Southern Belle

In mid-October, my house was only one-level with a very large, unfinished attic (like, literally plywood and insulation.) As of the first week of January, I have a beautiful and solid second-floor, complete with wood flooring and stairs, guest bathroom, guest bedroom, bonus room, sound system, built-ins, and lots of extra storage space. And, it's integrated into a consistent look with the rest of the house, like it's always been there. Southern Belle is on the ball, with tons of ideas, quality workmanship, and constant communication. I highly recommend them.

Beautiful Deck, Challenging Process The finished deck is absolutely beautiful, and we genuinely love it. The craftsmanship is excellent, and if I were rating purely on the end result, this would easily be 5 stars. The crew (shout out to Doug and his subcontractors) were professional and responsive once construction actually began, and the quality of work speaks for itself. However, the process of getting there was considerably more difficult than expected, and potential customers should be aware of several issues we encountered. Permitting Problems: The project began with materials ordered and the crew arriving ready to start construction—before the required permit was secured. This oversight caused months of delay while going through the city approval process. The permitting phase involved multiple rejections from the City of Fairview, with ongoing difficulties meeting code requirements. The contractor attributed delays to the city's unprecedented standards, while the city simply wanted code-compliant drawings. I honestly can't say who was primarily at fault, but the timeline extended significantly before a drawing was approved. Billing Disputes: We experienced disagreements over charges that required formal resolution (no lawyers, just back and forth). Items we'd discussed verbally during initial planning later appeared as change orders, even though they were part of our original conversations. I take responsibility for not documenting everything in writing, but it was disappointing these prior discussions weren't acknowledged. Additionally, certain fees the contract explicitly stated were "included" were initially billed separately and required dispute to remove. Would I Use Them Again? Yes—knowing what I know now. The quality justifies it, but I'd ensure absolutely everything is documented in writing from day one. Advice: - Confirm permits are active before work begins or materials are ordered - Document all agreed-to discussions in the contract in detail - Clarify what "included" specifically covers - Keep ALL communication records *The amazing Steel railings for the top deck were made and installed separately by Josh Hill @ Integrity Iron LLC