Trusted Construction Company in Chicago, IL

“…I hired Dave from DAL for his honesty. I needed the front stairs of my porch replaced, and I had some misconceptions about using natural vs synthetic materials. While other contractors didn’t question my request, Dave explained the positives and negatives of both types of materials, which helped me decide. He was also the only contractor who informed me that I needed a permit for the work, and that he would get it for me…”

“…They were great every step of the way. We just bought the house, and were relying on the inspection report to tell us what we needed to do. DAL Builders moved the cabinet without breaking the granite, and they added the vents and insulation quickly and efficiently. The workers cleaned up after themselves, and the price was great. But here’s what made them really first rate: while insulating the attic, the workers discovered that there was an enormous hole in one of the heating tubes, and that the rest of the AC and heating pipes had never been hooked up to the air vents! In other words, the heat and AC were basically heating and cooling the attic, not the second floor. Rather than ignoring this problem on a very hot day, as they could have, the workers told David about the problem, and we negotiated a price for them to fix it. We are grateful to David’s crew and David for identifying and fixing a problem. We’ll use him again…”

“…DAL built a wonderful deck for me earlier in the summer. At the time of that estimate I explained to Dave Larkin, the owner, some of the problems I had with my basement. Later, we scheduled work for the ejector system. However, before that could be installed, we experienced another major rainstorm and backup. Installation was delayed by scheduling but once they started, the team worked diligently for a day and a half to dig up a portion of the basement and install the ejector pumping system. The cleanup job was amazing and Patrick even returned on Saturday to make sure there were no leaks and that I was completely satisfied. I went with DAL because of my complete satisfaction with their professionalism in the previous work. I firmly believe I got what I paid for…”

"..I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. The guys at Dal are great. Dave and his crew rebuilt our old basement and converted a half bath to a full bathroom in our basement. We had a few water issues in the past and Dave was able to pinpoint the source as being the bathroom drains were directly attached to the sewer. They then rerouted the drains into a ejector pit which corrected the problem. The space is now a functional part of our house we use daily. What I liked most about this contractor is they did not force their ideas on us and were willing to take the time to explain our options…"

"..Demolished old bathroom and installed a new tile floor, it’s perfect. Installed a new sink and very difficult wall mounted faucet. New drywall on wall. It looks beautiful. Also found large leak upstairs and repaired large portion of damaged ceiling with drywall, some of the best drywall work I’ve seen. You can’t tell. Repaired several large holes in walls too. Also installed can lighting throughout first floor, spaced exactly right and finally a large chandelier, which included new ceiling support. The workman are unfailingly kind, courteous and committed to doing it right. Dave, the owner, frequently checked in and made sure I was happy and that the work was well done. He is always responsive by phone or email. Most excellent company all around…"

"..Dave responded right away to my phone call and scheduled a visit. He was so kind and professional to this retired Baby Boomer with a million questions. He gave me a design I hadn’t even considered and when I called him later to rethink the design, he still came up with something that made my deck unique while still addressing my concerns. He e-mailed me a comprehensive proposal, had pictures made and scheduled an installation when the permit was issued. While weather problems delayed construction, when the job was finally initiated, Dave sent a wonderful four-man crew to get most of the deck built in just one day. They left my yard and garage in good shape; and when the final two members of the crew returned to complete the deck, they also left my yard and garage in great condition. THIS DECK IS GORGEOUS!!! Dave’s suggestions worked out to give me a deck beyond all expectations…"

"DAL was excellent to work with and we are very happy with our finished front porch. Tim and Dave were responsive, reasonable, and executed on the work quickly while still delivering quality. Tim was also the only contractor we contacted who was willing to help us problem solve and discuss possible solutions for a weird space we were dealing with under the porch. We couldn’t recommend the team enough and we are definitely willing to work with them again in the future."

"We contracted DAL Builders to build our TimberTech deck and were so glad we did. Tim was very knowledgeable, answered all of our questions, flexible in adding requested upgrades, and maintained close communication throughout the project. His team was professional and did an excellent job in providing us with the deck we wanted. We would highly recommend DAL Builders."

After receiving several quotes from various contractors, we were extremely happy to have found DAL Builders to complete our kitchen remodel. Tim, David and their team were terrific. Tim came up with the best use of space for our kitchen: He listened to what we wanted and made suggestions to expand on our ideas. Tim applied for permits and worked with our village in order to comply with codes/restrictions. Additionally, he coordinated with our suppliers to pick up/deliver materials which made our remodel easier. Like all projects, unknown issues came up; DAL Builders didn’t miss a beat – they regrouped and found solutions. Tim kept to our budget. We ended up paying more than quoted, but this was due to unforeseen issues that were out of his control or for items that were added during the process. Tim also gave credits for unused materials. Tim and Dave are honest, trustworthy, and knowledgeable. They respond to questions quickly and kept us up-to-date on scheduling. Everyone on the team is skilled, experienced, courteous, and incredibly accommodating. We specifically appreciated their attention to detail. We have already scheduled our next project with DAL Builders and have recommended their services to our family and friends.

This is the third time we've hired DAL Builders. They previously rebuilt our front porch and gut rehabbed our kitchen. We highly recommend them for the quality of their construction work, project management and working relationship with clients. We have come to trust DAL with our old 1910 house, which presents unique, often confounding (at least to us), challenges. DAL does quality work while advising us about what needs replacing/rebuilding and what doesn't. For example, our basement had decent framing, so we kept it, which was a huge savings. We have a good working relationship with Tim Larkin, our project manager at DAL. If there's a problem during a project, we trust that we can work through it. Still, it always helps to be flexible and take responsibility for communication. We experienced some pandemic-related delays. Start dates can be a little unclear (they depend on the progress of other DAL projects), but once started, Tim moves the work along. Regarding cost, we could pay less for work of lower quality, which we would regret, and I'm sure we could pay a lot more for work of similar quality. Tim is sensitive to cost issues and advises on how to keep costs down. Overall, the value is excellent, and we've been happy with the results. DAL's carpentry work has been outstanding -- our front porch and back stairs are beautiful, and our neighbor still raves about the plumb lines in our kitchen. Our newly rehabbed basement is fantastic; with Tim’s encouragement, we exposed three windows that had been covered up, including two under a porch/bay window. They let in a lot of light and are very attractive! Project management is strong overall. We appreciate the detailed estimates DAL provides. DAL will deliver on those details so be sure the estimates specify what you want. We've gotten to know DAL's subcontractors -- plumber, electrician, drywallers & painters, roofers, etc. They are all very good at what they do. Fostering good communication with this only helps. We really like working with Tim Larkin. He gives us good ideas, is responsive to problems, and is flexible around the needs of the project, which can change. He’ll keep the project on track, manage the subcontractors, etc. I try to keep track of and communicate about details with Tim -- this helps when a project is extensive or has multiple parts, as this most recent one did. It takes a team to pull everything off!-

DAL Builders had done a great job for us on two previous projects, so we knew they were dependable and did quality work. Once again, they came through for us. The floors are beautifully done and we’re really happy with the outcome. Tim is a devoted project manager, makes himself accessible, shares his expertise, and is on site as needed. His team does beautiful work and they are neat and professional.