Building a custom home is a huge commitment and deciding who to hire as the contractor is the most important decision in that process. Because of the time, money and energy involved when building a new home from scratch, I wanted to write an in-depth review of my experience to help future families make an informed decision and give O’Malley builders the credit they deserve.
My wife and I hired an architect and designed the exact home we wanted from the ground up. I spoke with a half dozen different custom home builders in the southwest suburbs of Chicago and looked at all of their model homes. O’Malley’s models stood out because of their superior craftsmanship, high quality standard features, and attention to detail. Shawn, the owner, also stood out as an honest and upfront guy, and his communication was always timely. He also seemed like a very flexible builder who would create whatever we wanted.
The quote Shawn gave me at the beginning of the process matched very closely with our final contract price. I was nervous about builders trying to bait us with a low price at the beginning of the discovery process and switch it to a much higher price right before going under contract. That was not the case with Shawn – his numbers were very accurate. The turnaround time for his quote and all of our updates were also pretty quick.
Our permits were submitted and issued within a month, and we broke ground December 3rd, 2020. We just closed on our house on August 11th, 2021. While it took longer than the 6-7 months we expected, there were weather delays with the first part of our construction taking place throughout winter and supply issues due to COVID shutdowns. In the end, the finished product turned out BEAUTIFUL.
We are extremely happy with how our home turned out. All of Shawn’s contractors were professional and provided high quality services. There were a few mistakes made throughout construction (which is to be expected), but the most important thing is they all got resolved without any issues. I was very involved in the building process, so oftentimes I would catch little details that were missed before anyone else. While this created a lot of stress for myself and my wife at certain points, Shawn and Dennis (the project manager) were always very responsive to our concerns and fixed any issues without hesitation.
We are very happy with all of our finishes from the 3rd party vendors O’Malley uses including our cabinets from Riverton working with Joe, our wood floors and carpet from M&M flooring working with Michelle, our light fixtures from Hortons working with John, our custom closets from Closet Clarity working with Ray, our granite from Insignia Stone working with Trish, our appliances from Grand Appliance in Orland Park working with Matt, our paint/stain working with Steve, and our windows/doors/tile working with Joe and Lori from Schillings.
In the end, we got exactly what we wanted – a truly custom home with beautiful finishes and quality craftsmanship. While the process took longer than we wanted and was more stressful than we anticipated, I am very glad we chose O’Malley builders as our contractor. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to build a custom home. Shawn is a great builder, Dennis is an experienced project manager, and Mary Ellen (the office manager) helped us a lot throughout the process and was extremely attentive to our needs. Anytime we had a question or concern, she would guide us throughout the process and make sure the project went as smoothly as possible.
The entire staff is friendly, professional and experienced. Most of all they want you to be happy with every detail and will see to it that you get exactly what you want. I would recommend them to any of my family or friends and would use them again if I had to do everything all over again. Thank you Shawn, Dennis, Mary Ellen, and Nancy for building our dream home and giving my family a place to create new memories for a lifetime.
Joe J
We bought a Shawn O’Malley home next door in September 2020. The construction detail in our home was/is superb, which is why we purchased it. Our basement was unfinished, so we decided to hire Shawn and his contractors to complete it. So far the basement is about 50% complete and we couldn’t be happier with the work thus far. Shawn’s contractors are very respectful, hardworking, and they show up exactly when they say they’re going to. The quality of work is top notch… just as it is with the upstairs of our home. I would not recommend any other contractor. Feel free to call my cell phone if you have any further questions.
Anna V
We looked extensively in the south and western suburbs for a duplex ranch townhouse with an open floor plan for several months. We finally chose O’Malley Builders Lighthouse Point Estates in Frankfort for several reasons. We liked the “A ” Model layout, quality of materials used, energy efficient features/design, ability to work directly with vendors on options, Shawn O’Malley (OMB-President) being receptive to changes, the Frankfort Community, and the lowest total cost of ownership for the townhouse.
Suellen and Don
Dear Shawn,
As you know, buying a new home is a daunting task. There’s always concerns and trepidations on whether or not you picked the right builder to build your dream house regardless if it’s a starter home, a second home or downsizing.
After touring 8 different models and meeting the respective home builders, my wife and I felt that O’Malley Buildersoffered the best quality and valuecompared to others.
With O’Malley Builders we received a lot of value forour investment.Thequality construction materials you used to build our home was most important to us. The materials included: 2”x6” exterior wall construction, Anderson #400 series windows, AdvantechFlooring System, the Zip System sheathing and tape exterior wall,brick exterior, high ceilings, base &crown molding, hallways with wainscoting, cellulose insulation and the concrete block common wall between units.
OMB was easy to work with and accommodatedour needs regarding extras or changes that weren’t shown in the model unit. The costs for upgradesordesign changeswere fair and reasonable. Additionally, prior to the start of construction,you allowed us to meet with your architect to discuss the changes we requested.
Like any construction project there will be problems that arise…this is common and expected. The difference is how you handledthese issues. We did have a few problemsbut youlistened and addressed each one of our concernswhich gave us even more confidence in the quality of OMB’s work.
Yourinside support team of Mary Ellen Winemiller and Nancy Dockweiler were excellent to work with. They kept all lines of communication open with us and made sure we met the critical deadlines needed to keep our unit on schedule. Dennis Paszko,your field superintendent, was very knowledgeable, easy to talk to and was always willing to explain the minute details of the construction process that we didn’t understand.
What makes OMB an exceptional builder are your subcontractorsand suppliers.Most of your subshave been with you for many years and consistently made sure our home met the OMB quality construction standards. Additionally, all of your recommended suppliers were very knowledgeable about their specific products and this made our selection process easy and effortless.
When we conducted our final walk through prior to closing, our punch list did not include any major issues. All the minor issues were addressed within one week after closing and we have been totally satisfied with everyone in the office and their follow-up.
The value proposition for OMB equates to a quality-built home with attention to detail and a fair and reasonable price.Our experience with you was very positive and youexceeded our expectations.We are very happy with our decision to haveselect O’Malley Builders to build our home.
Lighthouse Pointe Duplex Homeowners,
Jim & Lee D
We selected O’Malley Builders to build our dream home. From assisting with the architecture design, obtaining permits, helpful advice throughout the construction and closing at a convenient time to coincide with sale of our previous home, they were nothing but accommodating.
Our home turned out beautiful and exceeded our expectations. We strongly recommend O’Malley builders to anyone wanting to build their dream home.
Jeff and Kathy H
Building a home is not for the faint of heart…Shawn O’Malley, his office staff, project foreman and contractors/vendors made my process of building a custom home achievable. Shawn was easy to work with and open to changes that I wanted to make. The office staff was available to answer questions and troubleshoot any problems. The contractors/vendors that Shawn has assembled are local which saved me time in travel. Each one used high quality materials and excellent craftsmanship. Shawn and his team build a quality, custom home with many high-end details. I am so happy in my new home and highly recommend O’Malley Builders!!
Mary M
Considering the purchase and/or building of a new home is one of the most significant events in a lifetime, we felt fortunate to have worked with Shawn O’Malley and O’Malley Builders. The entire process – from viewing his unique model homes to discussing home details/options to contract signing to the actual building process to monitoring construction and ultimately closing the deal – was transparent and professional. Our attempts to contact Shawn O’Malley were met with immediate responses and a total willingness to actually “listen” to our concerns and address them accordingly. In fact, on several occasions we were voluntarily contacted by Shawn and his staff to be sure that what he thought he was delivering to us was in fact what we wanted. At the end of it all, we feel that we paid for and received a quality home from a quality builder. We would not hesitate in recommending O’Malley Builders to anyone interested in building a new home.
Steve and Adrienne
YOU BUILD A GREAT HOUSE SHAWN!
I’ve been living in it for the past 15 years and I am so glad we bought this house. Literally no problems and very few
small settlement cracks that have been easily repaired.
I have wanted to tell you that for years now when I would on occasion see you but didn’t get the chance so I thought about
sitting down and emailing you this morning. I am passing the torch today, to my daughter. She is buying this house and I am so
happy to pass this great house on to her.
Here is how small the world is Shawn. Over the holiday weekend, I spent some time with my girlfriend’s family in New Lenox.
My girlfriend’s nephew and I were talking about houses and builders and he asked me about my current house on Kroll Ct.
and I couldn’t boast enough about it. He asked me who built it as when I said Shawn O’Malley his face lit up!!! You built his house too.
He and his family love their house as well and I hear you rescued Joe one day when he had a major water pipe leak issue.
Those kinds of stories, Shawn, speak volumes of what kind of person you are, what kind of builder you are. That you as a person
and you as a builder go above and beyond and you don’t find much of that today. I certainly hope you will build my next home.
Take care and thank you for doing the right thing as a person and a craftsman!!!
Bill
We can’t say enough on how pleased we are with the O’Malley team. We built our new home in Foxborough of Mokena.
Being the owner of a home warranty company, I work with contractors everyday and all of the contractors with O’Malley are
of the highest quality. Their work is excellent and we were able to make changes on the go. Our home was completed in five short
months and the craftsmanship is excellent.
The general manager, Paul, is a great guy and super to work with. At the one year mark Paul was out to inspect everything and
fixed any minor thing that could be found. If you want a top quality house at a great price look no further than O’Malley Builders.
We give them the highest recommendation possible. Thank you Shawn and Paul.
Doug & Gina
We want to express our sincere appreciation to you in building our new home. You delivered us a custom dream home
with the highest quality of material and workmanship! You followed through on a list of over 100 different items we wanted
in this home. Our hats off to each of your work crew for their craftsmanship.
We gratefully thank you for getting our home completed by our bank’s closing date. It was through your constant communication
with us and your superb organizational abilities that helped us close on time.
We are just amazed on all the facets it took to get our home to completion. Along the way, we thank you for the many
suggestions and resources you supplied us with as we chose our upgrades. We must have stopped in your office or called you
endlessly about our concerns. Thank you for always finding the time to meet with us and follow through.
The best accolades we can use to describe the experience with Shawn O’Malley Builders are: ethical, trustworthy, loyal,
honest, dedicated, highly professional, great communicators, follows though to the last detail, quality plus competent workmanship,
superior establishment!
Charles & John
Shawn O’Malley has been a pleasure to work with. His professionalism and workmanship made our home
purchase stress free. The quality Shawn offers is top notch!
Carolyn & Gary
Shawn gives a homeowner exceptional value and a great home. Shawn will work day and night to
make their dream house a reality.