Lakewood Companies Inc

Want to build in Northern Wisconsin? Be prepared to get utterly ripped off. What can I say about the builders in Northern Wisconsin? Half the service, twice the time to get things done and three times the price you can get almost anywhere else in the state. To start out, my husband, our two kids and I spent the best part of five years saving, researching and looking for a piece of land to call our own. We had the idea of someday, when we could better afford it, building a small, but nice, little cabin. I have been coming up to Northern Wisconsin for some time and thought buying would be a better investment than paying rent or hotel costs every time we go up there. A few years after we had purchased some land, we thought we would check out some builders in the Vilas County area. Needless to say we were utterly shocked to find out that the builders charge about twice what they charge in Waukesha, WI. (where we live now) and other parts of the state. When we talked to two dozen (24) builders the in the Vilas county area and for lesser quality products, and they averaged about $200+ per sq ft. That?s for a simple 1400 sq foot house with no granite, no marble, no hardwood floors, no tile, no finished basement, no high-end carpeting, no high-end plumbing fixtures, no appliances, no well, no septic, no garage, no land costs and basic of everything. Rip-off, rip-off, rip-off. Now, this does not match what is being charged in other parts of the state. We had a friend that found a wonderful three bedroom ranch with striking front dormers. It?s a three bedroom, two bath, two-car front entry garage in Appleton, WI, zip code 54911. Total Square Feet: 1642. The cost to build of $180,620 was determined which is an approximate cost of $110 per sq. ft. My sister and her husband live in Sun Prairie, WI (just outside of Madison, WI.) and they built a two story that ran them about $112 per sq. ft. As of November, 2011 according to the National Association of Home Builders, their recent report shows the national average cost to build a house for labor and materials is $79.67 per sq. ft excluding land, builder profit and overhead, financing costs, and marketing and sales costs. The only thing we can think of is that the Chicago-ians, Doctors and CEOs have jacked prices so high in northern Wisconsin, it?s not fit for the average family anymore. The builders are spoiled and everyone wants to get rich quick so they think they can charge whatever they want by taking advantage of the average Joe. The prices sure do match close to what they are in Chicago, but not in Wisconsin. Average homes costs [weblink removed] Residence (average quality tract home) $91 One-story, hardboard siding, composition shingles, 1½ baths, two-car garage, 1,600 SF. Basement, landscaping, fencing, and deck not included. Residence (above average quality tract home) $107 Two-story, wood siding, composition shingles, 2½ baths, balcony, two-car garage, 2,400 SF. Basement, landscaping, fencing, and deck not included. Residence (luxurious quality tract home) $168 Split level, wood siding/brick trim, shake singles, 3½ baths, balconies, three-car garage, 3,200 SF. Basement, landscaping, fencing, and deck not included. One aspect I cannot comment on is the actual work of these builders. Can they guys nail two boards together? Can the put in a toilet? Can they lay down tile? I don?t know. I wouldn?t hire them because their prices are beyond astronomical. However, I would hope that for the un-godly prices they are charging, if they did build a home for me, it would have to be made of solid gold for the prices they are charging. Minocqua , WI 54548

Overall, I liked this company. Staff were pleasant. The representative who came to where we were staying in Land O'Lakes Wisconsin was on time and he called ahead to say he was almost there. We talked for over an hour and he explained how Lakewood does business and informed us the vacation home we described would cost approximately $180,000. We decided later to hire another contractor who gave us an estimate that was in our price range.

We were impressed in our first meeting with Brian, Sales Manager, by how he listen to our needs, desires, and hopes for our new space. He also asked us for our budget constraints, so he could design an addition that would be affordable. We entered into a design agreement where Brian assisted us with product selections, materials and finishes. He developed detailed construction plans/sections/elevations and specificatons. He also gave us a tentative construction schedule. When the time came to begin the construction, we knew exactly what was going to be built, when, and how much it would cost. We were impressed by how the Crystal and Jo, the office staff, communicated with us thoughout the process. Reuben, the lead carpenter, was at the site everyday. The crew and subcontractors took extra care to protect our personal belongings and made sure the work areas were cleanned at the end of the day. They were all very professional, knowedgeble, and skilled in their trade. The entire remodel/addition took only 4 months! We had a "zero-item" punch list. We are very gratefull to have worked with Lakewood Companies, who understood our concerns and needs, and made sure our remodeling project was a pleasant and stress-free experience.