“My husband Herb and I were thinking about a new home and decided to look at some of the 2009 Parade of Homes. We went to the one Chad had built that year and he was on hand to talk about it. We had also gone the year before and saw the home Chad had built and were very impressed with the quality of the work. We had a very good feeling about his work and were also impressed with him. We decided a few weeks later to have him show us his ideas for our home. We had three things that were very important to us: quality, deadline, and the ability to work well with us. I can’t say enough about how great an experience we had with Chad. He has a truly wonderful team of people to work with. We lived right next door to this project and were on hand all the time to watch, so we got to know everyone that worked on our home. Chad is the BEST to work with and we ended up with a beautiful home and also a good friend.”
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- Karen & Herb Friis, West Branch, Iowa
“We would like to thank Mellinger & Sons Construction for helping us build our “first” and “only” new home. Chad was very easy to work with and especially responsive to any concerns or changes in plans as he helped us navigate through our building process. His company’s reputation was the decisive factor in our choice of Mellinger & Sons as our general contractor. Also, a special thanks to his network of suppliers, subcontractors and office personnel that are associated with his business.”
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– John & Joan Sojka, Riverside, Iowa
“We have admired Mellinger and Sons woodwork details in other parade homes. This attention to detail was the deciding factor in our choice of a builder. And with this home, we were not disappointed. We absolutely love the house! I would recommend Mellinger and Sons to anyone wanting a good experience with building a home.”
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– Tracy & Cindy Stamp, Iowa City, Iowa
“I am writing to describe our wonderful experiences with building our home in Williamsburg, Iowa. In the winter of 2006 my family made the decision to build a home. Initially we felt the normal pressures of designing a home and building, but those pressures diminished quickly while working with Chad Mellinger of Mellinger & Sons Construction. Chad assisted us in our design and suggested changes that improved the finished product. As the project commenced, Chad kept us informed about the proposed schedule, and the progress made on the project. He managed the project with an expertise and diligence that is irreplaceable. Chad responded to our questions and made sure we were fully informed at every step. After the job was completed, Chad continued to be responsive to any concerns or questions we had. He simply will not stop working on the project until everyone is satisfied. The house that Chad completed is nothing short of wonderful. We could not imagine a more beautiful home, and we cannot imagine building it without Mellinger & Sons Construction.”
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– Eric & Cindy Tindal, Williamsburg, Iowa
“We can not thank you enough for the experience you provided in building our home. The relocation from Wisconsin to Williamsburg on such a short timeline seemed impossible, but thanks to your expertise, the outcome was a huge success. You were able to interpret our wants and needs in a home and offered us many great suggestions. Our home is everything and more than what we expected. The workmanship, craftsmanship and attention to detail is outstanding. I would highly recommend you to anyone interested in building a first-class home. Thanks again Chad.”
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– Matt & Robin Blythe, Williamsburg, Iowa
“Michelle and I want to express our appreciation to you, your team, and your subcontractors for such a wonderful job on our dream home. Making the decision to build this house was a major step in our lives. We spent several years defining what we wanted in our home and you helped make it all come true. During the construction process, you and your subcontractors were extremely helpful. As we made changes, your recommendations were very valuable. Your professionalism and flexibility during the construction process was very refreshing. Thank you for everything. Please feel free to use us as a reference for any new potential builders. We would be pleased to provide them with any information they might like.”
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– Kurt & Michelle Simeno, Iowa City, Iowa
“Jon and I wanted to send you this letter as a huge thank you for building our house. As you already know, this was our first experience building a home. Everyone told us this would be one of the most stressful experiences of our lives and that it would test our marriage. It turned out to be quite the contrary. It was a very pleasant experience and went smoothly. I feel we owe much of that to you. Any questions we had, you answered and if you didn’t know, you quickly found the answer for us. You kept us completely up to date and in the loop with the progress of the house. During the planning stage we told you our budget and what layout we were thinking for and you helped us design our home not only to just fit in that budget, but to get all the features we really wanted for our “dream home”. If our ideas were way out of line and out of our budget, you politely told us that it wasn’t possible and then proposed an alternate idea that could help us achieve that goal. Everything about this process was handled professionally. Not only did you finish building our home within budget and within the time frame, you built a home of superior quality. We are extremely happy in our new home that you built for us and could not imagine anyone being able to do it better. Thank you so much!”
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– Jon & Kelley Fedler, Riverside, Iowa
“Andrea and I want to thank you so much for the beautiful parade home you built as well as the experience of buying it! We have enjoyed everything about our home. The detail and craftsmanship was one of the first things that attracted and inspired us to purchase your home when actually we weren’t even in the market to buy. We went on our first Parade of Homes tour in 2005 in hopes of getting some home building ideas as well as a feel for a good builder. We had no intention of buying anything, but then we saw your home and just couldn’t even consider walking away! In fact, in just one glance, we knew this was the home for us. We can’t begin to describe how wonderful everything has been in our home and how wonderful you have been to us. You have been nothing but amazing and helpful and have made the experience of buying a home unforgettable. Mellinger & Sons is a family business with incredible small town honesty, values and trust. Knowing that, made all the difference in the world to the both of us! We look forward to living in our home for many years to come. We can’t imagine ever selling this home but I guarantee that if we ever build another home, you are the only builder we would ever consider! Thank you again for everything!”
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– Paul & Andrea Kruger, Riverside, Iowa
“Thank you for building our new house and making it both a pleasant and enjoyable experience. You took our initial plans, then added your knowledge and designs, to build exactly the new house we had envisioned. Our new home is simple, yet elegant, and with a fist class building job. The timely manner in which the house was built is greatly appreciated. The project should have lasted until the first of the year, but you pushed ahead and finished over a month ahead of schedule. We were able to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas in our new home. The design of the kitchen is perfect for our needs. The custom cabinets are beautiful and are exactly what we have been looking for in style and color. Family and friends have remarked how unique and warm our kitchen appears. Also, the wooden pillars that you designed and built on the bookcases create the perfect compliment to our custom cabinets throughout the entire home. We especially appreciated your patience and help during the project and also your ongoing assistance with the outside finishing. Your service after the sale has simply been outstanding! We look forward to continuing a working relationship in the future with any new building projects. Thank you for the great job!”
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– Paul & Patty Hopkins, Riverside, Iowa
“Thank you so much for building our house for us. You were very helpful in drawing up the blueprints and offered some great advice throughout building our house. We are very pleased with it and have enjoyed living here for the past few months. We have heard nightmares about building from friends and family, but you made it a great experience. You were great to work with and if we ever decide to build again, we would not hesitate having you as our contractor. Thanks again.”
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– Rodney & Tina Kramer, Lone Tree, Iowa
“It is difficult to know how to begin to express our appreciation to you for making our beautiful new home a reality. We interviewed many builders early in this process and although most seemed both personable and capable, it was clear when we met with you that you had an additional quality that they did not. You were truly interested in our hopes and dreams for this house, not just in getting the contract to build it. “Our” house became “your” house too as you patiently waded through our endless list of (mostly unnecessary) specifications and answered a multitude of (also mostly unnecessary) questions and concerns. After our first meeting we knew that with you, our home would be more than lumber and concrete. In addition to a reflection of your considerable expertise, it would also be an extension of your reputation and integrity. Our choice was an easy one. Throughout the construction process we never once questioned our decision to go with Mellinger and Sons. When we had the occasion to mention your name to people in the building trade community, their unsolicited responses were always enthusiastically positive and accompanied by a genuine smile. Your subcontractors were among the nicest and most professional people imaginable. Many of them made a point of telling us how much they liked and respected you and how your work is of unparalleled high quality. They made the process seem more like we had a number of very competent friends building our house rather than having a parade of disinterested strangers in and out every day. Almost without exception, I enjoyed getting to know each of them. I was at the job site almost every day and know firsthand that you were too. Even when you had business elsewhere, you were always available by phone. There was never any question that you were aware of, and in charge of, everything that happened on a daily basis. The work progressed very quickly and without any lag times, and the very few (but inevitable) glitches that were encountered were handled so quickly and professionally that none stand out in my mind as even having been particularly problematic. This house, I believe, was an incredibly complicated project. First, I was an overly-involved homeowner who wanted to save money by doing some of the work myself. You supportively navigated around all my messes and saved me from myself on many occasions by offering a helping hand or a sympathetic ear. Second, I tended to quite unnecessarily question every single thing that was happening on site every single day. You never lost patience and were always so nice about explaining and reassuring without ever making me feel awkward for asking. Finally, this house had many out-of-the-ordinary details that required you to spend hours and days doing work yourself that no other contractor would have even considered taking on. You were always good-natured and funny about these trying escapades and the finished products of your personal work are all beautiful. Chad, we can’t even begin to tell you how lucky we feel to have found you. We can only echo all the wonderful things that everyone else who knows you says about you, but it doesn’t seem like enough. We have a beautiful home, unlike any other, that we love and we are so proud to tell everyone about the great builder who made it possible. Please don’t make yourself a stranger. As must be the case with many of you past customers, we don’t just consider you our contractor, but our good friend as well.”
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– Susan Datson and Mary Eggert, Iowa City, Iowa