About this company
Wausau Homes
As the Midwest’s leading homebuilder, Wausau Homes has over 50 years of experience, making the process stress-free from start to finish. Show more
As the Midwest’s leading homebuilder, Wausau Homes has over 50 years of experience, making the process stress-free from start to finish.
THE WAUSAU HOMES HISTORY
Over the last 50 years, Wausau Homes has refined a system of controlled construction that has revolutionized the industry. Wausau Homes originated as a dairy route in rural Marathon County Wisconsin. The Schuette Brothers used profits from that modest milk route to purchase a sawmill, where raw timbers were processed into framing lumber.
After the war, the brothers developed that sawmill into a one-stop building center, where contractors could purchase all of their materials for home construction from one source. With all the elements for home construction in place as their building center, the brothers tinkered with a revolutionary concept that grew to become Wausau Homes Incorporated.
WHAT SETS US APART
Wausau Homes started out as a lumberyard in the 1950s in Wausau, Wisconsin servicing local builders, but believed there had to be a better way to build homes. So we pioneered, and for nearly 50 years we fine-tuned a complete building system that is recognized as one of the best in the industry.
We work exclusively with carefully chosen independent professional custom home builders in local markets because they know the local codes and regulations, they have established relationships with reputable subcontractors in the area, and they are the most suited to do the best job for you. Your Wausau Homes Builder will help you with every step of the homebuilding process to make it a stress-free experience. Hide
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Reviews 89
Of 88 respondents, 89 left a reviewRecent reviews
Scott E.
From the first phone conversation with our builder Wanke Builders it was a A+ experience. Never once did we feel uncomfortable asking questions or making changes throughout our design process. Terry was in constant contact with updates, questions to confirm our desires and needs and extremely helpful in our selection process of styles and design options. They made the whole process zero stress and everything one would want in building a home.
Additional comments
Builder Professionalism
Builder Professionalism - Wanke Builders was our builder and was everything one would want from a builder. Extremely courteous and attention to detail was exemplary.
Contact
Contact - As a child I always remember driving by the factory in Wausau going up north with my parents and when we decided to start our search we always remembered seeing he model homes on the side of the freeway so they were the first company we thought of and after doing research into their products we knew it was the brand for us.
Source
Source - I was referred to Wanke Builder via our contact with Wausau Homes.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Excellent customer service and interactions with Wanke Builders and Terry. Fantastic working with him.
Areas of Improvement
Areas of Improvement - Looking back at our home build there is really nothing I would want that they did not provide or advise or suggest. Just a great experience.
Jon S.
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - They were easy to work with and we got started right away.
Customer in Stillwater, MN
Absolutely! This was a wonderful company to work with.
Additional comments
Source
Source - We met at an open house in the townhouse development.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - The quality of home is superior to other builders that we have seen.
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - The building process went well, and Wausau ensures that you are satisfied. This is a great group of people to have build your home.
Bob W.
Nice people
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - I wanted it on a cement slab
Thomas G.
Greg, Julia and Larry were wonderful to deal with. Their professionalism and integrity were apparent from day one!
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Available design plans to work with.
Mark P.
As a preferred flooring subcontractor for Wausau Homes Medford, I have watched the Wausau Homes process for years and worked with many happy new home customers. When we decided to build a new home last year-choosing a home builder was relatively easy. Designing our custom home was enjoyable--Terry was quickly able to take our ideas and generate renderings and 3-D views, making it much easier to visualize what our home would look like. Watching this home being erected on set day in June was rather remarkable to watch. We couldn't be happier with our new Wausau Home--it truly is home.
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - Existing relationship with Wausau Homes Medford as a subcontractor
Mike E.
We cannot say enough good things about the exceptional customer service we received from WH Medford. It was a rare day that one trade or another was not at the site. Someone from WH Medford was on site almost daily also. Everything was well organized and anytime we had a question we got answers immediately.
Additional comments
Builder Professionalism
Builder Professionalism - Always.
Crew Professionalism
Crew Professionalism - All of the trades were very nice and friendly. They all commented how much they like working for WH Medford. To us this means that not only are they good to their customers, but also to the people they employ.
Builder Satisfaction
Builder Satisfaction - Terry and Jason are just excellent people and great to work with.
Contact
Contact - We knew several people who have built with WH, some 10+ years ago. They are all still very happy with their homes. This speaks to the quality of the product. In addition we liked that the Medford office is close to our build site, we felt that they would (and they did) have good relationships with the local trades.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Quality product and location of builder
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - We are just really happy with our experience. Most people have nightmare stories about building, we are very grateful we are not one of them.
Dorie C.
We had the opportunity to build our dream home with “Wausau Homes Duluth” - “Hacker Construction”, and are currently enjoying it immensely! We would highly recommend working with them to anyone! The quality of the construction and all that went into it is beyond what we expected. We truly enjoyed working with Nick and Matt Hacker. We appreciate everything they did for us from beginning to end, walking us through all of the different aspects of designing and then building our home. Their honesty, attention to detail, regular communication and quick responsiveness to all of our questions throughout the process is also greatly appreciated, as well as keeping us in the loop on any issues that arose. Even after the build, they continue to be responsive and assist with any questions/issues we have. During the building process we formed a friendship with Nick and Matt and now miss having regular contact with them. They came through on all of their promises, and if this wasn’t already our forever home, we would definitely trust them to build our next one. Thank you, Nick and Matt, for seeing our project through to fruition and making our dream home become a reality! Sincerely, Scott and Dorie Campbell
Todd B.
We've built several homes and this has been far the best experience we have ever had. I cannot say enough good things about Wausau Homes Minocqua!
Additional comments
Final Design
Final Design - We are THRILLED! Mike and Marisa helped us customize and tweak a plan to make this our perfect lake house.
Schedule
Schedule - The original move in date was supposed to be around Thanksgiving, but that got pushed back to December 18th. I do not feel however, that it was Wausau Home's fault or issue. It was due to COVID and the shortage of materials and delays caused by companies having to shut down due to covid.
Satisfaction
Satisfaction - There were some items that needed to/need to be completed/fixed after our move in date, but they have been quite responsive and quick to come out to address the issues.
Builder Satisfaction
Builder Satisfaction - After COVID, they will be invited to a BBQ at our lake house so we can share our dream that they helped make come true.
Contact
Contact - We were interested in purchasing a vacant lot and were looking for reasonable, quality builders in the Minocqua area.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - We interviewed 4 or 5 builders. It came down to Wausau's plan was comprehensive and we felt there would be less surprises. Also, it was a feeling of trust.
Beau B.
They were very efficient.
Rusty W.
Yes! This home is beautiful. We’re very satisfied with both the process and product. Assuming this survey will help reinforce both what was done well and what could’ve been better, there are explanations/qualifiers within the comments for specificity. We’ve given some details where improvements might be considered in order to help.
Additional comments
Final Design
Final Design - Yes, most of what we attempted to create turned out as hoped! We appreciated the chance to work with our builder to create the design we envisioned. He was an excellent listener and was able to transform our ideas into reality as well as trying some new things such as the Warm Board floor panels and the dog bath. Now that we’re in we see a few things we could have done differently. Ridge dormer window sizes, front column/post location, seams in faux beam— these are some specific examples. Hard to foresee these.
Builder Professionalism
Builder Professionalism - Exceeded expectations!
Crew Professionalism
Crew Professionalism - Most workers were very professional and courteous. We observed positive interactions between workers in another home being built by this team before we signed our building agreement. We were so impressed with their work that this factored in our decision to choose this builder. However, We were concerned about the safety of the set crew as they often walked under crane loads. See additional comments (#13).
Builder Satisfaction
Builder Satisfaction - Honest and follows The Golden Rule. Always has time to address questions or solve problems.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Communication. Right from the beginning our questions were addressed both punctually and thoroughly. Others left us hanging which we could not get comfortable with. Ability to help us create our own design.
Areas of Improvement
Areas of Improvement - Not the builder himself (Jed Estola). He was - and is - excellent. He is honest, reliable, thorough, available, and we’ve come to understand that he would do the right thing even if no one was watching. He can say ‘I don’t know but will find out’ without any outward indication of discomfort. That is a valuable quality as no one can know everything. I appreciate very much the patience he had with us (me!) as we muddled through the planning process. We were indecisive at times, got derailed by a banker for a long period, and got lost in details over time. Oh, and a pandemic threw some surprises at us but we prevailed nonetheless. Jed was always looking for solutions and kept upbeat. His willingness to be open to our original ideas along with excellent communication landed him the job initially. His integrity revealed itself throughout the process. Even though we were 300 miles away, we had very few worries! We look forward to finishing up those items we have requested be postponed due to concerns for exposure to Covid. And we very much appreciate Jed’s willingness to let us let some time pass for things to settle down before allowing people back in.
Ray K.
Even with the pandemic we were able to completely plan our home to meet our individual needs. We needed a lot of special accommodations in this house and Wausau Homes Elkhorn was able to meet those needs. Much of our planning was done through Zoom meetings so that was also extremely convenient as we lived 7 hours away from here.
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - We needed a specialized home, and other builders did not seem to be able to meet those needs. Our daughter made initial contacts and asked the right questions and that's what led us to Wausau Homes.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - The willingness to "change" plans to meet our needs.
Areas of Improvement
Areas of Improvement - No, the job was done efficiently and on a very short time line.
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - I would recommend them if you want a home that truly meets your individual needs.
Gregg K.
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Very responsive, great communicater, very eager to do project.
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - Overall great experience.
Nick H.
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Did what they said they would do. No surprises. Cost was what they quoted.
Smith M.
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - Family friend recommended
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Wausau homes was my first and only choice
Hilgendorf
Very Friendly and helpful through the entire process!!!
Additional comments
Quote Match
Quote Match - It was right on actually came in under budget, which was awesome!
Builder Professionalism
Builder Professionalism - Everyone was very helpful with the entire process
Crew Professionalism
Crew Professionalism - Absolutely! Made a lot of new friends along the way!
Builder Satisfaction
Builder Satisfaction - Marisa Voremans,Mike Brigham, Alex Van Natta, WE CANT THANK THEM ENOUGH FOR HOW KNOWLEBLE THEY ARE AND WHAT THEY DID FOR US TO GET US INTO OUR NEW LAKE HOME!!!
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Price and Timing...
Areas of Improvement
Areas of Improvement - They did a great job especially with the Pandemic going on!!!
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - The overall process was very fun exciting to watch and be a part of. We enjoyed the entire cast and crew and made new friends along the way. Its very nerve racking for someone like myself watch another qualified team build our final home and we are VERY pleased with the services you provided from the start of design in March to the set in June and now the move in November. Again, we can’t Thank the entire Wausau Homes TEAM enough for getting this done on time through a Pandemic, we truly are appreciative of doing so! We also want to say Thank you to all the trades on the project, they did a Great job and worked very hard to get it done! THANK YOU!! Amanda, Greg, Brody and Hunter Hilgendorf
Anne H.
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - Initially worked with another builder but found they mislead me so switched to Wausau homes. Found them to be honest, straight forward, and provided guidance/options to help me find tradeoffs to stay within my budget but still have the house I was hoping for.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Transparent, professional...strong customer focused approach to their work.
Areas of Improvement
Areas of Improvement - No...very satisfied. Delays were weather related and to be expected.
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - Everyone comments on the quality of workmanship of the house.
Jim V.
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Extremely professional and knowledgeable. Explained everything and made great recommendations
Customer in Tomahawk, WI
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - local knowledge of builder
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - set price
Customer in Tomahawk, WI
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - Internet
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Spent time with Mike and put together everything he offered. No other builders involved
Areas of Improvement
Areas of Improvement - No. Good quality at a fair price
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - Great support from Marisa and Mike on the interior aspects of our home.
Jeff D.
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - We wanted a efficient,well built house. That would be done in short time frame.
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Established , and then in 120 day timeframe from set of house .
Darren H.
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - Easier building process and price control
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - promised price control
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - Overall was a very good experience. Very nice home! Nice people!!!
Mick M.
Additional comments
Contact
Contact - Quality of the building and shorter construction time
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - time of construction process
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - we love our house
Customer in Merrifield, MN
Larry Oaks went above and beyond in helping us build our dream home!
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Larry has a great knowledge of the construction of a home and was pleasant to work with.
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - Would definitely recommend Larry Oaks to friends and family and others.
K.A.W.
Additional comments
Differentiating Factors
Differentiating Factors - Clear upfront explanation of the process and schedule
Additional Comments
Additional Comments - Great fun experience Matt and his crew were very friendly courteous and very skilled thanks Matt
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