KM BUILDERS

This was the second time I selected KM Builders for a home project. I was super impressed that they didn't try to sell me on residing the whole house. Their price was very reasonable and they were able to start work immediately. I had received several quotes from competing contractors. One contractor swore I needed to pay $28,000 and reside all siding. The house is only 12 years old and had some rotten wood siding on the start of the second level just above the brick siding. The original builder, Centex didn't place the top layer of bricks at a slope that would allow water runoff where the siding met the bricks. The rest of the house siding was doing its job. KM came out to a**** the project within the first week I contacted them. They identified the problems and designed a solution as an affordable repair that corrected the water runoff too instead of a complete redo. Out of the 5 contractors I talked too, 3 offered similar repair designs, but KM was more organized, thorough, answered all my questions and then some. Their drawing showed me what they were planning to do and was a good estimator for materials cost too. Their quote was in the middle of the pack and seemed quite fair. When the crew started they worked diligently. Work progressed fast and they finished in under 2 weeks including all the caulking and painting. Site was kept very clean and they came and went without disturbing my tenants. Project manager met me at the site several times for progress updates and I met with the owner, Keith a couple times as well. The only delay was on the start date due to rain. that is expected. They could not open the siding up if it was raining or going to rain, so we pushed off start date couple times. KM Builders is a first rate contractor. They are honest and get the job done right. I've read some of their reviews by people who say they had a bad experience...I can only say to you as you are considering this review that when working with a contractor both you and the contractor have to be on the same sheet of music. You have to do your homework and know what you are contracting for, you have to communicate throughout the process, and you have to have clear expectations. I've owned a lot of homes across the country and have worked with contractors hundreds of times. KM is not always the cheapest. You will get a superior result with them. You will get what you pay for. They care about their customer's satisfaction. They don't cut corners and you will have a guarantee to stand on.

Keith, the owner, met us at our house after speaking on the phone. We had no clear vision of what could be done because the patio is about 650-700 sqft and is shaped like half a hexagon. The existing roof on the back of the house always seemed like it would present a problem or design challenge to us as well. Keith immediately had a vision. He was willing to accept the challenge and design something that would blend seamlessly with our existing roof-lines, look original to the house design and not look like a add-on. We had had previous contractors over the past couple years just come up with the standard A-frame type add on. We knew we didn't want that. Our house has a unique roof-line, it would be a challenge to tie it all in. Keith talked about several ideas, asked us what else we would want involved and gave us a price range to consider. We gave him the go ahead to bring his engineer, designers and framers back for more precise measurements and drawings. The design plan they developed was amazing. We were given a breakdown of costs and some additional options to consider. The overall project was exactly what we were hoping for. The project length was supposed to be about 4 weeks but it ran several extra weeks because we received rain a couple times during framing and roofing. Unfortunately no rain was predicted the day the existing roof was opened up to tie the new roof in. It was just one of those "fronts" that moved in. We had rain damage in the walls of 2 rooms inside our house. Keith came to the house that night while it was raining to mitigate anymore rain from continuing to penetrate the open roof. The next day his crew returned and they tore out the exterior walls and insulation to remove any wet material and prevent mold. They proceeded to work on the roof enclosure and sent an independent water extractor to the house to dry out carpet in one room and inspect walls, crown and base moldings. Fans were in place to dry everything out. Keith stood by his Company's reputation and guaranteed that everything would be 100%. We were continuing to see progress and were genuinely impressed with the workers professionalism and craftsmanship. The designer/engineer checked the framers work almost daily. Since the design was unique, additional supports were added on the go. The extra post was a marginal expense. We added more electric, lights, tv and changed skylights along the way too. We talked with the project manager, engineer or Keith nearly every day. The end project is fantastic. There is no permanent water damage in the house either, KM made all necessary repairs and repainted my kitchen and bedroom at no additional expense to us. They honored their word and maintained their reputation. The rain could've happened to anyone that day and we were fortunate to be dealing with a reputable company. They matched all the paint on the exterior and interior of the house. All finished work is flawless. The attention to detail was what I expected. The craftsman that work for KM Builders really know what they are doing and care about the quality of their work. Crews cleaned everyday before they went home. We couldn't have asked for a better result. We are so thankful we choose KM Builders again. We highly recommend them. Remember if you communicate with your contractor the job will go well. KM Builders talked with us daily. This was a custom patio enclosure and they wanted to do it right. Not a single problem with inspections or quality either.

First time meeting Keith and his crew was in 2007. Response time was great. We did bids with several contractors. KM was not our lowest bidder but they were the most professional, realistic and well organized contractor. We choose them because they had the best design approach. They had great ideas that I hadn't even considered and I appreciated the feedback and involvement in wanting to create a quality design and end product. KM pulled all required permits, started on time, finished within budget and on time with no surprises. Their crew and subcontractors worked exceptionally everyday. They were great at containing the dust and debris to the master bath area during demo. If you have ever had tile removed this is a messy process, but KM was well organized and prepped well. They removed debris and material to a dumpster daily. They were diligent about cleaning up everyday too. They moved seamlessly from each stage to the next. Keith, the owner, was very involved with the process and inspected progress routinely. We love our new shower. The master bath used to be an eyesore that I complained about daily, now it is a spa-like retreat. KM was able to interpret what I asked for with a design flare and level of quality craftsmanship that I could not envision. Very well done.

Since we had never heard back- we have moved on to other contractors - I feel that our job was too small for this builder

First warning sign was when they wanted money upfront. It was only $500, and would cover their design portion of the project. (they do not give free estimates) when asked for a "ball park" estimate, the designer said it would cost $65,000. At that point we were done, they were way out of our budget, we live in a 30 year-old house, why would we pay that much for a room additions?) Had the other gentlemen not said that it should be able to do it for between $18,000 to $25,000; well that put them in the ball park, so we gave them the $500. At our first meeting, the basic design came back at $27,000; just $2,000 over budget, OK, we felt that it was worth it, based on KM Builders having a straight "A" rating on Angie's List; trust has to be worth it; right?. After reviewing the contract that we had just entered it did not include electricity, heating and air conditioning, a side walk, or steps. It left me with the feeling that I had just bought a car with no wheels, no engine, or seats. By the time we adding in those "luxury" items, the Change Orders increased the $27,000 project to around $50,000 (so far) and had we gone along with all the options, we would have been closer to $70,000. And I my be speaking too early because they are NOT done yet. They haven't installed the insulation, sheetrock, baseboards, windows, doors, sidewalk, steps, or the air conditioner, and they haven't painted yet. The good thing is that those items have been paid for, hopefully, and nothing "extra" will be uncovered while doing those tasks. The quality of there work is so far - average, nothing above or beyond normal. The other troubling - painful - part of this process has been the upfront "agreed to" by me draws. Most of the draws (payments) are front loaded, and quickly collected. (10% accepting the contract, 20% at start, 20% @ starting framing, 20% @ starting roofing, 20% @ starting siding, balance due @ finish) each change order is paid upon acceptance. So, unless you are wealthy, and have a contracting specialist with experience in contracting and a lawyer to help you negotiate the contract, I would not recommend using KM Builders. I have not discussed these issue with KM Builders and I take full responsibility for agreeing to this, but after giving them the $500, I felt obligated to go forward. The old saying - In for a penny in for a pound.

We did not pursue it because we did not know if we would even use them. They were very professional; and they seem to know their business well. He was very personable and we trusted them but we just did not like the fact that we had to put money down before we even knew how much we have to spend. That was a little weird.

They quoted $8000. The quote process went very well. They were very professional. Their actual architects looked at the work and gave us the quote, not just the designer but their architect came out too. Everything was broken out, it was a very detailed quote, and it was what we were looking for. They were right on schedule with everything and they showed up on time for the appointment as well.

KM Builders provided a designer to help us get our heads around what we wanted to get done and selecting the colors and materials for the job. We were assigned a project manager to help us understand the process, the status, and to handle any concerns that we had. Although we had some issues (which modeling project doesn't), KM was very good about explaining the situation and making the necessary adjustments that we requested. The workers were punctual, polite, and very diligent about cleaning-up every day. Once the job was completed, they provided a clean-up crew to completely clean all the areas that were remodeled. Since the effort was completed, we have had a few minor problems and they have been very responsive to getting them fixed as part of their warranty work. Overall we had a great experience and based on that, we also has them replace all the windows in our house. Hope to have them bid on a project to re-do our master bathroom.in the near future.

I will come back to this later.

We asked for a bid to build a garage and do some remodeling at our house. They wanted $1,000 up front to provide the estimate and a computerized drawing of the design (no estimate first and then the drawing). They justified the cost saying we'd get the $1,000 deducted from the job cost. No money, no estimate. Stupid on our part. We had a horrible time trying to get the designer to call us back. When they finally did contact us, they descended on us and the drawing was something they thought we'd like as opposed to what we told them we were looking for. The team was gung-ho to get started and kept trying to get us to sign the contract even though the items shown on the bid and the drawings weren't exactly right. The price quoted for the job was HIGH. They even wanted us to pay for a port-a-potty to sit on our urban lot while they worked. We lost the $1,000 since we didn't use them.

They do great work. The bid was more than others we had received but we chose them because they were highly rated.

They tied the covered patio in perfectly with the home. It looks like part of the original build. Keith, the owner, managed his crew very well.

There was no work performed other than an initial consultation.

Came across KM Builders at the San Antonio Home & Garden show at the end of September. In their booth, they had a shower constructed similar in nature to a shower remodel we were seeking for our home. They were very nice and professional and we spent quite a bit of time talking to Jeff Young and another gentleman and asking our questions. We scheduled an appointment and Jeff and the owner (who's name escapes me) came to our house to evaluate the job. They were fantastic. The owner was very detailed and went through a number of possible design options with us. At the end, they told us it would be two weeks before they could get us an estimate. I thought that was a bit excessive, but they said that they were busy from the show, and because of the detail of their estimate, it simply would take a bit longer. Two weeks went by with no word from Jeff, so I called on Friday (Oct28). Jeff said it would be Monday, maybe as late as Tuesday, before he could get us the estimate. He said simply, "it's the best I can do." Well, Monday and Tuesday came and went and on Friday (Nov04) I finally called Jeff's cell number and left a message asking about the delay. It is now Wednesday November 16 and have not heard from anyone at KM Builders or Jeff Young. After losing weeks waiting for KM Builders, we just hired another company who had a bid to us in a couple of days and is starting the job tomorrow. With regards to KM Builders, I should have listened to AngiesList because others have indicated that they have had issues getting a timely estimate from these guys. If the company can't get an estimate to you within 2 weeks; then misses a second promise date for the estimate; then does the courtesy to return your calls; then it's not a company you want to do business with.

Went great, except some scheduling hiccups. Little pricey, but the owner explained that at the outset of the project -- you get what you pay for.

Bad from start to finish. I should have known better when the estimate was an absolute train wreck. The owner Keith promises the world, then is impossible to find after he receives his first payment. They like to add to the estimate as they go even on items that were not unexpected. Poor communication, and did not finish anywhere near the completion date. They could have, had they decided to just not show up for 3-4 days at a time. Painting was sloppy and amature level at best. Apparently, if you scrape off paint INSIDE the house it is asking too much that they vacuum it up. Had to ask them to repaint areas several times again, and it go so frustrating that we gave up. On the plumbing fixtures, they told us we could buy whatever we wanted to replace the current fixtures. After we purchased 4 bathrooms and a kitchen's worth, they were somehow not compatable. After pushing and pushing, they magically were able to work. Every item we had requested them to do always seem to run into a road block of some sorts. It was nothing a novice repairman could figure out, but yet seemed to take more money on our behalf to make things work. These people are awful and I highly do not recommend them.

It was finished in a timely manner. The guys who came and did the job were respectful and kind and cleaned up after themselves. It is been three years since it was painted and it still looks like new. I have had a few more roofing tiles blow off but not the ones that they replaced. A Great company!

They came and inspectede the area and got my ideas. They then met with me and provided digital drawings with an estimate. They worked with me for modifications to reduce the cost. Once approved, they got HOA approval in advance and all required permits. They provided a project manager for the job and gave me all necessary contact information. They had a port-a-potty for the workers, showed up on time, had quality control and completed each phase of the job on time and on budget.

They were nice people and have nice workers. The workers were very clean and organized. They always cleaned after themselves in the afternoon. They always arrived promptly in the morning simply around 8'o clock. They cleaned up around the floors; so they could reuse the area. They vacuumed and cleaned the area they used. There was some problem in there; but they corrected it. The price was fair.

We are just putting together the whole process and are in the process of getting a bid from them. They seem to be very thorough in their process. It does take some time to do it. They do it in detail before they give us the proposal. They work a little differently. They come out and discuss everything that we want to do and get a general idea and frame work of what they are going to do in each room before they actually give us an estimate. We have to pay $500 upfront to put them into the design phase. That becomes a very detailed phase where we go to the cabinet makers. The cabinet maker then comes out with a detailed plan of what the cabinet is going to look like. The plumber and electrician come in to see how much work is going to be involved in terms of the plumbing and electrical work. They check out the house to see if there is any problem that might bring the price of the bid up. We then go and pick out all kinds of things. It probably takes about three to four weeks for all that to come together, and that is where we are at right now. No work has been done at this point. They seem to be very comprehensive in their approach, so I am feeling comfortable about them. It is only after we get into the work itself that we will know how it is going to go. The $500 would be applied against the cost of the project if we do select them, but we won?t get it back if we don?t select them. They are actually putting in quite a few hours in this process, and they do have to pay other contractors like the cabinet makers, plumbers and electricians. The cabinet makers and whoever else is involved in the process would have to give a detailed proposal to KM Builders before they give us a detailed cost. When we sign up with them, we pretty much know we have a few things that are allowances, but it is going to be really tight and would be very close to what the final cost would end up being. Some of the other providers would give us an estimate when they give us the proposal, and it would have a lot of play in it. They might give us a certain amount and then say it would be plus or minus 5%. We won?t be really sure where we stand. We wouldn?t know what they are exactly going to come up with for the final design until we go to the next step, at which point we would sign papers and they would go into the detailed phase. We are not adding any rooms or changing the footprints of the kitchen. We are not doing anything major to the structure of the house. We are doing new lighting, new cabinetry and countertops, and having the ceramic tile floor refinished. I think I have been treated very fairly. I don?t have any complaints. It is kind of a laborious process, and it seems a little slow at times. We might be able to get estimates from other contractors much more quickly because it may not be as detailed. It has sometimes been difficult to get a hold of a contact person. When they set something up, they are punctual. By the end of next week I should know for sure whether we are going to use them or not.

Have used KM several times in past for work and they have done a great job. I called them for a remodeling job of a guest house, a/c replacement and other minor projects. Jeff showed up timely to scope the work (hence the rating of "D" vs "F") and assured me I would get an estimate in a week - I'm still waiting. As noted, I have used them before, but they have horrible follow-thru on estimates. Considering I was a prior customer, I figured I would at least get a response without following up.

When they came out, they were trying to push us into buying more than what we wanted. When they gave us the final estimate, it was a lot more and they said that it was a service charge. After we explained the problem to them, they referred us to another company and were helpful in pointing us in the right direction.

I saw them in Angie's list and then selected them because they had good ratings. They haven't completed the work yet.

They were professional and very clean. I would never have another company do the work for me because I can count on the work they do. The price listed is for the new a/c and furnace - they are not cheap but they do great quality work so it's worth the cost. Turning the door into the window cost $4500 (excluding the cost of the window itself and the exterior stone).

With assistance from KM Builders, we began by designing and selecting among options for a reconfigured bathroom. A thoughtful and creative interior decorator listened to our opinions, suggested tile and color options, did the legwork to find tiles, and stayed within the budget. Without exception, the craftsmen performing the work were polite, careful, and very capable. The project manager took care of everything - coordinating timing, craftsmen, materials - and was routinely available by telephone and available to meet at the house as required. We were delighted with the process and are delighted with the outcome.