Dick and Terri Springer wanted a four-season room, and they wanted it now. Sounds simple enough. But crafting a sunny room addition the Springers could enjoy even during North Dakota’s frigid winters was a challenge. Being able to jump into the project immediately was another. Rick Duval Construction met these challenges and others as the job came together.
The contractor set an efficient production schedule and stuck with it. Other bidders on the project couldn’t start right away and gave no guarantee of how long the job would take, says Terri. By contrast, Duval committed to start work immediately and gave a mapped-out schedule that allotted 60 days, she says. Except for delays caused by problems that couldn’t have been avoided -- such as the drywall man's quitting -- Duval kept to that schedule. "Everything fell into place," Terri says.
The design works. "We wanted a four-season room; we also wanted it to tie into the house and not look like an add-on," says Terri. "That was real important to us."
Though the estimate was high, it was reliable. Duval’s bid was the highest by a lot, says Terri, but the "rest of them didn’t spell it out like he did." The Springers were confident that Duval had analyzed the job requirements and would not tack on costly extras during construction to cover bid oversights.
Workmanship earned high marks. Lead carpenter Mark Volesky did good work, says Terri. She was pleased with the work of the subcontractors, too. The tile contractor, for example, cut each tile to fit around the base of the stone chimney. "That’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever seen."
Communication was airtight. Duval left paper and pen at the Springers’ house so they could leave messages, but the Springers didn’t use them. They didn’t have to because Volesky went through the construction site every day with Terri to discuss work status. "He had a cell phone," Terri says, and called Duval on the spot for immediate answers to her questions.
Once, when Duval was out of town, he called long distance to check on the project, recalls Terri. In a word, Terri labels the company’s communications "excellent."
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