Get matched with top brick or stone tuck pointing pros in Newton, IL

"They called me after only about 15 minutes from my initial contact with Angiâ s. Patrick and Jeff came out the very next day which was a Saturday. I thought they were coming just to give us a quote but they said they could do the job then. We hired them and within 3 hours the job was done. The chimney was relined and they repointed the top bricks and fixed the flashing. They were professional, friendly and courteous. We are waiting for a heavy rain but I feel very confident that there will be no leaks."

"RESPONSIVENESS TO NEEDS
There are different measures of success on any project and different constraints and issues that will challenge those measures.  My primary measure of success was a DRY basement, and Brian?s proposal to deliver it was comprehensive. He was committed to meeting my request while satisfying my second measure of success: do it at an affordable price.

ESTIMATE
Brian does all estimates himself instead of sending out salespeople (which I appreciate).  I scheduled Brian's first visit in the days following a large rainfall that caused flooding in neighboring areas, so his schedule was packed. Understandably, Brian was crunched between appointments when he arrived slightly behind schedule, but he had kept me updated in the hours preceding his arrival.  Brian quickly conveyed a focus on resolving the seepage problem.  He also listened to my concerns, identified primary and secondary issues, and said he would send a thorough e-mail containing precise details for a solution with a cost breakdown.  He arrived and left in about hour, and within a couple days he sent an e-mail estimate with two options. 1) A complete basement drain tile system with crack repairs, or 2) a partial system that he believed would resolve the problem at a lesser cost. He offered to allow me to "upgrade" to the full system in the future and pay the difference between the two estimates. This type of offer was not even discussed by the three other companies (two big names and one small business) that came for estimates.

With the exception of the extended (years-long) payment / financing options offered by the larger companies, Brian?s proposed solution was almost a hands-down winner.  The other small company was comparable, but after sending the initial estimate, Brian offered to return on the weekend to give me the opportunity to talk again when there was more time.  Other companies' approaches to doing exterior excavation ranged from doing minor reinforcement to not even wanting to touch it.  Brian, in contrast, said he can?t honestly guarantee a dry basement when he didn?t know what the previous repair looked like.  He offered to completely excavate the two walls that had work done previously and to replace (if necessary) any inferior quality materials with his own fix.  Now we're cooking with gas!  The cost of the job remained competitive, and this ?extra mile? effort on top of everything else fully satisfied my need to be 100% sure the seepage would be stopped.  I opted for the full drain tile system.

TIME
The timeframe Brian quoted was in line with all of his competitors: 2 days max.  The time element of the job met some challenges, taking 5 full working days to complete, (Tues-Fri plus half days Sat-Sun).  The reason?  The crew found the floor was new, dense 4-inch concrete poured on top of the original 4-inch concrete floor.  This meant twice the work for the breakup crew that was prepared for a conventional job, making it impossible to accommodate the original time frame. Brian promised to never leave a job unfinished, so he juggled his crews' schedules to make daily progress, and he never once raised his price despite the extra time or material (concrete) required. I was very grateful.  He also personally came to finish the job on the weekend rather than pushing it out to Monday or Tuesday.

EXTRAS AND RESPONSIVENESS
Some plumbing in the floor was impacted by the concrete breakup and required repairs due to its age and condition.  Brian took the time to find the exact materials I requested for the repair and installed them.  I was not present at installation so he took photos and video and sent them to me via smartphone so I could verify he got it right.  What other contractor does that?! He also paid attention to every detail for laying out the design of the downspout tie-ins, finishing touches, and every single special request I threw at him. He also spotted an additional leak in the corner of the foundation and sealed it up as well. His commitment to resolving every issue to my satisfaction was outstanding.

Brian made himself accessible via phone, e-mail and text, and he responded quickly to inquiries.  I wanted to know every detail of the work, and Brian accommodated. Another totally unexpected surprise came when Brian discovered that some of the promised work did not need to be performed, and he provided credit for this instead of using the difference for my extra requests.

SATISFACTION
"You'll be happy," is Brian's mantra.  He addressed a couple gripes - dust exposure to the first floor space; a few trampled plants outside - by providing equitable financial credits.  These professional oversights on his crew's part are unacceptable to Brian, and credit on the final bill was all he could do to make up for it.  Overall, the crew was polite, and one even brought a stack of extra floor tiles from his personal supply to replace some I'd lost during demolition work I had done weeks earlier!

From start to finish, despite delays and minor shortcomings, Brian executed on the proposed project by 100% nailing the two most important measures of success ? quality and cost. As for timing, the job ran long but Brian didn't quit until the job was done. I never expect perfection; nevertheless, Brian aimed to earn my satisfaction as his primary goal. I give an A+ on nearly every category, taking a point or two away for the issues mentioned.

Rain is coming in the next two days, and I'll only edit this review if the repairs fail to deliver a dry basement.  I am posting this review before the rain comes as a vote of confidence that I won't have to change a word.

The most important criterion to assess a job well done is whether you'd recommend a service provider to a family member or friend.  In Brian's case, I absolutely would."

"Good.  We called Patrick and he responded quick and came over next day and gave us an estimate.  He is very nice and professional.  Estimate was accurate. Fixed price was for labor and parts, wife did not agree and she wanted to take the Angies List discount on labor.  We would probably use Patrick again.  We do not have or forsee any plumbing problems in the near future."

"It went fine. They were personable and they did what we asked. They were timely and good workmanship."

"
I wasn't sure this would end up to be a good idea but, it turned out a very pleasant experience. They did it all from start to finish. They spent the first day and a half gathering the trash and debris left by the tenants. They must have pulled four trailers worth of mess out to the dump. Then they went through the whole place; removing nails from the walls, doing the patchwork on the plaster and lathe (where we wanted it repaired and pulled out where we wanted drywall replaced), sanding all the spots and removing the mess. Then they started in with the heavy repairs in the putting in a couple of windows and hanging the drywall where needed, they taped off all the walls, fixtures and windows to ready it for paint. After painting and waiting for it to dry; then they started outside clearing out the brush and debris left behind. They also worked to dress up the yard with great ideas like window boxes and fresh flowers! . They did all the paint work inside the house and finished up by touching up the outside paint. They went back through the house last time and shampooed the carpets, cleaned the stove and fridge, and put fresh new chalk in all the needed spots. I know I may not have all the right terminology but, these folks Really saved the day! When they left the place was spotless and the time and money we spent was well worth giving up the headache of that mess to someone else and finding they'd done a great job! Wonderful!"

Exterior Construction Services of IL, Inc. is committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers' interests and make their concerns the basis of our business.\nSpanish Speaking!

Sims Masonry and Chimney Services is a locally owned and operated company with over 25 years of experience in residential and commercial masonry and chimney services. Let us show you our experienced, reliable and professional workmanship for any of your masonry needs. We're committed to excellence in customer service and professional quality craftsmanship. We provide chimney sweeping services year after year to help keep your home clean and safe! Call today to see what expertise can do for the overall value of your project.

We have the experience and dedication to bring your dreams to reality! We guarantee your satisfaction, and we won’t leave until the job is done right. Call or click to schedule a free estimate today!

First Line Construction &Roofi is committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers' interests, and make their concerns the basis of our business.

We are local family owned company. We have excellent staff that will come in friendly and move quickly and efficiently. We strive to make our clients happy from new cozy fireplaces for this holiday season to outdoor fireplaces for your entertaining in the summer. Call us today for your free quote. Get that project done today.