Catalyst Construction & Remodeling LLC

We can't recommend Catalyst and Eric highly enough. This was our first major construction project, and we had a fantastic experience. Eric and Ken were on top of all of the details, from Chicago's hazy permit process to tackling the little hiccups our 100 year old house presented along the way. And all of it was done with a keen eye on the budget. We now have a ridiculously nice marble bathroom with a brand new skylight, a brand new roof, tons of extra space and storage, and a huge property value boost to boot. Honestly, these guys were great to deal with, the quality of their work is superb and I am already lining up more projects to talk to them about in the future. Definitely include these guys in your bidding process. They know their stuff.

Everything was great. They were very professional. I got the quote in a timely manner. We just decided to go a different design and route.

Drywall: Eric (owner) insisted they only use green board on these types of project, but after dry wall was complete, noticed that green board was not used (although we paid premium for it). Since that time, we have had issues with drywall seems (less than 2 years after work completed). Mill work: The carpenter worked multiple days, but only a few hours each day. Burned out three electrical sockets without notifying us. We only discovered after they we asked to finish work and leave. The carpenter never finished baseboard in our laundry room as asked. Paint: Eric insisted he had a very knowledgable painter. We wanted a very specific paint and texture that was previously used. Although we gave them the manufacturing directions, the painter did not follow them and tried to repair his mistake (wasting four gallons of premium paint we purchased) and after buying twice as much paint, we ended up finishing the painting ourselves. He didn't prime the entire wall (to blend new and old drywall) and used the incorrect base coat before the texture paint. Overall, the work was NOT worth the premium price we paid for the project. The workmanship was sloppy at best and was not overseen by Eric or Ken (project manager). Small details like sunken electrical outlets and broken wall plates, as well as the botched paint job and drywall issues have proven that Eric's commitment to detail is just his tagline to raise prices. After multiple calls/emails about issues, we had to ask the Catalyst team to vacate the project and completed ourselves.

They were excellent. They fitted the storm the windows on our french door and they did a beautiful job. They created and fitted them to the area around their storm doors. We talked to them until time that the job was done was a time sequence; we were watching the clock, they did what they needed to do and the time that they needed to do it. It was summer time when they did that, they get it all done I think about a month or a month and a half. They had to make the window and we have have two set, so there were two sets of french door that had to be created.

It went very well. Ken J. was great as usual. Professional and quick. Gives good advice.

Checked the whole house , interior and exterior. Report dleivered within a week and discussed afterwards

Three words: Hire Catalyst Remodeling We gut renovated our three-flat in two phases, hiring a contractor affiliated with the architect for the first phase and Catalyst Remodeling for the second phase. The difference between the two experiences was astonishing. Every worry, issue, problem, horrific follow-through and poor quality building experienced in round one was completely eliminated when Catalyst took over. Phase two was far more complicated and involved a complete gut of the first floor and basement, as well as excavation of the basement to increase ceiling height. Early on, Catalyst dedicated a significant amount of time to study the blueprints and plan an appropriate and efficient deconstruct/construct approach. Chris, the Superintendent, was on site daily planning and preparing for the work, and remained on site daily for eight months leading and executing the work. Think about that: On site daily. We knew exactly what was going on, what was going to happen, what he needed and when, what problems he encountered and his recommended solution or solutions. Chris found a number of problems in the blueprints (and in the work from the previous contractor) and worked to resolve them in advance. These included both technical (the architect didn't design the head clearance for a new stairway to city code, as one example) to usability and design issues, things Chris saw could be improved to make a space more functional or more appealing from a design factor. In addition to correcting design, construction and permitting errors made by the architect and previous contractor, Catalyst Remodeling also agreed to manage this huge job under the rigid program requirements of our renovation loan, a new adventure for us both. The professionalism, expertise, accommodation, consultation and outstanding quality Catalyst Remodeling devotes to every job is unmatched, and the peace of mind they brought to this large and very personal experience was indeed, priceless. If the following is important to you in a remodel or renovation, big or small, then Catalyst is the right firm: Honesty, integrity and open and direct communication Precision and meticulous quality Safe, secure and clean job site Proactive problem solving Expert consultation on the quality vendors and the right materials for the right purpose Our relationship with Catalyst Remodeling started with a small job installing a couple of doors a few years ago, and as this relationship matured through this renovation, I consider myself not only their client, but also a champion to their name. Seriously, hire Catalyst Remodeling.

After interviewing several contractors I met with Eric who is the President of Catalyst. He went through the total scope of work with me, showed me how the process goes, showed me pictures of their previous work, and also showed the credentials that only a few people in Chicago apparently have. The surprising thing was that even after meeting with the other people, who were also highly recommended none had the level of professionalism or follow through that Eric had. Even through their price was higher than the other people that I interviewed we selected Catalyst as the firm that we wanted to work with for the entire project. After we signed up for the overall project everything went just as I was told. There was an initial design meeting with the Architect from Catalyst and designer with Kohler. It took about a month and a half to get the designs finalized but we were happy with the concept at the end of the day. Once we finalized the Design we met with Eric and his Project Manager Ken to make sure that everything would be ordered correctly. About two or three weeks after that meeting I was contacted by the office manager at Catalyst and informed of our start date and we also set up a meeting with the entire team about a week before we started to make sure that everything was set and ready to go. Once we started the project the entire house was sectioned off to help make sure that a lot of dust didn?t get all over the place (I am allergic to dust) so the fact that they had some sort of air filter really cut down on my reaction to that. Ken presented me with a schedule around the first week of the project and more or less was adhered to throughout the duration of the project. The entire team at Catalyst was great to work with. I even used to have coffee with Andrew the foreman every morning to discuss what the plan was for the day. We own an older home so of course there were surprises. Our entire plumbing stack needed to be replaced once the walls were opened. Eric came out and let us know what the cost would be before they did the work, I thought that it was handled very professionally. The project lasted for four months and a week, which was right about where we were told the end date would be. I honestly have to say that this project blew me away, not only with the oversight, but the quality of the work is absolutely amazing. The level of craftsmanship could only be compared to the type of skill that is rare to find these days. Now we have two amazing Kohler designed bathrooms and a beautiful colonial style kitchen.

I was in the middle of a nightmare situation with another contractor before beginning the renovation of my master bath when my bathroom designer referred me to Eric Udelhoven and Catalyst Construction. From my first meeting with Eric until the completion of the project my experience could not have been better. Everyone involved was great. The price was fair and the workmanship was impeccable. Any requests I had were responded to immediately and in an upbeat positive way. I was dreading living through the mess of demolition and reconstruction. I was amazed at the way the work was done - always incredibly neat, always on time, and the guys were so great. A very pleasant experience in every way.

based upon the 2 hr consult, we further engaged the designer for an additional 4 hours to create some design options for us to consider. these designs were delivered on time, and we were very pleased with the results. ultimately, the economics of carrying out any remodel work just didn't work out for us, so we have not proceeded any further.

In preparation for the sale of my condo, I was interested in re-doing the tiles in my bathroom. Since the shower was an unusual shape, I needed guidance in tile selection. Kelly showed up right on time and had some good ideas for renovating the bathroom. We scheduled a future date to shop for shower tiles. A couple of weeks later, we met at the Tile Outlet and Kelly picked out some choices for re-doing the shower. I was planning to hire Kelly to help me with the kitchen renovation, but we ended up selling our condo as-is, so we never did the renovations to the bath and kitchen. I found Kelly to be professional and creative, and I would definitely hire her in the future.

During the initial discussion, Eric explained their process: assigned project manager, pre-construction walk-through, etc. Catalyst was by no means the low bidder but the promised quality would make it worth the extra cost. One was done very well ? French doors replacing three bi-folds. The only problem: one of the knobs was loose (a pre-assembled set). The other - to replace the sliding, mirrored doors with three flat-panel sliding doors on three tracks - would, as was clearly discussed, permit access to more of the closet (2/3 vs. ½). There was no other reason to go from two to three doors. They installed three doors on TWO tracks ? obviously not right as it prevented opening a built-in drawer in the closet. Another track was promptly delivered and installed. However, this necessitated extending out beyond the original closet space. It was not possible to go further in because of the built-ins. There is a top track, but at the bottom the doors slide through clips nailed to the floor. The clips were white, so that they stood out against the espresso-colored wood floor. When asked why this was done, the answer was that that was all that was available at the hardware store. The baseboards on the sides of the closet were not trimmed back, preventing the doors from completely closing on either side. The framing of the new arrangement used thin boards that were not sanded before painting and did not match the mitered-corner finish that they had installed on the adjacent closets. The rear of the three doors could not close without brushing against the drawer handle. The project manager came to view the results. I gave him a list of all the concerns. A carpenter came the next week It took several additional visits from the Project Manager over a number of weeks, during which he replaced the white floor glides with brown ones (perfect!), found a new drawer handle that would permit passage of the rearmost of the sliding doors, and made other adjustments, to complete the job. Accurate measurements would have shown that the rear of the three doors would not clear the handle on the drawer. With confirmation of what I requested, there would have been no doubt that the job was three doors on three tracks AND that the finished product would have to extend beyond the existing closet due to the built-ins. Given that information, I might have chosen a different design. This was not, in my opinion, a superbly-executed project. Ken, the project manager, was persistent and resourceful in correcting the numerous missteps. The end result was a good job. The owner, in an e-mail from the assistant project manager, offered a waiver of the final 10%: ?due to the delays and re-do?s we will be happy to waive the remaining balance contingent on you agreeing not to post any negative press on Angie?s List.? I declined that offer but the assistant project manager said that waiving the balance was still the right thing for them to do. I sent a draft of this review to the Project Manager for his comments: I wanted to be sure that it was fair and accurate. The owner (Eric) said in an e-mail that ?I had instructed Dave to essentially waive the final balance for the project which was around a $500.00 credit. I had instructed this so that we would not get any press on Angie?s List one way or another.? I will offer to pay the final invoice. (The Items in quotation marks are copied directly from e-mails.)

My children are grown and i wanted ideas for their two bedrooms. i wanted to keep them as their bedrooms but make them more welcoming for guests. Kelly Brown was my interior designer. She gave me 12 pages of suggestions. Two of furniture placement, 6 with colored photographs of ideas for possible purchases and 4 with their rooms and their furniture drawn to scale so I could play around with it myself. I was very satisfied with the end product.

I only purchased the consulting. I did not use them for my bathroom remodel. Ended up selecting another contractor. The decorator did not offer many ideas but simply a collage of different pictures of cabinets, light fixtures, bathroom features.

We're delighted with the job Catalyst did. They really did treat our home as their own. We're loving our "new" 100+ year-old home. And the compliments from friends, neighbors and relatives have been glowing. Here's how things flowed. We secured three bids for the job. We've lived in the house for over 13 years and had been planning and looking forward to this project for some time. Catalyst was the "middle" cost bid. They provided a clear and detailed summary of how they'd approach the job. They were reassuring and enthusiastic. (The owner is also ex-Military, which appealed. Both my wife and I come from military families. And I have two nephews in the Army and Marines today.) We awarded Catalyst the job. First, we put all our downstairs furniture in storage. We then moved out to a nearby B&B for three weeks while the bulk of the seriously dirty work was done. We then moved home and lived upstairs while work continued. (And Catalyst tolerated two adults, a teenager and two Great Danes underfoot! Not to mention my always asking questions...) As walls were opened up, Catalyst made several common sense incremental repair recommendations. They only proposed modifications that needed to be made and took the time to explain why. The extra costs were reasonable. When the downstairs floors, the stairway and upstairs hall floor were being installed, sanded, stained and sealed, we again moved out for a week. Returning home on a Sunday night, it was quite a "WOW" moment when we opened the front door to see our completed home. We did add to the agreed plans (notably we decided to replace the molding and baseboards after we emptied the house and after we'd signed the contract with Catalyst), but allowing for that, the work was done on schedule. And on budget ... after we'd discussed and agreed to costs for the moldings / baseboards and the repairs Catalyst suggested when walls were opened. There was only one disagreement during the well-run process: when the wood stairs were first unveiled, they included an element we had not discussed or agreed-to. Following review, Catalyst removed it. No problem. Catalyst did superb, professional work. I would certainly hire them again. And I'd be pleased to speak to anyone considering their services. These are solid, honest nice guys that take great pride in the quality and thoroughness of their work.

I should preface these remarks by pointing out that I consider myself a tough, but fair critic. I would refer you to my 1-star review of Sun Lawn Care of Chicago on Yelp as an example of my critical eye. I'm mentioning this to demonstrate that I am not a pushover, cheerleader or pollyanna when it comes to rating and reviewing services providers. The single most important fact that I can share with you about Catalyst is that it is run by honorable men. Eric Udelhoven, Catalyst's owner, is a former Army ranger and a former master craftsman. In addition to being a man of the highest integrity, he also is incredibly passionate about building and restoring homes. I found him to be a true thought partner throughout the project -- one of Eric's greatest strengths is that he views all problems as opportunities for creative solutions. As you can imagine, a renovation as large as the one that we undertook unearthed a myriad of problems. What was immensely refreshing and reassuring was that I could count on Eric to come up with a way to turn lemons into lemonade. And, trust me, there were times where it would have been easy to confuse my in-laws' house with an orchard. Eric's right hand man and project manager, Ken Just, is an incredibly kind and decent person. Ken was on site for the project every day and probably did 60-70% of the work on the house. At this point, he is basically an adopted son to my in-laws, especially because, unlike some of us, he never seemed to mind listening to them go on for hours on end. He is a true craftsman and his carpentry work was really first rate. Ken is much more easygoing and laid-back than Eric, and the two of them make an excellent combination. What is really fascinating about the two of them is that they both really, truly want their customers to be delighted with their work. And I found that they will go to just about any length to make that happen. One thing that I really appreciated about Catalyst is that they guarantee their work for 2 years. It has given much peace of mind to know that if anything needs attention (and there have only been minor things thus far), I can trust Eric and Ken to take care of it in a timely fashion. The quality of work on the project was at such a high level that it is fairly difficult to imagine the house in its earlier state. Family members and friends have consistently been blown away by the renovations. I don't think it is an overstatement to say that Catalyst turned my in-laws' house into a showpiece. The only thing I don't understand about Eric and Ken is why my in-laws' house isn't profiled on their website. Guys, what's up with that? In terms of working with Catalyst, I would offer the following pieces of advice: 1. If you're undertaking a significant project, make sure that you hire an architect up front who produces extremely detailed drawings that specify finishes. Being a novice renovator, I didn't do this and it made dealing with the permitting process much more difficult. It also occasionally led to differences of opinion (with my wife, especially) and resulted in Catalyst having to redo finish work to our (ahem, her) liking. 2. I wouldn't expect Catalyst to be the cheapest contractor in town. I think their pricing is fair, but not bargain basement. That being said, the quality of their work is excellent 3. Try to purchase as many appliances and fixtures up front in the project from online sources like Build.com, Amazon.com and Wayfair.com. You'll save a ton of money as well as making the project progress more smoothly.

The entire process went very smoothly. Eric Udelhoven came out to our house to provide an initial estimate, as well as options for the remodel/repair work that needed to be completed. In addition to providing the estimate, he gave us several good recommendations for materials that we would need and set out the full timeline (including areas that may cause potential delays/cost increases so there were no surprises). Catalyst allowed us to ship all of the materials directly to them for storage prior to the start of the job. Once the job started, we were introduced to the team that would be working at our house. All of the team members were very professional. During the construction, the disturbance/mess was limited as best as possible. We are very satisfied with the results and have recommended Catalyst to several people.

I called them upon reference from my realtor and seeing their great reviews on Angies list. I must have called 4 times. Everytime someone picked up the phone very promptly ( i think his name was David, but unsure) . He sounded very professional and courtous on the phone. I asked if I could get some estimate on repairs and transformation on a back patio. I asked if someone could come have a look. Everytime I was told that I needed to call back the next day or so. The last time I spoke with this person on the phone, he assured me that Catalyst will call me back with price estimate on Pergola, adding window, refacing kitchen, and a timeslot for a more thorough estimate on the patio. Frankly after a whole week of chasing them over the phone, I got tired of waiting. THis is so unprofessional. I understand if you get busy but it's been over 3 weeks now and NO ONE ever called. Too bad as I was feeling confident on using them after all the Positive reviews and my realtor recommending them.

a tThe estimate process went well and Eric was very informative and willing to answer my questions.

They asked for a third of the money down up front before they could start working. They seemed OK in the beginning, especially in the first week, but the window and a bathroom door ended up not coming in when it should have and they kept being late. I ended up very disappointed with them. After Thanksgiving things started to fall apart and I ended up not knowing if they were going to show up or not. It seemed like they were trying to get people here to work, but they were spread too thin, while also wanting to make it worth their while and put in a full day work instead of just a few hours.

It went Great. Catalyst was here until the job was done to our satisfaction with no argument down to the last detail. That's as much as anyone can expect from any company anywhere. I would recommend them to my own mother! Thanks Eric, Ken and the whole crew!

My service will start with them next week.

It took a while to get the storm doors made but the results were well worth it. They disposed of the old storm doors, cleaned the area, snugged the new storm doors in place and painted the frames. They left additional paint so we could paint the frames of the French doors so the colors would match.

Overall the job went very smoothly. Scott was always on time and worked all day. He was very meticulous and always cleaned up his work space before leaving at the end of each day. Scott first built the bannister going to the second floor. He then repaired the drywall and finally installed the toilet. All of the work was finished in a timely fashion and the quality was excellent.

We originally called Catalyst to our home to investigate a leak in the master shower that caused significant damage to the ceiling below and some minor mold. When Eric, the Owner, arrived, he went through the room and was able to quickly identify the source of the leak and explained how it happened and what needed to be done to fix it. We also told him about our desire to redo the entire bathroom at some point. Eric gave us some ideas and actually put us on the right track to keeping a functional bathroom design that met our tastes. He was able to calculate and print a quite right on the spot for about half the bathroom. His head contractor came out to our house and arrived everyday at the same time to start work. The demolition was done quickly and they removed all the trash without leaving any debris outside of the room. New flooring was put in and the began constructing an entire new shower. After this was completed and they had started laying the tile flooring, we realized that we wanted to just redo the entire bathroom at that point. Eric came back out and gave us a generous quote to finish the project. Everything was installed correctly and the bathroom was completely transformed. All of the work was done just after our daughter was born and they were able to finish quickly so we could return to a normal house.