DESIGNfirst Builders LLC

From the inception of our Bathroom remodeling project, the senior designer, interior designer and the project manager all worked with us to ensure our total satisfaction. Design 1st advertises " The get it right attitude you deserve" and they certainly followed thru from beginning to end. Would highly recommend them for any remodeling project.

It's a pretty large company and they have their own showroom and everything. They still have to come back and finish a couple of things, but we are very happy with the things they did. They are one of those places that helps you design and pick out the tile and stuff, but it was what we wanted and they did a nice job. They started the project in February, but we went out of town for a while which meant they couldn't work on it. The price was mid-range and we are thrilled with the job that they did. We actually checked like four different places, but they have a really good rating on Angie's List which is why I joined. They're very good and whenever there was any work the project manager wasn't happy with he had them redo it. He was very concerned with the work being virtually perfect. We certainly feel like we paid for it although they let us know the price of the material, so if the price was really high it was probably our own fault. They were really upfront with us. I wouldn't say that they were cheap in terms of the workers work, but they also were very high caliber. They were responsive, but it would sometimes take awhile before the action was actually completed. They always called back like the same day or within a day of my inquiries. They were also pretty close to being there when they said, but not every time. They would usually call up and apologize if they didn't make it. They have a website system that allows you to track the progress of your work and also to send messages back and forth.

We have been working with Nick Cimms as our design consultant and I have to be honest and say that he has been really amazing and quite patient with us. He has answered all of our questions, involved the appropriate members of his team when needed and done some great designs that help to visualize our goals. He also put together a very detailed budget (most detailed out of all of the folks bidding our project) to be as transparent as possible. We are extremely impressed with their attention to detail, transparency of the process and how prompt they have been throughout. We aren't sure yet if we will select them as our final choice, but I have to say we will surely look to DesignFirst to participate in all of our remodeling projects in the future.

I had gone in and talked to someone who said they would be able to work with a 203k loan, no problem, per the agent. When I had another agent come out and actually look at the job, he said that they wouldn't do a job like that because working with 203k loans yields them no profit.

Design First Builders LLC gave us a quote. They were out here in time. The quote was a little on the high side. They were professional, they had suggestions.

They were excellent. We are actually considering using them in the future. We just didn't end up using them. They were pretty professional. They had some great ideas and gave us some interesting insights into the new things we could do. Our meeting went really well.

They were great! They were punctual and always arrived on time. They also finished the project within the time frame and I was very happy them and the results.

The process took a long time from start of getting proposal to completion. 4 months. The contractors they use were good but I really had to pin them down to start times. I was able to select my own products to use, (other than those available in their showroom) and I felt I had more experience than their designers, but overall my bathroom is beautiful and it was a quality job. They also built my vanity to my specs. It turned out beautiful.

It was excellent. The design was something that really surprised us, made us feel uncomfortable and something we would have never designed ourselves. That is part of their process. In the end we couldn't be happier. Now the truth is any home remodeling project has bumps in the road. Does everything go perfect. Are there challenges and come up and delays you didn't expect. Yes. If you don't expect this coming in to something like this you're just fooling yourself. When things went wrong they addressed it in a timely fashion to our satisfaction. Lastly, they aren't the most expensive and they aren't the cheapest. They are a mid to upper premium alternative but like all things in life you get what you pay for. There are so many horror stories out there. If you're going to spend that type of money, you need someone that is reliable, stands by their work and does fantastic work. Designfirst is that type of company. I would recommend them to friends, neighbors and colleagues. One of the best builders to work with in Chicago.

We were very satisfied with the end result; we were very unsatisfied with the process. Let us review the positives first. The design was quite good - responsive, good ideas. The design did not change the kitchen's footprint much, but the company made suggestions that created space, improved storage, & dressed things up. The person who helped us choose cabinets, tile, and other design elements was excellent. The end result was very good, and the company's 5-year guarantee on everything is hard to beat. The process, however, was painful for us. We've been through a complete kitchen remodel before, so we know things go wrong and a construction project is never without problems. In our prior remodel, the job manager was there every day working with us through various issues that came and involving us in the decisions. So we felt like we knew at all times how the project was going, and that someone had ownership (the project manager). D1st used subcontractors extensively, and often they were not adequately supervised. This resulted in some significant mistakes being made, and--after we pointed out these mistakes--at least a couple of weeks of additional time coming back to fix them. We never felt that anyone had ownership of our project. We needed to contact the project manager several times, both to point out issues, and in some cases simply to find out how far along things were (we were not living in the house). Communication was poor, until just before the project was completed and our final payment was due. We generally give high ratings on this site, and we would like to give D1st a higher rating. As we say, the end result was good, and the design was good. We feel that they would be well-served by having an onsite job manager, versus a roaming project manager who is probably over-worked. Communication during a project is critical - we generally did get responses from the project manager, but it was very re-active, not pro-active. The company does have an online 'Project Status' scheduling tool and timeline -- which was very attractive when we signed on. However, the scheduling portion of this tool was rarely updated, and was sometimes a couple of weeks out-of-date.

We had a good experice with DesignFirst in regards to what we wanted to accomplish and that was talk through what might be feasible for future remodeling in our new home. They we very open, honest and courteous.

Nick from DESIGNfirst was great. He came over the first time to gather our ideas on the design and take some measurements. He was very professional and friendly. The second time he came over he shared with us the preliminary design and got our input. We just thought the whole process was fantastic. We ended up choosing to use a friend of ours. If not for him felt very comfortable with DESIGNfirst and would have gone with them.

Everything worked out well and we are very pleased with the results. We have taken every opportunity to show off our new addition, master bath, laundry room and deck to friends and relatives. DesignFirst was very cooperative at every stage of the project and our "team" was always helpful along the way, even when we asked for little "tweaks" as the project progressed. The original plans did not include a deck or patio, but we were so pleased with the other remodeling we added that project on to the end after the remodeling was complete. We will definitely use them again in the future.

The service went well. The work was good. They are tough to get in touch with but if you are persistent then you can get high quality work done.

Chose this firm based on reviews in Angie's list. They were prompt with call backs and my initial meetings. Worked with designer, Carrie, for all the elements I was looking for in my bathrooms and kitchen. I also started to throw in extra work like reflooring my entryway, and not an issue in getting it done. Work on the master and kitchen done in 30 days and 2nd bath was done in a week before the holidays started. I would definitely use this firm again and have recommended to at least four other individuals. The craftsmanship was excellent.

2-4-2013 UPDATE - BEING THREATENED WITH LEGAL ACTION BY TONY SLADE FOR MY REVIEW. SEE ABOVE. We called them to give us an estimate. Estimate was low-balled. Tony Slade (owner) gave us a low estimate of $6,000 for a full teardown of our 7 X 7 foot bathroom while at our home. His written estimate was $18,953. 300% higher than originally estimated. He is a good architect but not the best when it comes to cost estimating. Ther are many examples besides the above. We were considering a heated floor. His first estimate was $2,500 for 35 Sq.Ft. I walked across the street to Century tile and was quoted $437 for 35 Sq.Ft. of the same heated floor. Tony lowered the price to $1,600. Knowing that it's not a labor intensive installation I asked for further price reduction. He then offered ~ $900. Seemed to be fair till I noticed that he had reduced the square footage from 35 Sq.Ft. to 20 Sq.Ft. a 57% reduction of square footage.Therefore a 57% reduction of $1,600 should have been $688 not $900. Would not give me price on shower until shower was ready to be installed. (The most expensive item in the bathroom.) Double charging us for the same work being done. Luckily I had him initial everything so I had proof. I have 3 more pages of issues I had with Tony. It comes down to not trusting him to do any work in my home. Constant changing of prices, sizes, no interaction with his design team (team knew very little of what Tony and I had discused.) Advice - if you decide you are going to go with him make sure he signs or initializes absolutely everything. Insist on getting all copies. If it is verbal, it is not true. Tony is a nice guy but financials tripped him up. Disagreements and hyperbole where solved when I showed him his own written copies to prove my point.

My overall experience with Sean and the DESIGNfirst team was very pleasant. Being out of town presented a few challenges, but Sean was able to eliminate those hurdles very easily. In the end I did not choose to go with DESIGNfirst, but they were very responsive and always willing to give advice and provide updates as requested.

The price was high but reasonable. They were very professional, punctual, and knowledgable. At this time we decided not to go forward with job.

I can't speak more highly of the professionalism of the outfit. We had the designer/salesman out twice. He was very thorough and polite. He obviously spent a good deal of time putting together a design that looked great and would've worked for us, presented on very nice drawings, etc. Unfortunately, their prices are just far more. Sounds like they have great online tools, too. Would be a good choice if you wanted to pay a premium for such a company. I think they were about 40% more than the closest competitor. The final estimate also far exceeded his ballpark estimate when he was here the first day.

The estimate was just too high, but it wasn't their fault because they don't really specialize in that type of stuff. They're more of an addition type company and not really a remodeling company.

This company is very professional and organized. From the time I made my first call to schedule an appt. to the time spent with the representative who came to my home to provide the estimate. He arrived promptly and was super nice...good energy off the bat. We discussed what I would like done, kitchen first then bathroom and he gave me great ideas. We talked about my goals for the work and he listened to my needs when I advised him I am looking to spruce up the place for resale and not to live here for the next 20 years. He gave options about what to do regarding complete gutting vs. smaller rehabbing. He strongly recommended that I speak to my Realtor before spending too much money and not obtaining any gains if I am planning on selling next year. He was not pushy at all and very honest with my best interest at hand. He gave ballpark prices for upgrades and explained that if I chose to continue then there would be a fee for plans that would be applied to work done. He said that maybe the work I am looking for would be less money somewhere else as his company specializes in more complete gut work and not a new counter-top, etc. He spent time taking some measurements though and offered great advice. What a gem he was to this company.

We chose Design First because of their designer, Joe LaBelle. The original company Joe worked at went belly-up. We liked and trusted Joe, so we followed him to DF. Once the deal was signed, we didn't see much of Joe. Though it was agreed with Joe from the beginning, it was obvious the project manager (PM) was unhappy that they were not awarded the interior work. They took every opportunity to stick us with large bills for "failed city inspections"(almost $1,000 for extra footing concrete for "roof-load" in one corner of the old house.) Before inspection told us we needed $2,500 for new ceiling and floor joists in old part of galley kitchen-after the sticker shock, they agreed to reduce it to $1,700.) They pulled a bait and switch on brand name windows quoted on the original contract, and performed poor quality on parts of the job requiring more detailed eyes: A crooked wall that their framer should have pointed out had to be realigned by the interior remodeler; they reworked a terrible looking "temporary porch" that their first "carpenter" built, but it still looks like a project done by a first-year wood-shop student; an incorrectly measured window had to be re-framed. And we never got the windows they quoted. We had to buy our own windows or pay a higher price regardless of what the contract stated. PM said "We never should have quoted that price." They were defensive and rude when asked to come back to look at or rework obvious mistakes. The PM's usual response was "it's not on the contract" Really, for a crooked wall that should have been spotted by a framer?? The carpenter/framer blamed the PM for the window error, had a fight with the remodeler because "his feelings were hurt" about the crooked wall, and said the inspectors were "crazy" for making him install hurricane clips on the new roof--"You don't live in Florida" VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. Is it overkill on the clips? YES, BUT IT'S THE CITY CODE AND WE FAILED THE FIRST INSPECTION BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T INSTALL THEM! They even had the audacity to blame the city inspector when they missed the first foundation inspection. They claimed that the inspector should have looked around the side street to where their employee was sitting in a car waiting for her. When I'd had my fill and asked to talk to the owner, the PM told me he would take care of it himself and never had the owner call. I hope, if nothing else, the owner reads these last few lines. Three neighbors asked me for references and I warned them not to use Design First. To supply evidence, I shared with my neighbors emails to the PM showing my growing frustration over the failed inspections, the work delays when the weather was nice, the extra work and costs, and the need to speak to the owner, but was never allowed. I WOULD NEVER USE AGAIN OR RECOMMEND DESIGN FIRST. The name should be changed to "Design First and Nothing Else."

After years of dreaming, I finally decided to remodel my bathroom. I looked DesignFirst up online and the initial consultation seemed to go well, so I moved forward. Unfortunately, there were early warning signs that I ignored and I paid for that later. During the initial phase, promised emails were several days late and only sent after I reminded. Poor communication became a recurring theme throughout the project and caused immeasurable stress for me. There seem to be little to no communication between staff. I spent hours with the presales guy talking about what I wanted for my new bathroom. It took much iteration for him to even get a close approximation documented. I told myself that things would go more smoothly once I was a paying customer, so I went forward and paid my first installment to show DESIGNfirst that I was serious. Unfortunately, I ended up having all of the same conversations with the next designer that was assigned to work with me. That first payment was taken via credit card, but DesignFirst became evasive about taking subsequent credit card payments. I pressed the issue until they made it clear that only checks were acceptable despite the precedent that had been set. I thought things were going to be better as progress was made choosing actual products such as cabinets, flooring, fixtures, etc. But then came the next wave of disappointment. I was given a list of model numbers and prices for the chosen items. An hour of searching online and I found that I could save significant money. When I pointed out that we could save $500 by buying from http://www.nationalbuildersupply.com it was implied that they could not be trusted and might be selling returns. This is despite an A+ rating on Better Business Bureau and resellerratings.com. They indicated that they could not purchase that way despite the hundreds of dollars in savings. I ordered the smaller items and had them shipped to my house. Unfortunately, larger items like the toilet and shower doors must be shipped freight and I could not be home to receive them. DesignFirst would not accommodate my request to deliver my items to them due to some kind of risk and responsibility avoidance that ended up costing me several hundred dollars. Angry and disappointed, I soldiered on because I just couldn't bear to start over again and I had signed a contract with DesignFirst. The work started in late April. The first day of work they covered the adjoining bedroom and hallway in plastic to protect it and then gutted the bathroom. That was the last day that things went smoothly. The communication problems with this company were epic. Repeated requests for construction schedules were ignored. Days went by when no one even showed up. I lived in a plastic covered bedroom for over two months! The original estimate was 2 ? 3 weeks. Some of the things that went wrong? Presales assured me that all materials would be purchased before construction began in order to minimize disruption to my life during construction Two days after the start I was asked to choose new flooring because my choice was out of stock. Shower pan choice was posed a week later and a delay in making the choice was blamed on me, which caused another week of delay as we waited for the pan to be manufactured. I chose coved, but the other one was delivered anyway. Frosted shower door glass was chosen during the design phase, but only upon delivery at my house was I told that frosted glass was not available for the Kohler doors that I had chosen. The closet door chosen during the design phase wasn't ordered until well after construction had begun and when it did arrive, it was the wrong color. Discussions with unresponsive DesignFirst staff resulted in more stress and delays. It appeared that DesignFirst had never worked on a Corian based shower before as the majority of the delays appeared to be related to it. They were unable to communicate the schedule associated with the fabrication time of the Corian components. They seemed unaware of dependencies around preparing the floor, floor pan, walls, etc. Once it was installed, I noticed all the little problems. The shower walls are shifted so that they hang over on one side and under on the other. I was told that this is acceptable variance. The shower drain was sticking up above the shower pan. Fixing this added an additional week to the project. One of the glass shower doors had two feet of the edge chipped off, but was installed and left to be discovered by me. It took 6 weeks to get a replacement. There were other smaller issues, but they all boiled down to the inability of DesignFirst staff to communicate with each other and the customer. It was the most stressful project I have ever embarked on as a homeowner and I hope that I never have to deal with anything like it again. Every single day for three months I was either angry, confused, or incredulous at how the project was progressing. It is true that the project wasn't a complete failure. I do have a remodeled bathroom. It is not exactly what I had asked for due to the previously described communication problems, but it is very nice. The problem is that the journey can be as important as the destination. My rating is based on the belief that for the many thousands of dollars it cost, my journey should not have been as difficult as it was. And as involved as I was, there was no reason that my wishes should have been a mystery. I understand that there are many challenges to running a business, but there are many challenges associated with earning the money that I paid for this job as well. There were many opportunities, during the 3 month duration of the construction, when the broken communication could have been repaired if DesignFirst had listened to my pleas. I have my eye on other remodeling projects in my home and I will not be going back to DesignFirst.

We first contacted DesignFirst in May of this year and met with a designer several times to get some initial plans and ideas. We also visited their showroom and examined various products – cabinets, tile, countertops, etc. Everyone was helpful and attentive and they had beautiful materials to pick from. We decided to go with them and finalized a contract at the end of June. We finalized selections with the help of their design team a few weeks after that and demolition started at the end of August. 8 weeks later we had our final “walk-through” and were complete! The so called “punch list” – stuff that we wanted fixed, changed at that point was very short and trivial and was handled expeditiously. Our job coordinator, Jon Weber was pretty awesome – he communicated with us almost on a daily basis – providing updates on when things would be done, etc. He coordinated everything beautifully. In addition – ALL of our wants/needs/desires to change little things were handled exactly as we asked. So – the overall experience was extremely pleasant – a very short kitchen project (compared to stories we’d heard from friends who dragged many months with other contractors) that produced a quality beautiful result at a pretty reasonable price. We would highly recommend this company for a kitchen remodel and we will probably use them again when we redo a couple bathrooms in the future!

After a poor experience with a general contractor, my wife suggested that we join Angieslist. After we joined, I started researching contractors for our kitchen remodel. I chose Designfirst Builders, LLC after reading their reviews. On Sunday, September 9th, I called their office at 5:45pm expecting to be connected to a voicemail. I was shocked and amazed that Jeff answered the call. After going thru his appointments, he chose Thursday September 13th at 7pm as the time that his sales rep would meet us to discuss the project. On the date of the appointment at 3pm, their sale rep. Joe called to say that he was cancelling the appointment because he had to take plans to one of his customers and go over them. This call was left on our voicemail and no attempt has been made by Joe to call us back. He did say on the voicemail that he had open time Saturday morning and that we should call him if we want to meet with him. As a potential customer, I don't feel that I should be the one that should be calling the salesman back, considering that he had a 4 days to go over the plans with his customer. I can only assume that Designfirst Builders have so much business now that they don't need new customers and that they would have no problems delaying projects because higher dollar volume projects would be more important.