Testimonials

Gary completed a project on our home in the spring of 2022. It was a two story living room “floor-over” (a term he has coined). The project created 400 sq. ft. using the open space in our two story living room. We interviewed a couple general contractors and both were hesitant to take on the job. I stumbled upon Gary by searching two-story enclosures on Google. I looked him up on LinkedIn, perused his site, had a phone conversation with him and ultimately met him at the home. In true general contractor fashion, Gary said all the right things and had all the answers. The difference is, Gary followed through on 100% of everything outlined in the project plan agreement. His crews were/are first class. They were extremely careful and protective of our existing floors and surrounding areas. They cleaned up each day, worked quick and their final product was incredible. I know Gary worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the project moved as expected. I have high expectations of professional jobs and Gary’s company surpassed all expectations. In this day and age, that can be few and far between. We trusted Gary from the beginning and we greatly appreciated his honesty and accountability. We are truly blessed that we entrusted Gary with our project. It’s made a wonderful additional to our family’s home.

We purchased a 20-year-old home on a lot we loved, but knew the house needed quite a bit of work before we could move in. Our project required totally gutting and expanding the kitchen and primary bathroom, removing walls, installing new support beams, lifting the ceiling, replacing floors, and constructing a two-room addition, plus minor repairs and cosmetic attention. We were anxious about hiring a contractor due to our previous experience with a contractor who left us very disappointed. We took a long time to shop and spoke at length with several local contractors before deciding to hire Palmer Custom Builders. We are extremely pleased with our choice. After the walls were opened up, problems were found with poor electrical wiring, water seepage, mold and rotting wood. Despite the surprises, the job was completed on time and within budget, even after Gary suggested several changes that added to the appearance and utility of the new floor plan. The design meetings, material and finishes selections, and permit process were all smoothly handled. His workers were always there at the promised times, and always respectful and polite. We had constant communication with him at every point in the process and never had a question or concern go unanswered. We are extremely happy with the process and the outcome, and heartily recommend Palmer Custom Builders. We now live in the home we have always wanted. Thank you, Gary!

Gary and Pam do a fantastic job. They did our primary bath remodel and kitchen remodel within the last year. They are creative and have a real feel for style and what will work for you. I also feel that you can have complete faith that they’ll get everything to your satisfaction, and you’ll be treated fairly, which is so important in a relationship like this. 100% 5 stars!

Best contractor I worked with. On time, on budget, high quality, super customer service.

Yes. I would recommend Palmer Custom Builders; the staff did a great job. We had an existing out-of-square pad and some extremely wavy brick to contend with, and they made it look fantastic. We now have a nice, dry and cooler place to park our vehicles. It’s also a great place for us to get out of the weather.

We would definitely recommend Palmer Custom Builders. The work was done quickly, efficiently, and completed to my expectations. All the workers who came into my home were polite, kept my house as clean as possible, and were very particular with the work they performed.

Yes, we would definitely recommend working with Gary Palmer…The quality of work, the crews he contracts with, and his method of tackling the work to be done are excellent. He stands behind his work and is available whenever he is needed to answer questions or concerns.

I’m thoroughly impressed with the results…The exterior essentially turned it into a different house, and I’m looking forward to seeing something different in the spring/summer, inside and out. You get what you pay for. Money well spent.

I had a small screened porch, about 11′ x 17′, which is a good size for a sun porch. It had six openings with screens, a concrete floor, and the same siding that was on the outside of my house was inside on two of the walls. After Gary came out and looked at it, he made some excellent suggestions. We came up with a tile that really is beautiful and reminds you of hardwood flooring, because some pieces are wider or longer than others. Gary suggested that I put bead board on the ceiling and trimmed it with crown molding. It looks very rich the way he finished it. It really is a nice room. When people come in they say it looks beautiful; and I can see it from my kitchen and living room. He really created a beautiful room for me.

The best part of working with Palmer Custom Builders was that they had total control of the job. That was very important to us, since we both work, leave early in the morning, and don’t come home until early evening. It was important to us to know that everything was being handled. If they had any questions, they had them ready for us early in the morning, so that we could answer them. That kind of coordination is sometimes hard for contractors to do on a long-term project, but they managed it well.

It has been 8 months since you finished our fantastic sunroom that we really enjoy daily. You made it so comfortable and convenient. Every detail complements our life style. The room is perfect. From the beginning of the project to the end you made our experience with Palmer Custom Builders and every member of your crew very easy and pleasant. Our sunroom is the envy of the neighborhood. Just the other day a visitor could not believe the sun room was an addition. Your design, which included much more than we expected, fits right in with the style of our original house. Please feel free to bring your customers by to show them how a professional builder delivers what he promises. We love showing off your creation.

Gary and his team are an absolute joy to work with and the quality of his work is outstanding. We built a pool house with Sauna, Bathroom and an open living room. Gary was great turning a concept idea into reality. He and Patti were always available, evening and weekends. They were very responsive to last minute changes and their crews delivered a high quality product on time and on budget. While working on this project, he also fixed a number of small repair jobs around the house without any hesitation. We are very impressed and we would definitely recommend Palmer Custom Builders for any building project.

The house looks completely different on the outside. More vibrant, improved exterior and interior. Neighbors notice the change and compliment the work. Driving up to it feels better since the house looks so much better…I’d absolutely recommend PCB. This is my second go-round (first job was a kitchen remodel) and I wouldn’t trust anyone else or go anywhere else.

Palmer Custom Builders built us a beautiful new custom home on our wooded lot in Waxhaw. We began planning in August 2012 and completion date was projected to be mid-June 2013. There were numerous changes to make it exactly what we needed, a custom retirement dream home with adaptations for my handicapped husband. Halls and entries are wider, the garage is at kitchen level, the showers, sinks and toilets are equipped for handicapped persons. It is truly a dream home, easy to maintain, room to entertain our family and friends, and so light and airy. Communications with Gary Palmer went above and beyond all expectations. He promised a completion date and he stuck to it, in spite of unprecedented rain this year. He was working with a new building code which went into effect in January and he had to make some revisions and schedule additional inspections. He still maintained the schedule he had set with me. We lived four hours away but he kept in touch with photos and drawings in between our visits to the site. He planned far ahead so I didn’t have to make a lot of decisions toward the end of the process. As part of the contract he included a wonderful designer who helped me with the design decisions. I love the results as I continue to make decorating choices. My decision to use Palmer Custom Builders was greatly influenced by their extensive website. I replied to several builders and never heard from any of the rest. I heard from Gary Palmer the day after I submitted my online inquiry. That speed and efficiency was his way of working from start to finish and I can’t say enough about the quality and care all of his own staff and his subcontractors showed throughout the project and after our occupancy as we encountered only a few very minor problems. After this experience I consider Gary and Pam Palmer trusted friends. My son was so impressed that he had Gary Palmer do a renovation project at his home a block from ours that turned out beautifully for their family with minimum disruption to their daily lives.

We had a screened porch off the breakfast area. Palmer Custom Builders was able to keep its existing roof, but enclose the rest of the room, so we ended up with an extra fun morning room adjacent to the kitchen and dining area. It has made the house look and feel so much bigger with the added heated square footage. We recently had a Halloween party, and everything just flowed so much better thanks to that great extra space. Our kitchen was also 10 years old, so we had some updating to do to get it up to today’s standards. The cabinets were in poor shape, with all of the white thermofoil peeling off. We added stained wood cabinets, granite counter tops and “debrassed” the fixtures to give it a much more current look. It was great that the Palmers had an interior designer who could guide me through picking the granite, tile backsplash, light fixtures, etc. That was really helpful. They kept things moving the whole time they were working on our project. They established the time frame at the beginning and really were able to keep to it, which is something we really appreciated – especially with two young kids. They were actually finished three weeks before they had promised. We were very happy and impressed with that. They really kept the ball rolling, and everything just fell into place.

The whole process was very good. Both Pam and Gary are fantastic to work with, very professional and always presented themselves well. One of the main things that I was impressed with was their track record with the crews. They have worked with their crews for so long – and I consider that to be the mark of a great builder – that they made me comfortable with choosing them. I’ve been involved with the building industry and know what to expect when it comes to projects like this – but whenever any minor concern did come up, they went above and beyond what I would expect from a contractor to address the situation.

We moved out to Waxhaw to a property on 11 acres. We have horses, and my husband decided that he wanted to have chickens. We purchased a coop from a man in Pennsylvania, and along with that, we needed an enclosed pen run so that the chickens could come out in the day and still be protected. Palmer Custom Builders put together the run and attached it to the coop. Gary said they had never done anything like that before, but he wasn’t afraid to do it. The house was built in 1987 and needed some updating. The whole inside had to be painted. They finished a three-car detached garage, which is quite large, and finished off the whole upstairs, which now includes an awesome rec room, a full bathroom, a little kitchenette and additional living space. In the main house, a lot of windows were unfinished, there was no trim and that look didn’t fit the price point of the home. So Palmer Custom Builders copied the style that was already there – a more rural-looking flat trim – and trimmed them out to flow with the style of the house. Because of the age and the nature of the home, it needed a lot of electrical work. Gary did a wonderful job of finding things that my husband and I wouldn’t have had a clue to look for and which the inspection report did not pick up on. They have a great personal touch. They spend time really getting to know you, and I just got the feeling that Gary Palmer wouldn’t do anything in this home that he wouldn’t do in his own, and that’s very comforting.

My priority was that I have a dog, and I wanted to make sure their crews were comfortable working around the dog. After talking to them and the references they gave me, I knew it was a good fit. Once they started, I really did love their crew. They were so good to my dog; one of the guys would give her treats and make sure she had water and let her in and out…. Another thing I liked was that I didn’t have a lot of time to do any shopping, so Pam brought over samples for me to choose from. She had looked over the house and got a feel for the color scheme, so she pretty much knew exactly what I wanted…. I went on vacation for a week while they were working, and when I came home, I had two beautiful bathrooms. It was wonderful. I couldn’t be more thrilled. In fact, we had a picnic out here about a month ago, and I was bringing neighbors over to show them what a difference it made. I still look at those two rooms and think, “Why did I wait to so long to do this?

A completely new space that meets all our needs now and in the future and that we simply enjoy living in so much more than before. Also increased our energy efficiency and fixed a lot of lingering “behind the scenes” issues from having a house built in the 60s. It truly is a totally new house, and we have added a ton of value. A great investment for us.….PCB has been a joy to work with and we could not possibly be happier with the finished product. Gary, Pam, Maurene and the rest of the team clearly took a personal pride in getting the job done correctly and making our house everything it could be. I would recommend them to anyone for any job, large or small.

Wonderful job! Very attentive to our needs. Everyone we dealt with was personable and professional. This could have been a stressful experience, instead it was exciting and enjoyable…We have the home of our dreams. Gary, Maureen And Neal gave us wonderful recommendations that improved our vision without adding costs to the project. We are very happy with our home! Thank you all!

Very Pleased with our addition to our home. Project was completed ahead of schedule and we love the new space. As a general contractor, Gary and Pam are the sum of their sub contractors. The gentleman that did the framing, demo, finishing and painting did such an excellent job that it really set the bar high for the other subs. Project design and coordination was the beyond what I would have expected. Gary found some existing house issues that he was able to correct and made the house more practical and usable. We were also able to stay in the house during construction which was beyond helpful. There were a couple of minor issues that came up, but that was to be expected with a job this scope, but not enough to detract from this review. 6 months later, we are still pleased, a couple of very minor issues came up that were “warranty” issues and Gary took care of them very promptly and to our satisfaction.

Gary and team are great to work with and keep you informed and confident that you are being treated fairly – and their work is excellent.

I wanted to write you a brief note concerning a referral you made for me. I was having A/C heat pump problems in our second floor unit… An HVAC company here in Charlotte we had used for some time told me the compressor was gone and a new system was needed…I called you because of previous quality work you had done on expanding a room over our garage. Dominic at DAC Services came out and found only the external fan was bad and replaced it…He did not assume a new system was needed, which is what I asked him to bid on. It is refreshing to find a service company with a focus on doing the right thing for the customer for a competitive price…I guess you know whom I will call for any HVAC work in the future! Thanks again for your referral.

We completed a total renovation of the main living areas and kitchen, which included removing a brick fireplace and replacing it with very large glass sliding doors, and windows. We very carefully vetted Palmer Custom Builders. From the very beginning, they were careful to take their time to listen to our vision while evaluating their ability to meet our expectations, as well as help us set realistic expectations, within the allotted budget. The Palmer Custom Builders team worked together to listen, collaborate, plan, and execute our renovation project. Out of the carefully vetted contractors we interviewed, they were the only ones who suspected some potential serious issues which would greatly impact our project and budget. They planned for it in advance and convinced us to obtain an independent inspection to validate their suspicions. They proved to be correct and thanks to their expertise and professional guidance, their team was prepared for what was uncovered when the demolition phase began. Their 30+ years of experience was undeniable when we reflect back on how they planned for this really big project. They took our design ideas and executed them cleverly, thinking outside the box to achieve astounding results. Their incredibly smart kitchen design truly exceeded our expectations. It was amazing to see the craftsmanship and planning behind our kitchen renovation. They restored our old kitchen cabinets, combined them with a new kitchen island which they turned in a different direction, bumped out the refrigerator, somehow provided us with a plumbed-in espresso station regardless of its impossible location, and converted a mess into a beautiful pantry. Everyone who visits is hard pressed to believe that the majority of cabinets are my previous cabinets, restored! We had some significant personal losses during our renovation, and it was a very difficult time for our family. The Palmer team was so caring, and took care of every last detail to keep the project moving on time, without us having to worry about anything. Sure enough they finished on time and with the many challenges surrounding our project, it was quite reassuring knowing we had left our home with a team we could trust to do it right. They went above and beyond so we could move in immediately upon completion of the last inspection, an act of kindness we will never forget. There is so much more we could share, but can only squeeze so much into this review. This is a classy and reputable team who are dedicated to excellence, will stick with you until the end, and stand behind their word and work.

Stayed on budget, stayed on timeline, great team to work with. I like that the owner of the firm is the project manager… We have an amazing kitchen with better flow and connectivity to the rest of the house.

Palmer Custom Builders was the right contractor for us…from the first meeting with Gary and Pam, they listened, looked and made recommendations. They also gave us a realistic picture of what our house needed to bring up to code, of the costs – which most probably don’t understand. My son Mike was so impressed with the little booklet telling the homeowner what to expect. We felt like we were part of the remodel not just told, “Give me your money and I’ll call you when it’s done!”… Gary went through the house with a fine-tooth comb and made sure everything was done and finished completely…Gary, Pam, Patti and Maurene take care of their clients.

They were a pleasure to work with, and the end result was exactly what we hoped.

I would recommend Gary Palmer and Palmer Custom Builders to anyone! I found him on the web when looking specifically for NARI certified remodelers. When I spoke with him and described what we wanted, I immediately felt comfortable with him. His crews are great guys and very pleasant to work with. They come in, clean up after themselves and even offered to vacuum. I never felt any compunction about having them in our home or leaving them alone in our home when they were doing work. We are very happy with the results!

Working with Palmer Custom Builders was a good experience. We love the sunroom; we live out here. It’s been a year since it’s been finished, and I’d recommend Gary anytime. Gary had it all mapped out and would tell me what we could or could not do and why. We had a very good working relationship.

I’m notoriously frugal and my kitchen looked like something out of Little House on the Prairie. Ok, well maybe not that old, but it was rather outdated and I grew tired of looking at it. Something had to give… either my frugality or the kitchen & the kitchen won. I picked Palmer Custom Builders because out of the few contractors I contacted, Gary Palmer was the only one to get back to me & I never gave it another thought. He’s well-established and employs a group of expert tradesman that really knows their respective crafts. These guys perform quality work – they do the job right the first time or don’t do it until they can. They’re friendly; they clean up, they don’t leave a mess behind, and they’re the best at what they do. Gary won’t try to sell you anything for the sake of making an extra few dollars. He talked me out of more expensive quartz countertops and into granite. His input & opinions were equally valuable as they were educational and he had ideas & suggestions that I never would have considered. I wanted an electrical box in my living room for a ceiling fan & his electrician not only installed the box, but he assembled and installed the fan. Promises are delivered and if there’s something he can’t commit to immediately, he’ll make the time. I can’t remember them all, but Hunter, Will, Dee, Wes, Mike, Josh, Chris, Ron, Jodie — all trustworthy and true professionals. Gary leads the charge. Remember…you get what you pay for.

I had gone to the Better Business Bureau website and did a search for established builders. A lot of the builders there had only been registered for a couple of months. I was looking for a company that had high ratings and experience. I called several from that list and got some quotes and information from each. I think it was pretty much their responsiveness that made me choose Palmer Custom Builders. They answered all of my questions, were easy to get a hold of, and they posed questions to me, which reassured me that they were on the up and up. I also liked that they were willing to work with me. In order to save some money, I wanted to have them come in and do the bulk of heavy lifting, and I was going to do all of the finish work. They came in, removed a wall, put up new studs and a new beam… Everything turned out how I envisioned it.

Thank YOU for your wrap-up letter, which was consistent with your pristine methods in planning and managing the construction of my room addition. The trust factor in the process was BIG for me… from our first phone contact, you inspired trust, which endured and proved justified. Certainty and quality were also biggies, and at each phase of the project, I was impressed by your orderly decision-making, attention to detail, and consideration of my input. As the room took shape, trust grew. The skill of the workers and [the quality of their work was] amazing. They were courteous, polite, considerate, always careful to minimize household disruption, professional, reliable, and they went about their tasks quickly and delivered the quality you promised. Drama freedom was a great comfort! Even though the weather never did cooperate, there was never a day of cloudy human issues or confusion. All of the steps you initially described were handled smoothly and the [Renovation and New Construction Guide] kept me well informed of what to expect in advance. It was all a happy time for me, due to the high quality of integrity and professionalism you consistently exhibited. THANK YOU!… I will also aggressively recommend you to others who have projects in their plans and want the best contractor ever!

I knew I needed to make a few repairs on my home to get it ready to sell. I called Gary, who was referred to me by my landscaper. He did a quick walk-through, pointed out some issues and suggested that I get a pre-sale inspection done… we then contracted Gary to do the work. It wasn’t a big job – the major portion of it was a palladium window in the great room that had fogged over. It was like that when I bought the house, but in today’s market, you don’t want to put a house on the market that needs any repairs… Gary’s guys were great to deal with. Gary himself came out several times to make sure that the work was being done well, which it was. The painters and carpenters were wonderful. The window guy came out when I wasn’t home. I came back to find that the window had been replaced, painted, looked wonderful and I would have never even known that they were there. We were working on a timeframe, because I wanted the house to be ready to put on the market in two weeks. Gary got everything done, and the house sold in one day. I can’t say that’s the sole reason that the house sold so quickly, but it definitely didn’t hurt that the house was in perfect condition.

I started off wanting to have my kitchen and bathroom redone. My house was built in 1959, and the bathroom was really tiny. I also had a list of about 60 items that I wanted to have fixed…when you have an older house, there are lots of things that need work. I found Gary Palmer on the web initially. After I learned about him and his qualifications, I wanted to meet them and see their office in person and make sure that everything was as it should be. What I really appreciated was that when we first started looking at what needed to be done, Gary brought everyone together. I have a good sized driveway , but we had so many people come to look and see and decide what needed to be done that there were pickup trucks all the way down my driveway and around the block. Everyone came at once… the demolition people, the flooring guys, the air conditioning company, the painter, the plumber, and of course, Gary himself. Everyone was here on that one day to look at the house, talk with Gary and then explain to me what needed to happen. I thought that was pretty amazing that he was able to bring that many professionals together in one place at one time – to make all those schedules work. They had talked about how they were able to coordinate, but this really demonstrated how this company could bring it all together. It was really nice to have everyone who would be involved in the project there to look at the house and tell me what needed to happen for everything to come together. The house is so very nice now. They’ve brought everything up to date, and the difference between before and after is so drastic and so dramatic.

Our three-decade dream has become reality.

Our experience with Palmer Custom Builders was very good, from start to finish. We were very pleased with the results of the workmanship and professionalism.

Once our project got started, work progressed efficiently and quality and workmanship were outstanding. Most importantly, communication was excellent throughout the project. We would highly recommend Palmer Custom Builders and plan to use them again for our next project.

I did a website search, found Palmer Custom Builders, liked what I saw and checked them out with the Better Business Bureau. They had a good rating, and Mr. Palmer came out quickly and then really moved through the process. I am very pleased with Palmer Custom Builders. All the workers who came in were very professional, did a great job and did what Mr. Palmer said they would do… in the time frame he said he would, and it looks good!

We had been trying to do this project for three years. We had told each person we talked with that we needed to see what the finished product was going to look like. Gary Palmer actually came out with his team and showed us just that. They drew it out in three-dimensional form, so we could see it from different angles. He brought us into his office and showed us examples of their finished work and just made us feel very comfortable. We had been debating on whether we wanted to move or remain in the home, but with the condition the house was in, we didn’t think it would sell. Now, number one, we have this beautiful house, and number two, if we wanted to sell it, we could. I’m glad we went through it… everyone who walks through here loves it and wants to know who did it.

It’s such a pleasure to have someone we can count on, and Gary has never let me down,” says Kim McCorkle, for whom Palmer Custom Builders built a sunroom and completed numerous renovations. Yet it was something else that left a lasting impression. “When we renovated the kitchen, we decided to leave the existing doors out to the sunroom. Well, my son fell on their metal tracks. Twenty-two stitches later, on our way home from the emergency room on a Saturday night, I called Gary and asked if he could do something about them. By Tuesday morning, his guys were there, ripping up the tracks and replacing the thresholds. They just have wonderful service. I wouldn’t have anyone else do anything in our home.

They were very helpful in getting subcontractors…It was very useful to be directed to good people to help us get things we needed, like tile, countertops and granite. I would recommend them in the future. In fact, we did recommend them to a person we knew from work who they’ve since completed a porch for.

Gary also coordinated the backyard. We initially were going to modify a huge tree in the back of our little yard, but when they discovered that it was rotten, we had to take it down, which of course totally bombed the backyard. Gary coordinated everything with a landscaper who did a really nice job. Throughout the project, he connected us with very good people who knew their crafts. Each one he supplied was knowledgeable, professional and followed through very nicely.

We just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the work you just completed on our primary bathroom. We had some major water problems and damage, and you and your crew were prompt and professional in addressing the problems and completing the work.

Thank you for your fine efforts in our recent project to upgrade and repair the exterior of our home. At 20 years old, several problems had developed, which required much creativity and a broad array of trades and skills to complete the tasks at hand. Everything has been completed to our total satisfaction.

Palmer Custom Builders has completed three different projects in my condominium, including a recent kitchen renovation. I have been impressed with their professionalism, quality of work, and attention to detail.

We were so satisfied with Gary’s work on our kitchen remodel, we knew we could trust him with a large renovation project. We’ve been very happy with the quality of work and the attention to detail.

The first job Palmer Custom Builders did for me was finishing off my bonus room. That was six years ago. One year after that, they built a roof over my back patio, and then two years ago I had them add another full bath upstairs. Now they are building my new house. I can’t say enough about Gary and the people that have been working for him. I have been very happy with each job from the start, and now working with both Gary and his wife Pam on my new home has been such an all-together pleasure. I have spoken with people who have had troublesome experiences with builders, but during this time, I’m not finding that at all. We’ve worked together from the very beginning and it’s been a truly pleasurable experience; one that I would enjoy doing all over again. Both Gary and Pam Palmer worked with me every step of the way…I would do it again, anytime.

We selected Palmer Custom Builders because we saw some of their work on the web and the craftsmanship and integrity was above all. I also appreciated the professionalism that Gary & Pamela brought to the table when they came out to talk to us. They sat at our kitchen table and listened to our ideas and provided great feedback. They genuinely wanted to take the time to go through everything and to make sure that we were aware of all of our options and all of the materials that were available. They really wanted to know what we were envisioning and not just push standard designs or concepts onto us. They redefine the term “custom builder”. They were just as excited about how the addition was going to function and enhance the appeal of the home. We wanted to add something to the house that made it look & feel more like the style of house we always wanted. We look at before and after pictures now and the transformation is amazing!! This gives a reason to stay in this home for years! No need to look anywhere else. They truly delivered!

I found Palmer Custom Builders with a simple search on the Internet. I came across several websites that looked interesting and professional. When you look at a website, you’re looking at what someone has developed – it’s your first impression of the company. If it is a pleasant experience, you’ll take the next step. When I did that, Gary was the first person to return my call and the only contractor to return my call within 24 hours, which I thought was a very good indication of his professionalism and how the Palmers run their business. I wanted a cook’s kitchen. My old kitchen was not laid out very efficiently and didn’t have the tools I needed to cook the way that I wanted. At the same time, I wanted it to be congruent with the rest of the house – I didn’t want to overspend and end up with a kitchen that didn’t work with the house. The Palmers asked many probing questions in order to identify my needs. I did not sit down and go through 20 magazines pulling out pictures of what I liked. They were knowledgeable and current, telling me things that I never would have seen in a picture or understood unless you’ve been in the business with a lot of experience, such as putting electrical outlets underneath the cabinets so the tile pattern is not broken up. They also kept me up to date with all the latest technology, such as the microwave in the drawer, the warming drawer, and the soft touch doors. How do I like it? My kitchen is absolutely spectacular! It’s so pretty and so functional! I love it!

We wanted the ceiling to have some height. When you go into new custom homes and look at their porches, they often have vaulted ceilings, and we wanted to capture that feel. Our house is a ranch and sits on a hill; the roof line on the back is pretty low. Because of that, Gary had to figure out and then engineer a structure that could support the vault. I was really impressed. They really thought outside the box; it wasn’t a simple process. They had to build a whole structure first and then attach the vaulted porch to that. We also had two existing skylights that they had to lift out and then reset. In the process of doing so, they actually discovered that the skylights had been installed wrong initially and discovered a leak in the existing roof. So now they are installed correctly and you can’t even tell that they were taken out. What I like best about Gary is that he doesn’t come in with his own preconceived ideas about a project. He wants to work with you to create what’s important to you. We love living out here because it is very country and rural, and while we wanted the porch to look nice, we also wanted to keep some rustic appeal. Gary had a lot of good ideas to help us achieve that look. Another example is his knowledge of building materials that I would never think of. I mentioned to him that I was hopeful that I could let my three cats out there because I thought they would enjoy it; however one cat likes to scale our screen doors. Gary immediately suggested pet-proof screening. The cost difference was very negligible, and now they can all enjoy it; that’s something I would never have thought possible… We all just really enjoy the space.

We bought a little bungalow in March 2008 and were planning on renovating it and adding a second story. Once we got into the nitty gritty of everything, as far as the kind of building we wanted, we ran into some zoning issues. Gary Palmer and Bob Porter, the architect he worked with, went above and beyond to work with us in getting the variance with the city squared away. Once that was all settled, there were more issues with the original house. We had initially had inspectors and structural engineers look at the property, but when Gary looked at the nuts and bolts of correcting the existing issues and adding a second level, it became very costly. We then visited the idea of tearing down the existing home and building new, which is what we did. Throughout the whole process, the Palmers were very honest and open about everything. They are great communicators; I never had to wonder about what was going on. We had weekly meetings, and we would talk at least a couple of times during the week, so they were very good about keeping us in the loop. We had never done any kind of major renovation or built a house before, and we really appreciated that they went the extra mile to explain things to us and to give us options. Everyone we talked to before the process said, “You’re going to hate your contractor.” Securing the variance with the City was a long, tedious process — but the part where we were supposed to be dissatisfied with the contractor never came about. You always hear about contractors taking longer than they estimate, but they actually were much shorter. We kept saying that this is not the bad experience that everyone warned us about …It turned out even better than we thought.

When we talked with Gary Palmer initially, what I liked was that no matter what question you asked, Gary not only knew the answer, but he anticipated other things. He’d say things like, “When we remove these cabinets, there will not be hardwood floors underneath, and we’re going to have to refinish the rest of the floor to make these new sections blend in.” Maybe because he is also a builder, he was able to anticipate things that could become issues and address them from the beginning. We also really liked the design Palmer Custom Builders created for our kitchen. They built an island and really opened up the space. Gary convinced us to remove a dropped soffit, and it really has made a huge difference – the kitchen looks 30 percent bigger and much brighter. Gary initially told us our project would probably take 10 weeks, but he might be able to do it in eight; it actually took him about five weeks. But what was most impressive was the way they handled one situation. They had boarded off our kitchen with plastic sheathing because of our cats – to keep them away from the loose wires and open walls. One afternoon, the drywall guys left enough of an opening for the cat to notice that he could get underneath, and he jumped the wooden barrier and got into the kitchen. After I caught him and got him out, I called Gary. It was late in the day, probably about 4:30 p.m.., but within 30 minutes, he had two guys at our house. They extended the barrier in such a way that they could work on the walls without ever having to take the barrier back down. For them to respond to our concern that quickly, that late in the day, and have figured out a plan while they were driving here, because they knew exactly what they were going to do by the time they got here; that was really when I knew that we had picked the right people to work on our home.