We had whittled our list down to three contractors before getting a call from my Mother. She had the number to Caudill Design Group, who had been working on a friend’s neighbor’s house. Why? “I looked at his progress. He keeps a clean workplace. That’s important.”
It seemed trivial, but she was right: that tidiness permeated throughout Rusty’s entire process. Rusty turned in a bid quickly, and that bid was more straight forward than the rest. It was thorough, organized, and uncertain gray areas were identified. Where others muddled their bids with wild ideas, or padded it with unsubstantially slick sales talk, a simple, “It’s too early to tell for that, and here’s why…” was refreshing. When it comes to building a custom house, having a know-it-all from the get-go means egos are going to clash.
With our permission, Rusty decided to enter our 2,300 sq. ft. bungalow into the annual Parade of Homes, giving him a portfolio showcase piece, and, in return, he’d throw in some extra built-ins, upgrades, and landscaping.
Every time we visited the site to check on the progress, we noted, “Yep, still tidy.” All of his subcontractors kept a discipline and care I didn’t see often in my years as a building manager in Chicago. Rusty’s background in code enforcement made sure the i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed, which prevented much of the inevitable bureaucratic drama that tends to happen on big projects. Our bank gave six months for completion. Rusty met his own Parade of Homes deadline of five months, and the pace was never panicked.
Inevitable hiccups did occur – it’s what keeps HGTV interesting. Rusty addressed each with prompt and clear communication, so we trusted him with our concerns. Obviously, a few disagreements came up, but were pleasantly worked through with no drama. He guided us, but let us come to our own decisions.
Thank you, Rusty, and the rest of Caudill Design Group. He has our unquestionable recommendation.
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