Palmer Custom Builders Client Testimonials
"I had a small screened porch, about 11' x 17', which is a good size for a sun porch. It had six openings with screens, a concrete floor, and the same siding that was on the outside of my house was inside on two of the walls. After Gary came out and looked at it, he made some excellent suggestions. We came up with a tile that really is beautiful and reminds you of hardwood flooring, because some pieces are wider or longer than others. Gary suggested that I put bead board on the ceiling and trimmed it with crown molding. It looks very rich the way he finished it. It really is a nice room. When people come in they say it looks beautiful; and I can see it from my kitchen and living room. He really created a beautiful room for me." — Donna George, Converted screened porch to sunroom
"We selected Palmer Custom Builders because we saw some of their work on the web and the craftsmanship and integrity was above all. I also appreciated the professionalism that Gary & Pamela brought to the table when they came out to talk to us. They sat at our kitchen table and listened to our ideas and provided great feedback. They genuinely wanted to take the time to go through everything and to make sure that we were aware of all of our options and all of the materials that were available. They really wanted to know what we were envisioning and not just push standard designs or concepts onto us. They redefine the term "custom builder". They were just as excited about how the addition was going to function and enhance the appeal of the home. We wanted to add something to the house that made it look & feel more like the style of house we always wanted. We look at before and after pictures now and the transformation is amazing!! This gives a reason to stay in this home for years! No need to look anywhere else. They truly delivered!" — Josiah Wallace, Front porch addition
"We wanted the ceiling to have some height. When you go into new custom homes and look at their porches, they often have vaulted ceilings, and we wanted to capture that feel. Our house is a ranch and sits on a hill; the roof line on the back is pretty low. Because of that, Gary had to figure out and then engineer a structure that could support the vault. I was really impressed. They really thought outside the box; it wasn't a simple process. They had to build a whole structure first and then attach the vaulted porch to that. We also had two existing skylights that they had to lift out and then reset. In the process of doing so, they actually discovered that the skylights had been installed wrong initially and discovered a leak in the existing roof. So now they are installed correctly and you can't even tell that they were taken out. What I like best about Gary is that he doesn't come in with his own preconceived ideas about a project. He wants to work with you to create what's important to you. We love living out here because it is very country and rural, and while we wanted the porch to look nice, we also wanted to keep some rustic appeal. Gary had a lot of good ideas to help us achieve that look. Another example is his knowledge of building materials that I would never think of. I mentioned to him that I was hopeful that I could let my three cats out there because I thought they would enjoy it; however one cat likes to scale our screen doors. Gary immediately suggested pet-proof screening. The cost difference was very negligible, and now they can all enjoy it; that's something I would never have thought possible… We all just really enjoy the space." — Sharon Albright, Upper screened porch, upper grilling area and lower deck
"I did a website search, found Palmer Custom Builders, liked what I saw and checked them out with the Better Business Bureau. They had a good rating, and Mr. Palmer came out quickly and then really moved through the process. I am very pleased with Palmer Custom Builders. All the workers who came in were very professional, did a great job and did what Mr. Palmer said they would do... in the time frame he said he would, and it looks good!" — Martin Doss, Dormer renovation and sheetrock repair work
"I found Palmer Custom Builders with a simple search on the Internet. I came across several websites that looked interesting and professional. When you look at a website, you’re looking at what someone has developed – it's your first impression of the company. If it is a pleasant experience, you'll take the next step. When I did that, Gary was the first person to return my call and the only contractor to return my call within 24 hours, which I thought was a very good indication of his professionalism and how the Palmers run their business. I wanted a cook's kitchen. My old kitchen was not laid out very efficiently and didn't have the tools I needed to cook the way that I wanted. At the same time, I wanted it to be congruent with the rest of the house – I didn't want to overspend and end up with a kitchen that didn't work with the house. The Palmers asked many probing questions in order to identify my needs. I did not sit down and go through 20 magazines pulling out pictures of what I liked. They were knowledgeable and current, telling me things that I never would have seen in a picture or understood unless you've been in the business with a lot of experience, such as putting electrical outlets underneath the cabinets so the tile pattern is not broken up. They also kept me up to date with all the latest technology, such as the microwave in the drawer, the warming drawer, and the soft touch doors. How do I like it? My kitchen is absolutely spectacular! It's so pretty and so functional! I love it!" — Marci Cohen, Complete kitchen renovation
"I had gone to the Better Business Bureau website and did a search for established builders. A lot of the builders there had only been registered for a couple of months. I was looking for a company that had high ratings and experience. I called several from that list and got some quotes and information from each. I think it was pretty much their responsiveness that made me choose Palmer Custom Builders. They answered all of my questions, were easy to get a hold of, and they posed questions to me, which reassured me that they were on the up and up. I also liked that they were willing to work with me. In order to save some money, I wanted to have them come in and do the bulk of heavy lifting, and I was going to do all of the finish work. They came in, removed a wall, put up new studs and a new beam… Everything turned out how I envisioned it." — Jeff, Removed interior wall to open and modernize living areas
"The whole process was very good. Both Pam and Gary are fantastic to work with, very professional and always presented themselves well. One of the main things that I was impressed with was their track record with the crews. They have worked with their crews for so long – and I consider that to be the mark of a great builder – that they made me comfortable with choosing them. I've been involved with the building industry and know what to expect when it comes to projects like this – but whenever any minor concern did come up, they went above and beyond what I would expect from a contractor to address the situation." — Gerald Holt, Kitchen renovation
"My priority was that I have a dog, and I wanted to make sure their crews were comfortable working around the dog. After talking to them and the references they gave me, I knew it was a good fit. Once they started, I really did love their crew. They were so good to my dog; one of the guys would give her treats and make sure she had water and let her in and out…. Another thing I liked was that I didn't have a lot of time to do any shopping, so Pam brought over samples for me to choose from. She had looked over the house and got a feel for the color scheme, so she pretty much knew exactly what I wanted.... I went on vacation for a week while they were working, and when I came home, I had two beautiful bathrooms. It was wonderful. I couldn't be more thrilled. In fact, we had a picnic out here about a month ago, and I was bringing neighbors over to show them what a difference it made. I still look at those two rooms and think, "Why did I wait to so long to do this?"" — Karen, Master bath and powder room renovation
"We bought a little bungalow in March 2008 and were planning on renovating it and adding a second story. Once we got into the nitty gritty of everything, as far as the kind of building we wanted, we ran into some zoning issues. Gary Palmer and Bob Porter, the architect he worked with, went above and beyond to work with us in getting the variance with the city squared away. Once that was all settled, there were more issues with the original house. We had initially had inspectors and structural engineers look at the property, but when Gary looked at the nuts and bolts of correcting the existing issues and adding a second level, it became very costly. We then visited the idea of tearing down the existing home and building new, which is what we did. Throughout the whole process, the Palmers were very honest and open about everything. They are great communicators; I never had to wonder about what was going on. We had weekly meetings, and we would talk at least a couple of times during the week, so they were very good about keeping us in the loop. We had never done any kind of major renovation or built a house before, and we really appreciated that they went the extra mile to explain things to us and to give us options. Everyone we talked to before the process said, "You're going to hate your contractor." Securing the variance with the City was a long, tedious process – but the part where we were supposed to be dissatisfied with the contractor never came about. You always hear about contractors taking longer than they estimate, but they actually were much shorter. We kept saying that this is not the bad experience that everyone warned us about ...It turned out even better than we thought." — Mike and Regina, New custom home
"When we talked with Gary Palmer initially, what I liked was that no matter what question you asked, Gary not only knew the answer, but he anticipated other things. He’d say things like, "When we remove these cabinets, there will not be hardwood floors underneath, and we’re going to have to refinish the rest of the floor to make these new sections blend in." Maybe because he is also a builder, he was able to anticipate things that could become issues and address them from the beginning. We also really liked the design Palmer Custom Builders created for our kitchen. They built an island and really opened up the space. Gary convinced us to remove a dropped soffit, and it really has made a huge difference - the kitchen looks 30 percent bigger and much brighter. Gary initially told us our project would probably take 10 weeks, but he might be able to do it in eight; it actually took him about five weeks. But what was most impressive was the way they handled one situation. They had boarded off our kitchen with plastic sheathing because of our cats - to keep them away from the loose wires and open walls. One afternoon, the drywall guys left enough of an opening for the cat to notice that he could get underneath, and he jumped the wooden barrier and got into the kitchen. After I caught him and got him out, I called Gary. It was late in the day, probably about 4:30 p.m., but within 30 minutes, he had two guys at our house. They extended the barrier in such a way that they could work on the walls without ever having to take the barrier back down. For them to respond to our concern that quickly, that late in the day, and have figured out a plan while they were driving here, because they knew exactly what they were going to do by the time they got here; that was really when I knew that we had picked the right people to work on our home." — Alan & Helen Beer, Kitchen remodel & home repairs
"We had a screened porch off the breakfast area. Palmer Custom Builders was able to keep its existing roof, but enclose the rest of the room, so we ended up with an extra fun morning room adjacent to the kitchen and dining area. It has made the house look and feel so much bigger with the added heated square footage. We recently had a Halloween party, and everything just flowed so much better thanks to that great extra space. Our kitchen was also 10 years old, so we had some updating to do to get it up to today’s standards. The cabinets were in poor shape, with all of the white thermofoil peeling off. We added stained wood cabinets, granite counter tops and "debrassed" the fixtures to give it a much more current look. It was great that the Palmers had an interior designer who could guide me through picking the granite, tile backsplash, light fixtures, etc. That was really helpful. They kept things moving the whole time they were working on our project. They established the time frame at the beginning and really were able to keep to it, which is something we really appreciated - especially with two young kids. They were actually finished three weeks before they had promised. We were very happy and impressed with that. They really kept the ball rolling, and everything just fell into place." — Kimber & Trey Morgan, Kitchen, master bath remodel & morning room addition
"I started off wanting to have my kitchen and bathroom redone. My house was built in 1959, and the bathroom was really tiny. I also had a list of about 60 items that I wanted to have fixed...when you have an older house, there are lots of things that need work. I found Gary Palmer on the web initially. After I learned about him and his qualifications, I wanted to meet them and see their office in person and make sure that everything was as it should be. What I really appreciated was that when we first started looking at what needed to be done, Gary brought everyone together. I have a good sized driveway , but we had so many people come to look and see and decide what needed to be done that there were pickup trucks all the way down my driveway and around the block. Everyone came at once... the demolition people, the flooring guys, the air conditioning company, the painter, the plumber, and of course, Gary himself. Everyone was here on that one day to look at the house, talk with Gary and then explain to me what needed to happen. I thought that was pretty amazing that he was able to bring that many professionals together in one place at one time - to make all those schedules work. They had talked about how they were able to coordinate, but this really demonstrated how this company could bring it all together. It was really nice to have everyone who would be involved in the project there to look at the house and tell me what needed to happen for everything to come together. The house is so very nice now. They’ve brought everything up to date, and the difference between before and after is so drastic and so dramatic." — Jill Robbins, Kitchen & master bath renovation and extensive home repairs
"Thank YOU for your wrap-up letter, which was consistent with your pristine methods in planning and managing the construction of my room addition. The trust factor in the process was BIG for me... from our first phone contact, you inspired trust, which endured and proved justified. Certainty and quality were also biggies, and at each phase of the project, I was impressed by your orderly decision-making, attention to detail, and consideration of my input. As the room took shape, trust grew. The skill of the workers and [the quality of their work was] amazing. They were courteous, polite, considerate, always careful to minimize household disruption, professional, reliable, and they went about their tasks quickly and delivered the quality you promised. Drama freedom was a great comfort! Even though the weather never did cooperate, there was never a day of cloudy human issues or confusion. All of the steps you initially described were handled smoothly and the [Renovation and New Construction Guide] kept me well informed of what to expect in advance. It was all a happy time for me, due to the high quality of integrity and professionalism you consistently exhibited. THANK YOU!... I will also aggressively recommend you to others who have projects in their plans and want the best contractor ever!" — Elaine Armstrong, Room addition
"We had been trying to do this project for three years. We had told each person we talked with that we needed to see what the finished product was going to look like. Gary Palmer actually came out with his team and showed us just that. They drew it out in three-dimensional form, so we could see it from different angles. He brought us into his office and showed us examples of their finished work and just made us feel very comfortable. We had been debating on whether we wanted to move or remain in the home, but with the condition the house was in, we didn't think it would sell. Now, number one, we have this beautiful house, and number two, if we wanted to sell it, we could. I'm glad we went through it... everyone who walks through here loves it and wants to know who did it." — Mike Gracer, Extensive home renovation
"Working with Palmer Custom Builders was a good experience. We love the sunroom; we live out here. It's been a year since it's been finished, and I'd recommend Gary anytime. Gary had it all mapped out and would tell me what we could or could not do and why. We had a very good working relationship." — Rosemary Vincent, New sunroom
"They were very helpful in getting subcontractors...It was very useful to be directed to good people to help us get things we needed, like tile, countertops and granite. I would recommend them in the future. In fact, we did recommend them to a person we knew from work who they've since completed a porch for." — Steve Casper, Repairs and kitchen renovation
"I knew I needed to make a few repairs on my home to get it ready to sell. I called Gary, who was referred to me by my landscaper. He did a quick walkthrough, pointed out some issues and suggested that I get a pre-sale inspection done... we then contracted Gary to do the work. It wasn't a big job - the major portion of it was a palladium window in the great room that had fogged over. It was like that when I bought the house, but in today's market, you don't want to put a house on the market that needs any repairs... Gary's guys were great to deal with. Gary himself came out several times to make sure that the work was being done well, which it was. The painters and carpenters were wonderful. The window guy came out when I wasn't home. I came back to find that the window had been replaced, painted, looked wonderful and I would have never even known that they were there. We were working on a timeframe, because I wanted the house to be ready to put on the market in two weeks. Gary got everything done, and the house sold in one day. I can't say that's the sole reason that the house sold so quickly, but it definitely didn't hurt that the house was in perfect condition." — Sue Melman, Repairs on a home she was preparing to sell
"Gary also coordinated the backyard. We initially were going to modify a huge tree in the back of our little yard, but when they discovered that it was rotten, we had to take it down, which of course totally bombed the backyard. Gary coordinated everything with a landscaper who did a really nice job. Throughout the project, he connected us with very good people who knew their crafts. Each one he supplied was knowledgeable, professional and followed through very nicely." — Janet Lundberg, Screened porch and deck addition
"We moved out to Waxhaw to a property on 11 acres. We have horses, and my husband decided that he wanted to have chickens. We purchased a coop from a man in Pennsylvania, and along with that, we needed an enclosed pen run so that the chickens could come out in the day and still be protected. Palmer Custom Builders put together the run and attached it to the coop. Gary said they had never done anything like that before, but he wasn't afraid to do it. The house was built in 1987 and needed some updating. The whole inside had to be painted. They finished a three-car detached garage, which is quite large, and finished off the whole upstairs, which now includes an awesome rec room, a full bathroom, a little kitchenette and additional living space. In the main house, a lot of windows were unfinished, there was no trim and that look didn't fit the price point of the home. So Palmer Custom Builders copied the style that was already there - a more rural-looking flat trim - and trimmed them out to flow with the style of the house. Because of the age and the nature of the home, it needed a lot of electrical work. Gary did a wonderful job of finding things that my husband and I wouldn't have had a clue to look for and which the inspection report did not pick up on. They have a great personal touch. They spend time really getting to know you, and I just got the feeling that Gary Palmer wouldn't do anything in this home that he wouldn't do in his own, and that's very comforting." — Sharon Albright, Sharon Albright conducted renovations on her existing home as well as the home her family was moving into, which included a bonus room and garage finish out and correcting electrical and plumbing issues to bring the structure up to code.
"It's such a pleasure to have someone we can count on, and Gary has never let me down," says Kim McCorkle, for whom Palmer Custom Builders built a sunroom and completed numerous renovations. Yet it was something else that left a lasting impression. "When we renovated the kitchen, we decided to leave the existing doors out to the sunroom. Well, my son fell on their metal tracks. Twenty-two stitches later, on our way home from the emergency room on a Saturday night, I called Gary and asked if he could do something about them. By Tuesday morning, his guys were there, ripping up the tracks and replacing the thresholds. They just have wonderful service. I wouldn't have anyone else do anything in our home." — Kim McCorkle
"The best part of working with Palmer Custom Builders was that they had total control of the job. That was very important to us, since we both work, leave early in the morning, and don't come home until early evening. It was important to us to know that everything was being handled. If they had any questions, they had them ready for us early in the morning, so that we could answer them. That kind of coordination is sometimes hard for contractors to do on a long-term project, but they managed it well." — Janet Lundberg
"Both Gary and Pam Palmer worked with me every step of the way...I would do it again, anytime", says Sharon Dye of her experiences building a custom home with Palmer Custom Builders." — Sharon Dye
"We just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the work you just completed on our master bathroom. We had some major water problems and damage, and you and your crew were prompt and professional in addressing the problems and completing the work." — Dave and Lissa Archer
"Thank you for your fine efforts in our recent project to upgrade and repair the exterior of our home. At 20 years old, several problems had developed, which required much creativity and a broad array of trades and skills to complete the tasks at hand. Everything has been completed to our total satisfaction." — David and Tina Boyuka
"It has been 8 months since you finished our fantastic sun room that we really enjoy daily. You made it so comfortable and convenient. Every detail complements our life style. The room is perfect. From the beginning of the project to the end you made our experience with Palmer Custom Builders and every member of your crew very easy and pleasant. Our sun room is the envy of the neighborhood. Just the other day a visitor could not believe the sun room was an addition. Your design, which included much more than we expected, fits right in with the style of our original house. Please feel free to bring your customers by to show them how a professional builder delivers what he promises. We love showing off your creation." — Bob Janet
"The first job Palmer Custom Builders did for me was finishing off my bonus room. That was six years ago. One year after that, they built a roof over my back patio, and then two years ago I had them add another full bath upstairs. Now they are building my new house. I can't say enough about Gary and the people that have been working for him. I have been very happy with each job from the start, and now working with both Gary and his wife Pam on my new home has been such an all-together pleasure. I have spoken with people who have had troublesome experiences with builders, but during this time, I'm not finding that at all. We've worked together from the very beginning and it's been a truly pleasurable experience; one that I would enjoy doing all over again." — Sharon Dye
"Gary also coordinated the backyard. We initially were going to modify a huge tree in the back of our little yard, but when they discovered that it was rotten, we had to take it down, which of course totally bombed the backyard. Gary coordinated everything with a landscaper who did a really nice job. Throughout the project, he connected us with very good people who knew their crafts. Each one he supplied was knowledgeable, professional and followed through very nicely." — Janet Lundberg
"They were very helpful in getting subcontractors...It was very useful to be directed to good people to help us get things we needed, like tile, countertops and granite... I would recommend them in the future. In fact, we did recommend them to a person we knew from work who they've since completed a porch for." — Steve Casper
"Working with Palmer Custom Builders was a good experience. We love the sunroom; we live out here... It's been a year since it's been finished, and I'd recommend Gary anytime. Gary had it all mapped out and would tell me what we could or could not do and why. We had a very good working relationship." — Rosemary Vincent
Our Latest Success Stories
Screened Porch to Sunroom Conversion
This homeowner wanted to extend the usable space in her patio home. Many of her neighbors had converted their screened porches into sunrooms, but unfortunately, some were less than happy with their results.
Home Addition & Kitchen Renovation
These homeowners wanted to update their existing 90's kitchen both aesthetically and functionally to create a true professional cooking, entertaining and living space.
Wrap Around Front Covered Porch
These homeowners wanted to increase the aesthetic appeal of their somewhat boxy, Colonial style residence with a front porch addition that would remain in keeping with their home's character.
