Testimonials
If you’re a current client of ours, and would like to give us your input, please feel free to send us your impressions at info@RuarkBuilders.com.
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Rain or Shine
This is a letter of thanks for the exceptional work you and your teams performed to construct our dream house/future retirement home on Hooper’s Island. We selected you as our contractor after an initial consultation where you convinced us that you could craft our vision of a bay house. But what also helped us select you was your undisputed and unparalleled reputation amongst the locals on the island. We have found you to be truly servant (customer) based in your approach and operation.
During the months of construction, we have only experienced the highest level of ethics, values, integrity, and trust from you and your teammates. Your folks respect, care for, and listen to your customers. You have assembled a fine team of craftsmen who are truly results-oriented. And despite one of the worst weather seasons in recent memory (rain and snow included), your team was able to complete the construction in a very reasonable timeframe. Thank you again for your effort and high-quality results. We consider your service a blessing, and if you ever need a customer referral, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Bob and Wendy Mawyer Hooper's Island
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Hardworking and Professional
This is a note to say thank you for the great job your organization did with the building of the guesthouse on my farm. Your group was courteous, hard working and did a professional job throughout each facet of the building process. I honestly had my doubts regarding the schedule that you had laid out. I want to congratulate you and your team for meeting every deadline that you said you would. At times when there were problems, they were never questioned and fixed to my satisfaction promptly.
As a businessman, the only feedbacks we often receive are negative and very seldom are we in the receipt of accolades. This letter was very easy for me to write; as Carol and I are 100% satisfied with the house and the workmanship. I would appreciate you passing along these comments to your carpenters and tradesmen.
Jim and Carol Bugg, Sr.
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Lasting Impressions
We wanted to write and let you know how much we love our new home. We are so happy here in beautiful Dorchester County. Everyone that has seen this home, from early on in the construction phase through completion, has commented on the craftsmanship, quality and appearance. Our architect, Jim McDonald has done nothing but praise the quality of your work. He has said that it has turned out beautifully and that your efforts and results have far surpassed acceptable standards. We are thrilled.
As any couple who is about to have a home built, we had heard the horror stories of building a home. We worried about our budget which was at its limits. We feared cost over runs. We were afraid of the unknown possibility of construction complications. Our friends from different parts of the US told us to expect construction costs to end up being a good 10 - 15% more than the original contract cost. We can happily say that ours didn’t. No one can believe that we finished within 0.89% of our original contract cost. Our friends say we must be really lucky, we’ll tell them no, we just had a great builder.
We would like to pass along our thanks to all of your employees that contributed to our home. Lee, Paul, John, Scott H., Odie, Mark, Steve, Scott R., Gary, and everyone without exception that we saw out on the site were helpful, polite and true professionals. Your subcontractors were great, too. The mason who took five minutes out of his day to show my three-year-old how to lay a concrete block has left a lasting impression. Glenn, if you have any potential customers that would like to see your work, please bring them by. We will be happy to show them our home and let them know that you are a very fair and reasonable man, that you complete your projects on time and on budget. lt has been a pleasure working with you and we will call again in the future for any additional projects that we may take on. Thanks again.
Charles & Claire Walker Dorchester County
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Exceeding Expectations
Please pardon the delay in sending this note to you. It is way overdue. I wanted to take a minute to thank you for the exceptional work performed in the course of constructing our new lodge on St. Giles Field. You and your teams exceeded expectations at every step of the way.
There were many things that you did that made this project a pleasure. During the bid process, your proposal was transparent and easy to understand. Your pricing was competitive with the marketplace. Your employees were accomplished and congenial. Your exceptional levels of customer service were apparent throughout the build and after completion. You were both pleasures to work with and attentive to the smallest details. Most amazing was the speed and efficiency that you brought to the build. We presented you with an almost impossible challenge in terms of timing. Your confidence in being able to deliver on the very compressed timelines was born out by the remarkable coordination that you brought as project managers.
Simply put, very few thought that you would be able to build that house as quickly as you did. You proved them wrong. That you achieved this while delivering such a high quality product is remarkable. It was a pleasure to work with you. I very much look forward to our next projects together.
Nick & Louise Cortezi, Jr. St. Giles Field
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A Long Time Coming
As you know, we have meant to write you this note for months. The one advantage of being late is that we have now had almost a year and a half to enjoy the wonderful house you built for us. You and all your people were a pleasure to work with. Though we were for the most part absentee clients, it all turned out as we had hoped and in some cases much better. We very much appreciated your attention to detail, budget, and schedule and would be happy to serve as a reference at any time you think this might be helpful.
Jody and Nan Powell
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Quality of Workmanship
It has been a while now since the completion of the Karen N. Environmental Education Center at Bishops Head, MD. The complete renovation of the Old Duck Hunting Lodge and the Manager's House was a tremendous undertaking. To make the project even more interesting was the state of the art environmental package such as: solar hot water, composting toilets, de- nitrifying gray water treatment system, super insulation package, recycled products throughout, etc. To make the project even more challenging the weather conditions at "the point" can be horrible. One day it's mosquitoes the next it's 80 MPH winds and 2 feet of salt water over the road.
Since the Center's Grand Opening on April 20, 1996 we have enjoyed incredible praise from the approximately 3,000 people who have participated in our field trips. They are impressed with the quality of the workmanship shown throughout the building and grounds. They are impressed with the innovative systems that put this Center on the cutting edge of technology. They are impressed that it can withstand the forces of nature that only "the point" can give.
As the Director of Fleet and Facilities for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation I have been involved with many projects in the past 12 years. This project finished on time and on budget. It has been a complete joy working with you and your dedicated staff. Thank you and I look forward to working with you in the future.
Charles Foster Director of Fleet and Facilities - Chesapeake Bay Foundation
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The Big Move
I am writing this letter to express my many thanks for making my life much easier when I decided to move from Long Island, NY (my lifelong home) to Cambridge, Maryland last year. This was a major decision on my part and you became an integral part of that decision.
From the beginning, when I described the type of home I would like and the things I was most interested in, you seemed to understand. Plans were drawn up promptly, suggestions were offered when asked for and changes made with no difficulty. Either you or someone with authority was always available to answer my “long distance” questions. From the permits to the ordering of materials everything was done with the utmost efficiency and on a timely basis. When it was necessary for me to make decisions on things such as siding, windows, roofing, etc., there were always plenty of samples for me to choose from and expert advice from you or your employees. When it came to appliances, cabinets, flooring, etc., you made suggestions as to where I should look but there was no pressure whatsoever and I was told that those decisions should be mine. I followed your suggestions and was completely happy. As the home progressed and l made one of my infrequent visits to see it I found a few things I did not like or wished to change (nothing major). You were always anxious to please and there was never a problem.
I made my move last fall and felt I had walked into my dream home. I am extremely happy here and I know you were a big part of making this possible. I cannot thank you enough and would like to recommend you highly to future home builders to share my feelings with future customers, should you wish to. Thank you again.
Betty Johnston Cambridge, MD
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Caring for the Community
I am sorry we took so long to write and thank you for building our new home. We’ve just been enjoying our new house on the bay that it’s hard to pick up a pen. We want you to know how much we appreciate you and your subcontractors. Our house plan was not a typical box type house and we are glad you were the one to handle its unique complexities. Our beautiful water views are perfect through the wall-to-wall windows and wrap around screen porch. The watermen tell us that our bright red metal roof is a landmark to guide them from far away. Everyone we’ve invited to share our new home have ooh’d and ahh’d over our 10-foot ceilings and open floor design. Your staff was great at helping us with the selections such as the fixtures, the siding, and the flooring. The electrician was very helpful at guiding us through the choices of switches and fans and outlets.
To your credit, we are completely satisfied with all of the work done by you and by your subs. We also appreciate your dedication to our new community. After Hurricane Isabel, Hoopers Island neighbors had major heartaches from storm damage. We saw how you and your company kicked in and helped others when they were in need. We want you to know that we recommend your company to anyone who is considering building a new home. We appreciate your high standards in contracting and your clear ethical values. If any of your customers would like to ask us about our building experience, please have them call!
Sandy & Doug Swinburne
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Courtesy, Dedication and Competency
I am writing to thank you, Aaron and Richard as well as all others from your office, supply and field staff for the courtesy, dedication and competency shown throughout the planning, construction and completion of our home on Taylor's Island. We are grateful for and pleased with your many services.
After our final site meeting with you on July 14 we vacationed in Northern New York State and then visited the Taylor's Island site on August 19. We were pleased to find the grounds and house in excellent condition, and we are appreciative of the work that was done in those finishing stages. We are aware that you, as a builder, insist on quality work and materials, and that commitment of yours is evident in the final product. Please use our name whenever a reference for your company is needed.
Albert Gardner Taylor's Island