Orfield Design & Construction Inc

Overall, the project went very well, We are happy with the quality of the work and the result. The plans were creative, and we were happy with the design selections and guidance. There were a few unexpected changes to layout due to structural constraints, which resulted in a less efficient flow. The cost of change orders were not clearly explained prior to execution. The contractor was very hands on and at the job site extensively, and she was easy to get a hold of. The carpenter was not available to work on the project on Fridays, which did extend the project timeline. The contractor pointed out repairs/improvements that needed to be made to bring the home up to code. This added cost, but was necessary and appreciated.

Very well. Laura is an experienced space designer and contractor who is creative, knowledgeable and fun. She, her staff and the craftspeople she arranges do great work. While she provides expert guidance, she also listens to the client’s ideas and incorporates, expands or improves them. She and her staff are attentive to details, which is especially appreciated by less experienced customers.

Excellent! We were so pleased to have chosen Orfield for our project. They were professional, kept us up to date, and worked with us to make sure we could move back in when we needed to. I would not hesitate to call Laura for our next project.

All went as expected and it looks great!

It went well but we were disappointed about difference between original quote and total payment at the end.

Very well. Beautiful workmanship. Company very responsive to concerns and new ideas.

It was good but there's delay that came along the way it was like a two month project turned out into a four months project. More than we wanted to spend course you know we thought it would be more like twenty five thousand but materials and stuff they used to we're talking granite make brand new cabinets made by a cabinet maker, the granite made the floors did it himself and finished it, we wanted a nice kitchen.

We hired Orfield Design to provide us with a set of plans for a basement remodeling project. We were very clear up front that this project would be done in phases and that we planned on doing as much of the work as possible ourselves. Initial meeting with Laura and Amy went well, they seemed excited about the project and to really "get" what we were looking for. At the time that our final set of plans was delivered, we were over all pleased with what we received. The plans cost $1200. I knew upfront that this is what they cost. Once the project began however, things changed. A few of the items on the final plan were incorrect (I-beams in wrong location, measurements off) and we wanted to make a few changes to the plan (stated clearly that a revision was included). I was told additional work was billed at $90 per hour, no changes were ever made. I had to beg and repeatedly call and email to have actual room dimensions added to my $1200 set of plans. Once the building got underway, even more issues were found. If we had built out the basement according to the plan, we would have doors under I-beams, resulting in 3 different door heights through out our space. Walls were drawn under major runs of duct work. The bathroom wall ended up being built almost a foot off from the plan. The bathroom design was very poorly thought out, access panels to shower plumbing was put in the bedroom side rather than the utility side of the basement. Our builder expressed quite a bit of frustration with the plans as they were drawn by Orfield. Poorly thought out door and wall placement, items that did not meet code and some of the planned walls were items that were impossible to even build. While Laura expressed enthusiasm over our design ideas, in the end she selected products and fixtures that were not at all what we would have considered using. She seems to have a very narrow view of what was "right" and not willing to stray beyond that vision. We spent $1200 on a set of plans that ended up being useless to us. Orfield seemed unwilling to alter or change our plans once it was clear we would not be using their services for construction. Perhaps if you plan on using them for the construction component of your project you will be more satisfied. I would not personally do business with this company again.

Laura and Amy, the project manager and administrative manager were a dream to work with- friendly, competent, detail oriented and timely. Trent, the construction person, was equally amazing and possessed the same traits. Would highly recommend them to others.

The project design was outstanding. Orfield thinks out of the box to provide cost-effective solutions. The sub-contractors were all competent, met their timelines and deadlines, and behaved in a professional manner while in our home. Problems and other issues were attended to in a timely manner and resolved to our satisfaction. This was a major remodeling project which went extremely well. Each phase of the project happened on timeline we had been given at the beginning of the project.

Orfield came out and talked through a design with us. Ron came up with a great option that we had not even considered for a screened-in porch. Laura did all the work on getting the variance we needed from the city. The work was completed on schedule. Orfield was very easy to work with, very professional. All the contractors were also good.

Smooth, efficient, non-disruptive, skilled installer.

The entire project took about two months, and started within a month after contract go ahead. Work was done on an average of four days per week. They used outside sub-contractors for all but carpentry. The sub-contractors were all outstanding. All inspections were passed the first time. We are delighted with the results.

I called them up and said i'm bored of my home and I am considering moving or renovating my home to make me stay. They completely understood. They came out (on time) and we walked through the entire house. My house is small and has some layout issues. I already has some ideas of what i was thinking but wasn't sure it would make sense for resale down the road. They listened to all my ideas and we talked through what would make sense and add value to the home and they left to draw up some plans. Laura came out to the house a couple of weeks later and walked me through the plans. I really liked how they presented the plans and how they looked. Easy to read and understand. got me very excited to make changes! There were some things i wanted changed around. No problem, they incorporated those and dropped off the new plans. Walked me through the changes. They broke out costs for all different parts of the project. which i really liked, as there is some of the projects we can do on our own. Laura is always on time, cheerful and pleasant to work with. i have not done any of the work on the house yet as the overall project is costly as it is redoing the kitchen and moving some walls/windows, but i would consider them for any work that i woudl contract out. As for just drawing up plans and getting ideas, I would highly recommend this company!

Very well, Will listened to our requested, suggested and or made the changes in a very timely manner.

He did not like the number of changes the decorator and I wanted so he decided he preferred not to be involved with the project. He was very nice about it, gave me my down payment back and left a drawing of the house.

They did bid on the job, but the timing was not right for us. They were too expensive. I would consider them again.

We worked with Ron and Laura for a few months in planning our design. Our itnention was to create a second story master suite, with ideally a small second bedroom. Ron and Laura took our ideas and worked through not only second story layouts, but alternatives in the absement layout that might acheive our needs as well. In the end, the second story layout worked best, and the final design is better than we ever could have imagined. Laura is the ultimate project manager. Our project required a variance with the City of MInneapolis. Laura was amazing in dealing with the issues with the city, and actually recommended that we expand our remodel from our original intentions. The recommendation from Laura expanded the square footage of our addition at minimal cost to us. After demolition, and prior to installation of our roof, there was a rain storm. No matter how many tarps you put on the roof, nobody can prevent water from coming in. Ron was over almost hourly on a Saturday adjusting the tarps, raking water off the top of the tarps, and making sure the house stayed dry. Contractors I've worked with in the past would have let the rain take its toll and deal with the consequences on Monday. However, it is evident that Ron and Laura have a deep commitment to doing the job well no matter what it takes. During bathroom tiling my wife and I were on vacation. Laura communicated with us via email and made some design suggestions based upon how the tiling was going. We went with her suggestion and could not have been happier. Her sense of design and her excellent project management skills are the ultimate compliment to Ron's architectural background and attention to detail. I would recommend them to any of my friends or family, and we plan on using them for future projects.

We chose not to go with them. They actually did not give me a bid; instead they want a fee for a design and will not provide a bid until they complete the design. That's why I decided not to go with them because I can't compare bids if I have to pay an upfront cost, which would have been $800. They are a very good firm but I was not willing to pay the design fee. I would recommend them for somebody who is more interested in a design. They are very good, knowledgeable and smart people.

Overall it was a fine experience, but not great. The initial phone conversation (with Laura, co-owner), the email correspondences, and the in-person consultation visit (with Laura and Ron, the other owner) were very pleasant. The problem was that Laura and Ron never stopped to ask us anything about what our needs and preferences were. They came and right away started taking photos and measurements and, apparently, conceiving of a design plan in their heads. They knew that generally speaking we wanted to remodel our master bedroom space (perhaps put in a bathroom, perhaps build a walk-in closet), but never solicited any additional input from us. After taking the measurements and looking around the house, they started to talk to us about their process - how we would sign something agreeing to pay them for full design drawings. How could we know whether we wanted to pay them for drawings when, at that point, I had no idea what they were thinking for the space? Furthermore, how could they come up with designs when they had no idea what constraints we had in mind? Also, until we prodded them with some questions, it seems like they weren't planning on giving us even a ballpark estimate of what the project would cost. We were in a place where we were still deciding *if* we even wanted to do it. Whether to proceed or not would depend completely on the projected cost and whether or not the design could work within the (other non-financial) constraints we had. I think the meeting would've been a lot more productive if they started off by asking us a few questions about our lifestyle and how we like to use our space. For the sake of completion, I'll say that we are now working with an architect and contractor to do the project. We don't know what the final price of the project will be, but so far it looks like it's going to be significantly cheaper than the ballpark numbers Ron and Laura gave us once prodded. Granted, our contractor could go over and it could be that Orfield is just more realistic. The important part for us is that this architect is accommodating more of what we wanted from the remodel. Finally, I would say that the Orfield team was a bit too critical of our current space than I would've liked. Sure, they are in the business of improving spaces, so pointing out weaknesses is part of their job. But what if we decided not to take all of their recommendations for improvements? It was almost as if they walked in the door and said, "This is ugly and has got to change!". All that said, I have no idea whether Laura and Ron would've done a good job. My best guess is that they are very capable and responsible. I suspect that they would've done an excellent job if we decided to hire them to implement the re-design they had in mind. They were certainly pleasant to deal with, so I don't want to give them too bad of a review.

It was a great experience and Orfield made it as easy as possible. They provided tremendous guidance from start to finish and always made themselves available. We love the addition!

It went well. They did a good job.

Okay until 2 months ago when we needed to get a new water heater. They did not leave enough room to get the water heater out when they put in the walls. We had to tear out the wall in order to replace the water heater. Called the company and left a message and never heard from them.

We had been discussing this major house renovation for 6 years, but were unable to agree on a plan. Orfield was able to come in and suggest designs that enabled us to quickly settle on a design everyone was happy with. I was continually impressed with Orfield’s professionalism and responsiveness. In any project this large, there are the inevitable surprises. Orfield was very attentive and we always worked out any issues that left everyone pleased with the result. In addition, they were very willing to work with us on incorporating our owner-supplied elements (cabinets, fixtures, windows). They kept us informed of progress and schedules. All in all we were very pleased and would work with them again.

The company did an excellent job. They stuck to the timeline and in fact, finished one week early. All the trades people were master craftsmen, had great suggestions, and did beautiful work. We are very happy with the results.