Catalyst Construction

We contracted with Catalyst to perform demolition, structural reinforcement, rough carpentry/​framing, stairs construction, finish carpentry, electric, bathroom remodeling, kitchen installation and tiling. The value of the original contract with Catalyst was approximately $ 72,000, of which we paid them nearly $ 40,000. We experienced a number of significant problems with Catalyst and when the project fell 4 months behind schedule and Catalyst refused to meet performance deadlines, we finally decided to terminate our relationship with them and had to hire other contractors to correct and complete the project which ended up costing us over $ 100,000 for the work originally agreed by Catalyst.
We provided Catalyst with architectural drawings for the work and they did not comply with these, resulting in, amongst other issues, structural steel posts and beams that were not installed properly and will now need to be relocated and refinished at an additional cost to us of over $ 15,000. We had a structural engineer out to the property to document these problems.
Catalyst was contracted to build a new staircase using hardwood but when I arrived at the property on the day of the build, I discovered that they had used cheaper pine. When I brought this to the attention of the project manager, he actually admitted that he had not read the contract with addendums! This error alone, required us to spend thousands of additional dollars to finish the stairs.
Throughout the project, it was difficult to get Catalyst to schedule work crews on a timely basis and several workers told us they had just been hired or didn’t fully understand what they were supposed to do. Their demolition crew threw out bathroom fixtures that were supposed to remain and chimney duct that had to be replaced at our expense. One worker even damaged our new exterior siding which we will also have to pay to replace because Catalyst has refused any responsibility for their errors and mishaps.
In all, our experience with Catalyst was one of the most expensive, disruptive, and emotionally distressing experiences of our lives. We have suffered or will suffer remedial expenses on our home totaling tens of thousands of dollars and at least 4 months of lost rental income on our previous home due to the project delays and need to hire new contractors to finish the job. Based on our experience, our recommendation would be to avoid this company.

We worked with Catalyst Remodeling in ²⁰¹¹⁄₂₀₁₂ for a gut rehab of an old Victorian home that was over 100 years old. Eric, the owner and his Catalyst crew were the heroes in a challenging situation where our original contractor left us before the work was done. Catalyst helped to assess the progress, identify inferior workmanship that the original contractor had done and spent the next 2 months ensuring that our home was finished to meet occupancy requirements, pass all city inspections and be ready for us to move into with our young family.
After a nightmare experience with our original «licensed contractor» (we have since learned that pretty much ANYONE can get be a licensed GC in Chicago), we sought out additional accreditation in our next contractor. Eric is licensed with NARI (National Association of the Remodelling Industry) and demonstrated his professionalism with setting clear expectations, scopes of work, billing, punctual, etc. which gave us confidence to work with him and his team.
We often get compliments about our home and we credit the Catalyst crew for taking a very outdated 1970’s home and all the issues that they inherited and turning it into a modern home that works for our family. Our gut rehab included opening up the main floor, adding 2 ½ bathrooms, all new infrastructure with plumbing and electrical, new kitchen, etc. One of the the things that was really important to us in the process was to maintain the character of the old home and Catalyst understood our desire and helped to maintain the look by reusing as much of the original trim as a possible and building to match where not. Catalyst stands behind their work with a significant guarantee (5 years) and they proved to us that they deliver against this guarantee when we had a cracked tile in our master shower a year later and they came to fix it, no questions asked.
Finally, three years after the job was done, we took legal action against our original contractor and Eric, as the subsequent contractor was a key witness, demonstrating his remodeling expertise in testimony to ultimately help us win our case. Even three years after our project was over, Catalyst remembered our family and our case and helped to hopefully take one of the terrible GCs off Chicago streets.
Catalyst has continuously proven their high quality standard of work and professionalism in Chicago’s construction industry. From our own experience as well as all the stories we have heard from our friends, city inspectors, lawyers, etc., these standards are unfortunately hard to come by. As a result, Catalyst stands out as a contractor and remodeling partner and worth every penny! We would highly recommend working with them if you’re considering remodeling or construction on your home… we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again!