JS Construction

After our father's passing, my sister and I inherited a large brick duplex on the East Side of Milwaukee. Dad was 94 and hadn't focused much time or attention on the house in his declining years. The first project that needed to be tackled was the front portico, which supported a sun porch above. The brick columns were badly deteriorated, and the whole structure seemed to be pulling away from the house. My sister got a couple of bids, but we decided on Joe Suszek because he is well known on the East Side for redesigning and rebuilding the waterfall in Lake Park, a spot where I spent many happy childhood hours. For the portico repair, Joe bid between $4,000 and $7,000. The range was wide because, as he explained, he couldn't judge the scope of the work until the brick railings were torn down to reveal the structure beneath. We booked him in July, he said he would be available to do the work in October, and he was as good as his word. Joe, and his merry band of loyal employees, set up scaffolding in late October, then began the tear down. Within two days, it was clear that the whole structure was in very bad shape; the central steel support was rusted through, and the wood beams were rotten. Just to be clear, JS Construction is a construction company with a capital "C." They don't just tuck point, they build. In addition to the brick work, the front portico required a new steel support beam, new wood beams, a new drain system, and a new rubber floor above. Clearly, this was going to be a $7,000 dollar job. When I actually saw the size of the task, and the variety of skills that were required, I was amazed that the price wasn't $20,000. At the eleventh hour, Joe and I decided to replace the wood ceiling of the portico, which brought the final price up to $7,500. The job was delayed several times by bad weather, but Joe kept in touch every day, with time estimates for completion. Joe is an American original, a regular, salt of the earth guy, with deep knowledge of his craft, and the soul of an artist. If you're ever on the east Side of Milwaukee, check out the waterfall. You will immediately understand what I mean. I was actually sorry when the job ended because I enjoyed the camaraderie I shared with Joe and his crew. My sister and I were so pleased that we subsequently hired JS Construction to rebuild both badly damaged chimneys, and the retaining wall along the driveway. If you have a project like ours, and you can get Joe Suszek to work on it, you will be a very lucky person.