Keystone Building Group Reputation

As we complete 3 months of living in our new home, we thought it an appropriate time to reach out and thank you – and your whole team – for this wonderful place we plan to call home for the rest of our lives.

You took a small cabin, built to be only a weekend place, and turned it into a good size house that meets all our needs for full-time living. We had a good plan, but you made it better with your suggestions. Your sub-contractors were all experts at their craft, your project manager, Lee, was very attentive to our needs and flexible when it came to the all the little stuff that ends up making a big difference. We applaud you and Lee for the great communications throughout the project. As always on a big project, there were a few issues – but your upfront communications and quick resolution were truly appreciated. You finished on time, on budget and with an end product better than we could have ever imagined. The before and after pictures are worthy on anything we’ve ever seen on HGTV!

Please feel free to use us as a reference, and if it is ever helpful, to have prospective clients come visit the end product. We appreciate you, your creativity, your organization and your management of an incredible group of artisans.

After deciding to fully gut a 1950’s ranch home and essentially start from scratch we went on the hunt for a contractor who could A.) Handle that size of a project and B.) who could do it with exceptional craftsmanship and complete it efficiently. After interviewing countless builders and GC’s we found Artie’s company Keystone Building Group through a referral from a friend.

From the get go, Artie was knowledgable, professional and kind and instilled a sense of security in us for such a large project. Throughout the entirety of the project he went above and beyond making sure we were well informed of every step and every detail was accounted for. His attention to detail goes above and beyond other contractors and builders we have worked with in the past (which is several) and he his commitment to our project was invaluable. As with every renovation, there were some minor issues that arose which Artie handled with grace. Of the few hurdles that did come up, Artie stood by his work and made sure they were completely resolved (even after we had finished the project he continued to prove this). His wife Angie was also so kind and professional throughout the entire billing process which was organized and structured prior to starting the job. Last, but definitely not least, our project turned out absolutely beautiful… not only does it look amazing, but we feel secure knowing everything was done the right way with zero shortcuts. I would highly recommend Keystone Building Group for any renovation project big or small – I know we will be using them again in the future. 10/10 stars from us! Thank you Artie!

From the very first meeting, I was impressed with Artie. He was listening, asking pertinent questions, and making suggestions of ways to solve the issues. He sent out an engineer and a large window specialist right away, to hone in on possible resolutions to key issues we faced. He then brought in all his subcontractors for a meeting with us, where more input was gathered, more specific questions asked about what we wanted and possible ways to resolve the issues.

Each step of the way, Artie was incredibly quick to respond to any questions I emailed or texted, and I was kept in the loop on all communication with his subs as to how they were handling a problem and when it would be done. When we signed on with him, he told us what day they would start and what day they would finish. He also said, there would be unexpected issues which would more than likely come up as we went along. We knew and expected this. We were also given a website to go to, where we could see pictures of what was being done, and a calendar of what was scheduled for each day.

The project manager called a few days before we were scheduled to begin, to introduce himself and let us know he would be there every day to oversee the work. He made sure the work was done and done correctly and that the sub-contractors cleaned up after themselves. He was always there to answer any questions we had and to make any adjustments we requested.

When we found out the cabinets we ordered were delayed 2 weeks, I thought that would put our completion date back the same amount of time. Instead, Artie moved the workers schedule around and in the end, we only lost one day.

I can’t remember any remodeling project in my life which came even close to meeting a deadline. Quick, positive, efficient and concerned at every turn. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Artie’s work has been impressive on many levels. In May of 2013, I purchased a home that while having a great foundation, would nevertheless need a massive overhaul. Having seen the work Artie had done on my daughters home, I was confident that he would be more than able to combine the creative designs and ideas my daughter Megan had, with his own knowledge, expertise, and high standards. Floors, doors, windows, and roofs were ripped out and replaced. Walls were taken down and added elsewhere to make better use of space. The entire plumbing and electric systems were updated, all aided by the dedication and professionalism of Artie and his team. Furthermore, all the workers Artie hired were both entirely proficient in their jobs in addition to being wonderful to work with. The one roadblock we ran into, related to homeowners association guidelines, Artie was able to swiftly resolve. Most impressive was the timeliness of Artie and his team, as the entire project was completed by December of the same year. Overall, Artie was able to take a rundown space and turn it into a home.

We first met Artie years ago when we attended the same church. Long before we had planned on building our new home, we had heard very positive comments about Artie’s work ethic and quality of his craftsmanship. We had also been told by numerous friends and acquaintances that building your own home is a construction nightmare. From the time we first met with Artie to discuss building our home, he was very efficient and knowledgable. He recommended meeting with an architect, Ashley J. Design, which was very helpful. She was able to help us customize our home according to our family needs. Artie was on the job site quite frequently, and made sure that there were no short-cuts being taken by the contractors. The job site was left in immaculate condition every night. He answered all our questions, as well as he helped to educate us on all areas during the building process. The process from start to finish was truly a great experience. As with all new construction, issues did arise; however these were handled promptly with great efficiency and to our upmost satisfaction. It has been such a pleasure to work with Artie and Keystone Building Group, and we would definitely recommend him as a builder! Artie is a man of integrity and takes pride in his work. He has made our dream concept into a beautiful home that we truly enjoy.

We were recently discussing our experience with Keystone in the improvements you made to our home this past Spring. We found your work and your high standard of care in protecting our home during the whole process so exceptional that we thought a personal “thank you” was in order. We have used various contractors over the last 30 years, and you should know that our experience with you was special. We thought it would be meaningful to communicate to you how your service separates itself from the competition. You were always punctual and let us know well in advance if there was to be a schedule change. You always had a supervisor on site so our schedule was never compromised. You were very neat and cleaned up the site at the end of each day. You completed our project within the time frame agreed upon. Additionally, we were impressed that you padded all surfaces that might be affected by your work; therefore, putting our minds at ease about having to do a lot of cosmetic work later due to carelessness or accidents. We were extremely pleased with your professionalism, efficiency, and attentiveness to our priorities. We would not hesitate to use you again on any future projects.

The homes I sell take a special kind of builder to create. The details of the plans are intricate, and exacting, and take a highly-skilled craftsman to pull it off well. Artie Smethers is that kind of a builder. I can’t speak enough to his capabilities. He’s a man of integrity, with a strong work-ethic, and he takes pride in his work. Artie will assess and correct problems on the job site as they arise and he’s always accountable to his clients. He’s trained a number of people over the years, my own son included, and expects the best out of his crew. I know I can always count on Artie to make the job run right, and so can you.

I first met Artie Smethers when he arrived to frame the addition on my house. He has a special talent for craftsmanship, and a fastidious nature to his work. There were no short-cuts in the work he did for me, and the job site was left in immaculate condition every night. Artie is knowledgeable about the phases of construction and he happily answered all of my questions. His efficient pre-planning made sure there were no wasted steps, and that there was enough material to complete the job, definitely adding value to having him on the job site. The finished addition has withstood the test of time and we enjoy it everyday. It was an extreme pleasure to work with Artie, and I would not hesitate to do business with him again at any time. He’s straight-forward, and he does what he says he will do. You can put your trust in him.

I would like to introduce and recommend Artie Smethers, owner of Keystone Building Group. Artie was employed as a builder for Simonini Builders, Inc. building a number of custom and semi-custom homes. During that time, he performed a masterful job for some our our most demanding clients that included a highly respected architect as well as some personal friends of mine. His jobs consistently were on budget and on time incorporating the high quality and standards required on a Simonini built home.

We purchased our land several years before we decided to build our dream home. When we were ready to begin construction, we interviewed several custom home builders in the area. It was important for us to find someone we felt comfortable with and that we could trust to help us with every detail of our home. Artie Smethers with Keystone Building Group not only met but exceeded all of our requirements. He educated us through the whole process of building our first home, and treated our project as if he were building his own home. He helped us to set a time line for making our custom selections in order to keep everyone on schedule, which was very beneficial to us as working parents. His meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship set the bar high for his subcontractors, and this is evident in every aspect of our home.

We were warned by friends to expect hiccups and frustrations when building a custom home, but our experience could not have been any easier thanks to Artie. We love our home, and feel so fortunate every time we drive up our driveway that he made our dream home come to life. We have no plans to ever move, but if we were to build again we would use Artie without any hesitation!!!