Stratagem Construction

I contacted Stratagem Construction regarding a bathroom remodel. The only response I received was «sorry can’t help you». I would expect a bit more professionalism on your end and a little more feed back. I have several large projects and will be looking elsewhere.

Stratagem/​Habitar Design was hired to do a complete remodel of my master bathroom: plumbing, electrical, frameless shower with bench, air jet bath, vanity, and tile work. They are by far the best contractor I have ever worked with.
While I had selected the basic design concept and fixtures prior to hiring Strategem, Hannah of affiliated Habitar Design was able to suggest some excellent refinements to the plans, including the shower design and the choice of tile. Leading up to the day of demolition, Chris, the project manager, kept me informed of the status of the project and the start date — including the arrival of the fixtures — every step of the way. I was given a time frame of 2 – 2.5 weeks for completion of the project, and with the exception of the shower enclosure, it was completed in 5−½ days. The workers were there for 8 hours each day with a short break for lunch, unlike previous experiences where the contractors would often leave to work on other projects. Everyone I encountered from the company was prompt, professional and courteous. This helped to make the process as painless as possible. While we encountered a few hiccups as we started to use the new bathroom, any problems were handled promptly and diligently until the issue was resolved.
In general, Stratagem is outstanding and we are thrilled with the result.

I worked with Mitch and his colleagues to get some water-​damaged wood floors replaced. Stratagem was actually referred to me by a neighbor, and when I first called Mitch, he was able to give me a good idea of the scope of work that would need to be done. The flooring team he sent to take a further look were professional, friendly, and were able to answer my questions. His project coordinator was good at checking up on the work progress and was timely in responding to me whenever I contacted them. The job (replacing damaged/​warped wood, matching the existing stain, and recoating the entire floor) was started and completed on time and with good quality that I’m happy with. Given the multiple times I have had to reschedule the work due to other projects, Mitch and his team were truly great with being flexible.

I couldn’t be happier with our new kitchen! From the moment I met Mitch I felt like we were in good hands. Our project manager, Zane, was professional, easy to communicate with, and had a critical eye for perfection. Before we hired Stratagem, the project was a constant headache. Once Stratagem became involved, timelines were set, quotes were rapidly provided, and my only involvement was to answer questions here and there. It was a complete 180. I will absolutely use Stratagem for any of my future construction or remodeling needs.

I am a former interior designer who used to manage residential construction projects in another state, so I have extensive experience working with contractors. After moving to Chicago, I was in need of a contractor for a bathroom remodel as well as cosmetic changes throughout the rest of my home. In short: it was a pleasure to work with Stratagem, the quality of work was excellent, and the project was delivered on time.
Mitch, the owner of Stratagem, responded quickly to my inquiry and worked around my work schedule during the scoping and planning process. He had great, honest suggestions about where it was worth spending money and where it was worth saving it. Chris, the project manager, was very communicative throughout the process and managed to keep the project on schedule despite some building setbacks (which were completely outside of Stratagem’s control). While there is inevitable dust and dirt associated with construction, my home was treated with respect and cleaned up at the end of each day.
I will gladly recommend Stratagem to any friends looking for work done on their homes, and will certainly use them again should I need remodeling work done in the future.

My wife and I recently undertook a project to remodel our bathrooms in our high rise. We contracted with Stratagem who had previously done some remodeling work for us. Although the project was complicated by the restrictions of a high rise, we were very happy with the quality of work and adherence to our agreed upon schedule.
We found Mitch and his team easy to work with and kept their commitments.
I strongly recommend them for any type if construction or remodeling projects!

We used Habitar Design /​Stratagem Construction to help us makeover a condo that we recently purchased. They designed a digital floorplan of the building, helped us select options for new furniture within our price range, selected paint color options for every room and arranged for and executed the painting quickly and at a very high quality. We were very happy with the work, impressed at their ability to paint our entire place within 3 days, and would use them again. Highly recommend!

Mitch and his team were great to work with. Our home looks GORGEOUS! Mitch and his team did high quality work, the team was professional, and was very responsive to our needs. I would highly recommend them. You won’t be disappointed!

I had used Kapan at the sister company Habitar for residential design previously and knew that I wanted to use her again for a commercial space last year. Because of that great experience I let Mitch/​Stratagem bid on the demo/​constrution of my chiropractic office. As Mitch told me initially, «anyone can write you a number on the back of a napkin, but if you REALLY want the bid to be accurate, you need to be as specific as possible on the specs.» Man, was he right. The other bids were generally lower but because he made me pick out most of my fixtures/​colors/​appliances/​door knobs before he bid the job, the final cost was nearly spot on. Now I know why everyone elses construction projects always go over budget — b/​c the contractor bids low to get the job, then you pick all the pieces you want and it of course is well above the budgeted cost.
Mitch and his guys were INCREDIBLE. From the start, they give you a line by line, room by room spreadsheet of everything you’ve picked and what they are doing for the job. At the end you get the same spreadsheet with updated costs per line. So you can see where you were over, under, right on or chose not to do a certain line item. Often the project managers or Mitch himself would call or email me about progress, they coordinated city inspections, they made sure to ask me about unclear details, and made suggestions when needed. I needed to figure out how to quiet a room and he suggested a type of lightweight polymer added to the walls, which works awesome. Mitch even facetimed me from Home Depot so we could pick out a light fixture that we added to the kitchen last minute. They took the time to explain things, answer questions, cleaned up after themselves (drywall dust gets EVERYWHERE). Mitch knew where we should spend money (installing an auto shut off on the washing machine DID come in handy when the drain pipe froze last month. It could have flooded our whole office), and where to save it (4 paint colors is enough, no need for more). Having a designer and contractor that work together constantly is awesome because she knows they do great work and he can go directly to her and ask questions. My office is beautiful and I have referred Mitch to others for residential and commercial projects.

I recently had the bathroom in my downtown condo completely remodeled and had some new doors installed, and I couldn’t be happier with the work that was done by Habitar and Stratagem. My bathroom was as ugly as they get, but I kept putting off remodeling because I felt overwhelmed by the construction process. Finally, I made the decision to go through with it in 2014. After doing some internet research, I found Habitar/​Stratagem and shortly after filling out the information request on the Habitar website, Mitch called me to talk about my project. I then met with a designer (Hannah) to talk about my needs/​wishes and desired aesthetic. Hannah was very pleasant to work with and came up with a great design and materials suggestions. I made the final selections, but depended heavily on Hannah’s advice to figure out what worked within the design. I was then provided a detailed construction bid with a breakdown of all materials and work costs. Once I decided to hire Stratagem for the construction part of the project, the project manager took over and quickly obtained all approvals from my management office and started construction within a few days. I didn’t have to worry about a thing, which was key for me. Since I wasn’t living there, I didn’t closely monitor the project site, but updates were provided to me on a regular basis. When I went back after construction was completed, I was pleased to see that my condo was in order and that I now have a beautiful bathroom.
I was really impressed with the materials and workmanship and am enjoying my new bathroom immensely. The reasons I recommend Habitar/​Stratagem: they came up with workable solutions, especially for my non-​standard size bathtub and closet doors; the PM quickly obtained condo approvals and oversaw the construction which started promptly – I didn’t have to monitor the project; once construction started, I received regular e-​mail updates; work was done according to projections; the quality of work was high; there were no surprise costs; I felt very comfortable with everyone associated with Habitar/​Stratagem; and when I had questions, Mitch responded quickly. Also, my management office indicated to me that they had no issues with the construction crew and everything functioned smoothly. Overall, a great experience.

I had an amazing experience with Habitar and Stratagem. I work at a design firm and have colleagues (engineers, industrial designers, graphic designers, etc) with extraordinarily high standards for design and its execution. When two colleagues suggested Habitar/​Stratagem, I selected them to finish some renovation projects on our condo. I’m very glad I did. Throughout the design and construction process, I had a great experience with everyone.
Hannah was our designer and she was excellent at taking my inspiration and turning it into workable designs. When I had reservations about certain choices or new ideas or inspirations (I’m sure she’s had easier clients), she quickly came up with alternatives. I wanted designs that honored my 1910 building but still felt contemporary. That’s exactly what she delivered. It’s a pleasure to live with the results.
When it came time for construction, Mitch visited and came up with additional suggestions that wound up cutting costs significantly. I found him honest, calming, and deeply knowledgeable. The guys who worked at our house were here every week-​day during the construction window and they were extremely considerate of my wife (who works from home) and my two-​year-​old daughter. They kept things as clean as possible and left our home cleaner than they’d found it. The work they did is beautiful and they finished on time and within budget. When there were some small items I was concerned with (such as the shower temperature), they were quickly handled to my satisfaction.
Honestly, I was pretty terrified of a renovation project in an old building like mine. You hear so many horror stories. Habitar/​Stratagem handled every aspect of my projects with professionalism and expertise: design, project management, and construction. I had a great experience with them at every step of the way and wouldn’t hesitate to use them for future projects. I’m very thankful to have found them. Highly recommended!

Update as of Summer, 2014:
I used Stratagem and Habitar for a second major project – a full kitchen remodel in my Gold Coast high rise condo. Very similar positive results… transparency in pricing, excellent quality, accurate updates (I live on the west coast), limited punch list. They handled all necessary building/​condo board approvals and my neighbors told me that the workers were very considerate by limiting noise, etc.

Mitch and his affiliates were so great at implementing their designs. They had minimal impact on our quality of life as the design was coming to life in our house. They built everything in their shop and installed and painted it all in just a few days. It was so exciting to come home from work each day and see it come together.
They used high quality wood, paint and hardware, and the stuff is built to last a lifetime with minimal maintenance. Their experience and professionalism helped to forsee and avert what likely would have been big issues for a group maybe not so detail-​oriented. We are very happy with the work they did. We only wish we could have met them before our house was built!

I highly recommend Stratagem Construction and I would use their services again in a heartbeat. We recently had 2 bathrooms remodeled, the addition of another bathroom and a fireplace remodel WHILE we were living in the home.
From start to finish, the project was done right thanks to excellent construction management and hardworking, courteous and clean contractors.
Brandon was our project manager and he was pleasant to work with, very attentive to our project, and paid excellent attention to details. If there was any problem, large or small, it was taken care of in a timely manner until it was fixed. We love our new bathrooms and would use Stratagem again for any future projects.

Strategem recently gutted my kitchen. The work was great. It came well within budgetary guidelines. I felt comfortable with everyone who entered my house to work on various aspects of the construction. Additionally, they did an exceptional custom build out under an awkward staircase. I highly recommend them and would use them again.

We hired the services of Stratagem construction to remodel our (dated) fireplace. The entire process, from the initial estimates to the finishing touches went smoothly, the whole staff was very professional and they were willing to accommodate our specific time restrictions.
We were very impressed by the quality of the construction and the attention to details by the workers. For instance, we downsized the fireplace and, as a result, they had to redo part of the flooring. They used our old floorboard to perfectly recreate the floor: I know how to install flooring and how hard this patching was, but these guys delivered!
Interaction between Mitch, his crew and us went flawlessly, the remodeled fireplace looks terrific and we highly recommend using Stratagem Construction!