I became less likely to recommend after seeing the cost cutting from my first purchase with Markel. Changes were made to cut costs without informing the client. I found out after seeing my friend's 2nd Markel property. Solid doors to hollow doors, solid wood drawers with dovetail to composite nailed, sliding solid wood pull outs in cabinets to shelves, windows and sliding doors to patios are lower quality and do not work as smoothly. Kitchen counter is a full inch lower. Cost cutting is fine but a 2nd time buyer is expecting same features/quality as first purchase so should have been informed of all changes and given opportunity to upgrade. In my case I was able to upgrade the doors and drawers but only because I found out from my friend's place after she closed.

Nice design. Thoughtful features. well constructed.

The home buying process was very smooth. I'm used to buying existing homes and getting into bidding wars with other buyers, and dealing with unknowns in the house itself. With Markel, I knew exactly what I was buying and for what price. Marlita the sales manager and Jason the superintendent were very responsive to all my questions, offered lots of information I didn't even know to ask about and even made upgrades such as a tankless water heater, powder room sink cabinet and patio fencing based on opportunities that arose during the build process. I feel like I was treated like a queen! They clearly take great pride in their work and are very professional in ensuring all parts of the house met their own very high standards when I moved in.

The experience I had building my home with Markel was great.The sales reps were there every step of the way. They were patient and responsive to any needs. The quality of the home surpasses any home I had seen in the prior 5 years of my search in Colorado! I would strongly recommend Markel Homes to anyone looking for a home in Colorado.

I had to cancel my contract for a new build. The entirety of my $12,000 deposit was kept under the guise that I cancelled the contract during COVID and that the unit would not sell for a higher price than I had originally contracted. I understand keeping a good chunk of the money for services rendered, but to keep the entire deposit when nothing had been started that couldn't be undone, and the home would most likely sell for more, is institutionally sanctioned stealing as far as I'm concerned.

Sales and warranty service is excellent. I feel the quality of construction should be better.

Great quality home - I am very happy with my place.

At first I was blinded by the newness of my home, but after a full year of living here, I would never want to share the anxiety this house has caused with a friend. I feel like Markel is continuing to cut corners with and not address larger issues with the build.

Yes we have already recommended a couple of friends and family members for future homes/duplexes in West Grange

We love many elements of our home, but some of the choices that Markel made for things like heating/AC, garbage disposal, even toilet paper holders were all the least expensive and not scoped well to a home of this level

Markel builds the best new homes of any in the Boulder area.

Please see comments below.

Customer Suggestion

Customer Suggestion - I continue being impressed by the level of construction and attention to detail Markel Homes produces. Tracy was fantastic to work with. She communicates in a timely manner which is especially necessary throughout the new construction process.

Markel is amazing!! They have great, unique designs that fit a variety of families needs. Our house is less than 1000sqft, and it's amazing!! It fits our family really well, is still built with the same quality and craftsmanship, and is very energy efficient. Overall it's a great value and we are extremely happy with Markel homes.

The team we worked with during the planning and construction process was great. Tracy & Ed effectively communicated and managed our expectations. They were a lot of fun to work with too, which made it even better.

Significant delays in completion were communicated very late and only after asking about closing that was 2 weeks away. Delays are 8 additional weeks and possibly more. Poor communication and even poorer estimates to complete.

These homes are beautiful and well built. We love the location and the sales process was smooth and efficient. I would definitely recommend a Markel home to anyone asking.

Markel Homes are well-designed and often unique. Had a high level of trust in sales rep and construction manager. See general comments below.

I am very satisfied with the work completed by Markel Homes Construction on my home. I would highly recommend them.

We had such a wonderful experience throughout our purchase and build. From casual chats with the ever-engaging Marlita to frequent run-ins with Jason around the neighborhood, we saw how the company employees genuinely took pride in their work and in the houses they built. We were originally taken with Markel houses having lived across the trail from one of the original Markel homes in Silver Creek. As our Meritage house started showing its age, the Markel house remained as appealing as ever. As we moved forward with our purchase and construction process, I knew I could count on the honesty and integrity of all Markel employees and contractors I would interact with. We saw the quality of the build on a daily basis and now that we've been in our home for a few months, I have eagerly grabbed friends and strangers alike to recommend they snap up a lot before they're no longer available.

Additional Comments

Additional Comments - Building superintendent Scott Lask is fantastic. He was comprehensive and patient throughout the walk through, answering all of our questions and providing excellent information on how the house works, and required periodic maintenance we'd want to do to ensure we don't void warranties.

They struggled with keeping date commitments and getting the options correct in the home.

Having worked with two custom home builders before, we were not fully satisfied with Markel's structured approach with limited owner input and choices

I love being in this new home but I do have reservations with the quality of workmanship with some of the subcontractors. The electrical subcontractor put in the incorrect female receptacle for the dryer, providing a 50 amp oven range receptacle, rather than a 30 amp dryer receptacle, which is a possible code violation. The two overhead fans' light are delayed when their switch is turned on. A leak for a copper sweated pipe in the basement had a small observable leak which meant I had to have the plumber return to correct it. There is a 3/4 inch height difference between two living room windows' sills which should be at the same height. The subcontractor for the all the interior doors has done a horrible job finishing the bottom of the doors in a satisfactory fashion. Door hardware installed pushed the maple veneer away from the door core. Two doors' maple veneer in bottom corners already seem to be pulling away from the core of the doors. There are varnish spots on bathroom tile and hallway flooring that seem to be the result of these doors' finish. The painter subcontractor left white paint spots on the top corners of these doors. These were noted by blue tape and even after somebody corrected these corners, I have found blue tape and white paint that was missed by this person. I had to have the garage door installer return to correct the screeching sound of the door as it closed. A heat register underneath the laundry sink has never been installed.

The HOA (which is now managed by Markel Homes) provided the incorrect address for the post box so I had to get the post office to contact the HOA to resolve this issue. The plumbing for the outdoor sprinkling system goes thru my basement and has to be changed by the plumber so that the HOA can winterize the landscaping watering system without coming into my basement twice a year to shut it off and turn it on.

Now I been in contact with Scott Lask, the Markel Homes construction superintendent, who has been more than accommodating to address these issues after we did the walkthru and when I now bring them to his attention. I will be noting the ones not corrected yet in the 60 day warranty process. I just wonder why these subcontractors are not double checking their work to make sure these issues are correct at the time they do the work. Or that someone is inspecting their work to ensure all these problems do not arise after I have moved into the house. This is my first time I have bought a new home. Are the number of issues I need to have corrected normal for a new build? For the price I paid for this home, it seems unreasonable for so many craftsmanship issues to be arising and that I have to set aside my time to meet with these subcontractors when they come back into my home to correct work that should have been done properly in the first place.

They are very thorough and polite.