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"This was the second time we hired DAL Builders. They rebuilt our porch previously and we were very pleased with the quality of work and final product. We took our time hiring DAL for this job because we wanted to find out if we could do better on price. Their initial estimate was a good bit higher than we expected. We decided that for the quality of work DAL does, their reliability, and the fact that we could trust them with our old 1908 house, they were right for the job. The lower bids we got had big gaps when we itemized them in Excel. DAL's estimate was the most complete and specific, and we were able to bring it down a bit too. We didn't bother to seek higher/comparable bids because DAL had the other things we cared about – quality, responsible contractor, etc. Tim Larkin is great to work with. Communication is important in a project like this, and Tim keeps on top of it. But communication also had to come from us. The project went smoothly for the most part. When there were problems, we found we were able to work through them. It was also important to communicate directly with Ron and Wes, who are excellent carpenters, and were open to our questions and ideas. Tim alerted us to problems found in the house (plumbing, office wall/ceiling) once the work began and proposed solutions that made sense. We were glad to get those problems addressed and to have Tim manage it. I found myself thoroughly appreciating having someone manage the project from beginning to end. We were inclined to select finishes (cabinets, counters, backsplash) through vendors we found on our own. Tim was open to working with them, but in the case of the cabinets & counters, the vendor was not friendly to general contractors (sells wholesale to the public), which was an additional stress on us, though Tim handled it just fine. Everything turned out okay in the end, partly because Tim's contacts with vendors enabled us to quickly find a countertop alternative when the vendor I selected couldn't deliver on schedule after promising otherwise. The kitchen (160 square feet) took about 2 months to complete, but would have gone faster without the countertop glitch. The cabinets were also more complicated to install than expected (vendor I selected was not helpful with this). Tim kept the work moving, bringing in/coordinating the plumbers, dry wallers, electrician, and HVAC outfit. The work on the kitchen involved demoing plaster walls/ceiling and framing, tearing out the floor, insulating walls/ceiling, moving gas line, removing and replacing a heating radiator (water), all new electrical, lighting, and plumbing in the kitchen, installing outside vent for range, new frames for 4 doorways and one large windows, framing a window that had been behind panel walls, installing new floor and cabinets, new appliances except refrigerator, backsplash. We did the painting. Of the $75,000, about $22,000 was for finishes (cabinets, countertops, floor, backsplash, radiator, gas range, dishwasher, microwave), including costs for DAL to manage all orders and installation; $9,500 was for the small office (80 square feet) next to the kitchen where, in addition to new walls, ceiling, insulation, and trim work, additional framing needed to be done to shore up the wall/ceiling; and $2000 was additional plumbing work in the basement to replace old galvanized steel pipes with copper. The kitchen finishes were about $7,500 higher than estimated for various reasons. The kitchen construction costs were about $41,500. Tim was attentive to budget issues and gave us some slack on pricing for additional work where he could, which we appreciated. We also had our own out-of-pocket costs for items we purchased directly, which I didn't track. Having now been through a gut kitchen rehab, which is disruptive and nerve wracking, I also appreciate that Tim was supportive and positive throughout the experience. We needed the moral support. We are happy with our new kitchen and office and we know we made the right decision when we hired DAL Builders."

"This place has terrible customer service and doesn't care about small pool purchases (they only prioritize big projects). As of May 14, 2020, I paid (down payment) for a 16' pool from Russo's Pools. I was told my pool would be installed in July 2020. The installer was to go out to look at the site within 1 week. They never did. I called and got no one, only leaving a message or the phone just ringing. This was all last summer 2020 with no communication. I contacted Russo's pool in March 2021 and was told they didn't have my pool nor had any idea what happened. They have given me the run-around since. I was told the installer would call me, and week after week, they did not. Not until I asked to speak to the owner that the installer called me, stating he had JUST gotten my number. The owner discussed them obtaining and installing an 18' pool to make things right. Anthony Russo is now stating he never said that; he says he only said he would look into it. All discussions about pool and site were about 18'. Even the assistant I have been talking to this week has been checking deliveries for the 18' pool and working on getting one. Anthony Russo says he can't do that, and I am here 334 days later and NO pool."

"Job well done. Awesome. Jim and his crew are very professional and hard working. Have gotten many compliments on my new porch. Love it. Would highly recommend!"

"Jake and team did a great job! They did what they said they would do, when they said and the final product was great! Thanks Jake!"

"Chris was very helpful in helping me select the right composite materials, guidance on railings, deck layout, and any questions I had. His team tore down the old deck very quickly, removed all debris, and then built the new deck, steps and railings in a very professional and timely manner. I'm very pleased with the new deck!"

"Ed Eichele has stated to us that he stands by his work and that he will do whatever it takes, that they are accommodating, open and transparent. Beware, Ed knows all the right things to say, just don’t believe any of it. Following are the issues we had with Eichele & Valene Remodeling: • Needed to hire a second contractor to rip out and replace our newly installed tile floor and takeover our project. • Had to remove and replace wood trim • Paint quality grade with option of 2 brands stipulated in our contract was not followed. An untrue story was given as to why a cheaper grade had to be used. • Promises of a building permit and an inspector appointment never materialized (3 months). After blaming the City of Wheaton building department for an unexplainable lack of action it turned out that the city never received payment for the permit we paid Eichele & Valene to execute as part of the contract. • Our walls were painted and floor installed before the plumbing and electrical work had been started let alone the drywall being finished. Our second crew took advantage of the floor being exposed to perform plumbing and electrical work by removing floor boards vs. access through the basement ceiling as was planned by John Valene. • Lack of a consistent work schedule; multiple no-shows without warning. • They still owe us money per their own records. Details: Tile – Through research of manufacturer’s websites, the Tile Council of North America, and consulting with a member of National Tile Contractors Association, we were able to confirm that the tile floor was laid improperly and needed to be 100% replaced. Some of the installation related issues: Our warranty for the subfloor and the tile was void due to the use of cheap drywall screws used to fasten the Durock subfloor rather than the required “1-1/4" USG Durock™ Brand Tile Backer Screws for wood framing (or equivalent) or 1-1/2" hot-dipped galvanized roofing nails”. As a result of improper installation, there was so much unevenness and lippage all over the floor that we were tripping while walking on the tile. Nothing sat squarely or level on it. The lippage of many tiles was the same thickness as a quarter or thicker. (See photos) Trim – We upgraded our family room from carpet to tile. It may not be obvious to all homeowners that the baseboards are installed prior to installing carpet, thus touching the floor that the padding and carpet are rolled over. For tile, the baseboards should be installed on top of tile, which put the baseboards noticeably higher on the wall. Since the baseboards were never removed prior to installing the tile the end result was a family room with oddly short baseboards as they did not sit on the tile where it should be if installed correctly. Furthermore, the staining and varnishing of the shoes was dreadful. Application of conditioner, stain and urethane was performed outside in 40 degree weather all within 6 hours. Per the Sherwin Williams website one needs to, “Let dry completely (usually 24 hours)”. In addition, the site states that one should; “Apply stain only at the proper temperature. For most stains, 70 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimum, with the safety range from 50 to 90 Fahrenheit.” The worst part about this baseboard fiasco was the calculated deception exercised where the eating area meets the family room. They removed baseboard from the eating area where it was installed at the correct height for tile to rip ¾” off of the bottom in order to match the height of the baseboard of the family room which was at the correct height for carpet. (See photo) Paint – We believe that painting before the drywall, plumbing, and electrical work were finished was a tactic employed to give us the illusion of progress after weeks of no work being performed. It was an obvious ploy to distract us from the fact that no progress had been made in weeks. We have since had to repaint all surfaces but 3 walls. Windows – There is an entire fiasco with regard to undersized windows being installed. The additional framing required to install windows that were too small led to the threat of additional “Change Order” costs. One might question why someone would install the wrong size windows. Menards remade the incorrectly sized windows as ordering the wrong size windows was their mistake. Eichele & Valene told us that we owed them the cost of a second installation even though they should have stopped when they realized that the windows were the wrong size. (See photo)"