Herbert Construction Welcomes More New Clients

By: Ashley Hollifield

Bradley Hall

Hall Design Build

Bradley Hall

Bradley Hall of Hall Design Build has had a love of building for as long as he can remember. Starting in middle school, and later in high school, he worked on construction sites during the summers and on weekends.

After graduating from The Citadel with a degree in Business Administration, he immediately began his professional career as a Project Manager for Elegant Properties in Atlanta. With this company, he gained experience while building in many Atlanta Metro neighborhoods. These included Hamilton Mill, Wild Timber, St. Ives, Govenor’s Towne Club and Brookmont.

Hall Design Build was established in 2008 and has primarily been building impressive custom homes, along with major renovations and large scale additions. The majority of these projects have been located in Buckhead, Sandy Springs, East Cobb and Smyrna. The projects that Hall Design Build completes are typically in the $million+ range.

Bradley Hall has had a good working relationship with our Sales Account Manager, Carey Bullard, for many years. After speaking to Carey he asked us to pour the foundation for a project he was working on in Cobb County.

This particular site required poured garage walls, a rear walk-out basement and a free-standing retaining wall behind the home. This is a pretty standard task for our company and we were able to get it done for him right on schedule with very little trouble.

When the work was complete we asked him, in normal Herbert fashion, what he thought about his basement. He replied, “I’m extremely satisfied with the work you guys did here. Your company is right on target with your sales estimate, execution, your follow-up and particularly the equipment you use to ensure accuracy every time. I will definitely be using you guys again for my foundations.”

This is exactly the type of response that we always shoot for! Thank you Brad for your confidence in our company. We hope to help you with more of your foundations very soon.

Dave Durham and Doug Tolleson

Chattahoochee Enterprises

Doug Tolleson

Chattahoochee Enterprises is the homebuilding company John Wieland established after he sold the assets of John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods. John Wieland has been a homebuilder in the Southeast for over 45 years and has focused more recently on a “Boutique Collection of Unique Atlanta Neighborhoods.” This iconic brand has produced a legacy of innovation and quality and this tradition continues in Chattahoochee Enterprises.

Dave Durham is the president of Chattahoochee Enterprises and has been with John Wieland since 1991. Doug Tolleson is the Vice President of Special Projects and our point of contact while working on a recent home.

Chattahoochee Enterprises is in a specialty slot when it comes to homebuilding. They choose to focus on ideas that others have not thought of yet. They like to create unique concepts that are conducive to the needs of the surrounding area.

These homes are usually highly detailed, smaller in-town locations. The idea is luxury in-town living that is walkable, urban, and defined. Most of their projects are located inside the perimeter or near unique infill locations such as Roswell or Woodstock.

The types of customers they attract are those who want the lifestyle that they offer. People who like the lock and go type of lifestyle, who like to travel and not have to maintain their living spaces. Half of these people already live in Atlanta and just want to downsize. For many of them, their children are already grown, but they want to live in the same area they have always lived. Chattahoochee Enterprises offers a high quality home without the hassle of maintenance.

They had a house in the planning stages that would be located in Vinings. The house would have a large, complicated foundation. They were referred to our company by a long time mutual friend who told them of our ability to handle technical projects and difficult jobsite conditions. Doug Tolleson sent the plans over and we got to work.

In order to build this foundation we needed to construct exterior and interior columns that would raise the back of the house 8’ out of a flood plain and level with the basement floor. There were numerous wall heights, thicknesses and structural details that made this project more technical than most. Access to this jobsite was also a challenge, we poured 9 cubic yards of concrete just for an access drive.

This was a unique project and we definitely wanted to know what their thoughts were once the work was completed. Doug Tolleson, the project manager, told us that, “A big part of my decision to go with you guys was your ability to fabricate your own rebar in-house. This project was a heavy rebar project with highly technical structures and we really felt comfortable with your knowledge. We never had to wait on the material. It was impressive.” 

Dave Durham, the company president, added that, “From a professional standpoint, you guys were definitely above average. Your trucks are clean and organized, the jobsite was kept clean, the surrounding areas were protected and your crew was extremely knowledgeable and consistent. I’ve always thought that a good transaction is a boring one, and that’s exactly what it was.” 

We are glad you guys chose us for this project. We specialize in the technical ones and we were happy to help. We hope to help you with many more in the future.

Herbert Construction Welcomes New Customers

Cooper Jones Construction

Cooper Jones has been building and remodeling homes since 2001. After 8 years of working for another construction company, Cooper decided to incorporate his own business. In 2009, he did just that and Cooper Jones Construction emerged in Cobb County. Cooper Jones along with Vice President Roger Balko, Project Manager J.D. Komar, Estimator Michael Redman and Senior Superintendent Jay little, stay very busy with their new and existing clients.

Cooper Jones Construction hails themselves as a “boutique builder,” who specialize in building from the ground up, remodeling and/or creating custom spaces for homes and businesses. They are a very client led company that can- and do- create many custom spaces tailored specifically for each client’s purpose.

Cooper Jones was referred to our company and soon after gave us a call. They had a complex project located in White, GA and by the time we saw the plans we immediately knew we wanted to help. This project was unique in the fact that it was a basement and crawlspace combination. There was also a structural retaining wall for the backyard pool and a radius courtyard retaining wall for the driveway.

Upon completion of this project we asked Roger what he thought of the work we did, to which he replied, “You guys did a fantastic job!! The precision in which your company can layout the most crucial parts is really impressive and a huge asset for us.”
When Cooper was asked the same question, he replied, “You guys do great work! Your whole team really matches our company well in professionalism and the pride you take in the work you do. We are really a good team in that way.”

We agree with you Cooper, we really are a good team!

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BLevett & Co. 

Gregory Levett Jr. of B Levett & Company, Inc. was born and raised in the funeral home business. Four generations of Levett’s have owned and operated one of the most successful funeral home organizations in the Atlanta area.  While Gregory is very involved with the family business and serving his community, he also has an undeniable passion for building.

Gregory holds a degree in architecture and for a time worked with an architectural design firm. To expand his experience he also went to work for a construction company. By 2002, he was ready to start his own building company. Since then he has not only built many homes but has also constructed a large expansion for one of his family’s funeral home locations.

Gregory found our company while driving through an area of Avondale Estates where we were working. He noticed our jobsite sign and gave us a call regarding a basement that he had coming up.

After receiving his estimate and speaking with our senior estimator, James Armstrong, Gregory said, “You guys have made this whole process very easy, the drawing you provided of the foundation as well as suggestions for the design of the wall made it easier for me to visualize in my head. A lot of companies don’t do that and I was really impressed that you guys did.”

Once the basement was completed Gregory stated, “This project turned out exactly the way I hoped it would. It was on time, on budget and professionally managed from beginning to end. You can’t ask much more than that from a subcontractor. I was very pleased.”

Gregory’s last project was one of many that we hope to help him with in the future. It is a pleasure working with him.

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CraftBuilt

Aaron Mcginnis of Craftbuilt stepped into homebuilding in 2008, just as the market was crashing. This made things harder for him, but not impossible. After buying, renovating and selling homes he became increasingly more involved with the “sticks and bricks” of homebuilding. Before long, he was working more for third parties than on his own projects.

The business side was easy for him given his education in Business Administration. However, the complexity and technicality that comes with residential construction and how each home is put together in a different way fascinated Aaron. Hands-on experience was how he learned the complex aspects of building new homes and restoring old ones.

Aaron came across our company while searching online. He sent plans to us and we got started right way.  “It is difficult to find a foundation contractor who can handle precision and odd types of work, also one that uses efficient paperwork and scheduling procedures. Oftentimes, it is found that contractors are stretched too thin and can’t handle tricky work. That is not the case with you guys for sure,” Aaron stated.

The recent project we helped Aaron with was a floating addition, situated on top of columns. The foundation pads had to be precisely placed and helical piers were used due to bad soil which was unexpected.

When the project was finished, we asked Aaron what he thought of the completed work. To which he replied, “There was a lot of room for screw ups that would easily cost a lot of money to fix, but the whole project came off without a hitch. I was extremely happy with the timing, communication and execution of the work.”

We are glad to have helped, and look forward to working with Aaron and his team on many future projects.

New Client Spotlight—Gunderman Construction

Rich Gunderman (left) and Keith Bost (Right) speak to Ashley Hollifield
about their recent experience working with Herbert Construction Company.

Welcome Rich Gunderman of Gunderman Construction. Rich is a homebuilder based in Calhoun, GA with many years of experience in building new homes. He obtained his contractor’s license at the young age of 20 after becoming inspired by a teacher that mentored him in high school. He started his career as a builder with America’s Home Place and in 2008 he decided to start his own company. Gunderman Construction focuses primarily on residential and light commercial new construction.

Recently, Rich had a project he was working on for an organization called Homes For Our Troops. This is an organization that builds homes for service members who have been critically injured overseas and require modifications to be made to their homes for better accessibility.

Keith Bost, the estimator for Gunderman Construction, called us to construct a safe room for one of these homes. This particular home was to be built on a slab foundation, so the safe room was constructed directly on top of the slab. This will provide easy accessibility to protection in case of an emergency for this recovering veteran.

Speaking to Rich and Keith after we poured the safe room, they were very pleased with the job we did. Keith stated, “Herbert was the most professional poured wall company I have ever worked with. I felt like we got a fair price and we were very satisfied with the work.” Rich then added, “We will definitely be sending more work your way, and will send others any time we get the chance. We really were impressed with how easy the process was.”

We enjoyed working with Gunderman Construction on this project and hope to work with them on many more in the near future.

Homes For Our Troops is a charitable organization that has built 290 homes for severely disabled veterans nationwide since 2004. All of these homes have been presented to each veteran 100% mortgage free. Homes for our troops receives 70% of its’s funds from individual supporters and community groups.

If you would like additional information on how to donate please visit www.hfotusa.org.

New Client Spotlight — Tyler Chandler Homes

J. Wayne Hiott has been involved in almost every facet of the construction industry. In the last decade he has been working on projects located in metro Atlanta neighborhoods. These projects range from whole house renovations to full home construction. However, Wayne has been a resident of Cobb County for nearly 25 years and really had a desire to focus his attention closer to home. Therefore, in September of 2014, he started Tyler Chandler Homes. This home building company, which is named after his two children, allows Wayne to focus primarily on new construction in Cobb County. 

Wayne was recently looking to build three homes in Marietta that required concrete foundations. His project manager, Banks Brazell, called us for an estimate after being referred to our company by a mutual friend. Banks really liked our estimating process and it was decided that we would help them with these local foundations.

On one of these lots we constructed a 40’ long retaining wall that was to be used to manage the grade for the use of a day light area. On each of the other two lots we were met with bad soil conditions which required us to place 275’ of hand dug and helical piers to stabilize each foundation.

Wayne spoke about his experience while working with our company. “From a delivery standpoint, I was really surprised. The whole process was very organized and clean. These guys have a system and it works. The crew was very professional and really seemed to care about their work,” he stated.

He then went on to say, “I think most builders want a good price when choosing a subcontractor, but quality is also important. You don’t want to sacrifice one for the other and I didn’t feel like I had to choose when using this company. I really did get both.”

We really enjoyed working with Tyler Chandler Homes on their most recent projects in Cobb County. We look forward to the continued success of this local company and many more foundation projects in the future.

J. Wayne Hiott of Tyler Chandler homes recounts his recent 

experience working with Herbert Construction.

New Client Spotlight: Innovative Construction

New client, Clark Harris of
Innovative Construction, talks about
his great experience working with our company.

Clark Harris, the owner of Innovative Construction has many years of experience in renovations and restorations in and around Atlanta. Specializing mostly in kitchens, bathrooms and basements, Clark rarely has the need for a poured wall contractor.

However, he recently built a home addition in Peachtree corners that needed a concrete foundation. He was referred to us so he contacted our company. The unique location of the addition meant that the concrete had to be pumped 300 lineal feet through a 2 1/2” hose. Poor soil was encountered, so we dug piers to reach good soil. There were also four specific locations in which the new walls were connected to the existing house and porch.

“Working with Herbert Construction was so easy,” said Clark. “All it took was a phone call and walking the property with David and he knew exactly what needed to be done. Since I usually don’t work with a poured wall contractor it was nice to work with someone who knew what they were doing, especially with something as important as the foundation. Even my framers commented on how well the foundation was constructed.”

“I was impressed with Herbert because in my experience with a lot of subcontractors, you have to stay on top of them to get things done. This experience was the opposite of that, and in the end I came in slightly under budget. I will definitely be referring Herbert Construction to other builders,” stated Clark.

Since that project, Clark has referred our company many times.  Thank you, Clark, for those referrals and your business.

New Customer Highlight—Rick Jackson

Rick Jackson of Jackson Contracting chooses 

Herbert Construction for his house foundations. 

Rick Jackson is a local homebuilder with over 30 years of experience building homes in Georgia. His company, Jackson Contracting, specializes in residential and light commercial projects. In addition to his homebuilding expertise, Rick learned to make custom cabinets from his father and likes to include his custom cabinets in the homes be builds.

Rick reached out to us regarding a crawlspace for a house he was building near Marietta Square. The elevations on this job were critical due to the driveway location, drainage direction and position of the patio area. A lot of dirt had to be moved to get the crawl space completely level.

We asked Rick about the importance of getting his foundation constructed properly and he said, “I need to be able to focus on building my house and not have to worry if my foundation will be level. I want to have the peace of mind that it will be done correctly the first time so I don’t have to stress over the details.”

Rick went on to describe the work we did for him, “Herbert Construction has the best foundation crew I have ever seen on the job. I was happy with every detail. Your superintendent, David, really knows this business. He knew what needed to be done, and it got done and exceeded my expectations.”

We are thankful to have Jackson Contracting on board and look forward to doing many more basements with Rick in the future.

Herbert Construction Welcomes New Customers

By: Christine Barrett

2014 has been a good year for our company, and we expect it to get better and better with time.  The residential building market appears to be coming back, albeit slowly, from The Great Recession.  As more homebuilders pick up new projects, they are choosing to use our company for their basement foundations.

Three of those homebuilders are featured here.  We are happy to welcome them to our great group of builder clients, and we thank them for their business.  It is a pleasure to work with each of them.

Commercial Interiors, Inc./TCP Investments

Marvin Spears has been a homebuilder for 30 years.  Twelve years ago, he partnered with Tim Parker of TCP Investments, LLC.  Together they survived the real estate and construction downturn, and today are building beautiful semi-custom and custom homes. We had the pleasure of constructing the basement of a gorgeous home they are building in the Eagles Crest subdivision in Paulding County.  

“I had worked with another poured wall contactor for quite some time,” said Marvin, “and I just wasn’t getting good response from them.  Tim was referred to your company and I made a phone call.”

“Herbert Construction was extremely efficient in everything we did together.  When David Summey, your Project Superintendent, came out to meet me at the job, we just clicked!  It was as if we each knew what the other was going to say.”

“Herbert Construction was very fairly priced, and I had an immediate trust in them.  I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry that they were going to try and take advantage of me.  And, the best part of it is that the quality of the work was far more than I expected,” said Marvin.  “Dealing with Herbert Construction was a pleasure, and I am very satisfied with the overall experience.” 

Cooper Homes

John Cooper (pictured right) has been an Atlanta area home builder for more than thirty years.  He is active with the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, and was the proud recipient of the 2012 OBIE Builder of the Year Award.  This prestigious award is given to builders who are not only active in the housing industry, but who make significant contributions to their communities through charitable service. 

While John was familiar with Herbert Construction, he hadn’t used us before.  As a subscriber to this newsletter, he was familiar with our company.  However, when he read a particular article in the newsletter, he learned that he and Doug Herbert shared a similar love for the book Atlas Shrugged.  That prompted him to call our company. 

We constructed a basement for a custom home that John’s company built in North Georgia earlier this year.  And so, a beautiful relationship was born!

“Herbert Construction is top notch” said John.  “We were particularly impressed with your layout team.  Their precision insured that the next step of the project went off without a hitch.”  John’s son Thomas Cooper (pictured left) is the Vice President of Cooper Homes.  He agreed with his father.  “Working with Herbert Construction was a good experience.  We are definitely looking forward to working with you on future projects.”

 

BeQuin Homes

Brad Quin, the owner of BeQuin Homes has many years of experience building custom homes in North Georgia.  He was one of several select builders involved in the Governors Town Club Project, in Acworth.

Brad was referred to Herbert Construction, and this year we worked together on two different projects. The first was a very complicated job in Blue Ridge, and the second is a beautiful custom home that Brad is building in Cobb County.

“My experience with Herbert Construction was very positive,” said Brad.  “The first time I worked with them, I needed to build a very unique wall that was up against a crawlspace.  They were very knowledgeable, Doug Herbert came out and personally surveyed the project with me.  The crews who did the work were good, and I thought they did an awesome job.”

“The project I’m working on now was definitely not an easy foundation.  There are lots of variations in wall heights and the project was very technical.  I would be surprised if Herbert Construction did not win an award with this basement due to the complexity of the project.” “In short, said Brad, working with Herbert Construction has been a very positive experience.”