Constraction reviews in Eden Prairie, Minnesota

I recently sold our home, during inspection the roof was called out and the buyer requested a credit or replacement. I contacted First Choice Exteriors and they were FANTASTIC! The stress of selling and buying, especially in today's fast paced market, along with needing the work done ASAP, was stressful. Mike with First Choice, took all of that away. He was ALWAYS quick to respond, proactive for anything that myself or the buyers needed and went ABOVE AND BEYOND every step of the way. He was a great source of knowledge and offered step-by-step on working with our home owner's insurance.
The day of install the crew was there promptly to begin followed by a foreman who was there to ensure all was going well and check to see if I had any questions. The crew was incredible; hard working, respectful, ensured myself and kiddos were still able to get in and out and did not stop moving until the job was done.
It's rare to find a company this knowledgeable, cost efficient, proactive and professional. The new roof looked EXCELLENT! I couldn't be happier with the end result and service!

First Choice Exteriors did a great job replacing our roof and siding due to hail damage. Mike McCain worked through the process with our insurance company and communicated well during the process. Dave , the project manager, did a great job during the execution of the work. We are extremely satisfied and recommend use of First Choice Exteriors to all.

Our home was hail damaged last summer. First choice exteriors was hired to do the work. From start to finish they were excellent. Sean Morrison was very helpful working with my insurance company and suggesting shingle and siding colors. Five stars all the way.

Our experience with Mike and his team at First Choice Exteriors truly exceptional. It was pure happenstance that we discovered his team and we are glad that we did. Our home received hail damage on the roof and siding in the summer of 2015 and there was some interior water damage as well. Our insurance was quick to cover the damage to the siding, but refused to cover the damage to the roof and interior despite the fact that every single one of our neighbors had received compensation for the damage to their roofs. We had gone through two different contractors before stumbling on Mike and his team. The other two contractors tried methods that seemed a bit shady to try and convince our insurance to make payment and in the end, not only were we left feeling uneasy with their methods, they ended up being unsuccessful with making the claim for the roof and interior. We had given up hope and were ready to move on. Simply by coincidence, we met Mike and struck up a conversation about our situation over a year after the initial claim. He offered to come out and take a look to see if he thought there was a chance we could get coverage. We didn't feel like it was one of those high pressure storm chaser organizations and overall just got a really comfortable feeling so we agreed. Mike came out promptly and did an initial assessment and let us know that he thought we had a chance and that he would take care of all of the communications. The process was extremely simple for our family, although I had a feeling that Mike was doing a lot of work in the background. In the end, he found success and the insurance company agreed to fully cover the roof and interior damage! At that point, the planning and preparing started in earnest and we found the entire process enjoyable. Mike was there every step of the way. Along the way there were a few troublesome challenges encountered with the job simply due to the age of our house and some previous mistakes made by other contractors. Mike and his team were extremely flexible and overcame these challenges without a missed step. Along the way, Mike helped to identify money saving options for us and simply allowed us options that best met our needs. The work was completely in a timely manner and now we have a beautiful new roof! One last highlight of the experience was the clean up. The last contract work we had done, we found literally hundreds of nails left behind. This time around, the only nails we found in the yard after Mike's team was done was rusty nails left behind from the other contractor that we simply hadn't spotted yet. Amazing! We are very glad that our paths crossed and happy with the work that was done.

Sean did a great job on our roof! The crew was here on time, efficient, and the house looks so nice! Sean was so nice, he left large samples for me to decide on colors and was really patient. We had an issue with final insurance payment and he was super accommodating with that at well!!

First Choice Exteriors replaced our roof and did an excellent job. Sean Morrison assisted us with our insurance claim. He was very knowledgeable and informed us about the entire process from the paperwork to the actual roof replacement.

My experience with First Choice was very poor. My insurance company approved my claim in August 2023, but the project wasn't completed until June 2024. During this entire time, they removed a section of my siding on the front of my house to try to get a match (I do not know why they took it from here and not the back or detached garage).

The report to match the siding took months because they lost a piece of the siding apparently. Even when they received the matching report they did not send it to the insurance company, so I had to ask consistently to get the report. Then I was the one who sent it to the insurance agency. Then I was the one who had to go to the siding store to take pictures of the potential matching siding and I had to send those to the insurance companies. I had to work with insurance to get the matching coverage without any help from First Choice even though they noted they would handle that. Throughout the entire time I heard excuses for the delays. The excuses or lies they told me:

- "Lost a piece of siding" which caused significant delays.
- "I was sick over the weekend" - used as an excuse to cancel a meeting.
- "I will get the report to insurance today" - they didn't follow through, and I had to do it weeks later.
- "I will pick up some examples and take pictures for matching siding this week" - they never did this.
- "I am going to swing by today and take a few pictures with a digital measuring app to find matching siding" - they never did this, so I ended up doing it myself.
- "The measurements on the garage did not work" - another delay before they finally returned for new measurements.
- "The desk adjuster is out of the office for a couple of days."
- After asking for an update: "I plan on calling Tracy on Monday" - no further update for two weeks.
- "I have been in and out of ER and doctor's appointments this week" - another two weeks passed with no communication.
- "I am out of the country so I could meet three weeks later."
- "I can drop off color sample swatches, but I do not have any cut pieces in the colors you’re interested in" - not helpful.
- "I believe the ironstone is a premium product so that will cost more" - this was not true, causing unnecessary delays.
- "Waiting on road restrictions to be lifted to start the builds" - a month passed with no communication about a potential start date.

They never set up a final inspection with the city, so I had to contact them myself. They said, "Can you check the paper on the door to see if it is signed?" Despite informing them it wasn't signed, they still didn't schedule an inspection a week later.
Throughout this entire process, they also blamed the insurance company for delaying the project. However, each time I contacted the insurance company, they confirmed they were waiting on documents or information from First Choice.

The only time they communicated consistently was when they wanted the final payment. Overall, there was a severe lack of communication and many excuses and delays. Even the insurance company was frustrated, which speaks volumes. They failed to complete parts of the job that I had to finish myself, like arranging for matching siding coverage and scheduling inspections. I wouldn't recommend this company to anyone based on my experience.

We used First Choice 3 years ago to repair our roof and gutters from damage- this past weekend- we suddenly started experiencing water coming in from an area of our ceiling and hood vent of the stove- it turned out to be a water pipe- but the team at First Choice was amazing! I called them concerned that it may be the roof. They answered my calls immediately, gave ideas, tips on things to look for, was there to come and inspect and ultimately wanted to be sure that things were good.

Such a great company to work with!

Mike and his crew did an outstanding job. Mike cooridinated with the insurance adjusters and made all of the arrangements for payment. New roof,Gutters and windows all professionally installed and look great. Cleanup very thorough. Would highly recommend Mike and First Choice Exteriors.

After 20+ years of service, the roofing and associated appurtenances on our townhomes were showing signs of deterioration due to extreme weather and normal aging. As a result, the Association board deemed it advisable to replace the roofs as soon as possible. After an exhaustive bid review and interview process with several roofing contractors, the HOA Board selected First Choice Exteriors as the successful contractor based upon:

• Their extensive experience with large roofing projects, and
townhome associations,
• Their overall industry knowledge and experience,
• Perceived provider quality as verified from reference
testimonials,
• Proposal quality and lowest “evaluated” cost,
• Their perceived ability to deliver on all aspects of the project,
• Their availability/schedule, and finally,
• Their flexibility/reliability as verified from reference
testimonials.

The scope of the project awarded to First Choice Exteriors included replacement of the roofing materials and roof appurtenances for the properties 15 buildings (68 total units), including the replacement of 38 skylights. They also served as the general contractor overseeing the replacement of weather damaged windows and/or patio doors associated with 34 different units on the property and the removal and the replacement of the gutter systems. The committed schedule was approximately 4 weeks subject to favorable weather conditions.

It is not an overstatement to say that the Board and the homeowners were impressed with the way the project was executed. From the very start, the First Choice staff was extremely well organized, sensitive to the homeowners’ needs, and fully engaged. There were 3 full time project managers on site managing the workers and interfacing with the workers and homeowners as necessary to address all construction issues and homeowner access/egress during construction. Dave Mack, Alex Pedersen, and Preston Willier, our 3 Project Managers, were seasoned and knowledgeable resources with excellent communication skills truly facilitating the conduct of work and communication with the homeowners. The crews performing the actual roof replacement were on the job from approximately 6:30am each morning (weather permitting) and worked tirelessly until after 7:00pm to keep the job on schedule despite a few weather-related delays.

During the bid process, bid solicitors are often promised “everything” to garner the contract. I can honestly say First Choice met all of the selling points they identified to sell the Board on their award. The quality of the work performed and attention to detail was beyond reproach, the crew cleaned up the grounds each and every evening before leaving the jobsite (including magnet sweeps of affected landscaping, walkways and driveways for nails), the project and homeowners were well managed by the site managers, schedules were achieved, and First Choice’s co-owners, Mark Willier and Mike McCain were fully engaged on the project, visiting the job site regularly to communicate with the Board and review project progress.

In summary, First Choice Exteriors has demonstrated that they are a very qualified supplier, completing every aspect of our roof replacement project in a competent, and quality/customer centric manner, and I would recommend use of this organization without reservation for any of the services they offer.

Thomas Vogel
Vice President, HOA

Both Mikes have been AMAZING to work with. We had some hail damage a few weeks ago and I called a bunch of roofing companies out to inspect the damage. First Choice was on time, so responsive and so thorough with their inspection. They worked with me navigating my insurance company and wrote a whole report to send to insurance regarding the damages. SO impressive!! They have been going above and beyond this whole process and have been extremely patient with me (first time homeowner, never filed a home insurance claim before). We can't wait for our new roof with them! Excellent company, I highly recommend!

I highly recommend First Choice Exteriors. I too am in the service industry and appreciate partners like First Choice Exteriors to respond quickly, make accurate estimates, and help through the insurance claims process.

Karl Clark inspected my roof after an early summer hailstorm and he worked through the difficult process of submitting my claim to my insurance. Initially, insurance did not honor the claim on the first submission, so Karl and his A team provided a more detailed package to insurance in order to have the claim approved.

If it were not for their extra work I'd still be living under a hail-damaged roof. They even inspected my windows for damage, and Karl introduced me to a window replacement partner, submitted the claim, and was awarded eight windows from damage.

Nice work Karl and team!!!

I highly recommend!

Darren Nicholson
Victoria, MN

I was very happy with every aspect to the roofing project First Choice Exteriors did on my home in Eden Prairie. Preston & Sean were awesome to work with. I definitely recommend them.

I’m so pleased with my homes updated look. Thank you Mike, Dave and Alex for being professional and responsive to my questions and giving me a timely answer. Issac and the siding crew were on time, hard at work and very efficient.
Thanks again…Mary

First Choice did an excellent job on replacing my damaged roof due to a hail storm last May. Jack was extremely thorough in his initial inspection and follow up visits. I really appreciated the knowledge Jack had about the entire repair and replacement process and how to work with the insurance company. I would not hesitate to recommend First Choice for your roofing needs!

Phil P. has been great to work with. He is professional, kind and patient. We were immediately impressed with his knowledge of the industry. We had our roof and gutters replaced by First Choice Exteriors after a hail storm. The roofers worked fast and finished both the house and garage in one day. I found a handful of nails and other debris about the yard and driveway but it was dark when they packed up so I’m not surprised a few things got missed. Phil kindly came back with a super magnet to sweep for any missed nails. Jeremy the gutter expert was efficient and installed nice big gutters. Everything is looking great and functioning well. Phil worked directly with our insurance company so we didn’t have to.

We just used First Choice for a window replacement project at our home, we had been waiting for years to move forward with the project and decided on them because they had a very fair price and great customer service, we were able to work directly with the owner who knew everything about our home, the windows, and what needed to be done which gave us the confidence to buy from them! Thank you First Choice Team!

First Choice helped us identify problems and issues with our home following storms in the area. Phil Paradise worked with our insurance provider to maximize the repairs and replacements required to restore the home. Actually, it was more than restoration. Phil helped us understand where and how we can improve the materials and design along the way. He knows how to work his team, the process and the system all to benefit the customer. He was responsive, insightful and treated us like we were his MVP customer. We recommend Phil and First Choice 100%. And are happy to serve as a reference for him/them anytime.

Working with Mike, and his team, at First Choice Exteriors was a case study of excellent customer service. I would hire him again in a heartbeat and you should, too.

Our neighborhood was hit by a hailstorm a couple summers ago. His company had been doing work for several neighbors and decided to have him look at our roof to check if it warranted filing a claim. It turned out we certainly did have damage and ours was worse than any of our neighbor's. The claim filing process with our insurance company was a big hassle as they only wanted to cover the front side of our roof. The process of having multiple adjustors come back to evaluate the roof dragged on for over a year.

Mike took the initiative to speak up on our behalf and pushed back against the inside insurance adjustor team. After several persistent conversations, it reached the right level of authority where it was made clear the three previous assessments were completely wrong. Once this happened everything moved along quickly. If Mike hadn't been involved, we would have had to pay for a portion of the roof out of our pocket. This saved us $10,000+ dollars.

When we were able to start discussing the options for roofing materials, Mike was a true consultant. Never once did we feel like we were being sold a bill of goods or up sold on expensive options. In fact, the opposite occurred, where he didn't recommend paying more money for certain items.

His project manager, Dave, was excellent, as well. He kept us informed of dates. Called ahead before the crew showed up and was there himself overseeing the project. The cleanup was excellent. Dave went around himself to double check the work and the cleanup.

First Choice Exterior is an A++ company. I highly recommend them.

We had Sean at First Choice install a new roof for us and it is so gorgeous. We were rained out for our first install and so they actually came on the next Saturday to do it- wow!! The communication was fantastic. I always knew what to expect and any question I had was answered immediately. We have had a lot of work done on our house recently, including a brand new concrete driveway. They were so cognizant of that and never drove heavy trucks on it- they even put a tarp on the driveway and the crew carried everything up- wow! Everything was protected (including our new garden and landscaping) and when they left, the area looked like they were never even there. You can only tell from beautiful new roof! Highly recommend this team and Sean specifically- he was so knowledgeable, helpful and available for all of our needs! 😃

First Choice did a great job on our gutters! They were respectful, punctual, and not overly expensive. We had some tricky roof lines, and Jeremy, the installer, did a great job! Would highly recommend!