B & R Hardwood & Tile Inc

We recently contracted B&R for an office and kitchen floor project. They removed old carpet and tile and installed new hardwood. Our experience was both good and bad so I will note the facts and my opinions allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions however, I would NOT recommend them. Communication: I prefer written communications to ensure both parties are very clear on expectations. Depending on if Kurt or Carol is the one responding, you get a different answer and/or no actual response to a direct question. This was frustrating and I never received any response to several direct questions and eventually gave up. Cost: Kurt is very good at finding ways to pad the original estimate. He upsized the dumpster from 6-yard to 8-yard yet even after adding some of my junk a 6-yard would have been sufficient. We included some electrical work which was originally estimated at ~$1,500 but once reviewed jumped to $3,000. It was complex work, but I didn’t appreciate the 100% jump after the contract was signed because “I have to add my margin on top too”. The transition from kitchen to laundry (see below) was also an area where the original plan was to stop at a full tile, but he tried talking us into cutting back in middle of door (“only charge you another $100”). Demo & Install: The bright spot. Both crews were professional and did very good work. The demolition was dirty and dusty as expected. The crew attempted to curtain off the area and we had tapped the kitchen cabinets closed which lowered the mess, but they neglected to cover some fixtures/appliances and the dust went everywhere. Plan to have a duct cleaning after demo! Project Plan: After several attempts to get a schedule/plan Kurt sent a brief outline that was days different than originally agreed. Several back and forth communications to get the correct details on the correct dates forced us to move a different contractor’s scheduled dates and work the weekend. As this is his primary role as general contractor I was very disappointed with his lack of planning and clarity. Prep: Kurt personally measured and quoted the materials needed for this project. He was not accurate and the flooring came up about 9 square feet short, right at the top of a stairwell. The project was agreed to be finished by May 31st barring any unforeseen issues and had he done a proper estimate it would have finished. Due to this miscalculation, we had to wait 2 additional weeks for materials to arrive and be installed. No apology was received and no acknowledgement that he did not meet his agreed timeline. This was totally avoidable and felt very amateurish with both the underestimated amounts and ignoring that he made a mistake. Transition: The kitchen new wood floor needed to transition to existing tile in laundry space. We originally would have done this wood too, but Kurt recommended we didn’t. The transition piece was to have been wood under the doorframe that they would stain to match. It appeared the wood floor was extended too far into door (they did cut the tile back mentioned above without charging) and the transition board reaches over 1” into the laundry. It should have been a shorter board and to top it off does not closely match the finish of the floor. Kurt personally installed this piece and should have seen/acknowledged the miss. I was unsuccessful in getting any type of acknowledgement except an offer to try to refinish the installed piece which I declined as I will find a replacement piece more appropriate and fix with a different contractor’s help.

B & R replaced our flooring in our entrance (tile) and kitchen and dining area (hard wood) about 2 years ago. They did such an excellent job that I decided to have them remodel our 2/3 bath on our lower floor. It involved moving some electrical and plumbing as I wanted the ceiling raised to the height of the surrounding rooms (about an additional foot). I also had a new tiled shower installed as well as new fixtures and tile flooring. The workmanship was excellent and the outcome everything I had hoped for. The project took about 6 weeks but the wait was worth it.

First of all, I have to say, I love my new floor! It has really changed the look of my main floor. My dining room/living room combination went from being choppy and cluttered looking to open and classy! Kurt assisted me from the beginning in determining the type of product I was going to use. He was very patient with me as I took my time picking out both the kind and color of wood. Carol stepped in towards the end, assisting in prepping the installers with some of my requests. Overall, I had a very positive experience and am now enjoying my new floor!

I initially hired B&R several years ago through Angie's List to update our master tub/shower. Since then, I have turned to them for a number of additional projects. The total scope of work has included a partial remodel of the master bath, hardwood flooring and trim installation in multiple rooms, tiling and carpet installation, and retreading of a staircase. My experience with the trades they have brought in to do the work has been very good. The workers are courteous and respectful, and take a great deal of pride in their work. The quality of workmanship is excellent. Pricing, in my opinion is slightly higher than average; I believe this is due to the fact that they recommend products of higher quality (a great installation of a cheap product will still look cheap). As a consumer, I appreciate that B & R stands behind premium products. Very knowledgeable, solid and timely project and status communication. I highly recommend B & R.

I would like to say that working with B&R was a complete pleasure from start to finish. The work that was done included, restoring existing hardwood floors,and installing both hardwood and laminate floors. The attention to detail was what impressed me the most. The employees were always courteous and professional. Questions or issues were answered and dealt with promptly. I recommend B&R, without hesitation, to people when I hear they are looking for a contractor. I look forward to working with this company again in the future.

After seeing an example of B&R's work, I knew I would be in good hands hiring Kurt and Carol to demolish and completely redo a small basement bathroom in my mom's home. They offered creative ideas, utilized quality subcontractors and went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect! Very professional, they always arrived when they said they would and communicated effectively to ensure I knew the status of the various phases of the project. The tile work was beautiful, extra lighting in the shower was wonderful, the new shower door fit perfectly and the space was utilized to maximize efficiency. I so appreciated all of Carol's help, picking out the tile etc... Kurt and Carol have a great eye for color and detail! In addition, they coordinated the refinishing of the red oak floors on the entire first floor of the home. They turned out beautifully! What a difference that made! I would not hesitate to recommend B&R!

B&R did a whole condo remodel for me on my one-bedroom condominium in downtown Minneapolis. I picked B&R because of word-of-mouth recommendations from friends who described their work as meticulous and having high standards for perfection. I also liked that they are a local family-owned business with a great deal of pride in workmanship. Carol is one of the owners and is certified as a general contractor and was very involved, objective and realistic in her approach, letting me know right up front what the range of possibilities were and the costs attached. Kurt was also actively involved and managed the project front start to finish and always assured that the work met their very high standards. Kurt was great at proposing creative ideas for design issues and together they serve as both a great contractor and design team. I remember how Kurt was insistent that two of the base trim joints in the corner matched perfectly even though no one would ever notice. They only use long-time subs whose work they have vetted and will only use if they perform at the level expected - Roy was fantastic at the custom word work and at fixing some of the existing problems with closet doors, kitchen cabinetry, etc. The tile guy (can't recall his name) did an awesome job on the bathroom floor tile, sink, toilet, etc. Steve was the handyman who was so careful he made sure the screws for the new shower rod didn't pierce any of the common mechanicals behind the tub wall. They arranged for Twin Cities Closets to do the built-in cabinetry in the bedroom and came up with a fantastic design at much less cost than California Closets. The end result was fantastic and I credit the coordination between Carol, Kurt and the subs. I now have a brand new apartment that looks like it just emerged from a magazine. I would not hesitate to use them again and to recommend to my friends and family.