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Edina, Kitchen
"One beautiful day in late July 2007, I received a
frantic phone call from my husband, who had arrived
home before I did. Water was running down our
driveway, coming from the inside of the house. I
hurried home and saw quite the mess: the intake
valve of our toilet had broken and water had
destroyed half of our home: the kitchen, family
room, bath, and the entire basement. First we called
a plumber, then we called our insurance company, and
then we called Mike Otto.
Mike had done several prior projects on our home and
we had been
extremely
pleased with his work. More
than that, however, we had come to trust Mike and
his ability to listen to our needs.
We had found that he was able to bring
extraordinary problem solving skills to
whatever project he was undertaking. When we faced
an unexpected project of this magnitude,
we did not even consider using anyone else.
Mike, his project manager, and his subcontractors
did not disappoint us. As you can imagine, because
this project involved an insurance claim, it was not
straightforward. Initially, due to an incompetent
adjuster who was initially assigned to us, we were
offered $26,000 to settle what ended up being a
$200,000 claim. Mike, and his project manager Sandy
Williams, worked closely with us to negotiate a fair
settlement. Without their knowledge and dedication,
I do not want to think what may have happened.
All construction projects can be stressful for a
homeowner, but this one could have been
extraordinarily stressful: because of the extent of
the damage, the insurance company moved us out of
our home and told us they would only cover three
months of rent. This required a firm deadline for
the work to be completed. Sandy worked very hard
within these constraints to ensure that the project
was successfully completed.
We are very exacting in
our expectations, and she made sure these
expectations were met. At one point I asked her,
"Sandy, how can you not be getting tired of me? I
am getting tired of me!"and she just good-naturedly
waved the comment off. No matter what time we called
her (and it was often after her work day, because we
had just gotten to the house to look at the day's
work), she answered her phone and answered our
questions. When she answered her phone, she was
always cheerful and respectful. Her knowledge in all
areas of construction was always evident in her
work.
We were also extremely pleased with the work done by
several other individuals in this project: Vicki
Nolan, the designer Mike referred us to, and Joe
Otto, the cabinetmaker who made our kitchen and
bathroom cabinets. Many of the construction
subcontractors were also very talented. When we had
our final walk through with our insurance adjuster,
he commented on the quality of the work. He remarked
that it was of a much higher quality than what he
usually sees.
If you have any questions as you are considering
Mike Otto Construction for your project, we are
happy to answer them.
Pam and Wayne Prochniak
Home phone: 952-829-5930"
Minneapolis,
Addition
"To Whom It May Concern:
We are delighted to write
a recommendation for the Mike Otto Construction
Company!
We already
highly recommend MOCI to
anyone contemplating a project and who are searching
for a construction company!
Mike’s company just
finished work on our addition and remodeling in
January, 2008. From the very beginning of our
search for a construction company it was immediately
Mike with whom we felt the most comfortable. Also, MOCI has worked other projects with our architect
and that turned out to be extremely helpful. Mike
met with us several times before construction and
weekly during construction and he was
always
respectful, patient, thorough, organized and direct.
We had many “exceptions” for our old house and tasks
that we thought we could do and Mike worked with us
to make that happen as much as possible. Mike
“pulls no punches” in terms of saying things very
directly (though kindly) and
we always knew
“where things stood;” this also indicated
integrity that we saw continue over the length of
the project. MOCI lived up to our
expectations and we were never disappointed. MOCI
has a reputation for quality, for getting projects
done as agreed upon and for meeting the needs of the
clients.
The sub-contractors that
Mike uses were the
very best in their fields!
Again, they not only did superb work but were highly
professional yet friendly and helpful. As is the
case in adding additions and remodeling there were
often surprises that our old house coughed up and
our contractors would inform Sandi, the Project
Manager, who worked with Mike and us immediately
and together we would develop a plan for dealing
with those issues. Often the contractors would not
assume we might like something a certain way or
might have a question about the plan but would ask
us and make suggestions before moving ahead. Their
suggestions were almost always exactly what we
wanted!
We also worked with
an amazing
Project Manager, Sandi Williams. Sandi
is incredibly efficient, knowledgeable and
personable. The sub-contractors hold a great
deal of respect for her because of her extensive and
specific knowledge about every aspect of the project
and also because she treats everyone with respect
and holds high expectations that the work be done in
a timely manner and done to a high degree of
quality. She kept us in the loop on a regular
basis and met with us weekly when we met with Mike.
She’s a marvelous problem solver and no
problem that arose (of course, things always come
up!) could dampen her positive, calm spirit or “we
can deal with this” attitude. Sandi is very
creative as well and because of her life-long
experiences she is able to see around a problem and
continues to think about it long after she should be
home and relaxing and has come up with amazing
solutions to tricky problems!
We also found
the
office staff to be friendly, helpful and efficient.
We could always drop by, call or e-mail if we had
any questions or concerns.
The standard and
expectation for quality set by Mike carries
throughout the company. We highly recommend MOCI
and we may be contacted at 612-824-8981 or
contacted at
jbrock55409@yahoo.com or
karen55409@yahoo.com .
John B. Michaels and Karen
Holicky-Michaels
Robbinsdale,
Addition
"Our experience with Mike
Otto Construction has been nothing short of
fantastic. The addition of a 2-car attached garage,
an additional family room, a deck and a covered
outdoor living area is a large project. While our
original contractor was the stereotypical
show-up-when-I-feel-like-it person, Mike Otto
Construction came to the table with a full project
plan, which included
detailed dates when things
would happen and a payment schedule.
Mike Otto Construction’s
work crews followed the project plan and arrived to
perform the work in a
refreshingly predictable and reliable manner always
staying within the original predetermined cost. The
work performed is of very high quality and we
are extremely happy with the results.
As expected, a project of
this magnitude on a house as old as ours invariably
came with one or two surprises along the way, and at
every step Mike would offer multiple options and an
explain the pros and cons of each choice.
Always respectful, Mike let us make the
decisions and implemented those decisions with their
usual
efficiency, professionalism and quality.
The end result is a
beautiful house we adore.
We strongly recommend
Mike Otto Construction to our friends and neighbors because they provided the best experience we
could imagine."
-- David and Sheri VanSlyke
South Minneapolis, Addition/Master Suite,
Kitchen
“Mike’s
attention to detail is very good. But he’s
also an outstanding communicator, and he’s
funny! He’s able to diffuse and manage the kinds of
situations that arise when you’re remodeling your
home, and do it with a good sense of humor. We
really wanted something for the bedroom that was
private and peaceful, and Mike and our architect,
Joseph Metzler, made that happen. They gave us a
bedroom that was not like the others in our
neighborhood, yet it retained the character of the
original
home.”
--
Jenneane Jansen
Edina, MN,
Master Bathroom
“Mike Otto Construction provided us with not only a
beautiful and quality final product, but with
outstanding service as well. It was so refreshing to
work with someone who is so respectful of
property,
meticulous about detail,
accessible, prompt, and accountable. I felt
assured throughout the project that any concerns
would be handled without question, and that
Mike’s commitment to excellence extended beyond the
physical outcome to the daily experience. We
would gladly work with Mike Otto Construction on any
future projects.
Sincerely, Karen and Bill Kelly”
Sala
Architect, MN
“Mike’s a good
listener and collaborator. Unexpected issues and
change orders and other things always come up in
remodeling, especially on the more challenging
projects, and he does a good job of dialoguing back
and forth to work out what needs to be done. I look
forward to working with him again."
“Mike does a good job at all times asking questions
and keeping us informed. Not every builder does
that. He’s good at looking at drawings and following
the architect’s intent, which is critical. MOC is
always well-organized, prompt at communicating any
changes they need to make to both the homeowner and
architect and provides detailed construction
schedules — from the selling process through
construction period and on to completion... he puts
the needs of the homeowner first and is good at
explaining how things need to get done or why there
has to be a change to make the project work.”
--Joseph
Metzler
Edina,
A Non-Masonry Porch
"We had a general idea of the work we wanted done
but needed a contractor who was willing to
brainstorm a few ideas with us and
give us the
pros and cons for each alternative. Mike is
a
very good listener, he considered our needs and
wants, presented alternatives and made
recommendations. We ran into some unexpected, hidden
conditions and Mike was right on top of the matter
and explained to us what the situation was, how to
deal with it and the impact on time and budget.
Mike's bid was very competitive and his
service was
very personal. We are very pleased with the
outcome. "
Minneapolis,
Addition
"Mike Otto is an excellent design-build contractor.
We chose
him because
he has extensive remodeling experience, provided examples of high-end
remodeling projects he had completed and showed
particular concern for completing an addition that
would blend in with our existing structure. The
costs detailed in his proposal were also reasonable.
We wanted to build a 2-story addition onto our 1928
Minneapolis tutor style home. Our initial plan
consisted of a basement, 1st floor living space, and
upstairs bedroom/bathroom suite. Our primary
concerns were cost and that the completed addition
would blend architecturally into the existing house.
We Hired Mike after showing our plans to 12 other
contractors. We liked chose Mike because he came up
with a proposal that addressed our concerns and
broke out costs for different phases of the project
so we could understand what we were paying for...
Mike executed the project professionally
from
the proposal and design phase to final walkthrough.
He is very
well organized and keeps track of all
logistical details that can effect construction.
Materials were always delivered on time and
contractors showed up when scheduled. Mike would
call us each day to keep us informed on construction
progress, answer questions we had and discuss any
unresolved issues.
Mike did high quality work
and expected the same from his subcontractors. Our
project was done within 2 weeks of the proposed
completion date... "
Anoka,
Addition
"We are deeply grateful to Carol & Mike Otto for
remodeling our home. We have a 1926 colonial revival
located on the banks of the 'Upper' Mississippi. Our
'New Home' is beautiful.
The workmanship is of
the highest caliber. The attention to detail
was relentless and impeccable. The expanded,
remodeled home appears to have been entirely
constructed in the 1920's.
Furthermore, Mike and Carol's honesty and
integrity is refreshing. They spelled out every
detail of cost as the project unfolded. I deeply
appreciate that, from a financial perspective,
there were no surprises.
Thanks you , Mike & Carol, for a job well done!"
-- Suzanne & Jonathan
Minneapolis,
Addition
"Selecting a builder for a major remodeling project is a daunting
process. You want to be sure you select the right
one because once you sign you are committed in a
major binding relationship not unlike marriage. As
new empty nestors we were faced with the
stay-put or down-size decision. We loved our South
Minneapolis neighborhood in which we lived for over
30 years. So after looking at several options we
decided to stay and up-grade our 1917 stucco adding
about 800 sq ft along with most of the more
up-to-date conveniences we had always dreamed of.
Our goal was to maintain the architectural integrity
of the original design. We shopped around for
builders who we had noticed in our neighborhood.
Mike Otto Construction was one of them. Mike won
our business for many reasons. He was by far
the
most process oriented and organized builder we interviewed.
He was
affable and believably trustworthy. He
was price competitive.
But most important we were impressed by the work he
had done on similar "old house" remodels.
There isn't a day that goes by that we haven't
commented about how much we love our new space. We have
had several large gatherings in our new space and
the most telling and positive compliment made has
been, "Now, where did the old house end and the
new space begin?" As far as we're concerned, that
about says it all."
--- Dave & Doreen
Sala
Architects
“MOC is very
good with managing architect-client-builder
relationships and keeping everyone included
in the day-to-day and in discussing next steps and
upcoming issues... Plus I really like working with
Mike...
If they run
into issues, they are quick to call and find
solutions. They seem genuinely interested in the
design process and in making changes that can
really improve the project.
Their
willingness to try new things on this
particular house, especially in the design and
execution of the kitchen cabinets.
They’re interested in the end result, not with just
getting paid... their willingness to provide
feedback on design early on and provide a budget
awareness for clients with the scope of the
work. --- Dave Wagner
Foundation Architects
“MOC
is better than most.
Each builder has its own degree
of ability here but MOC does a good job
consistently... MOC is at the top of list for
communicating.
Most contractors don’t communicate that well,
and when they do, they may put their project
managers in charge and sometimes they’re not the
best at returning calls and so on. You have to
communicate consistently even when in construction.
They’re good at not letting things slip through the
cracks and at writing things down and telling the
client and us when we need to know something."
-- Bob Shafer
A
PIONEER IN GREEN REMODELING | MINNEAPOLIS |
MINNESOTA |
