What clients say about building and remodeling with Construction Advocates.

"I am pleased to offer my strongest recommendation for Steve Northway. Steve has been an invaluable resource throughout the two-year process of fully renovating our vacation villa in the islands, saving us significant time and money while ensuring the results met and exceeded our expectations for quality and craftsmanship. He also brings deep expertise in construction contracts. He reviewed, revised, and advised us on multiple agreements, catching important items and adding protections that, in some cases, were missed by our attorney. Steve always acted in our best interest — we truly felt he had our back. The outcome was a high-quality, modern villa that we are extremely proud of. Steve was worth every penny we paid him, and then some. We have since referred him to numerous friends and family members who are building or renovating homes."

- Katy D. 

“We are writing to express our gratitude for walking us through the entire process of building our new lake home! We were new to the building process and wanted to have a consultant on our side working for us and with us. We knew after our first meeting that we needed you on our side! You helped us narrow down our budget and you researched our builder, which gave us great confidence moving forward. You met with our builder several times to go over the plans and you made suggestions on insulation and reviewed all critical points of the construction process.  You verified what products the builder was using, and you did multiple site visits to double check the builder’s progress and work. Your forty-plus years of experience in the industry brought a deep well of knowledge to our project.  Your attention to detail was appreciated at every step of the process, and our builder found you easy to work with. We are confident that your extensive experience will be a valuable asset to anyone looking to build a new home or remodel their existing home.”

- Mollie & Jason B.

“We have built and remodeled a number of homes over the years and have been fortunate to work with competent contractors. With our most recent new construction project, we realized early on that there were multiple issues with our general contractor. Our son, who was also building a new home, recommended Steve Northway of Construction Advocates®. We met with Steve and were impressed by his professional approach, knowledge, and sense of fairness so we hired him on the spot. Our decision to hire Steve was an excellent one. He has been extremely valuable in guiding us through a very difficult couple of years to help us get our project to a satisfactory completion. Without hesitation, we wholeheartedly endorse Steve Northway!”

- Victoria M. and Jim C.

“I’m the trustee of a trust that recently constructed a home for the beneficiary. In addition to selecting a well-regarded general contractor (GC), I retained Steve Northway to assist in negotiating the construction contract, oversee construction, provide supervision and advice to the GC and periodic reports to me. Steve did a fantastic job! He provided excellent insight and advice on all aspects of the contract. He was diligent in overseeing the construction and maintained very cooperative and helpful lines of communication with the GC and me. Steve streamlined the process, eliminated headaches and saved the trust significant dollars—many times more than his fee. I would highly recommend Steve to anyone considering significant construction.”

- David K.

“For several years we had been thinking of replacing a detached garage with a garage/bunkhouse. When it finally came time to move forward, we were overwhelmed, as the process of designing the project and researching contractors was more than we had bargained for. Having known Steve Northway from a previous project, we reached out for advice. Steve provided exactly what we were looking for. He met with us and took time to figure out what was important to us, and how we envisioned using the finished space. Steve recommended an architect who did a wonderful job of transforming our ideas into a design. Steve also helped us select a contractor. His knowledge of contractors in the Gull Lake area was incredibly helpful when it came time to choose. Throughout the process, it was great to have Steve to guide us. Having a main point of contact made our lives much easier. We are very pleased with the finished result and we would highly recommend Steve Northway for any project you may be considering.”

- Jack and Lynn S.

“We particularly valued Steve’s input during the pre-construction process. We had never built a home before, nor hired an architect. His explanation of the different types of architecture firms was clear and concise and ultimately helped us hire a firm that suited our tastes and desires. We also appreciated Steve’s on-site inspection and quality control services. His attention to detail and quality was paramount to us during the construction process. Steve made what could have been a challenging/difficult process headache-free!”

-JR S.

“This was the first time I’d built a cabin. My builder was great but I had some questions that kept me up at night. When I picked up Steve’s Construction Advocates® brochure in a coffee shop in Nisswa, his approach and philosophy made total sense to me. After several meetings with Steve, I had my questions answered. He helped me understand the construction process and how to communicate my questions and requests. He gave me added confidence and showed me how to avoid construction debt, overpaying and other costly situations. I highly recommend Steve as a construction coach and advocate, no matter what stage your project is in. My only regret is that I didn’t start with Steve in the first place!”

- Monica A.

“Steve Northway was instrumental in the process of working with the design firm, selecting a builder to build our home based on a bidding process and working with the city to secure a building permit. Steve was thorough, diligent and a steady hand during this process. We are very happy to have worked with him and would highly recommend him to others who are interested in building a home, an addition to a home or other construction project.”

-William B.

“Steve’s help was invaluable and we would not have been able to build a house with the same quality without his assistance, experience and skill set. In particular, three of Steve’s strengths made the biggest difference. First, the knowledge to help us make the right decisions when we asked for his advice. Second, a high quality network to get answers to questions he didn’t know from his own experience. Third, his initiative to make recommendations on things that we hadn’t asked about but were vitally important to our project.”

-Bryan B.

““Thank you Steve for all your help throughout the construction process at the Garden Cottages at Grand View Lodge. You made the process very easy for us, allowing us to seamlessly build a new home from several hundred miles away. Once the plans were reviewed and agreed upon, you spent extra time reviewing the plans, the proposed building materials and building site, even walking the plot to ensure everything was set in place. When meeting in person was not possible, you were able to be our “voice in the room,” keeping the project moving forward in a timely fashion. Because of you, we felt very informed and comfortable during the entire building process, from initial planning stage to key turnover.”

- Dan B. and Sharon L.

“Our family was considering a major remodel of our cabin to meet the ever-changing needs of our three kids and 6 grandkids. Steve recommended having detailed family discussions about future needs and goals and as a result, we determined that we should not do a major remodel of the cabin! Instead, the best answer may be to sell the cabin and go in a completely different direction. We probably would never have had these very deep discussions had Steve not insisted that we do so! Thanks to Steve for his insights on how deep communications can drive construction decisions.”

-Steve S.

“It was truly a blessing to have met Steve Northway. His experience, knowledge and problem-solving skills proved to be invaluable with our new home build. Our only regret is not involving Steve sooner in the process. We highly recommend him to anyone who is considering building or remodeling a home. Be sure to include Steve in the design and planning stage before hiring an architect or builder!

- Mike & Kathy M.

“We have a gorgeous lot in Wisconsin, but the home didn’t fit our long-term plan. We engaged Steve Northway to help us find a contractor, architect and designer for our dream home. Steve arranged site inspections and interviews with six contractors so we could select the right one for our project. He also recommended an architect and a designer who were fantastic and easy to work with. Steve was involved with our project from start to finish and his expertise was invaluable. We’re so happy with Steve, we’re working with him again on our next build in Florida. We would highly recommend him for any remodel or new construction project.”

-John and Peggy A.

“We hired Steve on a referral from a friend who had previously built a home with him. This was the first time we’ve built a custom home and weren’t quite sure where to start. When we first met with Steve, he walked us through step-by-step the process that that we were about to embark on. We also walked through the budget process to determine where we could get the most value for our money. Steve helped us interview architects and builders to determine if they would be a good fit for our project. Steve made sure our house was completed on time and on budget. Thanks to him, the process was enjoyable and memorable for our family.”

-Travis and Heather H.

“Purchasing an undeveloped lot with no road access and no planned development is risky business, but Steve helped us ascertain the buildability of the lot and navigate the city approvals process to ensure that we’d be able to access it in the near future. Without Steve’s help, we may have missed out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a beautiful piece of land on which to build our dream retirement home. We look forward to embarking on the next phase of our project, knowing we have Steve Northway on our side.”

-Robin and Mike P.