Castle Building & Remodeling

We hired castle for our kitchen remodel project. We contracted with them to complete a partial project up until finished drywall. Our biggest regret of the project was hiring Castle. We were skeptical from the beginning because their prices are very high. (For example, we hired a concrete crew to do floor demolition for plumbing lines and paid 1/3 Castle’s bid. We hired our own plumber which saved us 2,500 compared to castle’s bid for the same job.) However, we had heard good things from different sources and have also had “you get what you pay for” experiences when going with the lowest bid so were optimistic that the high prices were indicative of high quality work. They also were available to start soon while other contractors we spoke with were months to a year booking out just for estimates (in hindsight, there is a reason for that!) From start to finish there were mistakes, from smaller mistakes ordering large quantities of unneeded supplies, to glaringly large framing and window installation problems, to very visible mistakes like framing one of the entry doors into the kitchen 1.5” out of plumb from top to bottom. These mistakes were quite stressful to address/correct because we were the ones who noticed them and then had to alert project management vs the other way around. At first this was not a problem, but after a large framing problem which the project manager assured us was fixed but wasn't we lost a lot of trust in the company. We were made to feel like the problem for “whistle blowing” versus higher management taking responsibility or even being willing to have a conversation with us about it. Ultimately, I do not blame the carpenters for mistakes. There were many days a carpenter would show up with an assistant who would get called away early in the day leaving one person to complete a 2 person job and quality suffered. Our project manager was managing 6 jobs and quality control was almost non existent as a result. In summary: If we had to do it again, perhaps you can benefit from our top lessons learned from the experience. 1.) Do not sign the contract without aggressive and detailed look at every line item. We reviewed it before signing but not nearly thoroughly enough. We were under the impression we needed to sign to get the project scheduled and that things could be changed later. Not the case! This document is the holy grail of the project. Do not sign unless you are comfortable with every charge and job included. There were multiple mistakes in that document that we missed. For example, we had filled out paperwork saying we did not require a biff at the work site because workers could use our basement bathroom, but it made it into the contract and it was a $600 oops on our end. 2.) Do not sign contract without another thorough look through. Every change including refund for mistakenly ordered supplies on the part of castle (entire pallet of concrete and boxes of unused and unnecessary leveler supplies in our case) will cost you $125 change order fee and restocking fees. 3.) Aggressive management of project. Double check that work they say they will do in contract actually gets done how they say they will do it. Double check quality of work, and be prepared for pushback. ALL this being said, The experience was not all bad. The designer we worked with was very helpful and created a plan that neither of us had thought of that really transformed and worked well with our space. (She did retire mid project and is no longer with the company, so we can’t recommend her name.) We also had no issues with any of the work the sub contractors Castle used, the dry wall, HVAC, and electrical crews all did fine work and Castle’s project manager ensured they corrected mistakes if they did come up without issue. Overall Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Castle was great to work with. Emily, our designer, came up with a great design and really listened to what we wanted rather than push her own ideas on us. Construction was on schedule and very organized. General communication with the project manager could have been a little better, but he always responded to emails promptly. There were also a few minor issues with cleaning up that were promptly addressed. I will be using them again when we get around to our bathrooms. The price was comparable to other companies and the quality was excellent.

Overall work was fine - all contractors I came in contact with were very professional and respectful. Replies to emails were not very responsive. Never was given a timeline or estimate of what was supposed to be accomplished each week.

This project took nine weeks just as projected. They were able to keep almost perfectly to the master day by day schedule. All trades staff and subs were professional and did high quality work. Electrician Mitch was excellent. Designer Ashley H. and project manager Steve were great communicators and visited the site often enough to keep progress on track and anticipate and head off problems, of which there were very few. I liked the flexibility offered by the company to get some savings-self painting and self purchase of sink, backsplash tile, disposer, and cabinet handles, so I could research quality and price. I chose Castle because they had experience and a focus on homes of my era and I was not disappointed! I had heard enough horror stories of projects gone wrong to go with perhaps a little higher cost remodeler that was excellent-money well spent to eliminate hassles. Comprehensive, detailed plans, detailed bid, great workers, on time= a happy homeowner here. I would highly recommend them for any kitchen project!

We were so pleased with the work Castle did remodeling our first floor in 2016, that we contacted them for our unfinished basement remodeling project. Mark, our designer, spent a lot of time with us on the design, answering lots of questions, and helping us to use the space effectively, We were able to get a family room, laundry room, half bath, a large shop area, and plenty of storage. Castle was great to work with from start to finish. Both projects were completed on time, with excellent quality. Their project management staff were responsive to any concerns or changes we had during the project and we are very pleased with the results. I would definitely contact Castle again if we had future remodeling projects!

Castle was wonderful to work with. The designer (Ashley H) worked well with us to design a project that was satisfying and within our budget. Both the construction manager (Steve) and Ashley were very responsive, communicative, warm and friendly, and worked with us closely throughout the design and build process. We received regular updates about building schedules, advice on how to prepare for different phases of building and were helpful with advice on changes/choices we had to make re: plumbing, wall configurations, etc. Overall, we had a very satisfying experience and the finished work is high quality. They were on-time (almost always) and stayed on budget. Highly recommend.

I received a couple of emails from Castle indicating their receipt of my email and that one of their designers would contact me to discuss my projects further before sending someone out to the house to do a preliminary estimate. I expected when she called that she would ask me some questions about the size of the bathroom space and what I wanted to change with the remodel. However, without knowing any of that information, she first asked if I had reviewed the information on their web site, which I had. Then she stated that she wanted to make sure I understood how much a bathroom remodel would cost before they sent someone out to the house to give an estimate, and she stated that most of the remodels they have been doing cost $25-35K, and was I prepared to spend that much? Therefore, without knowing the size of my space, whether or not any plumbing would have to be moved, what specific materials I wanted, etc, she made it quite clear that Castle Remodeling could not do a space for less than that amount. (Just to be clear, I have already had 2 other company reps out to the house to look at the space, and they did not indicate the cost would be that high.) This is not my first bathroom remodel, and I know they can be expensive. However, I also know that anyone can do a beautiful remodel on a small bathroom for $30K. However, it takes creativity to be able to work with a client who has smaller but still realistic budget - to choose a layout and materials that focus on quality, function, and beauty - without requiring everything to be high end. I felt like her tone was very condescending, and she did not recognize that the company could have had a customer for many years and many projects if she would have been more willing to work with me. The conversation left me feeling like Castle is only interested in high end remodels, and not in doing remodels in more modest homes. When I work with a company that is willing to be creative and where I am treated with respect, I am a great customer. I make decisions and don't request major changes mid project, I pay my bills, I remain loyal to that company, I refer my friends, and I write glowing reviews. I feel this Castle employee blew an opportunity today to not only gain my business but other business I could have brought to them.

The remodel went very well. This was the only bathroom in the house and no major problems were encountered. Everyone was very prompt in responding to questions/concerns, keeping me up to date on the project progress. Everyone I encountered was great to work with.

Everyone we worked with was extremely professional and knowledgeable. They came out to the house to measure and find out what we were interested in. About a week later we met at their showroom to go over the beautiful design they came up with. We decided against doing such a big project but will definitely call Castle when we're ready to go ahead.

We had Castle come out to give us an estimate on insulating and finishing the three season back porch to extend kitchen and add a laundry room and bathroom. We decided against doing the remodel since we hope to move but the plan and estimate, which included gutting the current kitchen, were great. (FYI, this review and estimate is several years old now.)

Great. Our designer (Mark) was very easy to work with and had lots of great ideas. He listened to our ideas, and provided feedback. Through years of this type of work, Castle has lots of experience to bring to this type of project. When we got stuck on choices of finishes, Castle provided design help (Emily) with that as well. Our project manager, who we saw often at our home (Scott) was great to work with. The whole team we worked with was professional, friendly, attentive and responsive. Their goal was always complete customer satisfaction.

I walked into the show room in NE Minneapolis, and the man behind the desk in the back was on the phone. He said to wait until he was done. So I did. Then afterward he stayed at his desk where in the back room and yelled out to the front room, "You need something?". "Yes, " I replied. (Why else would I be here if I didn't, I wondered in my head.) The first thing he said to me after telling him my remodeling needs was, "You know a lot of people think that remodeling isn't that expensive but it is. Most people think that it's 5 or 10 grand. It's not. What you've mentioned is in the 20 grand and maybe up to 100 grand range. Can you do that?" He doesn't know anything about me. But because I looked young, he didn't want to waste any of his time finding out about me or my needs before he thought I could pay him. I told him I was uncomfortable with his sales approach and left.

The new kitchen is beautiful. The project manager left great communication everyday. We always knew what to expect and they took care of our house, things and dog! The workmanship of the Castle team is exceptional and every little detail was attended to promptly. One word about pricing, Castle was not the lowest bid we received for our project. Even though we spent more than we wanted to, the value for our money was great and we would chose them again and again. Castle is an easy company to trust.

Project took 4 months from start to finish way too long. Designed lacked people-skills & quality of work was marginal.

Asked Castle for an electrician referral. Sierra Electric, Mitch arrived promptly and solved our issues, prize was very reasonable.

From the first contact with the designer, through the final walk-through, I was extremely impressed with the quality and commitment to excellence that Castle provided. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

In short, I have been in the midst of a bathroom remodeling nightmare with someone I hired from craigslist... Overcharged, extorted out of more money with threats, check card charged without my knowledge, sub-standard work,.. NIGHTMARE!!! Since I managed to rid myself of this person (along with much of my life savings) I have been trying to find builders to come in to weigh in on how things SHOULD have been done and what they SHOULD have cost ? information to be used in small claims court. The only person willing to advise me so far has been my sister?s handyman. But Aaron emailed back that, though he didn't know my mother, maybe he could help. He said he'd be happy to come by, even though I suspect he knew this was a job (i.e. mess) he wouldn't want to or need to take on construction-wise. He came by and was enormously helpful. Tons of knowledge and advice on how to deal with this situation. And said he'd try to find me a good dependable person to finish the job for me. I am still just amazed that a total stranger was willing to help me out with nothing to gain for himself. Thank you so much Aaron! I so wish I had just gone to Castle in the first place last August, when I started this remodel.

As planned. Minor issues came up, but castle was fast to address them. They communicated well, which I respected.

we were quite satisfied with the quality and timeliness of the work.

Superb from design, selections construction to completion. We shopped this project – price was not the costly conciliation – reputation, knowledge, local, Korma were key element.

I changed my mind about the number of colors in the backsplash, which slowed the project down, but Ashley and Dave were very helpful in finding a solution and making sure that the project continued in a timely manner. Communication was very good and I never waited more than a few hours for a response to a question or concern. It confirmed for me that being clear about what you want is critical to getting the results you want. I found Dave and Ashley open to feedback and the finished kitchen is wonderful.

We wanted to go with our neighborhood contractors, but ultimately we ran in to so many issues with them that I am sorry to say I would not recommend them to anyone for the following reasons: - Terrible communication: we had three different contacts over the course of the project and there was no oversight of the people performing the work on our house. - Inaccurate estimates and inflated costs: our original quote was $1500 because they miscalculated the size of the space. after all of their mistakes they wanted to charge us over $9000 to complete the work. - Horrible planning: they did not check to see if the basement foundation went all the way down. They just started digging until they unearthed our 2' deep crawlspace foundation and had to put all of the dirt back in. Whenever they ran into another issue that they had not accounted for, they added more to the price. - Bad quality: one of their solutions was to build a cement wall to hold the dirt back... since I work from home I could hear the people working downstairs asking one another, "Have you ever done cement work? No, have you? No, I'm excited to learn." They were nice workers, but I didn't want my foundation to be the test area where they learned how to lay block. - Just plain not nice to work with: When we had finally had enough, we asked that Castle leave our property and refund our deposit. They agreed while they were onsite but later refused to refund us in full. In a heated and inappropriate email, they refused to refund $750, and we ended up with nothing completed, not to mention a giant hole in our basement wall leading to the dirt crawl space, one of our basement windows removed and replaced with plywood (right before winter), our stucco around the removed window cracked, and one of our 6' hedge trees severely damaged. The hedge still has a big hole in it and we had to pay to get a larger window installed in order to cover the stucco cracks. Don't even waste your time with an estimate.

They didn't directly order an oval sink but they cut a circle hole for our bathroom remodel so our toilet is oval and our sink is round. They probably would have gotten a piece of granite but that was one of a kind granite so we had to go with the circle sink. They built the a door in our closet. They actually built the door attached and it was falling out of the wall, and they had come back a few times and hadn't been able to fix it. Recently they said they are going to be done with that because it would take too many of their resources to fix that so they are not going to fix it. Our cabinets they used paint that we couldn't wipe it off so they had to redo all the front but we compromised and said it's alright if they don't do the sides and the bottom but we want the front to be done. There was a lot of compromising with them and things that weren't done right enough, and finally with this closet that they are not going to fix even if their website says they have a lifetime warranty on their workmanship. They built the door so it's their workmanship. Because they didn't do the work, the price makes it not worth it at all.

We contracted with them for a new landing (previously the basement stairs deadened at the wall) and their subcontractor built a landing to our specifications and did some extra work fixing the railing on out basement stairs. That work was completed on time, very thoroughly and within the estimate. Then after a mild snafu about scheduling which was quickly corrected, they sent out a marmoleum installer for the steps and landing. He did a lovely job sealing off our existing ancient lineolum and covering it up with the marmoielum. He also finished the new landing and the existing landing on the stairs, as well as two of the small storage spaces off the stairs, including one that we forgot to ask him to do, which gave us a nice new storage space. It took about 2 days, came within the estimate and looks great. We also got a few extra pieces of the marmoleum which we used on a couple of other surfaces - looks almost like a new house back there now.

It started of okay, late, but okay. by the end it was bad we had to fight to get castle to fix its mistakes which it kept making over and over.