I can honestly say that the decision to select CastleRock Custom Homes to be the builder of my new home was easily one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my life.  Jake and Craig were excellent to work with throughout the entire process and I am ecstatic with the final results.

I feel that Jake and Craig have mastered every aspect of the homebuilding process.  Not only do they build a home with incredible craftsmanship, style, and attention to detail, but they also do an outstanding job with the human side of the equation.  First they get to know who you are as a customer -- and more specifically the reasons why you are building the home that you are building -- and then they do whatever they can to turn your dream into a reality in the most affordable way possible.

For me, there were three phases to the homebuilding process – the first phase was selecting the builder, the second phase was creating the design of the home, and the third phase was the actual construction process.  Below I have briefly outlined some of the highlights as to how CastleRock excelled in each of these three phases.

Selecting a Builder Phase:

• CastleRock did a great job of listening to my story … why I was building the house, my budget, etc.  On their website they have posted the following belief statement.

Your home is your Castle, a sacred place of comfort and security. It's where special memories are made, relationships are nurtured and dreams are realized. CastleRock Custom Homes understands that everyone's home is a unique story, and together Craig & Jake (Co Owners) would be honored to help you tell yours.

From my experience, I can attest to the fact that they don’t just pay lip service to those beliefs.  They took the time to understand my story and then built my house in way that totally reflected that understanding.   

• Craig did a great job of educating me on the construction methods that they use.  Not only did he explain how they were going to do things, but also why it made sense both structurally and economically.  I entered the builder selection process more focused on things like floor plans and wall colors.  Craig taught me about things like wall systems and other quality construction techniques… all of the things that go into having a solid, energy efficient, low maintenance home.   

• As part of their marketing plan CastleRock allowed me to visit the homes of some of their previous clients.  This approach really worked for me.  Not only did I get to see real examples of the outstanding CastleRock construction, but I also had the opportunity to see the relationships that they had built with their clients.  The homeowners that I met were all very pleased with the results that they obtained and were eager to share with me many of the nuances of why they felt that Castle-Rock was a superior home builder.

Design Phase:

• What I remember (and appreciate) the most about working with CastleRock throughout the design phase was their total commitment to getting the design exactly right.  There was such excellent collaboration and dialogue throughout the process that whenever we hit one of those “how can we make this happen given our budget” sticking points we were always able to come up with a creative solution that led to an end result even better than what I had originally envisioned. 

• Special mention should be made of Heather, CastleRock’s architect.  She was a magician at adjusting the design to maximize floor space without losing any of the overall concept.

Construction Phase:

• Simply put, Jake is to homebuilding what Aaron Rodgers is to quarterbacking.  It’s hard for me to imagine too many other people that perform in their profession with the degree of excellence that Jake does while at the same time being such a good person to work with.  Jake just knows so much about the construction process and he has such incredibly high standards.

• One of the really awesome things about CastleRock is how they go the extra mile by adding all sorts of special touches to your home.  For example, Jake personally built my fireplace and to say that it’s stunning would be an understatement.  I have a one-of-a-kind, immaculate fireplace that creates a warm and inviting atmosphere in my great room.

• I thought Jake was outstanding in mentoring me throughout the selection process.  He has an innate feel for making sure things fit together in an optimal way.  Furthermore, he helps you make cost conscious decisions without sacrificing quality.  Whenever I asked him a question he always provided me with an answer that helped me make a decision where I was going to get the most “bang for my buck.”

• Another thing that should be mentioned is the quality of the subcontractors that work for CastleRock.  They followed Jake’s lead and also performed with very high standards.  On top of that, they were also very friendly and easy to converse with.  They were very patient in answering questions that I had and they were very helpful in providing their insight into how to best maintain the features that they had installed.

There are many other positive aspects that I could share about my homebuilding experience with CastleRock Custom Homes, but at the end of the day when selecting a homebuilder it really just boils down to finding someone that you can trust to build you a magnificent home within your budget parameters.  From my experience CastleRock was that builder.  They earned my trust and then proceeded to deliver an extraordinary end product that exceeded my high expectations.

Mark Ritter, Brookfield
 

CastleRock not only utilized top notch materials and the latest in home building technologies, but the attention to detail throughout the entire process was clearly visible from the very beginning. After the first couple months, we stopped worrying and started to actually enjoy the process of building our custom dream home.

When ever we had doubts about certain aspects or needed help choosing one option over another, Jake and Craig were always there to offer their professional and experienced opinion without under minding our taste, wishes or needs. Their insight and recommendations turned out to be the right ones every time.

If we were ever to build another custom home, there would only be one choice for us... CastleRock Custom Homes!

Winston & Aurora Ojeda, Mequon

We were ready to give up.....

We purchased our dream lot two years ago with the intent to wait a year to begin our build. We timed it perfectly to correspond with the depth of the recession. We designed a home with another builder but soon discovered that appraisals were so poor that we could not afford to build. That builder couldn't understand how we couldn't come up with the extra cash to build the house and his only advice was to write to our congressman.  It seemed that we were just another lost deal for that builder...on to the next house. We felt like a number.

A year passed and we were about to put our lot on the market at a loss when one of our neighbors who had built with CastleRock insisted that we call Craig and Jake.

From our first meeting with Craig, to discussing the final details of our dream home with Jake, things felt different: we felt we made the right decision to choose CastleRock as our builder.  Craig and Jake listened to all of our dreams and concerns and created a home that surpassed all of our expectations.

The quality of the construction of our new home surpasses all others. No details were overlooked, no corners were cut. Jake and Craig made us feel as though we were their only clients. They were genuinely excited about our home and we know our home means as much to them as it does to us.

Building a house is a daunting task.  Sometimes things do not go as planned. Everyone has heard horror stories about someone's building nightmares.  A true testament to CastleRock is how Jake and Craig handle situations that may not go as expected.  Jake and Craig are always a phone call, text, or e-mail away.  They are always very patient, never seem to mind answering questions, and are always going the extra mile to make sure we are comfortable and satisfied.

Jake and Craig have made building our dream home fun and enjoyable!

    Kris and Patrick Knapp, Franklin

After building a house with you, we have to admit we have become pretty good judges of what quality craftsmanship is and what truly upscale houses should have. When we visit other newer houses of our friends, Maria and I look at each other and smile knowing that we take a back seat to nobody when comparing what we have in our house. The ironic part is that we know that they spent considerably more than we did without a respective increase in quality or finish.

It was a blessing that we came to find you as our builder, and more importantly as our new friends. Maria hates it when I say this to our friends … I can’t wait to build another one with you!

Vance L. Forrest Sr., Maria Dalton Forrest, Sussex

CastleRock elevates "Custom" to a whole new level! Craig and Jake…a first-rate partnership that carried us from concept to completion as we watched our dream home evolve before our eyes. A total collaboration where our wants and needs became their number one priority.

Keith and Virginia Wick Juneau, WI