forgotten. Our Project Managers Brian and Tim checked in with us at least once a week to see how we were doing and if there was anything they could do to help us keep our sanity. They kept me informed of plans to resume as soon as they possibly could and reassured me that this delay in time would not at all alter the price or the product. There were many times I thought to myself "would any run of the mill contractor be able to handle this kind of problem as flawlessly as Forward did?" I believe the answer to be, no. There were no delays in Forward getting back to work once they were able to. My family of four lived through the construction from May to August and while you hear horror stories, our experience could not have been better. All of the Forward carpenters and sub-contractors were beyond respectful of our home. There were many nights I walked through the construction area with no shoes because it was that clean and safe! I happened to be off of work one week and Jon was there working and he was just the nicest person you could hope to have in your home. He would ask me questions on how I would like something installed, give me some tips on how to use something, troubleshoot/problem solve with me on the spot, and he was available if I had any other random questions. Forward Design Build gets a 10/10 from me. I am a particular person and this project was no exception. As a female, I often feel like I'm made out to be a "Diva" or annoying if I ask for things to be a particular way and I NEVER felt that way from any of the Forward team. They would always say "Absolutely, we can figure something out" or "you're right that isn't quite right" or "You're paying a lot for this, we want it to be perfect, too!" Hire Forward! They are a polished company that knows what they are doing and they do it well! Many friends gave us tips and suggestions and every time I asked Tim or Jon about them they both would say "oh yea, we already did that" or "its in the plan, we have it covered!" They obviously love what they do and they care about their homeowners. They stayed within budget, they stayed within the timeframe they committed to (outside of COVID), and they were able to gracefully navigate through a pandemic that drastically affected their business. I would never hire another contractor after what I know now.”

“Outstanding! Excellent! Five starts +++. I had an excellent experience with this company from start to finish. Every aspect of their operation is professional and effective. THEY ACTUALLY RETURN YOUR CALLS, SHOW UP FOR APPOINTMENTS AND DO WHAT THEY SAY THEY WILL DO!!! The project was completed on time, on cost and we were delighted with the results. Quality was above and beyond what we expected. It was not a huge project but needed some attention to detail. The estimate was accurate and the sales person was professional and knowledgable. The project manager did an outstanding job. He was available and responded in a timely manner every time we had a question or concern. He was present on the project and intervened with the subcontractor on, at least, two occasions to improve the quality of the work. I believe Father and Son mean what they said when they told us they would not want any work done in a customer's home that they would not have done in their own home. We are very pleased with the results but I think the best part of the experience with Father and Son was the excellent customer service and the way we were treated throughout the project with concern, respect and a sense of professional responsibility for the job. I would recommended Father and Son most highly and plan to use them again on other projects in the future. It's great when you find professionals you can really trust. A+++++”