Kern Company is a small family owned construction company formed by Kerry Kern. The company has successfully operated in the Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota area since 2003, working on small to large scale construction projects, renovations, repairs and service projects with a focus largely on residential and light commercial construction.
Business highlights
22 years of trusted experience
Services we offer
Kern Company services include preconstruction design and consulting, renovations, room additions, kitchens, bathrooms, basement remodels, decks, garages, siding and windows, custom homes, commercial tenant buildouts and commercial framing and drywall.
Services we don't offer
Kern Company does not provide services in large scale commercial projects, industrial projects, government projects and handyman services.
I’m a bit floored by the bad reviews. Kerry is a gem and so are his sons and the guys who work for him. He’s a genuinely super kind person and did a fantastic job on our full basement reno.
Description of Work: Full basement renovation including a bathroom
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$80,000
susan M.
06/2018
1.0
home remodeling
+ -1 more
I wished I had read previous Angie's List reviews on this contractor as our experience was all too familiar with that rated so poorly by a previous reviewer. This job went well … until it didn’t…. The sheetrock and the ceiling were very well done; the floor tiling job was completed poorly - and then dealing with Mr. Kern turned out to be the most difficult experiences we have ever had with any remodeling contractor. I have correspondence and photos of the issues with the floor and two professional tile installers to validate our issues with the work. It is costing us an additional $1800 to have the floor torn up and redone and we now have to find someone else to complete the rest of the work. Miscommunication or poor workmanship can occur with any job, but our main reasons for this review relate to the unwillingness to even discuss options and to work with us to correct the situation and complete the job as promised (rather than discuss, Mr. Kern indicated he was "too busy to deal with this" and would rather just not complete the job), but the primary driver of this review was the hostile and intimidating manner in which Mr. Kern presented himself. I have never provided this type of review before but felt compelled to comment on this situation.
Description of Work: Mr. Kern provided us with a proposal to sheetrock, tiling of floor and tub surround and ceiling for a bathroom remodel.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
1.0
value
3.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
3.0
punctuality
3.0
$6,000
Larry S.
05/2016
5.0
home remodeling
+ -1 more
He took care of everything. From taking up old flooring to framing, tile work, sheetrock, taping and painting. Always showed up when he said he would and didn't leave a mess or any construction garbage.
Description of Work: Sheetrock, tile floor and paint in 3/4 bath.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,500
William M.
02/2016
2.0
decks, drywall, remodeling, replacement windows, home builders, home remodeling
+ 4 more
unknown
Description of Work: They told me to buy a new humidifier even though mine is 2yrs old and barely used.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
3.0
value
4.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
5.0
$75
Linda S.
11/2015
3.0
home remodeling
+ -1 more
Strictly a "mow and blow" operation. They left steps, paths and driveways unswept so the property became messy looking, even though they were repeatedly asked to clear them. They did the very minimum and weren't responsive. I got the feeling they were stretched, and just whipped through as fast as possible. No one ever checked in with us to see if our needs were being met. (They weren't)
Description of Work: Lawn maintenance and snow blowing for a town house complex. Cost is monthly
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
3.0
value
3.0
professionalism
3.0
responsiveness
2.0
punctuality
4.0
$500
Sarah L.
06/2015
1.0
home remodeling
+ -1 more
The projects did not go well. An overall score of F is given because the timeline and interactions with Kerry Kern were so poor. My family's safety is of the utmost importance, of course. I mention that because our final meeting was done under such duress and with so much intimidation by Kerry Kern that we felt it best to have the police at our house! More on that in a bit. Kerry Kern's adherence to our contract was poor. Deviations (change orders) were supposed to be a signed, written order. But Kerry added them to the next invoice and demanded payment. We did not have an opportunity to understand the cost of changes until payment was requested. Quality - The quality of work was actually fine. Kerry's brother, Kent, did most of the work, was professional and a good craftsman. The sub-contractors provided adequate results. Cost - The initial cost was fair (not the highest or lowest bid) and we planned for a bit of an overrun, knowing how projects can go. But there was one substantial cost that was not anticipated: the footings for the porch. It was beyond the capabilities of Kern Co., so we were handed off to another company. Because of lack of coordination between Kerry Kern and this other sub, there was confusion and extra cost because Kerry did not not participate. It was not even clear to the sub, whom Kerry uses from time to time, that Kern Co. would not be pulling a permit. I'm glad the sub was good to work with when the matter of the missing permit came to light months later during final inspection. Scope - The scope had to be reduced because of how poorly the project was going. We pulled installation of flooring from the project. Schedule - Terrible, just terrible. Kerry Kern promised a two month project, one for the porch and one for the bathroom. Our two month project took five months! We could have accepted a 50% delay, but 150% was too much to bear. Only excuses for delays with vendors and subs were offered as excuses. The contract has language to complete work by July 30, but the wording allowed us no recourse (lesson learned). Communication - This was poor, too. It was difficult to get a hold of Kerry. His voice mail was often full. On the occasion we could connect by phone only a few subjects could be discussed before he was either out of time or seemed too frustrated to continue. Email was not an option, although we urged Kerry to work with us in this way. Much of the communication ended up being routed through Kerry's worker, Kent, as this was Kerry's direction. But the issues with the contract and "deviations" mishandled. And issues, especially with the plumbing of the shower , were left to stew and boil over rather than Kerry taking a breath and dealing with them reasonably. We felt bad for the plumber especially, as he caught the brunt of an issue that Kerry, or several other people, could have caught. Not being a plumber or a tradesman, it took us a while to understand that the wrong valve was ordered. Professionalism - Kerry was aggressive, not only with us the homeowners, but also with most of the sub-contractors. Vulgar language was used as well as shouting. Some of these we heard first hand, others we heard the other side of the phone call, other reports were directly from the subs. Two or three of the subs said they will never work with Kerry Kern again. Kerry Kern even chose to give the inspector an earful. We trusted, and still do trust, Kent. I would not hire Kerry again, for anything. Good riddance. About the last meeting, the one that a police officer got to participate in, Kerry was adamant about receiving final payment before the terms of the contract called for it. He was threatening, perhaps beyond using just legal means. Each previous payment was provided on time and in accordance with the contract. The final payment ended up being about $13,000 and was supposed to be "upon final completion of all work." The final inspection had yet to occur and ultimately did not pass! There were still some unfinished parts as well. Unfortunately, we felt so pressured and so ready to be done with Kerry Kern, we decided to give him a check, in the presence of the police, to go away.
Description of Work: Bathroom and Porch. A three-season porch was remodeled, down to the studs. Insulation, electrical, painting, new light and fan, new windows. The master bathroom and makeup/vanity area outside the bathroom were also remodeled.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
3.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
2.0
$70,000
Response from Kern Company LLC
To whom it may concern, All I have to say is the accusations being made by these people are all false. I did everything I possibly could to make this job work. They are enjoying a beautiful Master Bath and a beautiful transformed 3 season Porch remodel because of Kern Company. Their only problem is they did not want to pay for the work that was performed and tried many times to get out of paying for extra work to the Contract. They directed my brother to go ahead and do extra work without contacting me and of coarse my brother kept track and let me know. They then accused me of adding things without their direction. They were misleading and underhanded and tried to play me against my brother. I did not trust them towards the end of the job and was concerned about my final payment. I do not understand what motivates people to spread lies about others. Just look at the rest of my reviews and that alone should explain my character and the character of these people making false accusations and trying to slander my good company name. They should be ashamed of themselves. Sincerely, Kerry Kern
Paul C.
12/2014
5.0
home remodeling
+ -1 more
Perfect. Two day install of a complete front yard after a major front porch renovation over the summer.
Description of Work: complete excavation and landscaping of front yard
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
Craig H.
01/2014
5.0
home builders, decks, drywall, garage builders, picture framing, remodeling, home remodeling, replacement windows
+ 6 more
This job went great. Ran into issues with the outside wall behind the tub not being insulated and a rotted out floor. Great communication on any issues and any changes in the work. We had requested a difficult tile design and Kerry worked with it and got it correct! The job took about 3 extra days due to the issues, but they kept the job site clean and cleaned up after they were done.
Description of Work: Remodeled a second floor bathroom and laundry room including wall tile, floor tile new tub and walls
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$10,000
Craig H.
12/2012
5.0
home builders, decks, picture framing, remodeling, home remodeling, replacement windows, egress windows
+ 5 more
After 26 years of 4 boys, our bathroom needed repair and an update. Kern Company was hired to demolish the existing bathroom and redo everything including a new tub, floor and sub floor, redesigned the walls surrounding the tub and new tile on the floor and tub wall. They finished on time and let us know when they found items that were not in the original bid (mold and rot). They did not proceed without our approval. They cleaned up at the end of each day and kept a neat work area. The job was completed on time and with great quality. I will work with Kern Company again.
Description of Work: Remodeled our second floor bathroom which included cement board and drywall.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$8,000
Craig H.
11/2011
5.0
drywall, remodeling, home remodeling
+ 1 more
Our bathroom had started to rot away. The floor was sagging and mold started to appear. Water damage leaked to the first floor ceiling. Kern Company gutted the bathroom and replaced all of the rotting floor and drywall. They updated our bathroom with new fixtures and an arch over the tub area. They finished off the floor with tile. I appreciated their commitment to the scheduleand budget. I was informed of all items that came up during the process and Kern Company provided options and solutions. They did such a great job that we had them redo the first floor bathroom too.
Description of Work: Second floor bathroom gut and remodel.
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Kitchen and Bath Remodeling,
General Remodeling,
Homebuilders,
Windows,
Drywall,
Decks and Porches,
Framing,
Garage and Shed Building,
Egress Windows,
Sunrooms and Patio Enclosures,
Stucco,
Finished Carpentry and Woodworking
FAQ
Kern Company LLC is currently rated 3.7 overall out of 5.
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday: 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Kern Company LLC accepts the following forms of payment: Check
No, Kern Company LLC does not offer free project estimates.
Yes, Kern Company LLC offers eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Kern Company LLC does not offer a senior discount.
No, Kern Company LLC does not offer emergency services.
No, Kern Company LLC does not offer warranties.
Kern Company LLC offers the following services: Kern Company services include preconstruction design and consulting, renovations, room additions, kitchens, bathrooms, basement remodels, decks, garages, siding and windows, custom homes, commercial tenant buildouts and commercial framing and drywall.
Kern Company does not provide services in large scale commercial projects, industrial projects, government projects and handyman services.