FIRST CHICAGO REMODELING

I was in a tremendous bind on this project because my mother was in a rehabilitation center and I had a small window of opportunity to complete the bathroom remodeling before she was released. This was done in North Riverside, IL and I was commuting from my home in St. Louis. I explained my mother's disability to Marian and he said "I'll take care of it" and did he ever! Much more than we agreed upon and he held to the quote even though again, he took over and did much more than I really anticipated he was going to. He just did it. The work was great. His people showed up when they were supposed to and worked overtime to complete the project within really my unrealistic deadline. Needless to say, I was much more than satisfied.

There were some things that I did that weren't right, but they re-did them to my satisfaction. Overall I am extremely happy with the work now.

Overall First Chicago Remodeling did an excellent job although the project was not trouble-free. Marian has an excellent crew and he will proactively make suggestions that can either save money or result in a better outcome. When a mistake was made Marian did the right thing and corrected it. Some mistakes were made in part because of a lack of communication and attention to details. I verbally explained to Marian what I wanted AND put everything on paper (including diagrams). To this day Marian thinks I added four recessed lights to the original plan for the kitchen but I noted them in the original document I used to get contractor bids. My advice is that you sit down with him often AND write things down for him including any project changes to avoid mistakes. In sum, First Chicago Remodeling does quality, affordable work and I would recommend them to anyone.

This is our second experience working with Marian and his workers and this experience was the same as the first...wonderful. They were always on time, and never left for the day before they cleaned the work area and the surrounding space. When we do any other remodeling, Marian will be the first person we call. A+ for the workmanship and A++ for being an honest businessman.

MARIAN'S CREW DID A FANTASTIC JOB AND DID QUALITY WORK. HIS WORKERS WERE PROMPT, EFFICIENT AND NEAT. HE WAS PRICED FAIR (I DID PURCHASE SOME OF MY OWN MATERIALS) AND HE TURNED AN UGLY DARK DUNGEON INTO A BRIGHT MODERN MASTERPIECE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND MARIAN AND WILL USE HIS SERVICES IN THE FUTURE.

Great experience. They were very professional. Exceptionally clean! We are very happy.

The experience was great. Marion always returned my calls promptly and kept me informed of what was going on with the work. The workers were pleasant to have in my home. They cleaned up after themselves every night. They did a wonderful job. I have no complaints.

Marian was very knowledgeable and had a lot of great ideas. However, his verbal estimate was about $3,500 higher than our second highest bidder and he told us that he would only provide a written, detailed estimate after we had hired him. I was uncomfortable with that stipulation so we decided not to hire him. No matter what the price, I would never contract with someone without a written estimate beforehand.

We are very happy to recommend this company. Primary reasons include: fair price, quality work, attention to detail, design expertise, comprehensive service, and an overall job well done. Marian was very helpful from the first meeting through to completion. His crew takes a lot of pride in their work and the job was done fast and exceeded our expectations. And, the area was left clean every evening. We would call Marian again and we highly recommend him.

Extremely positive - They were always prompt, courteous, professional, clean, and their work was wonderful. Couldn't be happier. (We're going to have them work on another bathroom sometime this year.)

Completed in 8 working days (some of the tile I ordered came in later than expected, so job may have been completed a day earlier otherwise). This is our only bathroom. They left us with a working toilet every night, except for one (the day they laid the ceramic floor tiles). The bathroom looks wonderful, and the price was definitely reasonable for the amount of work completed. My house is approx. 50 years old, and the bathroom was in horrible shape (including the plumbing). Nothing fazed them - not even my sink which was not a standard pedestal sink but a vessel sink - all glass with chrome. I wish I had known about this company when I did my kitchen several years ago - that experience was NOT a good one. This experience, on the other hand, was as positive as one could hope for. I've already recommended this company to a co-worker who's thinking about re-doing their master bath.

THEY DID A GREAT JOB. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT IS THE SAME BATHROOM. MARIAN HIMSELF WAS ATTENTIVE AND INVOLVED, THOUGH MOST OF THE WORK WAS PERFORMED BY ANOTHER MAN, WHO WAS CONSISTENTLY PLEASANT AND CONSCIENTIOUS-- NOT TO MENTION A VERY SKILLED AND VERSATILE CRAFTSMAN. THEY CLEANED UP WELL EVERY DAY, SO THAT HAVING A WORKSITE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR SMALL APARTMENT WAS MINIMALLY INTRUSIVE. ALONG THE WAY MARIAN PROVIDED GOOD DESIGN ADVICE AND THE SPACE HAS REALLY BEEN MAXIMIZED. WE WOULD AND WILL USE FIRST CHICAGO REMODELING IN THE FUTURE.

WE HAD AN EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH. MARIAN IS NOT ONLY METICULOUS WITH HIS WORK, HE'S CREATIVE AND GENUINELY INTERESTED IN FINDING THE BEST AESTHETIC AND PRACTICAL SOLUTION FOR REMODELING ONE'S SPACE. HE CAME UP WITH A FABULOUS IDEA FOR THE DOOR FROM OUR BATHROOM INTO OUR BASEMENT. ALL WORK WAS DONE ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET. THEY CLEANED UP AFTER THEMSELVES EVERY SINGLE DAY BEFORE LEAVING AND SEEMED TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO BE AS UNOBTRUSIVE AS POSSIBLE, WHICH WAS APPRECIATED SINCE I HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN. JAKE, THE GUY WHO DID MOST OF THE ACTUAL WORK ON OUR PROJECT, WAS QUIET, FRIENDLY, RESPECTFUL OF OUR HOME AND A VERY HARD WORKER. I WILL HIRE THIS COMPANY AGAIN.

WE ARE VERY PLEASED WITH OUR NEW KITCHEN. EXCELLENT VALUE FOR THE AMOUNT OF WORK DONE. WE ONLY WISH THAT MARIAN WAS HERE MORE CONSISTENTLY (EVEN JUST TO CHECK ON PROGRESS MADE BY HIS WORKERS), AS THERE WERE TIMES HE DID NOT COME TO CHECK ON THEIR WORK FOR SEVERAL DAYS ON END. THE GOOD THING IS THAT HE WAS ALWAYS EASY TO REACH BY PHONE (A RARE VIRTUE AMONG HOME CONTRACTORS, IT SEEMS). STILL, SOME DETAILS CANNOT BE ADEQUATELY DISCUSSED OVER THE PHONE AND NEED TO BE SEEN IN PERSON. THERE WERE A FEW MISS STEPS ALONG THE WAY, BUT EVERYTHING WAS STRAIGHTENED OUT EVENTUALLY. MARIAN CLEARLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WERE HAPPY WITH THE END RESULT. AND WE ARE. OVERALL, A GOOD EXPERIENCE AND TERRIFIC RESULTS. WOULD HIRE AGAIN.

MARIAN AND HIS EMPLOYEE, WHO DID MUCH OF THE FINISHING WORK, DID A VERY NICE JOB. THEY DID IT FOR A DECENT PRICE, THOUGH NOT CHEAP (BUT THE QUALITY OF THE WORK AND SERVICE IS WORTH IT). SINCE THIS WAS A SMALLER JOB (MARIAN AND HIS CREW FOCUS ON KITCHENS, BATHROOMS AND BIGGER HOME PROJECTS), THIS WAS SOMETHING THEY WERE COMPLETING BETWEEN OTHER JOBS. SO IT TOOK A COUPLE OF WEEKS -- BUT MARIAN WAS GENERALLY GOOD ABOUT KEEPING US POSTED ON THEIR TIMELINE AND ALWAYS RETURNED MY CALLS. I WOULD RECOMMEND MARIAN AND HIS STAFF. HE ALSO HAS AN IMPRESSIVE CD CONTAINING BEFORE-AND-AFTER PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE PROJECTS HE HAS DONE.

TILE WORK WAS WONDERFUL! VERY FRIENDLY AND GREAT IDEAS. VERY ACCOMMODATING AND RESPECTFUL OF PERSONAL PROPERTY.

MARIAN DID A FANTASTIC JOB WORKING WITH US ON THIS LARGE PROJECT. HE INITIALLY WON OUR BUSINESS WITH HIS EXCELLENT DESIGN SUGGESTIONS AND ARTISTIC EYE. HE AND HIS WORKERS WERE HARD-WORKING, ON TIME, AND FRIENDLY. MARIAN WAS ALWAYS EASY TO CONTACT WHEN NOT ON-SITE. ALTHOUGH MARIAN'S WORK REPRESENTED THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE PROJECT, I HAD SEVERAL OTHER CONTRACTORS AND MYSELF ON-SITE DURING MUCH OF THE PROJECT. MARIAN AND CREW WORKED WITH ME, SHIFTING THEIR WORK TO VARIOUS ROOMS AS SPACE ALLOWED. MARIAN'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUB-CONTRACTORS FOR THE FLOORS AND COUNTERS WERE EXCELLENT. AT SEVERAL POINTS, I ASKED HIM TO DO MORE. MARIAN WAS ALWAYS WILLING TO TAKE ON THE ADDITIONAL WORK AND HIS PRICE WAS FAIR. UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT, MARIAN'S PRIMARY CONCERN WAS THAT WE WERE HAPPY WITH EACH AND EVERY PORTION OF HIS WORK HE IS A PERFECTIONIST. WE COULD SAY MUCH MORE, BUT DON'T HAVE SPACE. WE ARE ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED WITH HIS WORKMANSHIP AND LOVE OUR BEAUTIFUL NEW HOME!

I REQUESTED AN ESTIMATE AND WAS GIVEN A PROMPT AND FAIR ONE. WE DECIDED TO GO WITH ANOTHER COMPANY, AND PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE, BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO SHOP AROUND FOR THE NEW BATHROOM THINGS (TOILET, SHOWER DOOR, TILE, ETC.). THE SHOP I HIRED OFFERED A SHOPPING SERVICE. HOWEVER, I PLAN TO HIRE THIS CONTRACTOR FOR SOME OTHER WORK THAT WE NEED TO HAVE DONE, JUST NOT RIGHT AT THE MOMENT DUE TO BUDGET RESTRAINTS. WHEN I DO HIRE HIM, I WILL DO ANOTHER REPORT.

FIRST CHICAGO REMODELING, INC. DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR US. THE OWNER, MARIAN LEMPICKI, ALWAYS RETURNED MY CALLS PROMPTLY. HE HELPED ME MAKE DECISIONS ON TILE, FIXTURES, ETC. AT MY REQUEST, HE ACCOMPANIED ME TO THE STORES TO PURCHASE ITEMS FOR THE BATHROOMS. HE NEVER RUSHED ME AND MADE VERY GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS. HE THEN PICKED UP THE NEW FIXTURES AND DELIVERED THEM TO MY HOUSE. HIS TEAM WAS ALWAYS ON TIME AND WORKED CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THEY WERE ALWAYS VERY POLITE AND CLEANED UP AFTER THEMSELVES AT THE END OF EACH WORK DAY. MARIAN WAS AT MY HOME ALMOST EVERY DAY DURING THE PROJECT. IF HE WAS NOT THERE HIMSELF HE WOULD CALL SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY TO MAKE SURE I WAS PLEASED WITH HOW THINGS WERE GOING. THE WORKMANSHIP WAS WONDERFUL AND THE COST REASONABLE.

FROM A DINGY EYESORE, TO A SPARKLING NEW MASTER BATH, WITH DISTINCTIVE TILE SHOWER WALLS, THEY REALLY OUTDID THEMSELVES HERE. THE WHOLE BATHROOM IS AWESOME, AND WILL DEFINITELY BRING YEARS OF ENJOYMENT TO THE HOMEOWNERS!

WHAT CAN I SAY, THEY TOOK A FLOOR THAT WAS DECLARED BEYOND REPAIR, AND TURNED IT INTO A GLEAMING EXAMPLE OF THEIR SKILL AND CRAFTSMANSHIP!! IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S NEW! NEVER MIND THE FLOOR WAS INSTALLED IN 1890!!! AAA+

HAVING A BATHROOM REMODELED IS A MESSY BUSINESS, BUT 1ST CHICAGO REMODELING MADE IT AS PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE, BY ALWAYS LEAVING THEIR WORK AREA NEAT. THE GENTLEMAN WHO DID THE WORK SPOKE LIMITED ENGLISH, BUT WAS VERY CAPABLE, AND ALWAYS PROFESSIONAL, HARD WORKING AND TRUSTWORTHY. ON THE FEW OCCASIONS THAT I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING THE REMODELING, MARIAN WAS AS CLOSE AS A PHONE CALL. FIRST CHICAGO REMODELING TURNED AN EYESORE BATHROOM, INTO A BRIGHT AND ATTRACTIVE BATHROOM.

MARION AND HIS CREW DID A LOT OF WORK FOR US AND WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS. WE CHOSE MARION/FIRST CHICAGO FOR SEVERAL REASONS 1) THE PRICE WAS REASONABLE CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE 2) MARION HAS A GOOD SENSE OF DESIGN AND WAS ABLE TO OFFER SOLUTIONS TO SOME DESIGN AND LAYOUT ISSUES THAT WE HAD 3) HIS PROPOSAL WAS BASED ON DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY RATHER THAN TAKING SHORT CUTS THAT WOULD HAVE REDUCED THE PRICE BUT ALSO REDUCED THE QUALITY OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT 4) HE HAD A GOOD LIST OF REFERENCES WITH BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS. THROUGHOUT THE JOB, HE WAS RESPONSIVE AND HE TOOK CARE OF A NUMBER OF NEW TASKS THAT WE ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL JOB. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND FIRST CHICAGO.

I WAS PLEASED THAT I WAS CALLED QUICKLY FOR AN APPRAISAL APPOINTMENT; MARIAN HAD TO RESCHEDULE BUT I DID NOT MIND BECAUSE HE CALLED ME SEVERAL DAYS AHEAD; HE WAS PROMPT FOR HIS APPOINTMENT, VERY PROFESSIONAL AND KNOWLEDGEABLE. I WOULD NOT HESITATE TO USE HIM IN THE FUTURE.

THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS CAN AT TIMES BE RIFE WITH PUSHY SALESMEN, ABUNDANT PRICE GAUGING, AND UNHELPFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT WE HAD NONE OF THAT WITH FIRST CHICAGO REMODELING. WITH PROMPT, COURTEOUS, AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, FIRST CHICAGO REMODELED OUR BASEMENT BATHROOM IN ACCORDANCE TO OUR EXACT SPECIFICATIONS. FIRST CHICAGO FINISHED THE JOB IN 4.5 DAYS, WORKED BEYOND EXPECTATIONS, AND CLEANED UP WELL AFTERWARDS. THE CREW WAS ALWAYS ON TIME, POLITE, AND ATTENTIVE TO OUR NEEDS. THERE WAS EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION BEFORE AND DURING THE JOB. FIRST CHICAGO REMODELING OFFERS EXCELLENT WORK AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND FIRST CHICAGO REMODELING FOR ANY OF YOUR REMODELING NEEDS.