[Recommendation submitted via e-mail] I have recently been involved in remodeling an historic home located half block from the northern border of the Sherman Hill Historic district. The house was in very poor condition when I started. Brian Smith was instrumental in saving several original plaster and lath walls. Unfortunately the original ceilings and a few walls were to far gone to save but, Brian installed and finished new wall board and has brought the home up to a very high standard.

[Via the RenovateDSM e-mail group] Jeff is the owner and electrician of Extreme Electric. He is experienced and efficient working in older homes with rewires, upgrades, and new wiring.

Paragon Concrete removed an old wood entryway and brick sidewalk leading to my front door. They hauled it off and replaced it with a concrete stoop, step, and sidewalk. 3 years later it still looks beautiful!

Dave is a very friendly, hardworking, honest electrician. He is a creative problem solver for old house electrical quirks. We highly recommend him.

Jamie is a state certified Lead Inspector and HQS certified housing inspector with 15 years of contractor trade experience in siding and windows

Iowa Lead Safety can do trainings on lead safety and lead-safe renovation as well as lead hazard inspections.

[Via RenovateDSM Google Groups email] "Crose and Lemke can do both the masonry and concrete work on both older and newer home. [They] are attentive to morter matching and cleaning the masonry or concrete after installation. Highly recommend."

Boonie is a custom welder and metal smith. He has experience with reclaimed materials. He can do custom railings, furniture, and architectural pieces with a polished, yet industrial style. Located in the Drake neighborhood.

We used Chris to repair our crumbling brick front steps and they turned out beautifully. His price was very reasonable and he really understood what we were going for. The finished product stayed true to the look of our house but will be longer lasting than the previous construction. He also did some tuckpointing around the foundation and chimney which looks great. We are very happy with the work he has done.

Tim Reynolds performs home energy assessments that include combustion testing, blower door tests, and thermal imaging scans. These energy audits are part of a pilot program with MidAmerican Energy and the U.S. Department of Energy. The Energy Star service is currently offered to residents of the city of Des Moines and Iowa City.

Tim knows all about the rebates available, including a $150 rebate that completely covers the cost of your home assessment.

I am a former client 2012. This is written as a reference on a job that turned out better than expected. Understand that I am a very demanding client, unreasonable and with little patience. I have dealt with 4 prior contractors who did repairs and partial replacements. All 4 left my roof leaking.