FIRST LANDMARK BUILDERS INC

It went great. Very good sales rep, everything done as promised, new garage constructed in a couple of days by one worker!

Great experience, very happy with the outcome. The salesman was patient as we worked through the options and made early changes. Great communication from office. They gave us lots of options for input and decision-making. Painting is up to the homeowner. Clean up was decent, although extra subsoil was left behind. Highly recommended!

I contacted this company to remove an older 1 car garage and replace it with a 2 car garage. Jim Trepp responded as scheduled. He was very knowledgeable and experienced. He provided a comprehensive, written estimate for the project. His cost was $23k, which was about $2,300 less than another company. It appeared their product was comparable and would have been satisfactory. Due to the cost, I ultimately decided not to replace the garage. If I had, I would have gone with First Landmark, based upon their cheaper cost.

We met with Gene on two occasions - the initial consult and then when he presented the bid. He was very pleasant for the most part, but he never presented us with any specifics. It all seemed very vague, even though we had very precise remodeling plans. He always said that they "could" do something, if that's what we wanted, but never said what they "would" do. We were never informed of the types of building materials (windows, doors, siding, etc.) that would be used. I think we were expecting a little more guidance as well, in terms of building codes and construction procedures. He never even sketched out any preliminary plans. I don't know if they wait until you sign with them to get to the specifics?

This company does not deserve your business. They were slow to respond to my call and it took weeks for them to resolve the issue. When I received the plan for the fix, I naturally had questions about whether it would truly fix the problem, the safety of the fix, and whether the engineer was independent. Gene, the owner, was extremely disrespectful, hostile, and condescending. It was very, very offensive. Clearly, they were not interested in promptly resolving problems after they received my final payment. Now that it has been "fixed," the roof is still wavy. In my opinion, the quality of a company comes through in their care and attitude when problems arise after the project is finished. This is not a quality company.

This is the second garage First Landmark has built for us. They do quality work although the carpenters we had were slow. They only worked half days. Our neighbor had a First Landmark garage go up in a much shorter time frame than we did, but there was different carpenters on his job. Overall, we are very happy with the garage.

We are very happy with the results.

Gene provided an estimate at the time of the first appointment and was knowledgeable about how to prevent the new garage from sinking in my neighborhood's soft soil. Contract signed on September 5 and work started on a timely basis. The garage quality is satisfactory. However, I found out that an old concrete slab under the original garage had been discovered at the time it was torn down, but Gene made the "executive decision" to not have it removed without consulting me. Because the new garage was built closer to the alley, the old slab interfered with my landscaping plans. I had to pay an additional amount to have that portion of the old slab removed, and I got what I felt was unreasonable push back when I insisted that they share in the cost of their mistake.

We contacted FLB in May 2007. Obtaining an estimate was straightforward & prompt. We were impressed with Gene's candor: he told us that our original design idea would not work out well (he was right) even though it would be more expensive to build. The contract was signed at the end of May. Work began in late June. The block & concrete work went very smoothly. The carpentry portion went too slowly and took most of the summer. Two carpenters assigned to the project worked partial days. The quality of the work was mostly good, although we mentioned several times that the stairway into the garage included steps that were not level. When we were expected to submit our final payment, the company gave them a serious look and a partial rebuild. Final payment was submitted in Sept 2007. Other concerns included the messiness of the crews, poor quality of some materials & opener installation (cord didn't reach new outlet). The company's receptionist is very professional & friendly.

Jim Trepp came out to get the blueprints and take a look at the site. He was very pleasant and indicated we'd see a bid in about two weeks. Within a day, he called me back, left a message, and said they wanted to pass on this job. Not sure why - maybe too complicated? He mailed the plans back immediately.

Jim Trepp came out and listened to what we were looking for. He provided several suggestions about things we had not considered. At the first meeting, he gave us a list of garages we could go look at to see their work. After a couple of additional meetings to discuss details, he provided a comprehensive estimate. They took care of the Minneapolis permitting process that was needed to build the garage we wanted. We were thoroughly impressed with the folks they had do the work. They were very punctual and professional. They were very careful to minimize the impact to our yard and avoided affecting our neighbors. Jim even did a fine job managing me (the control freak customer). The carpenter, Mark, did almost all the construction by himself. We talked a few times about how I was going to use the upstairs space. Based on those conversations, he changed how he framed the dormer to give me a lot more head room than I expected. It turned out better than I imagined it.

The project went well and the subcontractors were well organized and on schedule. The State electric inspector noted that the electrician did a very nice job.

Jim Trepp, the salesman, was involved from start to finish. He got the details right in matching the garage to an existing 80 year old house by giving it some period details that you typically wouldn't find in a new garage. The few subcontractors that were used were also very friendly and helpful. This was a tight lot and not an easy project, but the result is a great looking garage. The price was competitive and the service provided by the company made the overall experience excellent. They are flexible in providing unique requests and have great suggestions based on all the experience they have. You will be very happy with your experience if you use them. Garages are their specialty.

The actual carpenter, Mark, was punctual and very polite. The craftsmanship is excellent!

The salesperson was good to work with and provided a number of options for the design. We were happy with the actual building/structure (we've noticed some minor flaking in the concrete floor by the door but that's it). We only had two issues during construction. First, First Landmark had an internal miscommunication regarding our neighbor's bushes next to the garage. They called to have us talk to our neighbors in the next week or so because they were going to have to cut back the bushes that were encroaching over the property line where they needed to work. Unfortunately, the workers cut back the bushes to the property line the very next day after this phone call and before we could talk to our neighbors, who were not pleased (plus, the cutting job left something to be desired). Second, the workers cracked a corner off of our other neighbor's driveway when one of their heavy trucks drove over it. However, they were very responsive in fixing this to our neighbor's satisfaction.

Called to request an estimate. They stated they would show up at some point that day and call in the evening with an estimate. The next day no word, so I called back explaining the situation. They stated someone would call me back regarding the no-show. Never heard back, and no one ever showed up.

Excellent! If only all of our home projects were as easy as an experience. They were on time, on budget, and that is rare in the home improvement business. Our salesperson Jim is GREAT!!

FLB was very professional and they were able to provide a detailed estimate for the garage and driveway. Jim Trepp was great to work with and was very prompt at returning phone calls and following up with new costs based on my requests. They even were able to bid the garage based on the sketches done by our architect and could accommodate his more complicated design. Their costs were very competitive and we would have hired them except for the fact that I wanted the garage to be built at the same time as we were doing our kitchen addition. Otherwise, I had no reservation about working with Jim and his company.

First Landmark did a wonderful job. All workers were courteous. Carpenter and his assistants were extremely skilled. No delays. Very little disruption. The cost was comparable to other bids. We chose this company because of their experience and track record, and the fact that they have subs who have worked with them for a very long time. Garage contract signed 2/1/05 and was completed by 5/20/06. Broke ground mid-April or so.

My experience was not good. I never did hear back from the First Landmark Builders. If they didn't want to bid on the job, that's fine, but at least let the person know that you don't want the job. Needless to say, I wouldn't work with this company based on this experience alone.

Overall, the experience was excellent. They had very good customer service, dates were on time, clean up was remarkable, and the garage looks great. Great job!

FLB was the second-lowest bidder, but we chose to use them based on their reputation on Angie's list. They built a good garage for us in difficult weather, but we were not impressed by the timing of their work, their attention to detail or their level of service. The positives include: Their rep. was easy to work with. The foundation work was done quickly and well. The carpenter did an amazing job, despite receiving snow in the middle of his work. Change orders were easily processed. The company was flexible in collecting their final payment. The negatives include: They estimated 6 weeks, but it took 12 weeks. I had to remind the contractor about several issues, including surveys and fill dirt. Materials arrived, and the contractors worked on the project w/o advance notice to us. The carpenter was gruff at times. The work left numerous nails frozen into the crushed stone in front of our garage. After mid-way through, I never saw the rep. in person again. Water seeps through the blocks.

This company is highly rated but I had bad luck. First problem was their carpenter, Jack. He was rude and disrespectful; he left a mess day after day (e.g. nails scattered in the yard); he used my ladders without permission then didn't put them back; worst of all, when I asked to have a minor roof problem fixed, he put nails through the top of shingles out of spite! To First Landmark's credit, they partially re-roofed the garage, but it doesn't speak well of them that they'd send someone like Jack to peoples' homes in the first place. I was told later that they'd been having complaints about him from other customers. Why he wasn't fired on the spot is beyond me. Now it's winter and the slab heaved up making the side door unusable. First Landmark came out a couple times but it's still a problem. The last time I called I was told someone would come out but no one showed. In the end, my garage has significant problems that I have to deal with on my own. For 20K, one hopes for better.

THEY WERE VERY POLITE AND HAD A CONTACT PERSON IN THE OFFICE THAT I COULD CALL TO SEE WHERE WE WERE AT IN THE PROCESS IF I NEEDED TOO. EVERYONE WAS PROFESSIONAL AND KNOWLEDGEABLE. WE HAD A SMALL MISCOMMUNICATION ABOUT HOW CLOSE THEY COULD BUILD TO A TREE. THEY ALMOST POURED THE CONCRETE IN THE WRONG SPOT TO AVOID THE TREE, BUT THANKFULLY I WAS HOME AND COULD STOP THEM. WITH ANY PROJECT IT IS GOOD TO BE THERE ON A DAY THAT MAJOR WORK WILL BE DONE. IT WAS RESOLVED WITHOUT INCIDENT, I THINK THE WORKERS WERE A LITTLE PUT OUT BUT I AM REALLY THANKFUL THAT IT ENDED UP BEING DONE RIGHT. TAKING OUT THE TREE SET US BACK A FEW WEEKS SO INSTEAD OF 5 WEEKS IT WAS DONE IN 7-8 WEEKS. IT IS A GOOD QUALITY GARAGE. THEY ARE POLITE AND PROFESSIONAL AND I WOULD HIRE THEM AGAIN.

I HAVE A DIFFICULT PIECE OF PROPERTY. MY PROPERTY LINE RUNS RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE OF A DRIVEWAY I SHARE WITH A NEIGHBOR. MY NEIGHBOR'S IN LAWS BUILT THE TWO CAR GARAGE IN 1927 WHEN THE FAMILIES LIVED IN BOTH HOUSES. THE EXISTING TWO CAR GARAGE WAS SHARED BY BOTH OF US. THE PROPERTIES ARE NARROW SO OUR ONLY OPTION WAS TO REBUILD ANOTHER SHARED TWO CAR GARAGE. THE CITY OF ST PAUL DEMANDED WE SEE A LAWYER TO DRAW UP EASEMENTS. JIM WAS VERY PATIENT WHILE THE CITY MADE MORE AND MORE REQUIREMENTS. AFTER ALL THAT WAS SETTLED (NO FAULT OF FIRST LANDMARK) EVERYTHING WENT LIKE CLOCKWORK. I'D GET A CALL FROM ELISA THE DAY BEFORE EXPLAINING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH THE WORK. I WOULD RECOMMEND THESE GUYS IN A HEARTBEAT.