Elsberry Construction Services took a down payment for window installation and subsequently refused to complete the work. The owner was virtually unreachable and was very difficult to deal with - making promises to have the work done and then failing to show up. Two months after the initial contact, a refund was given.

I had used them on previous projects. When this one went sour, I went back to verify their work and found out that they installed less insulation than the contracts called for.

[Recommendation submitted via e-mail] If you want an honest contractor who knows how to communicate, this is your guy. Troy handled a major renovation for us, which included adding a powder room in a closet, gutting kitchen and master bath, building closets, doing exterior stucco work, drywall/plaster repair, electrical, and plumbing, removal of steam heat and replacement with geothermal, and building a two-car garage. He does mostly carpentry and gets subs for the things he can't do. All of his subs were on-time, friendly, and good.

[Recommendation submitted via e-mail] I was a lucky recipient of Don Curry and his crew from Loki's Garden.

Not only did they do a great job with solving my drainage problems, they offered advice on renovating the garden and surrounding area and followed through on every facet of the job with polished results. They were happy to work within our budget and they came through beautifully.

They were on time, did what they promised and made us very happy. We'd hire them again without hesitation.

[Recommendation submitted via e-mail] We are having Glen Peterson do work for us. He does excellent work and is very reasonable. He generally charges $250 for an 8 hour day, no matter what the job is. The only problem is he lives in Perry, which is about 40 miles NW of Des Moines, and he does not always have time to make it to Des Moines.

Robert Koster is an expert carpenter who specializes in interior trim. He's done some BEAUTIFUL hardwood trim that I've seen and is talented and creative in working with older homes and unusual spaces. Other capabilities include framing, remodeling, roofing, finishing rooms, additions, drywall, tile, decks, fences, and more! Fully insured and gives free quotes. Plus, he's just about the nicest guy you'll ever meet and is thoroughly professional.

[Via the RenovateDSM e-mail group] We had Jim replace some rotten window sills for us last fall and we were so impressed with his attention to detail, we decided to ask him to bid our main bathroom. His bid was very reasonable -- about the same as what we were charged to renovate our much smaller half bathroom a few months ago.

[Via the RenovateDSM e-mail group] Don Reynolds with Reynolds Construction built my garage, did a really nice job and the cost was reasonable!

Scott remodeled a bathroom and kitchen for us, including some difficult tile work and custom site-built cabinetry. He and his assistant were conscientious while working in an occupied house, consistent with their work schedule, and competitively priced.