To Whom It May Concern:
My husband and I own a home on North Meridian Street which was built in
1926. We purchased it three years ago with the intent of completely
redoing bathrooms and kitchen, upgrading mechanical systems and generally
restoring and updating its interior and exterior appearance. We
interviewed and started down the road with several contractors until we
found Chris Wright.
We highly recommend Chris and his team to any home owner. He is a
perfectionist and very conscientious about the specialists he engages for
every trade. Chris takes a very hands on approach and spends a lot of
time at the job supervising and performing some of the work himself. He
takes personal responsibility for ensuring no corners are cut and that all
work meets his very high standards.
During the summer of 2008, Chris completely reconstructed three very old
bathrooms in our home. In all three cases, we demolished back to the
studs and the plumbing was redone to the maximum extent possible. In
one case, we combined two smaller bathrooms and one closet into a larger
master bath which required realignment of walls, doorways and attention to
structural issues. We could not be happier with the result.
Marble was used for all of the bathroom walls, floors and showers....the
marble work was expertly done. The end result was picture perfect--not a
flaw to be found.
Chris works very well with architects employed by the owner and takes care
to understand the direction of the owner and their designers. While he
brings many of his own ideas to the table, he is very comfortable being
part of a team....many contractors are not. We had a clear set of plans
and very detailed specifications for all of our fixtures and materials
upon which Chris based his pricing. Despite some complications which
extended the schedule a bit, there were no requests for additional funds
for time spent on the job. Chris struck by his price. He is very
honest and very earnest in his quest to satisfy his clients.
Chris is quiet and thoughtful and the people he hires reflect his
personality. When your family is living with a construction crew, that is
important. His team members were always courteous and made an effort to
mitigate the disruption of having an ongoing construction project in our
home. While it is never easy to live with that level of construction
activity, the team would tidy things up at the end of every day and strove
to make life as convenient as possible for us. Other home owners we
interviewed before choosing Chris commented on the same thing....they were
comfortable coexisting with Chris and his team for the duration of the
work and confident that their end product would be exactly what they
wanted.
Chris Wright's specialty and passion is working on older homes and he has
excellent contacts with artisans who take an equal amount of pride in
their finish work. While the bathrooms were underway, we had Chris
undertake a number of other miscellaneous projects at the same time:
electrical work, radiator restoration, refinishing all of our hardwood
doors, redoing crown molding, trim work and plaster. Our wood
paneled library was completely restored and the book cases redone.....when
his subcontractors were finished, the library looked like a brand new
room.
Chris Wright is scheduled to completely redo our kitchen in 2009. We
trust Chris to deliver a perfect job for the price quoted. Every
construction job is subject to setbacks...it is a fluid process. Our
highest priority in choosing a contractor is knowing that we can trust him
and knowing that they will deliver the highest quality end
product....despite whatever twists and turns might be encountered in
getting there. He has succeeded in our home and we will hire
him again.
Kathy Shields
Senior Vice President, Development
SIMON PROPERTY GROUP
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Chris Wright and the Wright Works team transformed our home.
While living in our home Chris and his team
remodeled our entire house.
Remodeling is never easy to live through but
we will say we enjoyed the team of guys that greeted our family each
morning for 9 months.
They were friendly, polite, clean, hard
working, playful with our children, and patient with our requests.
Chris, we thank you for being on the job site
often and having a lot of pride in your work.
We love our home!!!
Jeff and Peggy
Hellman
______________________________________________________________________________________
To Whom It May Concern:
Almost five years ago we moved from St. Louis to Indianapolis to be closer
to family. Due to a number of
circumstances, we made a very hasty decision and purchased a home that in
retrospect was not in good condition or particularly attractive.
Four and half years later we can now say our home is exceptionally
beautiful and we owe it all to Chris, his
WrightWorks
team, and his partnership with designer Matt Harris.
We met Chris through a friend of a friend of our daughter. He initially
came to provide us with an estimate to construct two bookcases on either
side of an unattractive fireplace, build a deck, and reface our kitchen
cabinets. We laugh with Chris
about it now, but years later those are really the only projects he hasn’t
done for us. Basically, ¾ of
the house was gutted. Chris
remodeled our kitchen and great room, created a mud room, built a
suspended library, an entryway, a glass staircase, remodeled the third
level, installed a beautiful large round window, gutted and constructed
four amazing bathrooms including two master baths, and created a master
suite from a cramped 5 room in-law apartment--which now features a wall of
windows and sliding doors overlooking a newly landscaped courtyard.
Everything that can be done in a remodel Chris and his team
accomplished—including all new interior woodwork, doors and hardware.
They then turned to the outside of the house which previously
looked like a series of white boxes with little to no curb appeal.
It is now a beautiful home with dark grey brick, all new cedar
trim, cedar shakes and a fabulous custom cedar pergola across the entire
front walkway of the house leading up to the entrance.
During the course of the renovations, Chris encountered numerous
structural problems with our house, including a bathroom floor that needed
to be jacked up, an attic with a sinking floor, rotted exterior window
trim, a roof that resembled Swiss cheese and the resultant water and mold
damage that occurred--and the list goes on.
Chris was incredibly patient and thorough in explaining things to
us every step of the way.
There were many days that my homesickness (my husband Tom is from
Indiana) and sense that the problems would never end got the best of me,
but Chris and his team were always there to assure me that there was light
at the end of tunnel.
And was there ever!! Our home
is now incredible and has exceeded our wildest expectations of how it
would turn out. The quality
and integrity of the design, materials and craftsmanship is exemplary.
Chris and his team’s integrity, honesty and professionalism are
above reproach. Chris’ passion for what he does and his drive for
perfection is evident in every corner, joint, grout line, tile cut and
tile placement. If it wasn’t
exactly right he would pursue it until it met his very high standard of
excellence. His punch list was
always far longer than ours ever was.
One of the comments visitors frequently make about our home is the
evidence “that it is extremely well thought out” down to every little
detail.
This is due to Chris’ and Matt’s clear vision over the four year
renovation which by the way was not initially designed as a whole but in
phases as we moved from space to space.
“Well thought out” is only one of the comments – others are
“beautiful", "amazing", "fabulous", "the most stunning home we’ve seen.”
Without reservation we recommend Chris to anyone considering a remodeling
project large or small. His
integrity, honesty, passion, craftsmanship, sense of design, and
professionalism are unequaled in this business and quite frankly in any
business with whom we have been involved.
The same standards are evident in his team as well.
He and his team members are a delight to work with and the outcome
for us has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Tom and Diane Pomeranz
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Three years ago we moved our family to Meridian Kessler. We
bought an 80 year old duplex with a long rental history and few improvements.
Chris and his guys turned our old double into a wonderful single family home.
To start, Chris worked with us to determine a general renovation strategy to
join the two halves of the house, build an entirely new kitchen including a
small addition, renovate a bath, create a mudroom, and upgrade the plumbing and
electrical. He spent a lot of time helping us arrive at a design and materials
we would be happy with. It was clear from the beginning he has a lot of
experience with a variety of home styles and neighborhoods and a good “eye” for
design. He helped us come up with a great functional floor plan, figured out all
the utilities and lighting needs, and suggested practical and pretty things like
cutting backsplash tiles to match our flooring slate. We found his
recommendations to be attractive, durable and appropriate to the style of house.
Once they started, we found their work to be of impeccable quality–even down to
the smallest detail. The kitchen was difficult because a new portion of the
house had to be melded into an older portion that had settled over the years and
was not level. Today, the transition is seamless due to the extra care they took
in joining the two spaces together. You can see the same level of care in
everything they did for us--our kitchen counter is so level that marbles do not
roll, the exterior siding on the addition is even and ties in with the original
portion of the house despite the original’s unevenness, all trim work is
perfect, tile and slate are even, and the job generally demonstrates all the
qualities of a having been built by careful craftsmen.
Our new kitchen is stunningly beautiful and fits perfectly into the look of an
older home. The word “stunning” has actually been used by several visitors. It’s
also a great place to cook. We do a lot of cooking and our energetic little boys
do as well, but it still looks and functions like new. We love it.
Even the electrical and plumbing updates they did in the basement are noticeably
tidy and organized. Karl (homeowner & water engineer) actually takes friends to
the basement to show off our pipes. Chris used an innovative modern piping
system to re-plumb pretty much the whole house. This not only saved money but
also got new pipes upstairs with minimal destruction. We have great water
pressure, orderly pipe routing, and no more leaks.
Because we lived in the house while it was being renovated, we also appreciated
how Chris runs things and the small group of his own guys who do most of the
work. Not only does he hire people who do good work, but they are also good
people. They were the quality of people we would normally have in our home, so
the renovation was much more enjoyable than it could have been. Living in a
construction zone is never easy, but they kept things as low-key as possible and
were very pleasant to have around. Chris is great and his guys were polite,
friendly, and great around our kids and pets.
Besides the quality of his work, his sense of appropriate design, and the high
quality of his workers, what we most appreciate about Chris is his honesty. Part
of the beauty of working with him is you can trust him to give you a straight
answer. If he doesn’t want to do something (like fixing our hail damaged roof)
he’ll recommend someone else who does good work. If he says he’ll do something,
he’ll get it done correctly and for the quoted price. Because of our busy
schedules, we gave him a lot of freedom to pretty much do what our house needed
and then bill us for it. This made the whole process very convenient and he
definitely proved to be worthy of our trust. As we talk to other homeowners and
learn more about renovations, it becomes clear that he did what should have been
done and charged us very fairly. We love working with him.
Chris turned our run down house into a wonderful home and even made the
renovation experience kind of fun. We highly recommend him.
Karl & Anna Tanner
______________________________________________________________________________________
WrightWorks' value was clearly demonstrated to us in the
speed and comfort level we experienced--from that first call for a consult to
the sight of our perfectly finished project, we always felt we were in good
hands.
I greatly appreciated Chris' strong knowledge and expertise
in working on houses, old & new, and his keen sensitivity to style and "feel."
The result was a clear vision, followed-up by efficient execution. He and his
employees were exceptionally professional and courteous and we found his prices
very reasonable.
Chris is dedicated, trustworthy, honest, excellent.
We are very pleased!
Patricia R Handfield
_____________________________________________________________________________________
My wife and I wanted to remodel our 1930’s Meridian Kessler
garage and make it a place, not only to park cars, but a space that was much
more functional for storage. We also wanted the space to be a smart, bright and
clean place for simple Saturday afternoon “tinkering.”
Chris had come highly recommended by a realtor friend of mine and I had seen his
work first hand at a local “Home Show.” The kitchen remodel of his I had seen at
the Decorators' Showhouse was truly outstanding. The design and execution
were excellent.
On my project, Chris and his crew began installing an attic with a drop-down
ladder. I was very impressed with the soundness of the structure. It was strong
and looked great. They also completely re-wired the garage, adding lights and
outlets. They installed insulation, gladiator board, and drywall. All this work
was done on time, within budget, and looked great!
Because their work looked so good, we ended up adding heat, new windows, and
doors. In all these additions, Chris and the crew met every expectation and
usually exceeded them. They pay attention to the details.
We really love our space and I don’t mind the compliments that I get on it!
I would not hesitate to use Chris again and I always refer him when I have the
chance.
Ron & Johna Cripe
_____________________________________________________________________________________
I have worked with Chris for the past
several years both in my previous home, and while renovating my current
home--built in 1939. Chris has done a wonderful job on several projects,
including framing, electrical, plumbing, tile work and finish carpentry. He has
an exceptional eye for detail, completes projects in a timely manner, and is
both conscientious and professional.
As I am in residential real
estate, I have also been able to see his attention to detail on numerous other
projects--everything from the smallest half bath to large, whole house remodels.
I have recommended him to many of my clients, all of whom have been pleased with
his work. I would highly recommend Chris, regardless of the scope of project you
may be considering.
Mike Johnson
_____________________________________________________________________________________
We were delighted to work with Chris and the entire
WrightWorks team during our kitchen remodeling project. They were unfailingly
professional, pleasant to deal with, and willing to listen carefully to our
requests. No detail was too small for Chris and his crew to handle promptly. At
the end of every day, the workspace was left clean and tidy, so that disruptions
were kept to a minimum. Most importantly, the entire firm maintained the highest
quality standards, in terms of materials, finish, and workmanship.
Nora and Tom Hiatt
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Chris Wright finished the basement in our new home. The
work consisted of everything from custom cabinets for our theater and bar, all
of the plumbing, electrical, drywall, lighting, and more. His commitment to
quality was evident at every step of the project. Most important to our family
was his trustworthiness and friendliness given he was in our home for multiple
months. We are looking forward to working with him again on future projects.
Mark and Stacey Patton
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Chris Wright remodeled our kitchen in June 2000. I am still
in love with it! Chris was able to mix the 'flavor' of a 1920's home (Meridian
Kessler) with updated technology. In effect, a real blend of style and
craftsmanship. But beyond that, Chris made sure that he was on the job each and
everyday. He was neat and cleaned up (as much as possible) each night. We are
planning on doing more work to our home and Chris will definitely be in charge!
Marinelle & Reese Morgan
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Chris Wright and the WrightWorks team completed a master
bedroom and master bath addition to our house and also remodeled some existing
space, including a new kitchenette and an expanded laundry room. My wife
and I are extremely pleased with the dedication of the employees and the high
quality of work we received for the price we paid.
At the beginning of the project, Chris was very helpful in suggesting creative
ideas, both functional and aesthetic, for the original plan--things like lighted
crown molding, accent lights. heated slate flooring in the master bath and
instant hot water for the shower. We also wanted some extra items such as
automatic crawl space vents for the entire house, increased insulation, a built
in media wall in the bedroom, a double outside wall in our walk in shower and
others. He was more than willing to accommodate us in our requests during
all phases of the project and even repainted our master bedroom with another
color when we felt our original selection was too dark. After hearing so
many horror stories from friends about remodeling we couldn't believe how easy
Chris was to work with. He and his crew cleaned up every evening and even
scheduled the timing and order of work to inconvenience us as little as possible
in our daily routines. His crew's woodworking skills were excellent with
our built in cabinetry and outdoor deck. Furthermore, we have two inside
pets that we were very worried about but Chris and his employees were very
watchful of them. Overall, we felt completely safe and secure having the
WrightWorks team in our home during the project.
In conclusion, we would definitely recommend Chris and WrightWorks to others.
We greatly appreciated his attentiveness and attention to detail, his
creativity, and how easy he was to work with. While most people have a
long punch list of things that need fixing at the end of a project, we had it
easy since everything had been done to our satisfaction as we progressed.
It is a year later and we are still extremely pleased with the quality of his
work.
Sincerely,
Bud and
Mary Sauter
______________________________________________________________________________________
It’s now been a few months since Chris and the WrightWorks
crew finished work on my bathroom remodel and every time I’m in there, I still
marvel at it. It’s hard to get myself out of the shower in the morning!
The new bathroom and closets are a perfect fit for
me, the loft space, and the building (Lockerbie Glove Factory). I’ll
admit I was a bit nervous at first about working with a designer and contractor
– afraid I might end up with something that didn’t feel like me. But working
with Chris and Matt Harris, the designer, was remarkably easy, pleasant and
stress free. Matt came up with a design that was stunning and functional
and both Matt and Chris were extremely helpful in picking out the materials and
fixtures that suited my tastes and fit within my budget. Because of my
budget, I was doing some of the work myself (painting and carpet installation),
and Chris was always extremely helpful in offering his advice.
There were days of living with construction dust that I wondered what I’d gotten
myself into, but Chris and his crew did everything possible to minimize the
impact and disruption of my life. Since I often work out of my home, I
especially appreciated that they were considerate in working with my schedule.
And since any major remodel means taking in part-time roommates, I was thankful
that Chris and his crew were amiable company to have around! In addition,
they were especially careful and considerate about the public areas in my
building--always cleaning up any debris from the hallways and elevators, etc.
My superintendent commented several times that Chris and his crew were low
impact compared to other contractors who had worked in the building.
Finally, and most importantly, Chris is not only an amazing craftsman, but a
perfectionist as well--making sure his work and that of his crew meets his very
high standards. I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment before hiring them again.
Sincerely,
Rachel
Wheeler
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My name is Mary Copeland. I am a realtor, homeowner,
and owner of a small daycare business. As a business owner and realtor, I
have encountered many contractors. Of the contractors I have worked with,
there is only one that I would recommend to family and friends. That
contractor is Chris Wright.
I met Chris through a mutual friend just over 5
years ago. He came to my home and estimated a job that was the result of a
flooded basement in my own personal home. Chris made sure he understood
what my needs were prior to drawing up an estimate. He gave me a time
frame for the work to be finished, which is what all contractors do, but the
thing that impressed me was that he actually was finished when he said he
would be!
Over the past five years, we have had several jobs completed by Chris and his
crew. The quality of workmanship and attention to detail is second to
none. While they were working at my home, they were professional but very
friendly, always courteous to my family and considerate about cleaning up each
and every day before leaving.
The ceramic tile job that was completed in my kitchen, bath, entry and laundry
area was absolutely beautiful! There were several people that asked me the
name of my contractor that completed the job.
On Labor Day of last year, we had terrible flooding at my daycare. (as did
everybody that has a basement in the Indy area on that particular day! )
Chris came from the south side of town to my north side daycare in a matter of
25 minutes. He stayed all day helping us to keep the pumps working and to
help in drying things out. This is something that is definitely not in his
job description! He saved me possibly thousands of dollars in damage to my
property because he kept the pumps going and kept much of the water from coming
in. Needless to say, we hired Chris to help with the repairs of that
incident. He did a wonderful job repairing the drywall and trim and touch
up.
Last but not least, when I was ready to purchase a farm on the south side of
town, Chris came out to look it over for me. He advised me not to go
through with the deal. The house was in poor repair, which was evident.
What wasn’t evident was the fact that the basement area had signs of long term
termite damage. So much damage that the foundation was terribly
deteriorated. He advised me that the cost would far exceed the amount I
would want to spend. I was terribly disappointed; however, I trust Chris’
opinion so much that I did not go through with the purchase. He turned
down a job that would have been lucrative for him in order to protect me from
spending too much money. It is wonderful to have someone like that
work for you. His honesty and ethical practices, the quality of
workmanship and attention to detail make me want to recommend him to everyone
that asks me for a quality contractor.
Chris Wright will do a great job for you. He won’t be satisfied with any job
unless it meets his very high standards.
Mary Copeland
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Recording a testimonial for Chris Wright is just about the
easiest assignment I’ve been given in a while.
First Impressions
My wife and I purchased an older home in the Butler Tarkington neighborhood that
was screaming for a remodel. The designer we used recommended Chris to us.
Being first time homeowners, we were a little over the top on covering all our
bases. We met with Chris, as well as 3 other contractors. Chris came
in right in the middle of the pack price-wise. However, Chris went the extra
mile of taking us to see some of his previous projects. That, coupled with the
fact that our personalities meshed with his much more than the others made our
decision very easy. He was professional, yet laid back, and exhibited a
confidence in making the project the best it could be.
Pros and Cons
The project consisted of a complete remodel of the kitchen, two baths,
installation of slate flooring, new front door, plus miscellaneous electrical,
drywall, and structural repairs.
The major downside of the process was just the disruption of everyday life,
since we opted to remain in the house for the duration of the project.
Once you get used to the shock of living in a construction zone with no kitchen
and a makeshift bathroom in the basement you sort of feel like you’re on a
never-ending camping trip. Chris and his guys made the whole situation as
palatable as it possibly could have been. They were extremely courteous during
the many days that I was working out of the house, to the extent that I probably
got on their nerves more than they did mine.
The only other con is just the extension of time that was incurred from finding
structural and electrical damage after the walls were torn out. It never
even crossed my mind to question Chris’ appraisal of damage and the extra work
that needed to be done. He extensively explained what was wrong and was quick
to give options when unforeseen things happened, as they always do.
Suffice it to say, the many pros far outweighed the cons. The most obvious
benefit can be seen anytime you walk into one of Chris’ projects. His skill and
craftsmanship are impeccable. The attention to detail he has is
unbelievable. I witnessed countless times that corners could have been cut
and they never were. We felt we got way more than our money’s worth on the
project.
Trust becomes a huge issue when you, in a sense, begin “living” with strangers
for a big chunk of time. Early on I realized I could trust Chris implicitly with
virtually anything. That holds true for Stropes, Jonny, and Jason as well.
Even though we were working with a very talented
designer/architect (Matt Harris), Chris was also invaluable with his
input of supplemental ideas and optional ways to get to the same finished
product. His access to different and higher grade materials was also a huge
benefit.
Lasting Impression
Chris’ commitment to quality doesn’t stop when the project is complete. He
stands behind his work and has come back more than a few times for minor
adjustments and even making repairs that most contractors would probably not
even return calls about.
Further evidence are the times when I try to undertake a small project on
my own and I end up calling him to “use his brain” again. Secretly, I think he’s
just afraid I’m going to burn down his handiwork. Seriously, my respect for
Chris is huge. Whenever we decide to do another project, there’s absolutely no
question who to call. Having the opportunity to forge a relationship with
someone like Chris goes beyond just getting a nice set of cabinets
installed. In all the books and articles we read, they always say, “He’s your
contractor, not your friend”. I guess we have to respectfully disagree with
that.
We would gladly be available to answer any questions or concerns that potential
clients may have.
Bryan & Jane Gentry
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