Reviews of local pros in Excelsior, Minnesota

Ryan and his company were the epitome of quality work and professional service. It’s hard to turn storm damage and an insurance claim into a good experience, but Ryan did it. He was thorough and timely in his communication with me, highly persistent with the insurance company to make sure everything that needed to be done would get done and be covered, and then he follow through with quality finished product. I would gladly recommend him to my friends and family (and use him again if and when something comes up).

Customer First Contractors was recommended to me by a close friend after having hail damage. Jay came out and explained the entire process in detail from filing a claim to the final invoice. He kept me up to date with what was going on and the crew did a fantastic job when the roof was ready to be replaced! I have and will recommend Customer First Contractors to anyone who needs storm restoration work!

I worked with Jay at Customer First Contractors after a large storm last August. He did a great job on our behalf keeping up the communication with the insurance company when they seemed to be dragging their feet. The work was great and clean up around the home even better. I have recommended Customer First to many of my neighbors who have shared this same positive experience with Jay.

We were hit with a hail storm this summer and Jay and Brian were great to work with. Got everything done and in the timeliest manner possible. Communication was great. I had never had to file a homeowners insurance claim before and Jay made it super easy.

Ryan was recommended to us by a friend and former client of his. We used his services to replace our roof shingles. window sashes, gutters, gutter guards and downspouts which were all damaged by hail.
Ryan and his team were instrumental in the damage assessment negotiations with our insurance company ensuring that we received fair damage compensation. Once negotiations were completed, Ryan and his courteous team provided superb quality installation services on time. We recommend Ryan without any hesitation

Customer First completed the project in replacing front and back steps and adding handrails and staining. It looks awesome. It is a job well done.

We were hit with a hail storm late last summer. We were referred to Customer First, specifically Jay, by two different neighbors. He was extremely thorough when helping us file a claim with insurance, and went above and beyond to ensure we were getting our full moneys worth.
Our insurance company made a few errors on the initial estimate. Jay was very helpful in sending the necessary documents to have the errors corrected. There were issues with the copper downspouts and turtle vents that our insurance incorrectly marked as aluminum on two follow up estimates. The cost of aluminum vs copper can really add up after several feet so we were very happy that Jay kept insisting on the correct material.
The plywood under the roof shingles was also not up to code, so Jay and to contact out insurance to get the additional cost of materials sorted, which was very helpful.
We could not be more satisfied with the work/construction done to our roof. We highly recommend Jay and Customer First Contractors to anyone who is looking to getting their roof redone.

My roof looks great! I am so pleased with the excellent service from Customer First Contractors, LLC. Jay McPhillips was friendly, professional, and made everything so easy for me. They ended up having to fix my decking because there were some big gaps. They informed me, had a plan to get supplies and do the repair, then Jay communicated with my insurance company. I was out of town and didn’t have to do a thing! Highly recommend!

After a hailstorm, I was introduced to Customer First Contractors, specifically Chris Thulin, by my insurance company The first time we met, Chris sat in our kitchen and explained the entire process and answered all our questions. He treated everyone in that room with respect and patience, which I greatly appreciated. I was impressed by Chris’ professionalism and depth of knowledge.

Throughout the project - new roof, some new windows, and a new door - Chris provided regular updates, championed our needs with our insurance company, answered all our questions, and was transparent about cost. I knew exactly what to expect and how much it was going to cost.

All the subcontractors provided quality work, were easy to work with, cleaned up after themselves, and were approachable. As a female, whenever strangers are in my house, I’m usually a bit uncomfortable, but I wasn’t with these groups. I’d give each group a zero creep-factor rating.

I coordinated payment with Ryan Mason. Whenever you’re dealing with insurance companies there are always hoops that need hopping through. Ryan understood the process and knew what to expect. Ryan was able to offer guidance and had reasonable turnaround time expectations.

All said, I highly recommend Customer First Contractors and definitely will be using them in the future. Thanks, Chris and Ryan!!!

I worked with Ryan to do a complete roof replacement after a hailstorm. Ryan and his whole team did a great job - our project was complicated by the fact that our solar panels had to be removed and reinstalled. Ryan worked with our solar company to coordinate this. The roofing crew was prompt, courteous, neat and the new roof looks great. I can recommend Customer First Contractors without reservation.

We recently worked with Customer First Contractors on a rather large storm damage claim resulting from hail. We have nothing but wonderful things to say!
We worked directly with Jay who was knowledgeable, efficient and extremely helpful throughout the entire process. His communication with not only us as the homeowners, but also with our insurance company, was fantastic from start to finish. We appreciate the care he took in being both honest with us and working diligently on our behalf.
Equally as important, we are extremely pleased with the attention to detail and quality of work performed by Brian and the siding crew. They were professional, friendly, and our house looks fantastic! It is evident that they are experienced and place great care in performing excellent work.
We would not hesitate to recommend Customer First Contractors to our friends and family and in fact, already have. Thanks for everything Jay and crew!!

Best contractor experience I've ever had. Ryan and his crews are smart, courteous, and timely. Our roof needed replacement after a hailstorm, and Ryan took it from there - dealt with inspectors, insurance, the works. Would happily recommend to anyone, these guys are pros and it is clear they take their name seriously!

Thanks Jay, Ryan, and crew. The guys at Customer First Contractors were outstanding to work with to get my house and garage shingles replaced. From the beginning all the way through to the end they explained all the work that was going to be done. The workers were very polite and did an excellent job of cleaning up after the work was complete. I would highly recommend them for any project . Completely satisfied. Thanks Dale

Our contact was Jay McPhillips, who did a magnificent job interfacing with our insurance company who had denied our claim of window damage a year earlier from a previous hail storm. Jay managed to convince the company to replace all but 2 of our 36 Pella windows with windows that were even better than the original
windows. Installation was by a Pella contractor and it was absolutely perfect! Customer First was very transparent and logical, and way more pleasant to deal with than our previous few contractor encounters. They delivered with integrity and skill. Since building this house 38 years ago this team is by far the best we have used.

The team at Customer First Contractors were a delight to work with. Ryan was very responsive and educational when we were discussing different options in siding and trim. Also, when we asked about adding other things to the project he was on top of them and responded promptly. We ended up doing a full siding and trim replacement. Brian, the foreman, would keep me up to date daily with the were they were in the process and what was going to be done. Having this type of customer service really gave us piece of mind throughout the whole project. I will definitely be recommending this company to others!!

Customer First Contractors were recommended to me by my insurance agent. I had possibly the greatest experience one could hope for after storm damage. From the first call, Ryan, Chris and team made this process easy and smooth. They discussed all insurance paper work and numbers. Walked my wife and I through all options. They never made any false hope or claims and were true and honest from the start. After the Mayv storm last year I can say we have what feels like a brand new home. New roof w/ ridge vent! New gutters, larger than before, with added gutter guards! New siding in an upgraded color! We paid a little out of pocket above what insurance covered but knew the exact amount.

Both Ryan and Chris responded to calls or text well with in 24 hours, even while on vacation which was not expected!

If I ever have a need to have work done on my home these are the guys I'm calling and I recommend anyone to call them to. A+ service and work!

Thanks Customer First Contractors

Kevin - White Bear Lake

(Blue -after grey-before)

Had a great experience with Jay and Brian! Everything from picking out materials to the actual install of our siding was done in a timely manner. Everyone from door and window installation and siding installation were great. Would highly recommend. What a difference!

Chris Thulin and Customers First Contractors were recommended to us by a neighbor and friend and we have been very satisfied with the beginning to end process of getting a new roof from a recent hail storm damage. He comes out, inspects, takes pictures and explains the process and procedures on how to communicate with the insurance company to help you through the process. He is professional, responsive, patient and informative. We are very happy with the result and we would highly recommend him and his company to anyone with home remodeling, building and replacing needs. On a personal side, he has a family, children and is very involved in youth sports, especially baseball.

Chris and the Customer First Contractors team were very professional. They first started by putting in effort working with our Insurance team and trying to jump through hoops to try and get our roof covered by insurance. The contractor team replacing the roof was efficient and completed our large rough in less than a day for both removal and install. Cleanup was well done which was important to us having multiple dogs and not wanting unwanted nails in the yard that could injure them. I would strongly recommend Chris and his team for your home needs.

I couldn’t be happier with the siding project! From start to finish, the communication was outstanding—clear updates before the work began, consistent check-ins during the process, and thorough follow-up afterward. The team made everything stress-free and transparent. The craftsmanship was absolutely impeccable; every detail was handled with care and precision. My home looks amazing, and I highly recommend them for anyone looking for top-quality work and excellent customer service!

Working with Chris Thulin and the team at Customer First Contractors was really a terrific experience. Chris responded to my call within an hour and came out the next day to look at the damage done by a hailstorm on September 21, 2025. He handled most of the communication and work with my insurance company and showed up when the adjustor came to do the roof inspections (there were two). He patiently explained the process and went through the estimate and invoice line-by-line to be sure I understood what they would be doing and when. Working with Chris made a stressful experience so much easier. The roofing crew that came to do the work was pretty terrific, too! . . . I will happily recommend Chris and his team to anyone who needs this kind of work done. Thank you, Chris, Ryan, Brian, and the roofing crew for everything!