Call 970-641-6620
Gunnison, Colorado
Letters of Recommendation
Dream Homes Construction Management
To anyone seeking a wonderful building experience:
Without hesitation, I highly recommend the building services of Shipman Builders.
My project management services were hired by a client building a beautiful timber frame home and garage in the Gunnison/Crested Butte mountain region. After pulling permits for my clients and interviewing over 14 area builders, I thoroughly checked all types of references. Then after narrowing it down to the top 5, I requested and received detailed pricing proposals from 4. The recommendations for Bruce and Beth Shipman were excellent in my four top categories of potential concern:
1) Reasonable cost that do not waiver in the process of building.
2) Quality materials and craftsmanship and extreme attention to details with every aspect of
construction including site work (well, septic, pipeline for alternative water supply, driveway,
electric, plumbing, slab, craw space, fencing), decking, helping to oversee framing, weather
tight shell, all interior finish work, helping my clients pick out lighting, hardware, doors, patio
decking, stonework for skirting, and appliances along with their subcontractors, vendors and
material suppliers.
3) Following and meeting the scheduled building timelines for each phase of the build.
4) Last but not least, Safety! Bruce was always thinking several steps ahead to make sure all his
construction work and his subcontractor/material suppliers were planned out for the purpose of
ensuring all critical safety measures.
In the end and throughout the process, I was very pleased to see that the costs (Beth), quality (Bruce and Beth), and timing (Bruce), were all closely monitored and maintained. Safety and my clients property security were never an issue.
There was only one misunderstanding in the paperwork, but that was handled to my clients liking, in a very prompt and professional manner. This is highly exceptional, and as a project manager, I typically find at least 4 or more issues with this on average through an entire home build, even with all the pre-screening that I put builders through. This is a huge credit to Beth Shipman's very copious notes and management of the books/budgets to actuals! She keeps a very organized spreadsheet of the entire project with all timelines/subs/vendors/suppliers and their estimates and actuals! I reviewed these with a find tooth comb each and every month for my client. To anyone seeking a wonderful building experience:
Personally, Beth and Bruce still go out to dinner and skiing with my clients when they are in town.
If my wife and I lived closer, we would be joining them as well for such fun times and celebrations! They have such fun and colorful personalities and are wonderful people whom I have been blessed to know and work with. I trust and recommend Bruce and Beth Shipman explicitly.
Ben Giles
Dream Homes Construction Management
Shipman Builders
We got to Pitkin today and just love our place!!! You guys did awesome and can't wait for you to see it all done! Beth C
"It has been a wonderful experience working with you and Bruce. We are both so glad we found you and chose you to build our house". Tim
"YES! And want to echo Tim's comments! So thrilled you built our house! Thank you for all you work and dedication to getting it right and making it beautiful" ! Ingrid
Builder's testimonial: "Thank you both for a peaceful work experience. The building process went smooth because of your dedication to be team players throughout the project. Also, I was impressed with you taking the time out of your busy work schedule to do your research before making decisions. Having your architect on board when adjustments were needed was crucial. It's people like you that make what we do worthwhile and would work for you again and again and again". Beth Shipman
"I really can't say enough how well you always communicate" Garry P.
"I was an architecture major and I always told my wife that I wanted to live in a Victorian because of the craftsmanship and the style that you just can't find anymore but no way because of the age of most of them. Now we will get the best of both worlds, thank you and Bruce for helping make our dream home come true." Lucus A
"I would like you to bid on this please. You have done amazing at Stallion Park". Mike B
"Wanted to say thank you again for making my life a little easier! You guys are big time pros and it’s greatly appreciated!" Bill L
Shipman Builders
"Thanks to you and Bruce for all you do for me-way above and beyond anything expected"- Love Patsy L
"Final project was outstanding with little need for punch list. Adhered to specifications and drawings. Coordination with subcontractors was very good. Various trades worked together and were scheduled correctly. Very cautious of safety and work men. Excellent abilities". Gordon G.
"We have been privileged to work with both Bruce and Beth Shipman. Each of them brought different strengths to the job-Bruce with his unending energy, quality work, and solid job management skills and Beth with her attention to detail, thoroughness, and administrative competence. Bruce and Beth Shipman handled the daily management, the overall project coordination and administration, and issue resolution with timeliness, professional communication and grace. Every employee and subcontractor maintained the high standards set by the Shipman's". Hinsdale County
"Shipman Builders kept to the timeline given and was tenacious about getting others in to complete the job. Living our of state during the project, we were not on site, however, Shipman Builders was easy to communicate with and completed the job on time and much to our satisfaction". Charlene and Jim D.
"Thank you for building me a beautiful home. We will have a celebration when I get moved in" Meredith M
"Shipman Builders provides very solid skills and craftsmanship with cost containment being one of their strong management strengths" Steve P
"The cabinets really look good. You guys are doing a great job on our new home and we really appreciate it.......thanks". Barry V
" I love the house more each day.......many thanks". Meredith
"We love the way the house turned out. It couldn't be more perfect. Thanks so much". Barry and Shelly
"Thanks Beth for all your First Class Service. It’s been so organized and helpful. It’s been great to have you involved. Hope I have a client to refer to you in the future." Jeri S
"I saw the house today. You and Bruce have very good taste. It looks just beautiful. The dark stained wood around the windows and doors is fantastic. And your choice of tile is perfect. Kitchen cabinets are excellent too". Scott N
"I showed the home to two more people yesterday. I'm getting the same response every time. People looking in Gunnison have rarely, if ever, seen a smaller home with such nice features and finishes". Scott N
"You are good people and the next client is lucky to have you. May the Lord bless you generously!" Peggy B
"I just wanted to say what a beautiful ad that was you placed in the July 4 edition. really awesome looking home" CD
"I knew that when I moved in that the overall quality of construction and craftsmanship was exceptionally high and that opinion has not changed. The Shipman's build very high quality homes where everything just works and functions perfectly. They do exactly what they say they will do....on time. I'm extremely happy with my new home." Scott N
"I am sorry you missed the party. I wanted to brag up you and Bruce-to those who wanted to know who the builder was-I did that anyway. Everyone thought the house was wonderful-as I do". Meredith M
" I cannot say how much we have enjoyed working with you and Bruce. We feel very lucky we found you". Tim C
"We continue to feel so fortunate and grateful for you both!" Ingrid B
"We cannot say how fabulous the house is – everything about it is so beyond what we could have imagined when we bought the lot back in 2013. Overall, it’s just plain great and the attentiion to detail really shows throughout the house. THANKS to both of you!" Tim C and Ingrid B
"Thanks so much for everything! The cabin is looking great! We definitely hired the right folks to do it for us! I very much enjoy working with Bruce and Tom! They are tops in my books"! Ron C
Thanks!! Just want to shout out to you both how beautiful our cabin is!! Love it!! Thanks so much. Beth C
Reference for Shipman Builders of Gunnison, Colorado
We selected Shipman Builders to build our new home in Jan, 2016. We made the selection after meeting with several builders in the Gunnison area. We not only found the approach from Bruce and Beth to be compelling (Bruce focuses on construction and Beth focuses on finances), but also appreciated their communication style (honest, direct and professional). From project start to finish, we could not have been happier.
Working with the Shipman’s always felt like a team effort. They were helpful, professional, fair and wanted to make sure they worked through any challenges we came across. It took about 9 months to build our house and while we came across some challenges, Bruce and Beth were there to help work through the right solution. On a number of occasions, Bruce would question a decision we made when he sensed some uneasiness in our response. His main concern was that we got what we wanted and not what we thought he wanted to hear. In addition, we live in Denver and were only able to visit a few times during construction. When we did visit, we also received unsolicited comments from residents about how well kept the construction site was and that the crew Bruce used was on task. This illustrates the level of professionalism and pride Bruce has with regard to his work.
Throughout our project we were truly thankful for our decision to use Bruce and Beth (and still are to this day). Building can be a nightmare, even when you are local. Being 5 hours away could make that worse, so we feel very fortunate that we found the Shipman’s. In the end, building our new home with the Shipman’s was actually fun and we whole-heartedly recommend them for any project you may consider.
Thanks,
Ingrid B
Tim C
We have had Shipman Builders LLC work on 2 separate projects for us.
The first project was completing an addition that we had started with another contractor. We chose to hire Shipman Builders to finish our addition because of their reputation. We were very happy working with both Beth and Bruce. Beth handled the billing and questions for office and Bruce and his crew did the work. Shipman Builders was so professional, timely, and did such great work on our addition that we hired them for a large project this past year.
The project was a large workshop. Not only did Beth and Bruce work with us, they took our ideas and made this shop so much more than we imagined. I cannot see working with any other construction company. An example of this is as follows: We planned where we wanted the shop. Shipman Builders pointed out to us that we would have a very tight parking situation and we would not be happy when the building was complete. Bruce took the time to measure out and walk us through what he thought was a better spot. We chose to follow his suggestion and are so much happier with the location. We would never had thought of the parking situation till after the fact and had to deal with it.
Both Beth and Bruce worked with us on what we needed for fixtures. Their experience is invaluable and they don’t hesitate to point out better options. We were very pleased with all the subcontractors they used. A very professional group of guys.
Beth and Bruce, thank you so much for all your hard work and outstanding results. Brenda Day
Letter of Reference/Recommendation for Shipman Builders
I've now been living in my new home for about seven weeks. I've found no problems or things that require fixing. I knew when I moved in that the overall quality of construction and craftsmanship was exceptionally high and that opinion has not changed. I signed the contract to purchase this home fairly late in the construction process. As a result of that, I did not make any changes to the choices already made by Beth and Bruce Shipman. I have pretty definite ideas about finishes, surfaces, cabinets, etc, and assumed that there were going to be things I was disappointed with. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am simply astounded at how many premium options were used by the Shipman's in the construction of this home. In most cases, they are things that a buyer might not have noticed.
They include: • Solid wood cabinets with dove-tail joints. Less expensive, veneered cabinets could have been used without any questions from a buyer. • A multi-tone, multi-shape hardwood floor. More labor intensive to install. Looks wonderful. • Brushed nickel bathroom and kitchen fixtures. They are exactly what I would have selected. • Three ceiling fans...in Gunnison, no less. It's overkill but really nice to have on maybe a few days a year. The exceptional insulation of this home and the ventilation system (see next item) makes temperature control easy without the need for ceiling fans on a regular basis. • A whole-house fresh air ventilation system with heat-exchanger (for use during the winter months). Almost no buyer would have missed this or even asked for it; however, it's the most useful new feature in a home that I've probably ever experienced. • Carpeting that I would have chosen. Same for the beautiful granite. Overall, the color of finishes, walls, floors, etc, speaks to a very high level of design awareness. Everything was chosen to look very, very good together. And it does. • Upgraded exhaust fans in the bathrooms. They move a lot of air but are the most quiet fans that I've ever heard. Again, no one would have questioned using less expensive fans. • Upgraded, self-cleaning, high vortex toilets with self-lowering seats. • Beautiful stonework on the front exterior of the home.
I could go on, but you get the idea. The Shipman's build very high quality homes where everything just works and functions perfectly. They do exactly what they say they will do...on time. I'm extremely happy with my new home. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Scott Newman