5 Star Success: Minneapolis Bathroom Contractor Impresses

Rosie Jasinek knew exactly what she was doing when she decided to redo a bathroom in her Maple Grove home.

A seasoned veteran of house remodeling projects, Jasinek sought a contractor who could effectively collaborate with her around her hectic travel schedule as well as meet her high expectations for quality craftsmanship.

Turning to ServiceMagic, Jasinek found and interviewed several candidates. She selected Barry Armstrong, owner of Armstrong Home Remodeling and Repair. Not only was Armstrong's bid competitive, Jasinek says, but he came to her house on a Sunday to scope the project. He "very willingly" provided multiple references and kept in close communicationthroughout the bidding process. Throughout the project, Armstrong met all of Jasinek's criteria and more, she says.

"The experience was good," Jasinek says. "Barry does a thorough job. He is very good at making sure things aren't messy. And he is very informative."

Armstrong even went shopping with Jasinek to help her pick out tile, Jasinek says.

"That's not something I would anticipate doing with my contractor," she says. "But my schedule is very demanding. I travel a lot, so a lot of the times Barry was working in my house, I was out of town. I think he felt like if he really wanted to get things done, he had to take me somewhere and get it done right then," she says, laughing.

A Shopping Partner
Armstrong actually offers to go shopping with all his clients "to point out to them what are good quality products and what aren't," he says. "It's important that they know what they're getting for their money. Rosie was just looking for some ideas on tiling, so I made some suggestions, then we went out and did a little shopping together so I could show her what's being used these days."

Armstrong tiled Jasinek's bathroom walls and floor as well as installed a new tub, toilet, cabinets and light fixtures. Jasinek was so pleased with the results that she hired Armstrong to work on other projects in her house, including remodeling another bathroom, building a closet, redoing a staircase and adding a railing.

"Once you get a good contractor, you have to hang on to them," Jasinek says. "I've referred him to a couple of other people that I knew were looking for a contractor because I knew how difficult they are to find."

Armstrong says his work ethic keeps his success rating high. "Most importantly," he says, "I try to work on every home as if it were my own."