Dear Mr. Henderson:

We would like to thank you for the design and renovation work your company performed. We are extremely pleased with the results.

The external design was extremely well thought out. We have received many compliments, even from strangers passing by. The work itself is of fine quality, and we are amazed how much got accomplished in so short a period of time. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the workers respected our house. This last item is extremely important to us; clean-up was done regularly, so that although work was in progress, there was no unreasonable mess at any time. Outside, little if any of the vegetation was disturbed, although clearly this could only have happened if the workers were intent on preserving what was already there. Your Project Manager is truly to be thanked for his stewardship and work.

Please feel free to show this letter to others considering your company.

Sincerely,

J. S. and P. S.

Dear Mr. Henderson:

Belated thanks for the outstanding job you and your colleagues did in converting our elevated deck into a sunroom. We thoroughly enjoy the finished product and find that it is one of the rooms in our house that attracts the most traffic, year round. This is noteworthy in that our deck was seldom used in any season.

Our experience in working with Henderson was truly positive. Schedules were kept, design changes were negotiated and implemented, the inspection process was smooth and effective, project management was timely and informative, and the result is very pleasing to us.

We are particularly impressed with the quality of the work crew assigned to our project. They were diligent, friendly and competent. On this project they worked through difficult weather circumstances. They were very careful about their work and worksite: the work area was cleaned at the end of each workday. We particularly appreciate a special (after-hours) trip to the project to put a plastic covering over work-in-progress in anticipation of a heavy rain.

It is a pleasure to be on this side of a project with such a high level of satisfaction. We will be happy to recommend Henderson to others who are planning similar projects.

Sincerely,

W. T. & N. T.

SUBJECT: HENDERSON DESIGN/BUILD

For 25 years we have had HENDERSON DESIGN/BUILD accomplish various types of projects.

From “start” to finish we have found our relationship exceedingly gratifying. From “start” they listen to what I want to do. They provide helpful input to my concept and develop a design which is logical, efficient, cost effective and accomplishes what I desire.

In the construction phase I have found their personnel to be competent, efficient and most cooperative and considerate. The work progresses with continuous company supervision. I am kept up-to-date with progress. The work site is kept orderly and neat and away from my day-to-day needs. When the work has been completed the work site is cleaned as if no work has occurred.

At the completion of the project Don personally inspects the project with me and acts on any comments that may arise.

After many years and many projects, whenever I have a task (large or small) I call HENDERSON DESIGN/BUILD. I know that I am going to get good advice, an estimate that is reasonable, a design that is what I have in mind, and that the construction will be accomplished timely, compently, and efficiently without any concern on my part. And that the cleanup will be perfect. All the Henderson personnel are cooperative and pleasant to work with.

I am happy to recommend HENDERSON DESING/BUILD for any project in their area of expertise. I will be happy to respond to any inquiry.

J. V. C.

Dear Don,

What a joy to celebrate the holidays in our new kitchen and breakfast room! I am writing to tell you how many times each and everyday that we enjoy our new living space. Recently all 4 of us were cooking together in the kitchen and we realized that only a few short months ago this would not have been possible. We receive compliments frequently on how the work you did gave us a “whole new look” and transformed our house into something “very special”

Every aspect of the remodeling process was handled with the utmost professionalism. Your attention to detail and the marvelous staff you employ contributed to a very positive experience for us. The design has proved to be perfect for us and I do appreciate his patience in answering all of our questions. The superior craftsmanship was evident on a daily basis and we continue to marvel at all of his talents. The Henderson Design Build van and sign became part of our front yard and we looked forward to the progress we would see at the end of each day.

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our gratitude for a job well done and to say that we would be honored to have our names used as a reference.

Sincerely,

S. M. and D. M.

Dear Don:

Julie and I are writing to you to thank you and your colleagues, particularly including Mike Bridgman, our project manager, for the splendid work in renovating and updating our home. As you know, we came to you last fall desiring to renovate our 43 years old home, which we dearly love and have occupied for over ten years. It was top of the line for 1961, and while HVAC systems and appliances had been updated, the kitchen and bathrooms were antiquated and we wanted to add a workable deck. We had few set ideas about how to go about this work, and some of those ideas were impractical.

You and your design staff worked very effectively with Julie and me in formulating the design. You asked many questions, listened carefully to the answers, and helped develop a detailed, practical, creative, and attractive design responsive to our needs. You were flexible; we asked you to do a two-phase design, one for the first floor and deck, and the second for the second floor, for after our youngest child goes to college. The design thoroughly reflected our choices, informed by your sophisticated suggestions.

When it came time to build, your crews arrived and left in a timely manner, they made tangible and steady progress in the work, and secured the house well. All were capable; all were polite; some were wonderfully skilled craftsmen.

Your crew delivered a solid, well constructed, and attractively designed project, on time despite severe winter weather. It has a real pleasure for us to use it this summer and fall.

While doing the interior work, it is customary to encounter surprises once work begins and walls are removed. Our house was no exception. I was impressed that when you encountered a surprise in our house, you make prompt and intelligent design changes over the weekend, checked with a structural engineer for safety, and lost no time in the effort. You also did not increase your price in order to address this surprise, which we greatly appreciated.

I was surprised and delighted to find that you had foremen whose standards were higher than mine. On several occasions, your foreman made people redo work which was probably OK., but not up to his exacting standards. Indeed, on at least one occasion, he ripped out something and started over because he was dissatisfied. On other occasions, there were robust and heated discussions with subcontractors whose work was not as superior as the price warranted, discussions which led to considerable improvements. Mike had several of those talks that I know about.

I don’t often meet true craftsmen, for whom the quality of the work is a high moral imperative. We were delighted that you supported your foreman’s decisions to insist on high quality work, even when it increased your cost because of short delays. The results were truly superior.

Despite such “hiccups” and “detours,” inevitable in any significant renovation project, you completed the work we contracted for within the originally agreed time limits. You dealt gracefully with the additions we requested during the job, for example when it became apparent that we needed an electrical box replacement and asked for additional shelving in my office.

As you can tell by my comments, we are very pleased with the work, which was superior in craftsmanship, attractive in design, and reflective of our desires and design and preferences. I would be happy for you to share this letter with those considering using you as a contractor. In that spirit, I would add several tips for homeowners to make their experience in renovation easier.

1. Be decisive. Don and his colleagues are very good at what they do, but they are not mind readers. Once you make a decision on a design, stick to it. It is much cheaper for you.

2. Have clear lines of authority. Work out with your spouse in advance and tell Don who will final say on certain kinds of decisions. In our household, I made final decisions on mechanical systems, structural issuer, electrical systems, and the deck. Julie made final calls on the kitchen, powder room, and related design questions. That division of labor made it far easier for all concerned. Don does not want to get caught in crossfire between spouses, and after-the-fact design changes inevitably increase cost and delay.

3. Be reasonable. Don is a fair-minded businessman who works easily with reasonable people in a fair give and take. There will always be some unanticipated question not covered by the wording of a contract; if you are flexible and fair, Don will work with you to arrive at an excellent result at a fair price. At the end of our job, we received excellent value for our money, and found Don to be a straight shooter who delivered what he promised, when he promised, and took pride in his work and that of this people.

Once again, many thanks for your efforts and fine results. We hope we have the opportunity to work together again and appreciate your friendship, craftsmanship, and integrity.

Best regards,

R. R. & J. R.