Cowdin Design + Build

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We live in Commerce Twp., MI and we found Cowdin Design and Build both on Angieslist and also met Bill Cowdin (owner) in person at the builder show in Novi, MI. We are in a 2 year old home that had a completely unfinished lower level (basement walk-out), the only thing there was the water lines and a furnace. My wife and I interviewed and met with a total of 5 companies, some were full service companies like Cowdin and others more individual one-man-show guys that do occasional basements, decks, etc. In the end we chose Cowdin who was more expensive than some but not the most expensive. More important than the prices to us was having a full service reputable company with infrastructure as opposed to just hiring a one-man-show. We are extremely picky and particular with things and needed a company that we felt we could work with and had a responsiveness to match our needs. What impressed me was that Cowdin has a design service, and not only did the builder and designer come out to look at the job, but we went to their offices several times to discuss plans and pick out selections. It made a big difference that they actually had real offices in that I knew they would be responsive and be there when we needed them. Our lower level is a walkout about 1,400 square feet, we wanted a media room area, a bathroom, a pool table area, storage areas, and a very nice bar that would be the centerpiece of the room. In the end we ended up with about 1,000 sq. ft. of usable space and 400 sq. feet of storage, perfect for our needs. Once we got our estimate and signed a contract, we started meeting with their designer Dawn, who offered many good ideas and suggestions. She listened to our needs, sometimes it was a design need and others it was to see where we could save some money on the project. We started the project in May and were quoted 8-12 weeks, it ended up being exactly 9 weeks from start to finish, with only 2 days of unforeseen delays, which we were very impressed with. On a regular basis, Cowdin's project manager, Jake would be out at the home inspecting work being done and that created a very warm feeling that we were being taken care of. They ran electrical, created walls, did full drywall, re-routed heating ducts, installed a gorgeous 9 foot bar, painted walls, and installed the floor. There were a few changes we made during the project and we felt they were more than willing to accommodate and any additional costs were fairly agreed upon. Now we are in the final decoration phase and are extremely pleased with the work and the responsiveness of Cowdin, as well as their contractors that did the job. Since they have a number of jobs going on at any one time, they seem to tend to use certain contractors over and over, that was important to us that there was a relationship there where the contractors would be more responsive to us, since Cowdin was providing them ongoing work. That was our concern about a one-man-show type of contractor who might do only a few jobs a year, they struggle to find good contractors and have little control over them, with Cowdin that was not the case. We cannot say enough of how happy we are with choosing them, the quality and professionalism we got from Bill, Dawn and especially their project manager, Jake; he has been so pleasant to work with. Also their responsiveness was impressive, I could call or email Jake with a question, and would get a very quick response or answer, we always knew what to expect, when things would be done, and what the next steps were. We would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone, or to use them again and plan on being a lifelong reference for them. The true testament is that my wife was very happy with Cowdin, the work, the process and the result! .

Excellent company to work with. From our initial contact at the Novi home show, our design meeting, our design review, contract negotiation and approval. Everything went smoothly. The sub contractors were all excellent, very thorough, cleaned up each and every day. Issues were addressed quickly and with 2 change requests the project stayed on time and budget.

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The caliber of people Bill uses on his projects are excellent. They give attention to detail and then some. Very professional and deliver what was promised. (That's why we've used them on three projects) You won't be disappointed with the level of craftsmanship, attention to detail and overall satisfaction with these guys! And this is coming from a pretty detailed Engineer! :)

Bill came out and gave us an estimate for a kitchen remodel. He was very professional and had some wonderful and creative ideas for how to better use our small space. He was back with formal designs within a week. We tweaked them, and then he e-mailed us a final quote within in a couple of hours after leaving our home. We decided to hold off on remodeling the kitchen for now, but if we decide to go through with it, we will definitely use Cowdin Remodeling! We were really impressed with him! We have yet to check into other quotes, so we cannot compare prices. A friend of ours had their basement redone, and said his price wasn't the lowest (out of 5 quotes), but it seemed fair. And their basement is GORGEOUS!

We met Bill Cowdin at the Home Improvement Expo in Novi in early 2011. He was one of four contractors we met to discuss our ideas for the basement remodel. He was the only one who had a complete package, ie, architectural expertise, computer program, and outstanding team of trades people. He displayed amazing patience to work with us in several revisions of the original plan and then fine tuning the details. From the beginning he was on the mark, ie, he was within the ballpark regarding time needed for job completion, he was willing to set a finish date on the contract, and he set realistic pricing guidelines. He did not low ball the costs, then come in at double the price due to add ons. Yes, there were add ons, but those costs were minimal, and added at our discretion, He was very organized and informed us what trades people would be working every week. If i had a question about anything at any time, I had Bill's cell phone number and I could call him to clarify the situation. When unforeseen problems arose, Bill displayed calm and creativity about methods to deal with them. When construction lasted somewhat longer than expected, Bill came in himself and worked until almost 10:00 p.m. to rectify the situation and finish the job. In summary, my husband and I are very happy with the completed project. It is even better than we originally envisioned. As with any project, it has demanded time and patience. It requires confidence in the contractor and his team. I have that confidence in Bill Cowdin of Cowdin Remodeling and Design and for that reason, I would consider him for any future remodeling work at my home and I recommend him to anyone who is considering any type of remodeling work.

We got his name from the Home Improvement Expo. We have been working with him since January and he has been very patient with us. He worked with us on plans, estimates and proposals. He reworked proposals to our specifications. He was excellent. He reworked specifications. He did not force us to sign proposals. He has been pretty much right on the money. He did not lowball it and then keep adding and adding and adding. We have been very happy. He worked with us for 3 months before construction actually started in mid-May.