Great Lakes Builders Inc

They charged us exactly what they quoted us and not a dime more even though they did some additional work. They did a good job and it was their reviews on Angie's list that sold us on this company.

Great Lakes did a fantastic job. Both Mike and Marty are great to work with, and very professional. They did their work on time, on budget, and even threw in some tuck-pointing for free. I highly recommend them.

The two Lewandowski brothers came out to look at the job. They explained what the problem with my house was and how it probably got that way. They also discussed multiple ways to solve my problem. A few days later I received a call with prices for each different solution. The job took two days. On the first day they jacked up the joists and installed supports to hold the weight of the house. On the second day they removed the old beams and post. After inspecting a second post, one not included in the original agreement, they found it structurally unstable. They replaced it at NO EXTRA COST. The workers were very professional, arrived on time and left the workspace clean. Michael Lewandowski returned calls promptly and was a great help scheduling the project. Martin Lewandowski was there to explain answers to any questions I had.

They were very responsive and very good at what they did. They recommended what they thought needed to be done and not anything more (we received bids for 10x their quote, which may have included unnecessary work). They finished their work in a day and cleaned the work site very well. Overall we were very satisfied and would recommend them to anyone. They knew what needed to be done and told us the portion of the job that they were qualified to completed.

We received several estimates from Angie suppliers and happily chose Great Lakes. Martin, the president, was prompt in responding to our call, coming to check the damage and providing us with an estimate. The job was scheduled and completed in an extremely timely manner. Contractors Carlos and Alejandro were complete professionals. They arrived exactly on time, offered to take off their shoes, worked a messy job with their vacuum running the whole time, and adapted to all the little surprises than usually pop up on a job like this. They removed the dry wall in sections as we weren't sure how far the damage extended. They cleaned out mortar joints, installed bonding agent to the stone foundation and tuck pointed the joints with a non shrink mortar. There was not a drop of dust anywhere in the house when they left. They hand mopped the floor, the washer and dryer. We've had a lot of wonderful Angie suppliers. Great Lakes is absolutely the best. Thank you Angie's List!

Martin and Mike were great to work with. They were responsive, honest and practical. The project actually came in a little under budget.

I would hire this company for work if they could do it. They were a major help to me in finding someone who could do the work and were kind through the process.

Mike and Marty are polite, knowledgeable and extremely professional. They walked us through every step of the project and even worked with us on price. Great Lakes wasn't the cheapest bid, but it was worth the extra $3000 for the peace of mind of knowledgeable contractors -- I had zero confidence in the capabilities of the other companies that bid the job compared to Mike and Marty. Once the project began, it went extremely fast, wrapping up in under a week and a half. Marty's construction crew was just as professional. Overall, a great experience.

They were very professional and courteous. I liked that they were responsive, got back to me when needed, and the quality of their work was good. The floor is very smooth and even, they did not skimp at all and did everything extremely well.

What can I say? Mike and Martin saved our house! The termite damage was so extensive that we were moments away from complete structural failure of the property. The workers were professional, courteous, punctual, and FAST! GLB finished the job two full weeks before the promised start time. We were very impressed. Considering the amount of jacking-up the house needed we were certain we would have to deal with chasms all throughout our lath-and-plaster house. Not the case, we had very few cracks. And they were confined to the arched doorways on the main level. We were quite nervous going into this project. Martin put all our fears to rest. Not only are these gentlemen extremely competent in their work, they are just really good, honest people! We look forward to having them work on our home for many more years to come!

Great Lakes Builders did a superb job. Right from the beginning, Mike at the office and Martin on site were very thorough and accommodating. We had a tight schedule, so they did everything they could to make sure that the work got done on time. They even worked hand in hand with the engineer to get the specs completed as quickly as possible. The workers were polite and cleaned up at the end of each day. Martin made sure to check with us throughout the process to ensure that everything was done the way we wanted it. We would definitely recommend Great Lakes Builders in the future.

When Mike and Martin came to look at the house, I told them I thought we needed to remove the 3 piers and put in a full foundation. While they were willing to do that, they thought it unnecessary. The City of Berwyn agreed, and I was okay to spend less. The work was completed as expected and in a timely fashion. I worked with them a bit to get the permit, but when the final push was needed at the building department, Mike was there in person and paid for the permit. Which we paid in the final bill.

I originally contacted them via email, which they returned the next day and a visit was quickly set up for the next week. They were very professional and nice guys. I ended up choosing these guys ultimately because as I was bidding this job, almost every structural engineering firm told me that they subcontracted the actual work to Great Lakes Builders. It seemed like very good recommendations. In addition, Mike and Martin came out and gave me a free estimate, whereas all other companies were going to charge me around $500 just to take a look at what needed to be done. It took them only 1.5 days to complete the job. Each of their workers were professional, respectful and courteous. If you need structural work done in the Chicago area, definitely give these guys a chance.

Martin and his team were precise, punctual, creative, and courteous. Homeowners know that any project involving the structure of your house is nerve-wracking. Great Lakes Builders made it painless. Our negotiated price was very fair. They completed more work than contracted for. They did not hesitate to contact our structural engineer with any questions and kept us informed. I intend to use Great Lakes Builders on our next project.

I loved these guys. They were on the ball, extremely responsive, amicable, and accommodating. The price was right on. The work time was right on. And they were a pleasure to work with. I have never been so happy to part with almost $5,000. This truly was a job well done. As an added bonus, they also assisted us in our design plans for the kitchens and bathrooms. Finally, and most importantly - the contract originally called for 2 columns and 1 beam, as well as the sistering of several joists. When it came time for the work, though it cost them more to do it, they called to tell us that they needed to put in 2 more columns and 1 more beam. I groaned because I had been expecting something like this. And to my surprise their response was -we are just calling to make sure you are o.k with this. We are going to swallow any added cost. We told you what you needed and now think otherwise, that is not your responsibility... What a breath of fresh air these guys are!

I did some research prior to the project and spoke with a few structural engineers. It was clear to me from the beginning that Great Lakes (Martin and Mike) both had a great deal of experience in the type of older house I recently purchased. They knew very quickly upon inspecting the house what needed to be done and what their work would and would not accomplish. Martin and Mike were very straightforward and easy to work with. They were very prompt with their communication, patient in explaining things to a layman and performed the quoted work on-time and on-budget. Most importantly, I felt their work was high quality. Overall I am very satisfied with their work and would highly recommend them to others.

I WOULD NOT USE THEM OR RECOMMEND THEM! THEY STATED THE HOUSE WOULD NEED TO BE JACKED UP AND CAUSE 1000'S OF CRACKS WHEN IN FACT THE HIRED COMPANY JACKED THE HOUSE UP JUST ENOUGH TO DO THE WORK WITH LESS THAN 1O CRACKS!!!

Michael and Martin were very professional and took the time to explain all angles of the situation. They started at the top of my home to see how it was constructed. They were very knowledgeable and patient. They partner with structural engineers, based upon their recommendations of how to repair the problem. They provided me some structural engineers numbers to get a full analysis. Since the foundation crack is not as involved as thought, they will not be making the repairs, however I would recommend them for those who would need their structural repair services.

Very well. They finished just when they promised. They seemed thorough and were always patient with questions and responsive.

Mike and Martin were very cooperative and helpful throughout the process. The crew that did the work were polite and professional while they were doing the work. They cleaned up areas that were impacted by the construction.

They did a wonderful job. They not only made our sinking house solid, but were willing to work around a complicated schedule (I see clients at home). And, they did an additional piece of work for free after finishing the rest. They put up an additional support in a spot we had not originally discussed after completing all of the rest of the work. To do this they had to drive back for an extra day of work. We absolutely would hire them again.

Both Mike Lewandowski (office) and Martin lewandowski (on site) were thorough and polite. Martin explained exactly what work would be performed and the expected results. The crew worked efficiently, removed all debris, and restored the site to its original condition. We were very pleased with the quality of their work.

Great Lakes Builders were very helpful, professional and communicative throughout the entire process. They always responded quickly when we had questions and were thorough and patient in explaining things to all members of the condo association and offering helpful recommendations and solutions. Both Martin and Mike were very nice and easy to work with. They really listened and responded to all concerns, which you don't often find. I would definitely recommend this company.

In the midst of a kitchen remodel, one of our temporary basement support lallies was failing. (3 story balloon frame house built in 1888) We called Great Lakes in a panic and Mike and Martin came out within a day, gave us a rough estimate of planned work, suggested we postpone further work on kitchen until this was done. (Ack!) They said the work could be done in only one week. They contacted a structural engineer(who also came in record speed), and they began work the next day(a Wednesday) and finished the following Monday, true to their word - it was amazing! Throughout each phase (inspection, shoring, jacking, installation of beams, pouring footing and finally removal and clean-up) they kept us well-informed of progress and checked frequently to make sure they were proceeding per our wishes. Wall cracking (inevitable due to correction needed) was extremely minimal. All aspects of work really top-notch! I highly recommend them.

Martin and Mike were efficient and a true pleasure to work with. They completed their work quickly (even ahead of the projected time line) and were incredibly prompt in keeping their appointments and responding to my inquiries. They are exceedingly concerned with the customer's satisfaction and are willing to help in getting people to work with facets of the job that they do not do. On the whole, I am extremely pleased with their work and the project and would most definitely hire them again or recommend them to friends and family.