DON HOERR & SONS INC

After a bad experience with a contractor, I started getting bids from other contractors to build me a new (small) house. Don Hoerr and Sons was the best, most professional contractor in the area. When I met with Mark Hoerr, he not only described what his company could do for me, but also went over details, step-by-step about what other contractors SHOULD do for me if I didn't go with his company. I grabbed a notepad and took notes as quickly as I could. He was basically educating me about how to build a home. For example, After excavating for the basement, to protect a homeowner's basement from getting wet later, contractors are required to wrap the foundation in plastic and pour one foot of pea gravel around the sides to protect the foundation from the clay-ish soil. If contractors didn't do that (or don't do it right), later on, the homeowner has to get a dehumidifier and de-watering system (which is prone to growing mold) and may even have to have the soil around their basement dug out again to redo this important work. Don Hoerr and Sons doesn't put one foot of pea gravel around the base before they backfill it. They put five feet of 5/8and quot; or 1and quot; rock around it. Because pea gravel can get crushed down, the larger rock protects the home for decades longer. I've now purchased and read Amy Johnston's book, What Your Contractor Can't Tell You: The Essential Guide to Building and Renovating, but I have to say that seeing Mark Hoerr was an education in itself. Although his bid was too high and I ended up going to another contractor who quoted in the middle, meeting with this company changed the way I think about new home construction. I have vowed that if I ever get a chance to use them in the future, I will. Oh, and by the way, every other contractor (and every vendor I talked to) said that Don Hoerr and Sons are the BEST builders in the area. Don't bother with P and W. A couple I know used them. They talked big about how they built homes one stick at a time... then when they signed a contract, the big wigs (like Dave) left them with the *worst* subcontractors in the area. Their stairs are crooked--and that's just something that show!! If you have a few dollars, go with Don Hoerr and Sons. Best contractors in the area for remodels or new builds.

Phil is the supervisor. He answers any questions so well and he troubleshoots with you, tries to find out what's going to work. If you have any questions, he'll explain why that won't work. They're just wonderful. And the workers are always timely and they're very pleasant and polite, and they're doing a great job. You have to pay by the hour, but they do really good work and I do trust them.

Please see the narrative above. We also had Don Hoerr ready our home for sale in 2008, and they upgraded some items that were needed for code compliance in those areas where the codes had changed since building the home. This was all done in a professional manner.