Alair Homes Solon

We engaged Alair Homes to serve as the General Contractor for the extension and remodeling of our 102 year-old home in Mayfield Hts., Ohio. Both Brandon and Ken were highly communicative every step of the way. Brandon and, when needed, Ken were on-site moving the Project along and providing "aide and comfort" to us. We were first impressed by how tirelessly Brandon performed. He was never late and always cheerfully and substantively responsive to our constant barrage of questions and modifications concerning the project. We were consistently impressed by the high quality of the tradesmen Ken and Brandon chose. In the final analysis, Alair can only be as good as the tradesmen they select, and the tradesmen they chose showed absolute precision in their work, whether it was laying the new foundation for the Utility Room, building cabinets, fitting trims, or properly grading a concrete driveway. We have only one minor gripe with Alair; namely, we pointed out that we had hired Brandon to work with us on the Planning Phase of the Project, Alair charged his time out on an hourly rate. I must assume that Alair set an hourly rate that includes an amount of profit in that rate. But then, additionally, in assessing Alair's Fee for the Construction Phase of the Project, the cost of Planning is considered a cost of construction. As such, Alair earns profit from Brandon's time, and then earns profit on the very same time again by assessing its fee on the cost of construction, which includes Brandon's Planning Phase time which, in our opinion, is an unfair double-count. We must conclude this review on a VERY POSITIVE note because the services provided by Alair, and Brandon Gembus in particular, were extraordinary in every regard. Brandon was a first-rate Project Manager who gained our trust and our friendship. My husband is a retired trial attorney whose trust is always guarded, yet Brandon gave us every reason to earn that trust. In summary, we would be pleased to hire Alair again, especially if Brandon is the Project Manager.

We've used four or five primary contractors in totally remodeling our home and Alair Homes Solon was the last and best of the bunch by far. They took on a project others turned down or did not have the skills to do in redesigning and rebuilding our main staircase and it came out perfect and better than we'd imagined. They also finished our basement and that was equally well done. Ken is easy to work with and seems to have a great group of subs he can call on when needed. Brandon was simply the best project coordinator I've ever seen and was consistently on top of every aspect of our project and we never felt like we were in the dark on anything. We highly recommend Alair Homes Solon to our friends and anyone else who needs quality home renovation work.

When we decided to do an addition that would nearly double the size of our house, we knew we needed a strong partner to make our project successful. There are five elements needed for success. We selected Alair Homes to be our partner and they performed great in all five categories. Collaboration/Communication - in any project of scale, it is critical to have open lines of communication. There are many moving parts, decisions, and dependencies and changes happen daily. The Alair team was great with keeping us informed on what was happening, when it was happening and, most importantly, why it was happening. Expectation Management - that strong line of communications made it easy to keep our expectations managed. Nothing is worse than having an expectation that is subsequently not met. We did this project during peak COVID times and that caused real constraints in labor and materials. Because the Alair team was in constant contact, we knew what to expect and we knew how to change our expectations and the reasons for any changes. Financial Transparency - with any project like this there is always a financial aspect of management. The Alair team leverages a web based software program to clearly show budgeted amounts and the impact of selections, requiring approval of selections and any associated budget impacts. Having done a number of other projects that lacked this type of visibility, this was a great help in managing the costs of the project and understanding the impact of each selection as it related to the original budget. Trade Quality - since we were working from home during COVID we were on site every day and had the pleasure to watch and interact with the various trades. I would tell them that we have to live with their craftsmanship and they all did great work, were approachable when we had questions and were flexible when we made small tweaks in real time. We have also had no issues with any follow-up/punch list items post build. This trade quality started with the Architect, who was able to create an addition that is truly seamless to the original structure, and continued all the way down to the last coat of paint. Experience - Our Alair team leveraged their years of experience to help us through this process. The best example was when we were advised that we should pre-pay for all of our lumber in January of 2021 as costs were creeping up. We took that sage advice and saved significant dollars as lumber prices peaked concurrently with our project. It was great to know that our partner was thinking holistically about the project and keepin our interests in mind. Given the above it should be no surprise that we give Alair Homes Solon a resounding recommendation. Brandon and Ken are great to work with and we plan to use them again on our next project.

If you're looking for an honest, excellent contractor, look no further. Seriously. We used Alair Homes Solon for a large addition to an older house (1950s). Ken Badalamenti and Brandon Gembus exceeded all our expectations. From start to finish, Alair helped with every detail and made sure all the tradespeople they used were top notch. Alair definitely vets their tradespeople and only hires the best. Everyone we met had good work ethics, was on time, listened to any concerns we may have had, and did everything they could to make sure everything was handled properly. Brandon Gembus was an amazing project manager to work with. We never felt rushed or ignored when speaking with him. He is thorough, kind, practical, a problem solver, and has excellent customer service. He went above and beyond to address any issues that arose. Although, because Alair selects and lines up all the tradespeople ahead of time, there really were no major issues in our project! We've heard horror stories of people who had to switch contractors mid-project because of mismanagement, but with Alair this thought never even crossed our minds. Further, owner Ken Badalamenti is super detail oriented, organized and extremely knowledgeable in construction issues. He knows his stuff. For example, we observed a conversation between him and a drywall tradesperson regarding the slope of our kitchen ceiling where the old part of the house meets the new. It was all very technical and Greek to us, but Ken's inside knowledge of trades and construction really paid off as the ceiling turned out flawless. One issue that did arise, which was not Alair's fault at all but rather just a quality issue with a floor manufacturing company, was handled right away by Brandon and Ken and quickly had a positive solution. So to say we had no major setbacks during such a huge construction project may seem surprising, but with Ken and Brandon's attention to details and Alair's thorough corporate procedures, you can rest assured your project will stay on track and get the full attention it deserves. Something to note that sets Alair aside from other companies: They are extremely transparent. When we were initially shopping around for contractors, we were surprised that most companies will not itemize the costs of each aspect of your project. It was extremely helpful to know exactly how much each part of our project was going to cost - that helped us decide if something was in, under or over our budget and allowed us to make sure we were putting our money where it most mattered to us. We really appreciated this aspect of Alair. After working with Ken and Brandon for so long, they started to feel like family to us. They are both truly wonderful, honest guys and Alair Homes Solon is a transparent, honest company. You will be in extremely good hands with Alair Homes Solon.

We hired Alair Homes Solon to build our 850+ square foot addition which included a walk-in pantry, office, master bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet. We selected them after creating architectural plans and meeting with several construction management companies that we thought were suited for the job. But after meeting Ken we knew he was the right fit for us and our project; an owner with decades of experience and backed by a national firm with attention to quality and client transparency. Their pre-planning phase provided realistic budgetary numbers and they were able to begin construction several months ahead of other firms Our Project Manager, Brandon, was excellent. As an overly involved owner (by choice), Brandon kept us appraised of the daily activities and drove the project to finish early and under budget. We cannot say enough about how well Brandon communicates, listens, and cares about his clients. His attention to detail is tremendous and he truly cares about the clients' best interest. Because our project started in May 2020, and we were living in the existing house throughout the construction, we were concerned about workers coming and going due to COVID. Alair identified a solution to keep a temporary exterior entrance in place for as long as possible, avoiding months of subcontractors walking in and out of our house. We are very happy with the work Ken and Brandon did and would highly recommend them.

I hired Alair Homes to add a 2400 square foot addition. The project required interior and exterior work which took 6 months to complete. A major renovation is inherently stressful. However, their focus on quality of work and consideration of the homeowner, eliminated all my concern. Alair Homes earned 5 out of 5 stars. Their expertise was evident •Quality of work crews – They utilized professional, reliable, courteous, tradesmen that were respectful of my property with amazing quality. They empathized getting the job done right and were still on time. •Project management and coordination - Their experience really paid off. The project manager was knowledgeable about all aspects of the project, and was able to coordinate, and manage the activities of the different work crews. His attention to detail, strong organizational skills and commitment to follow-through were assets in completing the project on time. •Budget and Timeline – The project manager kept me informed on all aspects of the agreed upon budget and he completed the project in line with his projection. I am incredibly pleased with the final product and would recommend Alair Homes without hesitation. If you are looking for quality workmanship and an exceptional contractor, please contact them!

Ken Badalamenti managed an 1800 sq. foot addition and complete exterior renovation of our house in 2016, all while we remained in the house. He created a makeshift laundry room, planned it in such a way that we could use an existing bathroom until one of the new ones was complete, and sealed off the living space from the construction site. This was a very complicated project, and the result was nothing short of perfection. We engaged Ken and Alair Homes Solon again this year (2020) to do a complete renovation of the first floor of our home, including removal of walls, and a to the studs renovation of our kitchen. Because of COVID, material suppliers caused disruption in scheduling; however, despite this, the project was finished on time and on budget. Ken is a person of great integrity. He is responsive, has a laser focus attention to detail, applies his experience and foresight to solve problems before they arise, and attracts best of breed subcontractors. I remain in awe of the cabin

Alair Homes has been an absolute asset to my design business. They have a project scheduling system that keeps the client and trades updated and the project running smoothly. Everyone is easily able to work as a team due to the communication that Ken Badalamenti oversees. This company makes building a home an easy process for their clients.

Ken took us through our custom home build from start to finish. He was very respectful of our budget and allowed us to handle the interior design choices and site cleanup. My husband was able to play a very active role in the day to day build process. We are extremely happy with the quality of our home.

This past Fall we decided to renovate our front porch and hired Ken from Alair Homes Solon to be our general contractor for this undertaking. It was the best decision we made! Ken is top-notch when it comes to professionalism, communication, & quality. We were never disappointed! Ken’s commitment to high standards, whether it was tradesmen or products, was a huge plus! Ken hired tradesmen who arrived on time, were respectful, & did superior work. We thought we would be overwhelmed by this project, but Ken took the reins and everything went smoothly. Ken came by almost daily, especially when another stage of the project was commencing or a new crew was starting. Ken also understood our need for flexible start times because we have a son with special needs who requires uninterrupted sleep. Ken was very forthright at the onset of our project in regards to our budget and kept to it. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience, and we would definitely request Ken for future renovations. You won’t find a more trustworthy, respectable, or personable man for the job...thank you, Ken!

We love our remodeled kitchen and new mudroom/back entrance and porch. Our 1956 ranch style home was way overdue for a kitchen remodel. Ken did an excellent job coordinating all the tradesmen who worked on our home and kept us in communication with their progress. He has an eye for detail and makes sure everything is done right. I appreciated the Alair model of cost transparency and would recommend Ken and Alair Homes for any remodeling projects.

We worked with Ken on a remodel of our 120 yr old home. We heard of Ken through online reviews, as well as from the architect we worked with. The project included addition of a 2-car garage to the back of the house, as well as a complete gut and renovation of a large master suite. During our initial meeting with Ken, we knew he was the right person for the project. He was knowledgeable and transparent about the scope and cost of the project. He routinely checked on the site and communicated the progress with us throughout. Our biggest concern was staying on the budget, and Ken made sure to keep us on track and completed the project on budget and on schedule. We did not have to worry about the schedule, coordinating the trades, etc. We left it all in Ken's hands. Everything Ken told us about the project was realistic (including timeline and budget) and we knew exactly what to expect. It was completely hassle-free working with Ken. He was very professional and quality of the work was above expectations. I would recommend Ken without any trepidation and would definitely rehire him for a future project.