Oct 16, 2016

Double Bathroom Remodel

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It went great! We had interviewed a number of different contractors and were having trouble finding one we were comfortable with. We liked Eric right away. He came across as a normal guy who understood our situation (the wife had waited many years to remodel and wanted dramatic upgrades and the husband just wanted it done on-time and within a reasonable budget). We were able to get it scheduled right away and from then, everything went off like clockwork. Since we were doing both of our bathrooms, we needed to keep one functional at all times. We started downstairs, gutted it, moved some plumbing around, and completely remodeled. We worked with Michele on tile selection, granite countertop selection, etc. and Eric gave us some options on cabinets. We knew we were going high end on cabinets in the upstairs bath (custom cherry) and wanted to shave a little cost downstairs so we went with a different cabinet maker at a discount. We were very pleased with Eric's crew, but also with his choice of subcontractors. We liked his electrician so much that we had him do some additional work for us independent of this project. The cabinets turned out great and both of the cabinet makers communicated well and gave us options so we could get the look and feel we wanted at a reasonable cost. The downstairs bathroom came together nicely and on time and when complete, was such a dramatic improvement of what we previously had, that we didn't even know what to expect with the upstairs bathroom. After the downstairs bathroom was complete, Eric and his crew started upstairs and the work they did there exceeded our expectations. More significant plumbing was needed as we moved the toilet, and the cabinetry work was more extensive as we changed the entire layout of the bathroom. The whole look and feel of the bathroom is amazing. We went from a functional bathroom where we never took a bath because the toilet was right next to the tub, to a very elegant bathroom that meets all the wife's needs and she is very happy. After complete, we had a few minor issues, that required attention (mostly the tub drain didn't seal properly) but Eric jumped on those right away and allowed us to withhold part of our final payment until everything was complete to our satisfaction. In the end, we are very pleased, not only with the quality of the work, but in the manner everything was handled. Communication throughout the entire project was good and Eric kept us informed of the things we needed to do as well, so everything went off without a hitch. We'd like to thank Eric, Michelle, and his crew and his subcontractors as we really had a good experience.

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Description of Work:

Two bathrooms. Complete overhaul on both. Eric and his gang handled everything from tear down to the finishing touches such as painting, etc. He even enlisted his wife Michelle to assist with design, colors and tile selection. We needed to move some plumbing around including moving a toilet to a new location. We have a son who works for a plumbing supply company and Eric was flexible on material, so we were able to acquire tubs, toilets, faucets, etc. at a discount. The savings there allowed us to upgrade on tile and cabinetry while staying within budget. Eric was great at staying within our concept that our downstairs bathroom was to be essentially a guy's bathroom (nice - but not many frills) and the upstairs bathroom was to be essentially a girl's bathroom (elegant). We even went with two separate cabinet makers which allowed us to go very high end on one and nice - but more functional on the other. Both bathrooms turned out great and we were very pleased that we chose a contractor with the flexibility and skill to meet our needs while staying on schedule.

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Comments

Hi Eric,

We just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you so much for the new vanity countertop!  We really like it and it has almost totally eliminated the splash problem :)  Thanks too for leaving the paint for me to use if needed.  We also  really appreciate your kind attitude while dealing with the problem, that has certainly not been our experience with all the contractors we have worked with the last 3 years -  you are exceptional :D

Best wishes to you and your family and for your business in everything you do this fall and in the years to come,

Sincerely,

Cindy & Gary C

Aug 01, 2015

Coon Rapids, MN

Work Completed

Finished our basement by making a huge bedroom and multiple closets and a den/family/exercise room.

Comments

Two years ago we moved into a two bedroom, one bath home. we contacted Swencraft to add a second bathroom in the basement Eric helped us design this bathroom, approximately 9ft. by 9ft., so it functions very well, and with room for a four foot glassed in shower. This included everything from jack hammering the floor for the drains, to running the water lines, electrical, framing, insulation, and sheetrock!  This year he finished the rest of the basement by making a legal third bedroom downstairs, connecting to the bathroom, by installing an egress window, two closets, plus adding a dividing wall as well gave us an extra  large space for whatever we choose! Eric did the framing, electrical, sheetrock, and all the trim work. It is a very functional place, very quiet, and stays very cool during these hot days, So now we have a legal three bedroom, two bath home, which really adds value.

Eric Swendsrud and his crew did an excellent job on both jobs. He helped with ideas and thoughts that made both these spaces very usable and enjoyable. We would recommend Swencraft to anyone looking for a  reliable contractor and does excellent work. We will certainly hire Swencraft for our next remodel job.  A+ you guys!!!!!!

Jul 09, 2015

Blaine,MN

Work Completed

• Met with us to plan project

• Replaced water heater (and disposed of old)

• Demo of old tub and surround, flooring (included a dumpster bag and removal in estimate)

• Removed (and reinstalled) wainscoting

• Removed (and reinstalled) toilet

• Removed (and reinstalled) shower fixtures

• Removed and replaced insulation

• Installed deeper soaking tub

• Installed tile surround and decorative cubby

• Repaired wall and mudding

• Laid down new subflooring/leveling material

• Installed tile floor

• Returned for final inspection

Comments

Working with Eric and his crew was a pleasure. Not only did his bid come under several others, he took the time to educate us and explain the options we had to choose from. He was even able to work in a last minute water heater replacement as ours failed the a few days before the project was to begin.He includes a budget for tile in his estimate and gives you suggestions of how to stay within it and where we might get a bigger bang for our buck to splurge a little.

The work started on a monday and was almost completely finished by friday. His crew were very professional and did not make a mess in the house. They did more than we expected, as we didn't expect to have to replace the insulation and one of the crew took the time to take the squeaks out of our bathroom floor. We weren't sure that the wainscoating would survive the removal (and Eric was upfront about that) but they did a great job of reinstalling it. There was a small hiccup the first day - while the water heater was replaced, a wire got knocked loose in the furnace (not a surprise, given that we have the worlds smallest laundry room and the previous owners were a bit creative with their electrical). This also meant that the AC wasn't working on a very hot June day. After we notified him of the issue, Eric quickly came back and repaired the wire.

Criticisms: It would have been nice if they can put a tarp or drop cloth down outside when they were cutting the tile. A while later I was working in the garden by the place they did the cutting and found several sharp shards of tile. But that's a minor issue, considering how much debris was taken out of the house without incident.

We are very happy with the work and plan to hire him and his crew again for the next applicable project.

Dec 04, 2014

Coon Rapids

Work Completed

Complete remodeling of upper level of our three level split.  Opened up kitchen and living room area by removing non-load bearing wall and false ceiling over kitchen.  Installed new kitchen cabinets, island, and granite countertops over cabinets and island.  Installed hardwood floors, doors, and trim throughout kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway, and two bedrooms.  Installed new stairs, railings, and trim to match new hardwood floors.  It's a whole new house!

Comments

Throughout the entire seven week remodeling project, Swencraft was a joy to work with!  From the idea stage all the way through the design, quote, demo, construction, and finishing, Eric and the crew were extremely professional, and were especially patient with all of our questions. 

As the project progressed, Eric kept us up to date on the day to day plans, and he worked closely with us to time the design inputs he needed from us as the project progressed.  We especially appreciated the design help from Michelle, who kept us from getting overwhelmed with all the design possibilities.  She was a great listener, and helped us narrow down our final choices of cabinet and granite styles/colors, along with flooring, paint, railings/stairs/trim, and lighting to match.

The crew went out of their way to separate the work area from the rest of our house to minimize the mess.  They were extremely flexible to minimize the disruption in our lives as we lived in the basement.

The work was completed within a week of the original estimate, in spite of the extras that we requested along the way. 

We just celebrated the holidays at our "new" house, and everyone was delighted with the finished project.

I highly recommend Swencraft as a company to work with, and am happy to provide before, during, and after pictures and more information on request.

Nov 24, 2014

Golden Valley,MN

Work Completed

Bedroom remodel due to water damage

Comments

Eric and his crew were great.  Very professional.  They were responsive to my needs and concerns.  I will be using them again for future projects.

Aug 27, 2014

Coon Rapids,MN

Work Completed

Remodeled our basement.

Comments

Eric was great to work with.  He navigated between design ideas between my husband and I, offered up suggestions and solutions when needed and did an overall awesome job.  The people who worked on our house were courteous and respectful and got the job done quick. Our job ran on time, the quality of the work was fantastic and everything went as we had hoped.  His estimate ran true to the actual costs and there were little to no surprises along the way.  We will definitely use Swencraft again on our next remodeling project.