Tomcat Construction

These guys are good. Really good.
My husband and I started working with TomCat back in February, after reading the positive Unilocal reviews. They have exceeded our expectations in ways we didn’t anticipate or realize were so important: they became our partners through what can be a fairly complex process.
We wanted to build a deck on top of a 3-​car garage, and then run a private stair case to it from an existing balcony. So we contacted TomCat to discuss our project.
From the very first meeting, when the two Tom’s showed up 10 minutes early and waited outside for our appointment time (a consistent theme many months later), we knew we found our contractors. They explained their recommended approach, described different options that we could choose from, and described in detail the city codes that we needed to consider. They also spotted some potential issues with our existing construction and identified workarounds. And they invited us to visit their current job sites to see their work.
Within a few days, we received a detailed price quote, with all labor and materials clearly defined. Prices were quite reasonable. They also performed an analysis of our garage roof structure and determined that we didn’t require additional bracing — shaving a large expected cost off of the project.
We then began the architectural design and permit application phase, and this is where TomCat really showed us their true professionalism. The process took FIVE months to complete (thank you City of Chicago), and TomCat was with us every step of the way. My husband probably emailed or called them 20 times during that period, and they were always very responsive and helpful — often coming over to figure something out for our architect who lived out of state.
In addition, my overly detail-​oriented, spreadsheet-​obsessed husband used this long period of time to research every option under the sun (e.g., wood types, railing types, etc), and run it by TomCat for opinions and prices. They answered every request and worked with us to finalize our plans.
It was during this period that we realized how much we relied on them thru this process, and how much we appreciated their help. And I have only mentioned a quarter of the things they did for us, as this review would be 4 pages long if I covered it all.
Finally, 5 months later, it was construction time. Their work was well planned, creatively designed, carefully orchestrated, and meticulously performed — and came out perfect. And we noticed several touches we didn’t expect or think of that enhanced the appearance.
Once near the end, a welding subcontractor left a large stain on some of the beautiful cedar planks, and the Tom’s labored on their hands and knees to scrub it out. When my husband made a comment that he felt bad for how much time it was taking them, Tom blurted out; «well, we’re not going to LEAVE it like that!» They take pride and ownership in every phase of their work.
And this is why we’ve already hired them for 3 other projects, and give them a 5 star review.
We highly recommend TomCat construction. You won’t be disappointed.

We had Tom and Tom (Tomcat Construction) help us with a basement remodeling project. Our home was built in the early 1900s and little had been done to the basement since. Tom and Tom put up with my husband and my micro-​management style with patience and professionalism. There were unexpected situations or challenges but we always felt like they listened and would work with us to figure out how to make our vision happen/​make it right. The two compliment one another well and are a pleasure to work with. In the end, I’m happy to say, we have a beautiful new space that is clean, bright and welcoming. Our basement now has a family area with movie screen and surround sound, wine room, laundry room, spa bath and work room.
Renovation included:
Demolition
Framing
New and altered plumbing
Dry wall (really impressively done)
Baseboard installation
Staircase Custom Woodwork
Spa Bath installation and tile work
Wine Cellar Door installation (Tom even custom made a metal engagement piece for the antique door I found)
Laundry Room cabinet installation
Painting
Electric work
We are planning on using Tom and Tom on all future home renovations. For the few writing reviews that you are frustrated with getting an initial meeting /​quote, I would be patient. They are worth the wait!

Really really disappointed — called Tomcat and scheduled an appointment, they called to change the time an hour later but I could not do their revised time. I was promised a call back the next day with a new time but no one ever got back to me. So I can’t comment on their work, but seriously, to not even call back for an appointment time — not professional.

The 5-​star reviews had me really excited to use this company. A week later and no call back to schedule an appointment is not a good start to a business relationship. We spoke briefly a week ago and Tom asked me to text him my number ’cause he was driving. After 3-​days and no call back I left a voice message. Its now been about a week… I give up.

This was my first totally positive experience with builders. In the past it has always been a formula of twice the time, twice the money of the estimate (or sometimes much more). They did the job for what they said they would (or pretty close– we had some major add-​ons) and they did it within the time range (or pretty close). It was such a delightful change from other construction companies I have used.
These guys were friendly, consciences, and did a great job. I almost don’t want to post this as I don’t want them to get too popular!!!
They did my deck (including planters and irrigation), redid my bathtub and installed lights. All of it looks excellent! I am so excited to sit in my new bathtub!!!
The big plus is that they are so sweet you don’t mind them being in your place.
I found them through Vincent Grech, a painter that they work with, who is also super talented.

These seemed like nice enough guys, and it all started off pretty well. Tom and Tom came to visit, and they came up with some pretty cool ideas for my remodeling project. But at the next meeting, only one Tom showed up (the other Tom was confused by this, and said that it seemed perhaps his partner had «slept late»). I then waited two weeks for an estimate (which came back far higher than the number we ha discussed). Also, there were a couple weeks when they went radio silent, didnt repond to my emails, etc. Hm. So needless to say, I didnt move forward with them, but perhaps if I had they would have been more profiessional, and done good work.

Tom and Tom are the best I have worked with. Not only professional, they tell you the real story and price no matter what. You can count on them for the highest quality work. They have done a bunch of work for me from one day to multiple day massive projects. I love their ability to go from unique design to hands on building. I have had them work on my garage and even do custom metal work with welding and special treatments. It is hard to find guys you can trust. Tom and Tom are two you can trust for sure.

When we moved into our new «fixer-​upper» home, we had Tom come over. He built in an extra bathroom in our unfinished attic where the master bedroom is and he inspected and spruced up our plumbing. He was very clean and every cut made was precise and perfectly placed. He even inspected the rest of the house for us and gave us advise and/​or recommendations on who to call and what we can do ourselves. Tom is awesome and is a no BS kinda guy. His work is 101% and his attitude and sense of humor help you know he’s true to his work. I highly recommend him to handle your home!

Professional and on time — a dream when it comes to construction. But that’s what you get when you hire Tomcat Construction. We hired Tom to help with a number of projects in our 100+ year old home and everything was done top notch — from kitchen demo to simply fixing a broken pipe. Since we have an older home it’s great peace of mind knowing we have a reliable company to call on.
If you are looking for reliable, professional construction services Tomcat really should be on your list to contact.

Tomcat Construction is AWESOME! I’ve never trusted contractors before, but I trust them. Tom and Tom are great guys with a sense of humor, but serious when it comes to your home. They don’t «beat-​around-​the –bush», they tell what you need to get the job done correctly and they will not accept doing a job «half-​assed» job.
I’ve work for them and them for me for at least the past two years and I’d have to say it’s been a relief. Whenever I have a problem or question, I call them and they help me with whatever the issue is.
If you need a contractor for small to large projects, these are your guys!