DAL Builders

I met, or spoke with 5 different contractors before finally deciding on DAL. They were significantly more professional than any of the others I spoke with (all "A rated" angie's list contractors too). They returned my calls, answered my questions clearly, and explained all the options available to me. This may seem like it would be a normal thing, but sadly I have found this is not the case when it comes to many of the contractors I have dealt with. Either way, professionalism means a lot to me and they get top marks for being so. The only thing that made me hesitate in hiring them was their initial price quote was significantly higher (just under double) than the other quotes I received. I mentioned this (politely of course) to them and they agreed to drop their price to basically the same as their competitors, minus the permit costs. Very nice. The finished deck looks GREAT. I would definitely hire them again, and likely will since my condo building is going to be redoing all of the decks next year. They are not the least expensive people out there, but you get what you pay for, and I feel they are very reasonable considering the quality of work they deliver.

I hired Dave from DAL for his honesty. I needed the front stairs of my porch replaced, and I had some misconceptions about using natural vs synthetic materials. While other contractors didn?t question my request, Dave explained the positives and negatives of both types of materials, which helped me decide. He was also the only contractor who informed me that I needed a permit for the work, and that he would get it for me. Other contractors said I didn?t need a permit. I checked with the City, and Dave was right that I needed a permit. I was also very happy with the quality and timeliness of his work.

Details: Moved into my (1948 English style, brick cottage) in January. The kitchen had to be replaced?layers of vinyl tile flooring, decrepit cabinets, barely functioning appliances, etc. Met with four contractors. Dal Builders wasn?t the least or the most expensive but Dave was very straight forward and comprehensive about what needed to be done. I trusted that the work would be done professionally and right. That was in March but they weren?t able to start until the beginning of May due to other projects. The work was finished mid July and, except for some miscommunications that we pretty much got worked out, was very well done right up until the end. I think they started to get busy and my project was very small compared to a lot of the work they were doing. The end of the project saw very well done cabinets, drywall and floors but also a kitchen window painted shut, some wall paint dripped on the floor, and a few other things that were somewhat sloppy. After they chiseled the paint out from the window frame so it could be opened, I noticed a chip in the granite backsplash. I thought it looked like the hammer bounced on it when they chiseled but Dave thought it was a flaw in the granite. I didn?t argue. I cleaned up the dried paint drippings. They lost my backdoor key but took $100.00 off the final invoice so I could have it replaced. I didn?t notice until everything was finished and I tried to use the microwave (micro-hood mounted above the stove) it was mounted above my head. I called Dave and he said lowering it 3 inches wouldn?t be a big deal. I told him it needed to be more like 6 inches lower so I could see inside and get things out without lifting them above my head. That was a Friday. He said he?d call back the following Monday to give me a quote on a shelf to go between the bottom of the cabinets and the top of the microhood so it could be lowered to the right height. On Saturday I used the oven for the first time. Discovered that the stove wasn?t level. All the pan juices ran to the front. Had to keep rotating roasting pan in order to keep the back side from drying out, etc. Thought I?d tell him about it when we discussed the lowering of the microhood. He never called back. I really hate having to say anything against Dal because they were so great through most of the project. It seemed like they got busy and mine wasn?t a priority anymore which led to some sloppiness at the end.

We had a very positive experience from start to finish. We knew exactly what to expect each day, workers were punctual and very easy to communicate with. The work was completed sooner than we expected. Dave was always easy to contact and responded promptly to all of our concerns. We will continue to use them for future projects.

We contacted the company and scheduled an appointment for them to go over the overall project, which is pretty extensive. We are removing siding on two floors and replacing it with brick, and we are doing an addition. After the initial visit, they requested a copy of the plans (which we provided via email), then we had to call various times to get an estimate. As I write this review, we have not gotten one, although they said they would give us one. They did tell us that they could not work on our project until January (we are OK doing the work until then), but no estimate has been sent, so in my opinion they are not taking this job seriously or something else is going on and they are not telling us.

Prompt reply; took about a week to schedule an appointment to evaluate the place but then the estimate came quickly. Professional.

They were great every step of the way. We just bought the house, and were relying on the inspection report to tell us what we needed to do. DAL Builders moved the cabinet without breaking the granite, and the added the vents and insulation quickly and efficiently. The workers cleaned up after themselves, and the price was great. But here's what made them really first rate: while insulating the attic, the workers discovered that there was an enormous hole in one of the heating tubes, and that the rest of the AC and heating pipes had never been hooked up to the air vents! In other words, the heat and AC were basically heating and cooling the attic, not the second floor. Rather than ignoring this problem on a very hot day, as they could have, the workers told David about the problem, and we negotiated a price for them to fix it. I am sure that when the previous owners had the house remodeled the workers had failed to do the work properly, which is why the AC and heat were never put in. We are grateful to David's crew and David for identifying and fixing the problem. We'll use him again.

I thought the company was very professional as they got back to me when I left a message. I appreciated the woman calling me and she also let me know they were very busy with projects and the timing for when work could get done if we went with them. We ended up not using them as we need the project done right away, but still I lifed the professionalism of this company and would reach out to them in the future for other projects should we have more time, etc.

DAL built a wonderful deck for me earlier in the summer. At the time of that estimate I explained to Dave Larkin, the owner, some of the problems I had with my basement. Later, we scheduled work for the ejector system. However, before that could be installed, we experienced another major rainstorm and backup. Installation was delayed by scheduling but once they started, the team worked diligently for a day and a half to dig up a portion of the basement and install the ejector pumping system. The cleanup job was amazing and Patrick even returned on Saturday to make sure there were no leaks and that I was completely satisfied. I thought that price was a little high, but I didn't really get any other estimates. I went with DAL because of my complete satisfaction with their professionalism in the previous work. I firmly believe I got what I paid for.

It went very well. David was in close communication from the beginning. He was very patient as we talked through unexpected problems (such as needing a small wall rebuilt) and stayed very close to his original estimate.

DAL Builders did an excellent job building a new rooftop deck for us. The rain delayed original start date but Dave Larkin kept us informed on the details. The crew was always on time and finished the deck in two days with great results. They were professional and friendly and cleaned up the job site when completed. I'd use them again for any general contractor work.

I contacted DAL Builders for a quote on a large project to completely gut our 30 year old kitchen and tear down our back porch and rebuild it. David visited our home to see the job site and took a copy of our architectual plans and subsequently mailed us written quote for the work. His quote was comparable to the others we received however based on his availability to start the project within 30 days we decided to hire another general contractor.

We solicited bids to have a small landing area / deck tore down and replaced with a much larger deck with stairs in the rear of our building. From the time that DAL provided the estimate I was very impressed with their follow up and could tell that they were interested in earning our business. The work was scheduled to begin 6/28 and they called the week before saying that they were going to have to push the start date back a week due to poor weather delaying other jobs, but they were able to make accommodations and keep the start date the same after I mentioned that they delay was going to cause some issues. The work was completed on time and looks great. My only wishes would have been that a detailed drawing of some sort could have been provided along with the estimate (all of the plans were done verbally and with a sketch, which made me a bit nervous to make sure that the end result was going to match what my vision was), and that clean up were a tad more thorough (we found more than a handful of old nails scattered throughout the yard, which was a concern given that we have a 2 year old who likes to play in the grass). I would definitely recommend DAL, though.

The contractor arrived on time to provide an estimate for our porch repair replacement. When he found out that we'd been notified the prior day that the city was citing us for violation, he explained that he now could not provide an estimate for us. Because we were in violation, an architect would now need to provide drawings, after which the Dal contractor would return and provide an estimate. He answered lots of questions and provided some good unsolicited advice. I was pleasantly surprised at his candor and level of professionalism.

DAL Builders came out and gave us a quote on putting on a new porch and a back deck to our house. They were on time, easy to understand, and affordable. In the end, we decided to hold off on putting in a whole new front porch and back deck until next summer, and instead went with upgrading our patio in the back yard. In a year when we have more money to put into the front and back of the house, we'll be calling DAL again.

Dave responded right away to my phone call and scheduled a visit. He was so kind and professional to this retired Baby Boomer with a million questions. He gave me a design I hadn't even considered and when I called him later to rethink the design, he still came up with something that made my deck unique while still addressing my concerns. He e-mailed me a comprehensive proposal, had pictures made and scheduled an installation when the permit was issued. While weather problems delayed construction, when the job was finally initiated, Dave sent a wonderful four man crew to get most of the deck built in just one day. They left my yard and garage in good shape; and when the final two members of the crew returned to complete the deck, they also left my yard and garage in great condition. THIS DECK IS GORGEOUS!!! Dave's suggestions worked out to give me a deck beyond all expectations. I'm very picky and persistent, but these guys were always nice to me and didn't make me feel as though my questions were out of place. They explained everything and still got the job done in a super timely fashion. Even my neighbors commented on how diligently the team worked and the beauty of the deck. I plan to use DAL for another problem I'm having with my basement -- why not go with a proven team.

The crew did a very nice job installing the countertop and leaving everything ready for use. The scheduling was simple, everyone arrived on time, and the guys were friendly and responsive to questions. Dave followed up to make sure we were happy with the job. This is the second time we have used DAL builders and have been happy both times.

The disassembly was a ton of since there was no room for a boom, each piece was lifted down one at a time by rope. After a new roof was put on they came back a month later and knocked out the deck in a few days and finished up a few items on a Saturday. The new deck is awesome, neighbors made some comments about how quick it was done and how good it looks. Job well done.

I chose DAL Builders mainly due to the positive comments expressed by other members and I was not disappointed. David Larkin and his crew were always punctual, kept me informed about each step of the process and were responsive with suggestions to any issue that came up. I was especially impressed with the attention to detail that David demonstrated. It was evident that providing a quality service was a priority. Even after completion of the project he was available to answer any further questions that I had. I would not hesitate to enlist David and his crew again due to their professionalism and ability to provide a quality finished project.

David visited our home to give us an estimate to replace a custom fitted door and to replace our basement steps. I appreciated his professional review and estimate. We ultimately decided to attempt the stair project ourselves, but will likely be contacting them again when we can afford the door project.

Dave did a great job helping us think through the possibilities and suggesting options when he knew the intended use and saw the space. Always professional and courteous. Crew was good as well. When we ran into a problem with some previous work not done by his crew, he was helpful the thinking through alternatives to fix it. The room looks great and I would consider working with DAL again.

The ceiling on the inside of our garage was covered in mold from a leak in the roof. DAL Builders worked quickly to remove and replace the wet and moldy roof plywood, as well as to replace the rooftop deck which had been damaged by the improper pergola installation done by another company. DAL identified the cause of the damage and were very communicative with us as they uncovered issues along the way. They were exceptionally professional and courteous - by far the best experience I have had with a contractor in Chicago to date.

Everything went extremely smoothly. I have never had a better experience. David and his crew were a pleasure to work with and did a fantastic job. I will definitely use them again for any future work and recommend them to family and friends.

David Larkin responded to my request for an estimate in a timely fashion in Nov. 2009. He promptly provided an estimate. I interviewed 3 other general contractors. Although David's estimate was not the least expensive, I hired him because he gave the impression that he operated openly and honestly with his clients and was committed to completing the work in a manner that was of quality and to code. He even included in his bid the acquisition of the necessary permits, something none of the other contractors offered or even advised. David and his team accommodated our schedule and began work in mid-Jan. Both his crew and the subcontractors David hired were professional, extremely polite, and very hard workers. I requested a tour of the work completed at the end of every day. Regardless of who was working in my house, everyone was extremely accommodating and conducted a walk through with detailed explanation of the work that had been completed. Everyone was open to discussing questions and issues on a daily bases. DAL employees and subcontractors alike worked hard to solve the inevitable problems that arise with remodel projects. If the crew members or subcontractors could not immediately respond to an issue or inquiry, then, without fail, they would relay my concerns to David and he would personally and promptly respond to and resolve the problem. I am most pleased with the person David hired to install our bathroom tile. His attention to detail and commitment to quality was immeasurable. He was by far an artist at his trade. My favorite outcome of the entire project is the tile work in the shower. I can stand in the bathroom and stare at it for ridiculous lengths of time; I am very pleased with the result. The DAL Builders crew members are also a diligent and industrious group of craftsmen. Our house was built in 1889 and they creatively and respectively negotiated the irregularities that surface with construction in an old house. In contrast, I was least pleased with the drywall. The subcontractors hired had to return multiple times to finish or fix their work, and in the end, David still had to tidy up some of the sanding the drywall guys did not complete. Yet my husband is most pleased with the painting on the ceiling, which was also done by the drywallers. The ceiling by far exceeded his expectations; he is very satisfied with having an exposed ceiling now that it is uniformly painted. David Larkin, the owner of DAL Builders, even personally worked on this project. He spent time throughout the project installing plumbing, correcting issues, instructing me on next steps once their work was completed, and even offering to complete side projects because he had additional time! He even provides health insurance to all of his employees, which I feel is very honorable. I am highly skeptical of contractors, yet David Larkin and DAL Builders proved that they are reputable, trustworthy, and skilled. I would not hesitate to hire them again.

We contacted a total of 4 builders to provide an estimate, all of whom we found on Angie's List. All of them responded promptly, but Dave was head and shoulders above the others. He was extremely professional and you could tell how much thought he was giving the project as he reviewed it. He offered a number of helpful ideas, and even talked us out of going with a composite material, which would have been more expensive, because it tends to scratch and does not look as nice. His bid was higher than the others but the quality of the materials he was going to use and the "vibe" we got from him made us okay with that. The end result was spectacular, creating a completely different feel for the porch, mostly because of a suggestion by Dave to remove one of the columns which completely opened up the porch, which none of the other contractors had thought to mention. He was a consummate professional, responsive to both calls and emails, and punctual. His crew was equally good and did a great job with the clean up as well. All in all, this far exceeded our expectations and we have every intention to use him for future projects. By the way, we elected to use ipe as the decking, and while a bit more expensive, are thrilled with it. It is beautiful and well worth the extra cost if you can do it.