Testimonies
I want to talk about old-fashioned values. There was a time when doing a job well was more important than getting rich quick. Back in the “good old days,” a person learned a business by getting his hands dirty and starting at the bottom, rather than putting on a suit and earning an MBA. Brent Dunlap brings that era of old-fashioned honesty and common sense into the 21st century. He knows that contractors all buy their materials from the same places, so they have to compete on something other than price. What sets Brent apart from the others is personal service, reliability and attention to detail.
We hired Brent to add a 12 x 24 foot room to our house. It was a big job, as the brick veneer first had to be removed from the original back wall, but Brent finished it in two months. During that time, Brent scheduled his sub-contractors so well that there was only one day when we didn’t have a crew at the site. More importantly, Brent was there every single day to check that all the work was up to his standards. The subcontractors told us, with obvious pride, that Brent demanded their best work (and that they didn’t dare to cut corners, as he would make them do it over.)
Brent is a genius when it comes to estimating materials for a job. For instance, when he calculated the number of bricks needed for the new wall, he was accurate to within 20 bricks. And he made his estimates with a pencil and a notebook! The young guys, with their computers and fancy formulas, are nowhere near as accurate. Brent brings that level of attention to every aspect of the job.
We should also mention the care Brent gave to the original part of our house. Expecting dust from end to end, we spread sheets over all the furniture, but Brent was so careful that we hardly noticed anything. And when the new room was finished, he hired a professional cleaner to remove every trace of dirt. In our current culture of self-serve gas and bag-it-yourself groceries, you just don’t see this level of service any more.
While our room was being built, the neighbors all lined up to watch. The standard comment was that they couldn’t believe how fast the work progressed. Their collective experience with other contractors was that there are usually gaps of a week between each segment of construction. They were so impressed that two of the neighbors have already hired Brent to enclose their porches, and a third neighbor will have a new room built as soon as the finances come together.
We know we’ll hire Brent if we ever have another construction need, and we heartily recommend him to anyone else.
Chris and Liz Ganahl
#1 by Patti Robinson at January 19th, 2010
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Honesty. Courtesy. Integrity. Diligence.
Those words must be in the dictionary when you look up “Brent Dunlap.” Like Chris & Liz (comments above), I am more than impressed by the speed, quality and price paid to have my oversized deck roofed.
Brent is a master of customer satisfaction and communication. Every day I knew what I could expect to be done, and Brent came by every day to insure it was all done to his high expectations and specifications. The workmen were all very courteous and respectful, and very hardworking.
As for the price, he charged exactly what he had initially quoted - something I have found to be a rarity, these days. He wouldn’t accept a dime until the job was completed; he even admonished me for offering to pay up front!
Bottom line, I believe I got a great deal. I cannot wait until the spring, when I can enjoy my new deck.
Would I recommend Dunlap Construction? Heck yes! I know you would not be disappointed. In fact, you’d be just as delighted as I am!
#2 by Carla Beason at February 6th, 2010
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Meeting Brent Dunlap was a blessing. He truly shattered every stereotypical image I had of builders. Brent knew I was on a single income with a small budget. The job may have been small to him, but to me, it was a major investment, and Brent treated it as such. He started the job with a draft of two different options, one very simple based on my initial requests, and another with a more aesthetically pleasing design, including additional options to choose from. Amazingly, it was all still within my budget. Brent explained everything, pros and cons, and never took advantage of my lack of knowledge in construction. He demanded quality from his subcontractors, even delaying construction to wait on the re-delivery of proper materials, instead of using material which was below his standard of quality. He visited the job site EVERY day to inspect the progress and kept me informed of all aspects of the job. All the workers were very pleasant, even down to the clean up crew. Ultimately, the final cost was just as the estimate stated. Finally, the good guy comes out on top based on honesty, integrity, and skill!!!! I would recommend Brent Dunlap to anyone, and will never use anyone else myself. Thanks Brent!
#3 by Ginger Quinn at February 11th, 2010
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Doing business with Brent Dunlap was a pleasure. We live in an eighty year old home that needed some repairs. Our job was a small one; however, Brent never treated us like we were at the bottom of the list. He was honest, professional, and true to his word. He regularly appeared to supervise his workers and to inspect any work after it was completed. He made sure that everything was to our satisfaction, and it was!
#4 by Kim & Jan Fifer at March 9th, 2010
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Brent Dunlap built our home! Yes, we are very happy with it. Yes the process went smoothly, and we would build again. And yes, we would use Brent Dunlap again.
After more than a year designing and researching material and labor costs for our dream home, Jan and I had a pretty good idea of what was ahead. We talked with several builders, and all left us with an uncomfortable feeling for multiple reasons. Initially, we did not talk with Brent, because he lived down the street from our building site, and we were we were reluctant to use a neighbor because of the potential for hard feelings should a problem arise. We kept hearing that Brent Dunlap was a good builder from building material suppliers. Upon hearing this for the fifth time, I asked the man to tell me why Brent is so good. His reply was, “I deal with 30 builders, and if I were to build a home for myself or my parents, I would use Brent.” What better recommendation could one give?
We went that day to talk with Brent. His description of how he manages both the building process and the financial details made us feel that we had finally found someone we wanted to build our home. While building, Brent oversaw the work and communicated well with us, and his subs did quality work.
Honesty and integrity are two words that come to mind when I think of Brent Dunlap. Without hesitation, I will continue to recommend Brent to others. Finally, after building a custom home, how many people can say that their builder is a personal friend? We can!
#5 by George and Brenda Goodhart at May 12th, 2010
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After developing plans for our home, we were in the final stages, on the verge of signing a contract. We had selected a builder in Maumelle. I hesitated, remembering what my Dad had taught me many years before, “Always get three estimates before any major project.” I needed 1 more estimate. A man was walking his dog in my neighborhood and conversed with me as I had finished measuring my homesite. He seemed friendly and knowledgable—handed me a business card: “Brent Dunlap, Builder.” The rest is history.
Brent covered all the bases, was honest and accurate in his estimates, and landed the contract as our builder. All of his references were positive.
“You Get What You Paid For”: Brent stayed on top of his subcontractors, was actively visible on the jobsite, and troubleshooted as the building progressed. Brent is consciencous and frugal. Many times, he went the extra mile to save money without compromising quality.
“Flexibility”: While the house was in the framing process, we thought the guest bedroom closet was too small. Brent pulled out a tape measure and added an additional closet right before our eyes. Near the end of the project, it was time to pour the concrete for the front porch. I commented how beautiful a front deck would look overlooking our tree-covered front lot. The next thing I knew, we had a deck for admiring the sunset, watching the birds, and relaxing after a long day at work.
“Service After The Sale:” Brent Dunlap follows-up on his homes after completion. He called me many times to inquire if there were issues that needed attention. He sent the floor contractor, painter, and drywall man to make adjustments until he was satisfied with their work.
Brent goes the “extra mile” with his clients. He called me this winter when near-zero degree temperatures were forecast. “Close your foundation vents to prevent freezing of pipes,” he said. “As soon as the weather warms up, open the vents to prevent mildew.”
Three years have passed since our home was completed. We have enjoyed many of the aspects of the dream Brent helped us realize. One day, we may decide to build a home as rental property. We’ve done the homework already. Our choice for honesty, quality, and superior service is: Brent Dunlap.
#6 by John Webb at December 15th, 2010
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I have been associated with Brent for many years so when our family was preparing to build a new home, I contacted Dunlap Construction. Brent did a very thorough job estimating the construction costs and explaining the entire process to us so we chose his company for the project. The home was built on time and met our budget expectations. In fact, it went so well we asked Brent to build us another home a few years later and experienced the same results. Throughout these projects, Brent kept us informed about every aspect of construction and even assisted in finding a banker for financing. I recommended Dunlap Construction to several of my friends and they experienced the same results.
If you want a quality home built on schedule and meeting the approved budget, this is the company to use.