Distinctive Custom Homes, Inc.

We have bought new homes from 4 builders over the years and most recently we bought a new home from Jamie Childs of Distinctive Custom Homes. Working with him and Distinctive Custom Homes was great. As with any new home there is always a punch list after you move in. Jamie and the firm handled the list perfectly and even found things that we missed. As a result of the great experience and confidence we have in Jamie and the firm we decided to add a small addition with a breezeway. The addition looks as if it was a part of the original construction. We also own a second home and plan a major addition in the near future. We plan on hiring Jamie and Distinctive Custom Home to build the new wing.

Distinctive so masterfully built our home in 2000, that we hired them again in 2007 to design and build an addition. We didn't even consider interviewing other builders. Distinctive- Jamie and Bob both, with whom we worked- operates with a rare combination of integrity, transparency, and customer focus. They were never more than a phone call away, and understood that if it matters to us, than it should matter to them. What impressed us most was (and is) their quality. We have lived in our home now for thirteen years, and have had zero issues. When we did have a concern or question- say with a "wear and tear item" that had nothing to do with the original construction- they still, to this day, six years later, go out of their way to help us, even having one of their own contractors stop by to advise us if need be. Who else does that? Because they live in our community, Jamie and Bob know that they see their customers every day. They care about their reputations here, and their work and follow-up show it.

Bob Salm of Distinctive Custom Homes was recommended to us by our realtor as a respected builder in the North Shore area. After having seen Bob's work, exquisite taste in homes, and detail to quality, we felt confident in having him build our home. Bob is wonderful to work with! He is honest, he genuinely cares about his home owners, and he diligently works to stay on schedule (which he did!). He has been in the business long enough to have earned the best subcontractors, all of whom I knew on a first name basis and all of whom respect Bob. They consistently showed up to work and took pride in their craftsmanship. We've been in our home for 2 years now and we love the finished product! Others do too, we've had numerous strangers knock on our door to ask us who built our home. I worked as a design consultant for a custom home builder in Texas and have personally built 5 homes, none of which compare to the beauty of our Distinctive Custom Home. Bob still keeps in touch with us and I know we can depend on him. If you are thinking about building a home or doing a remodel, we encourage you to use Distinctive Custom Homes. You won't regret it! Tom and Lydia Tedford

We built our home in Lake Forest with Distinctive Custom Homes after listening to other families talk about how great their homes were built by DCH. We have the most beautiful, well built house we've ever lived in. We had two other houses built in this town with two other builders, therefore we know what to compare it to. It truly is a home! I recommend them to anyone who wants a great, honest builder! They are THE best!

We hired Distinctive Custom Homes to build our custom home on the north shore. We chose DCH after seeing other high-end homes they'd built, meeting past happy customers and learning they've built over 100 homes in the area. There are at least two things you really want in a builder we learned: experience and patience. As this was our first time building a house, the learning curve was steep for us…Bob and Jamie both did a terrific job answering our questions and pointing out potential issues ahead of time. In cases where unexpected issues came up, which will happen on a project of this size, they were very good about helping us figure out solutions. They also had very good subcontractors throughout the process. We would easily recommend DCH to anyone looking for a high quality builder on Chicago's north shore or northern suburbs.

We hired Distinctive Custom Homes to build our home just over five years ago and we continue to enjoy the wonderful workmanship. This was a "dream come true" home in many ways and Bob Salm and Jamie Childs helped to make that happen! Building a home can be an overwhelming experience to say the least…an enormous number of decisions, selections, budgets, deadlines, etc. Working with Bob and Jamie was truly a wonderful experience! They were very helpful with directing us to the appropriate sources, keeping us on track with our budget and time frame as well remaining very patient with us. Interestingly enough, my husband presented Bob and Jamie with a rather unusual, creative request. We are a family of musicians and my husband wanted to put a stage in the lower level of the house. While this may not seem like a challenging request, this was to be no ordinary stage. Rather, this stage was to resemble "The Cavern" in Liverpool, where the Beatles got their start. (My husband is a Beatles fanatic!?!) Bob and Jamie were completely on board with this and eager to work with us! The end product…An amazing stage set-up that resembles "The Cavern" with a bar/pub feel! Bob and Jamie helped turn my husband's "dream into a reality", as was noted in The Lake Forest/Lake Bluff magazine - June 2009 article, "The Ultimate Reward", written about our lower level "Cavern", featuring Bob and Jamie. We feel extremely fortunate to have been able to work with Distinctive Custom Homes. These builders provide quality workmanship, talent, creativity and are men of integrity.

I own Artisan Millwork in ST charles. I have worked with distinctive custom homes for many years now. I supply interior and exterior doors and trim for Jamie and Bob. They have always been great to work with, it's not often you get to work with people you like. I can always count on a professional and happy environment when meeting with them. They hire professionals and demand the highest quality from all their sub contractors. You can always count on a job well done, and I look forward to every project with them. Pete Hanson Artisan Millwork

My husband and I used Distinctive Custom homes when we decided to build 4 years ago. While building is a stressful process by nature, we feel that it would have been much more so with any other builder. We found Bob and Jamie to be competent, thorough and quite patient through out the process. We especially appreciate the attention to detail they provided. Often making suggestions about features that I would have overlooked which really make our home special. I would highly recommend Distinctive as I truly feel that they care about their work and reputation in the community.

After living in our home for several years, we needed to fix, up date, and add on some new projects. We called Distinctive Custom Homes, within 24 hours Bob & Jamie came out to our property. They listened first to our concerns and then started giving suggestions and offered their advice. We found them to be focused and professional. Their quote offered many different alternatives and price points (much appreciated!) to each individual job. Never once did we feel we were forced into anything about the quote. The workers that DCH sent over were highly reliable, precise in their project, and very clean- YES! We reached out to Distinctive Custom Homes and they delivered excellent results!

Bob Salm and Jamie Childs together make Distinctive Custom Homes. They each bring their expertise to your project. Bob and Jamie built my Distinctive Custom Home and I would highly recommend them. We had a very complicated roof design, but together they made it happen. Bob advised me as we worked on creating the inside of the house, while my husband worked more closely with Jamie in building the structure. My only regret is not taking Bob's advise when it came to choosing the hardware for the bathrooms. When the house was up and we had moved in, we invited them and their families over for dinner. How many people can say that about their builders? I thank them for building us a beautiful and functional home.

Distinctive Custom Homes provided creative design suggestions, premium quality and great customer service for our kitchen and bath remodel. Bob and Jaime were incredibly responsive to our questions and concerns. When things changed they were very creative in their problem-solving and we ended with a much better design than what we expected. They have very good ideas to maximize the quality and end results for the price you pay. Alway honest, they did their best to maintain cost and schedule even when the unexpected occurs. I would recommend Distinctive Custom Homes to anyone considering a remodel or building project.

We have worked together with Distinctive Custom Homes for many years. The results of our collaborative projects are always stunning. We look forward to continuing on with future projects. Alberts Associates Inc. / Architects