Bay Lakes Builders

We built a house with Bay Lakes 20 years ago and had a great experience so we went back to them to build our next home. Our recent experience was even better. It was a smooth process that was fun. The staff is all good people who enjoy their job and want your home building experience to be a positive. My wife really enjoyed working with Dawn who is an exceptional interior designer.

Absolutely! I wouldn't go to anyone else

Communication

Everyone who works at Bay Lakes or works for them responded right away either by phone, text, or email.

Problem Resolution

Bay Lakes was on top of any question or concern we had and they talked us through it so we understood. Even offered suggestions they thought would be a good fit for us and our family

Sales Knowledge

They are professionals and know what they are talking about which made trusting them very easy

Areas Of Satisfaction

Building a beautiful home and coming in below contract. Never thought that would happen

Additional Comments

I would give them 10 stars if I could! Building our first home couldn't have gone any better or any easier. EVERYONE was beyond helpful and professional. Paul, Dawn, Ryan and Mike are great to work with. Always happy to see or hear from you

Yes, we wouldn’t hesitate recommending Bay Lakes Builders, in fact we already have.

Communication

Absolutely and in a very timely fashion.

Condition of Home

Yes and when we did the walk through Dan was even more meticulous about details than even we were.

Quality Of Workmanship

We were very much satisfied with the quality of workmanship.

Problem Resolution

When we wanted the fireplace hearth raised, Dan kept his cool and initiated contacting all the subs involved and had it done within days.

Professional & Organized

Very much so!

Punchlist

We wanted to use materials from our old cottage and they made it happen. We told them that we wanted to put a bell tower on the garage and they took care of making sure the garage was structurally strong enough to support it.

Likes & Dislikes

We like the layout, the interior and exterior finishes, and that the bonus room allows us to use it in multiple ways now and in the future.

Recognized Excellence

Ryan was extremely helpful with keeping us informed on cost issues and Dan went over the top meeting all of our requests. Dawn also was very helpful with design ideas. Paul gave us good input in the planning process.

Areas Of Satisfaction

They finished our project on time in spite of brutal weather conditions for three plus weeks.

Recognized Excellence

Mike was on top of things ;Ryan kept the books straight , Dawn was always available for decorating ideas,Dan always made himself available for Questions and helped when needed. Paul knew his trade and was well versed in all aspects of the construction from the choice of products to the actual building process!

The process was smooth. Everything was high quality. I was very happy with the quality of workmanship and professionalism.

Likes & Dislikes

The quality is excellent. The woodwork and trim are spot on. The builders delivered on everything in a timely manner including the septic work. The appliances were excellent, and everyone was professional. All around it was a great experience.

Areas Of Satisfaction

They exceeded my expectations in how fast the process was, and how little work I had to do on my end. They also exceeded my expectations in the quality.

This is my first time ever building the house and I thought it would be hard but this was a smooth process. The only hiccups were because of the weather.

Areas Of Satisfaction

I was most satisfied with the design process, it was really good. I also liked how the staff resolves the issues appropriately and timely.

We already have, to a several friends and co-workers

Professional & Organized

we built a home before, with a different builder. This experience was COMPLETELY different. Paul and co. are very detailed. Compared to our first build, we had no fears of surprises.

Construction Quality

The crews were very detailed and did a great job. One example I can give - when the house was being framed, I noticed that there were small gaps between the sheathing, where the brackets were attached. You could see a little sliver of light between them. I asked if those could be filled before insulation, to cut down on air infiltration. There was no complaining or telling me that it wasn't necessary - they just did it. Dan (the site manager) actually noticed a tiny dent in the door of the dishwasher that we didn't see, and called Van Vreedes to have it replaced.

Easier Than Expected

I mentioned it in an earlier question, but compared to the first time we built, this was much easier and less stressful. Building a home is a huge project and there will always be a couple issues that come up, but this went as smoothly as I could imagine possible.

Areas Of Satisfaction

From our first meeting, I was impressed with Paul's level of detail. I'm extremely detailed, and he was bringing up things I hadn't thought of. We had met with other builders prior to our initial meeting with Bay Lakes Builders, and the difference was apparent right away - very professional, very detailed, very organized.

Areas Of Satisfaction

I was very satisfied with the quality of construction and workmanship from Bay Lakes and their subcontractors. They also stayed on schedule throughout the process.

Bay Lakes Builders created us a beautiful, well built home just as we had envisioned.

Areas Of Satisfaction

The suggestions and input from the staff throughout the process was very helpful.

Additional Comments

Now that we are settled into our new home, we are very pleased with how everything has come together and appreciate all the work and coordination that goes into building a home. Thank you Bay Lakes.

Yes. Very satisfied. If I could suggest an area of improvement it would be holding all trade people accountable for cleaning up after themselves {treat the home like it was their own}.As for Bay Lakes Builders, we chose them to build our home because of their creative designs and floor plans. They do not promote 'cookie cutter' homes. They are truly custom designed homes, built to what the customer wants. I appreciate Paul's energy and enthusiasm before and during the entire process. We truly felt like he was designing our house with our wants and needs in mind, but at the same time adding/suggesting some unique and interesting concepts in our plan, which we did incorporate.

Communication

Mike, Dan, Ryan, Paul were all very responsive. Questions were answered quickly. I appreciate the extra time taken to further explain issues/items that I had no prior knowledge about in the building process, to at least get me an understanding of various steps in the building process.

A wonderful experience from start to finish!

Areas Of Satisfaction

The build process went very smoothly and quickly. The selection process was painless as well. Bay Lakes was very willing to price out options and help us to meet our budget.

The team at Bay Lakes compliments each other nicely. They have Paul's insight on the home design and functionality side coupled with Dawn's interior design and aesthetic selections is awesome. But then they add Ryan, the financial guy, who works on the budget and keeps things realistic by being upfront in the beginning stages on whether you can keep things close to budget or not based on what you want your house to be. Dan, the project manager keeps things moving and on task and is quick to follow up. Every subcontractor we worked with was great!

If you're in the market for a quality home I'm not sure why you would use any other builder.

Professional & Organized

Paul is very good at conceptualizing and Ryan, Dan and Dawn accurately converted the concept into reality. Several of the subcontractors indicated the level of organization and competence exhibited by Bay Lakes was unequaled by any other contractor.

Schedule

The house was finished on the exact day that Dan predicted and came in on budget.

Budget

They are very cognizant of costs. The initial proposal allowed for quality materials throughout. When we exceeded the budget because we wanted upgrades such as the heat pump, air exchanger or tankless water heater, Ryan immediately indicated the exact price for the upgrades.

Construction Quality

We are way beyond satisfied. We have a home of exceptional quality. The Focus On Energy blower test indicated that our home exceeded their standards by 69%.

Communication

Paul, Dawn, Ryan & Dan were all immediately available via phone or text.

Problem Resolution

They actually found problems we didn't notice. Dan spotted a minor problem with the granite and had it repaired before we noticed it. Dawn noticed a color matching problem between the woodwork and the cupboards and they called in a crew over the weekend to fix it at no cost to us. During the initial basement work Paul wasn't happy with the depth of the basement so he stopped all work until it could be resolved. It turned out that the lot had more drop on the west end than was originally thought & the basement was correctly poured but it's indicative of their commitment to getting things right.

Selections Process

We're not particularly good at color coordination but Dawn assisted us with the selections and always knew the relative costs of the options. We're extremely happy with the final result and certainly couldn't have come close to this look without Dawn.

Likely To Recommend

We have in fact recommended Bay Lakes as an obvious choice to three of our friends who are thinking about building. If you're in the market for a quality home I'm not sure why you would use any other builder.

Easier Than Expected

We had absolutely no inclination to build a home but couldn't find one that suited our needs. The process was actually easy and to our surprise fun, and came in on time and on budget.

I would recommend Bay Lakes Builders. They were easy to work with, professional, and do quality work. When searching for a builder to build our home, we interviewed other builders, but got the best vibe from Bay Lakes. They pride themselves in treating their customers like family-it did not go unnoticed.

Areas Of Satisfaction

It was easy to make our selection choices. Dawn helped out in that department tremendously. Ryan is extremely articulate and detail oriented when it came to budgetary matters. Paul is a heck of a sales guy, and Dan was able to stick to our time table.

Bay Lakes Builders treated us as friends from day one and not just another customer. We would highly recommend them.

This is third house we built with three different builders. Bay Lakes overall was best we have worked with. Dan the project manager is excellent to work with and always took care of issues we pointed out during the building process. He kept the sub contractor crews on schedule and there was not more than a few days during the 4.25 month build that there was not a contractor on site unlike our past houses where we had a week or two at a time waiting for contractors to do their part of the job. All subs were a pleasure to work with and do quality work. Building new is expensive and I feel Bay Lakes is not cheap or high cost for the quality, but probably middle to upper middle end of the cost to value spectrum.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Having Dawn available to help with picking out all of our items was a great help. Working with everyone when it came to questions was good also.

Additional Comments

I really enjoyed working with Paul, Dawn, Ryan and Dan. They seemed to really be good people. Everyone that builds a home is going to run into some sort of issue and they did a good job of jumping in and handling issues as they came up.

10 stars! Highly rated! Fabulous experience building with this team of experts from Bay Lake Builders!We were most satisfied with the level of communication and the immediate response to any question. Paul and his team are equipped with an experience base that is outstanding and required to custom design a home. Every sub is an expert and they performed meticulous, perfect work and in a professional manner!

Areas Of Satisfaction

We were most satisfied with the level of communication and the immediate response to any question or concern with Bay Lakes Builders. Paul and his team are equipped with an experience base that is outstanding and required to custom design a home. Every sub is an expert and they performed meticulous, perfect work and in a professional manner! The woodwork, siding and stonework are fabulous. Sue worked with us choosing plumbing fixtures and she is also extremely efficient and helpful. The cement work is excellent. The finish carpenter is a master in his craft. The tile and cabinet work is also very well done. His wife, Dawn also assisted with color, floor and tile choices which can be very overwhelming. She really understands design and how it works together and she is able to communicate it as well. Ryan responds immediately and is very accurate and efficient while managing the project on paper. Dan is on the job and always available and helpful. Bay Lake Builders also tolerates a great deal of changes on our part. They are very patient and understanding while working with a family designing a home. We are extremely satisfied on every level. We highly recommend Bay Lake Builders!

Areas Of Satisfaction

Our overall experience was phenomenal! We had many trepidation's going in but we felt like part of the Bay Lakes family by the time we were done. Great company and people to build with!

Responsive Design

We had an initial house layout and Paul suggested many ideas that greatly improved the design.

Areas Of Satisfaction

We chose Bay Lakes mainly because of their commitment to building a tight energy efficient house and their partnership with Focus on Energy. We liked how they sealed the windows and their method of insulation. We liked how Dan made sure everything was done right and it would be corrected if not.

Bay Lakes Builders builds quality homes. The various crews work together to accomplish each element in the building process. Communication and attention to detail seemed to have a strong influence on Bay Lakes. We had this confirmed by Paul, Dawn, and Ryan as they spent many hours listening to us and helping us make decisions about the plan for our dream retirement home. They were attentive to our wants, needs, and budget. They helped us balance those three to optimize our results. Once our custom plan was ready, the winter that refused to end began. Dan, the project manager, was masterful in organizing the time table for all to follow. Organizing the schedule was magical. All the various crews worked well together. Most days there were multiple sub contractors working on site at the same time. We chose to be involved in every step of the process. Everyone was willing to explain the processes and answer our questions. Whenever there were choices, we were consulted. Each of the crews was proud of their workmanship and attention to detail. We had a very tight schedule. When there were problems, each was addressed and resolved immediately. We are very proud of our new home. We would recommend Bay Lakes Builders to anyone wanting to build.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Bay Lakes Builders were very good listeners. When we were working on the plans, they listened to what we wanted, provided options and listened while we explained why we chose an item. Communication was very good. Whenever there were two or three ways of doing something, we were consulted and our choices were followed. This kind of communication was very much appreciated. The project manager, general contractor, billing, and all of the various subs included us in decisions. When we asked questions they were all willing and able to answer the questions.

Building our home with Bay Lakes Builders was the very best experience, one that surpassed our expectations for ease of process, engagement from their entire team, and most importantly, quality! When we signed the contract to build, we were told by Bay Lakes they wanted the experience to be “fun”, and it was. They took the stress out of building the house especially since we live in Chicago and conducted a majority of the communication via e-mail, text and phone. We were very impressed with the level of attention to detail and follow up by everyone involved, including their contractors, which everything was built to our specifications. The house turned out better than we expected and it will be hard to leave after long weekends in Sturgeon Bay to return to Chicago.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Living in Chicago could have made the building process difficult, but Bay Lakes made it extremely simple and they did not miss a detail. Communication was key and they/subcontractors validated all the specs prior to beginning the work. The quality of workmanship is outstanding! Bay Lakes really strives to make the process fun and stress free.

We are very happy with our new home and with Bay Lakes Builders. The construction schedule was more than adhered to, there were constant checks on the quality of materials and construction.The contractors seemed to work well together and had a personal and professional relationship with the company that was built over time. The construction manager Dan Wiesman was always available for questions and followed up with any concerns. Paul and Dawn answered questions patiently, provided information about materials and choices and kept us on track for the next step in building. We would not hesitate to recommend Bay Lakes Builders to anyone building a new home.

Schedule

Bay Lakes exceeded the construction schedule in order to get us into our home and out of temporary summer living. The foreman Dan was exceptional in coordinating the various components to keep our house moving along in construction - without sacrificing any quality.

Areas Of Satisfaction

The design and floor plan was put together by ourselves and Paul, it is exactly what we hoped for and wanted. The living spaces are elegant but usable, the quality of construction and materials is excellent. We were consulted throughout the process as to what was happening, and what we wanted to do for choices available to us. We also had a air flow quality ventilation inspection authorized by Bay Lakes, it showed how well the house is built.

Overall it made sense for us to build our home with Bay Lakes Builders. They do have a lot of services and experience to offer. The build process went relatively smooth and the majority of our home is high quality. Unfortunately since we have been living in the home we have found several cosmetic defects that we have been working with Bay Lakes Builders to get resolved. The large amount of subcontractor call backs have been extremely inconvenient and time consuming. So far to date we have had over 35 call backs with 14 different subcontractors and all of the issues have not been resolved yet. It is especially frustrating because the majority of the call backs would have not been necessary if the subcontractors would have paid more attention to detail while working on the job site.

Clean & Safe

The framing crew was extremely conscientious when it came to work site safety and keeping the worksite clean.

Selections Process

We appreciated the help we received from Bay Lakes Builders when making selections for our homes' exterior. We greatly appreciated Dawn's help when taking on the overwhelming task of making selections for the interior of our home.

Responsive Design

We enjoyed working with Bay Lakes Builders to develop an attractive and efficient design of our home. Paul was extremely knowledgable and helpful when we went through the design process.

Areas Of Satisfaction

Bay Lakes Builders listed and helped us sell our home. They were extremely helpful in the design process. The overwhelming task of making selections for the exterior and interior of our home was made easier because of the help and expertise that Bay Lakes Builders has to offer. Bay Lakes Builders was a good fit for our needs. There are a lot of standard features that Bay Lakes Builders uses that we wanted in our home. Overall this builder has a lot to offer their customers.