Amber Valley Construction

We worked with Amber Valley for nearly 3 years on a huge house project, so we know their business fairly well. Even with all that time, we only ended up finishing a small basement project, which we were satisfied (but not delighted) with. Some of that was due to the pandemic but some was due to what I see as three drawbacks working with Amber valley: 1. Unclear or slow communication 2. Inability to retain employees and contractors 3. High prices This will be a very balanced review, so I will share what we loved about working with Amber Valley as well. The project development system, where we pay a bit up front and make all the decisions before actually signing the final contract, seemed like a great system because then we wouldn't be constantly making decisions throughout the project. The trouble came when we just couldn't get to the end of the project development and get that final quote. We really should have been breaking ground in April 2019, but we didn't get the final quote until mid-June. Part of that was definitely our responsibility because it was difficult to go to all the vendors and make every single decision in a timely fashion. However, we also found that Amber Valley was inflexible when we requested that we at least get something down, some final number, even if it had a range of $10,000 or so so that we could move forward on schedule. When the quote came in, it was a solid $50,000 more than expected! We decided to finish two basement rooms with Amber Valley as a sort of test run. It took until January, to get that started. Part of that was because anytime Amber Valley loses a project manager or designer, you kind of have to start over explaining the whole project because although the project development structure is very firm, there aren't enough organizational systems in the company to keep track of everything that happens in meetings with clients. We tried to make the full addition to the house in 2021, but the project dev staff had turned over 100% so we had to start over explaining our vision. By the time the final quote came in, it was disastrously too high. We were able to act as our own contractor and get the kitchen remodel done for approximately half of Amber Valley's quoted price. We were not able to get our $6,000 project development fee back, even in part, because the contract for that fee is written heavily in Amber Valley's favor. Derek fairly stated that they had put at least that much work into our project, which is true, but in large part because of the continual staff turnover and need to re-explain and restart the whole thing. We part ways with a sour taste in our mouth, but still able to say some positive things. Derek is overall good to work with and has an endearing personality, but lacks systems and organization and tends to bite off more than he can chew. I'm sure there are advantages to the project development strategy, but just make sure you assume a price increase and a large fee going to AV.

We had the roof replaced (boards as needed) and rebuilt our garage. The team was great to work with. Clear communication and respectful of the site. The payment system made it easy to reference documentation and make payments. The team was patient in answering any questions we had. Everything looks great.

Amber Valley Construction has been a pleasure to work with. Our business relationship has been an absolute joy over the past year and I look forward to the many years ahead in our partnership. Their knowledge and skill set are displayed in every project they touch and it all starts with their attention to the details. I would highly recommend Amber Valley Construction for your next project!

We had all of our windows replaced and a new garage built. Derek replaced all of our windows and wrapped the outside of the windows, they look wonderful. Amber Valley also built a new garage for us, it was a good experience. If we had any questions or concerns it was addressed right away. After each day he followed up with us to see if we had any questions. Great job.