Testimonials
Hello Bo and Steve: Judy and I wish to say Thanks For Our New House!! Both of you worked very hard to make sure our first experience with building a custom home was a great experience.
We did our homework before selecting Big Fish and we very soon confirmed that we had made the best decision. From getting a set of plans to fit a demanding lot and neighborhood requirements (Ovation at Cape San Blas), to taking us by the hand and guiding us through the permitting and variance maze, to the actual construction phase was a pleasure all the way. Read more... It quickly became obvious us that both of you are highly regarded by the local agencies. Your extraordinary efforts at getting the house ready for a family gathering at Spring Break was greatly appreciated. I believe that anyone going through this process will encounter several "issues" during the process. We never had a single issue that was not quickly and fairly resolved to our complete satisfaction. We were able to stay closely involved with the process, and we came to know most of the sub-contractors. Every single sub, as well as the county inspector, assured us that we were working with a quality builder that does things the right way. We learned as we progressed that we were fortunate to be working with two men of high character and high personal integrity. You have earned the fine reputation that you have in the region. Judy and I appreciate you.
Best Regards
Dennis and Judy Faust
Tallahassee, FL
Super thanks and kudos to Steve Newman, Big Fish Construction, and his crew on building our dream gulf front home in Port St Joe, FL. We thought this would be very challenging from Colorado; however, Steve used virtual technology to make the process easy. He took pictures, at regular intervals during the entire building cycle; he sent us websites to select material, and used email to make changes to the actual building design in the beginning. Steve and company helped do everything (really everything) virtually. Having not seen the "real" house from day 1 until closing, we couldn't have Read more... done better and at a fair price to boot. Very few surprises and as anyone who has ever built before knows, that's hard to do – especially from 1500 miles away. Steve made several recommendations that made the house so much more perfect such as the elevator, and using his professional cabinet maker for a top product. Thanks for the positive experience and fine home. We've had rave reviews from all of our friends.
M&M Miller (Woodland Park, CO)
Dear Steve and Bo,
Gene and I would like to personally thank you for building our new beach home, what an exciting journey for us. Once we met and began the project, everything we desired in our new home was made a reality. Bo Spring and Steve Newman and the rest of the Big Fish Construction Organization treated us with respect, class and dignity, and took the time to Read more... personally meet our construction needs. The quality of construction and the attention to detail from the beginning to the end of our project was outstanding. The workmanship is detailed and high quality. We are now the proud owners of a beach home our family will enjoy for years to come. Thanks again to Big Fish Construction, we have a beach home we love.
Sincerely,
Gene and Judy West
Steve,
Thanks for the professional manner that Big Fish Construction completed our home in Surfside Estates on beautiful Cape San Blas. Being here throughout the construction process, we observed the proficient manner in which your subcontractors performed their tasks. The subs for foundation, framing, plumbing, painting, electrical and siding were all very skilled and cordial. With the excellent line of communication that was Read more... established with you, we encountered very few problems throughout the construction process. The true illustration of proficiency in the building process is the fact that we moved into the new house six (6) weeks ahead of the original quoted completion date. We highly recommend Big Fish to anyone planning to build a home in this area.
Bob & Kay English
187 Polaris Drive
Port St. Joe, FL 32456
July 25, 2011
Dear Steve,
This letter is intended to express my appreciation for the work Big Fish did in constructing our house this past winter. Through the construction process I have gotten to know and understand how Big Fish approaches a project and I am hopeful that this letter can assist prospective customers in making a decision on selecting Big Fish as their contractor.
In the fall of 2010 we decided to build on a lot that had recently been purchased at WindMark. I operate an engineering business and we interact with many contractors so I understand the importance of selecting a contractor who has a proven record of good character and good quality work. I was also looking for a contractor that was willing to approach the project as a team effort and not a traditional design, bid, build approach. I can say that Big Fish meets these qualifications very well.
Bo Spring was the Project Manager. From the initial estimating process thru completion of Read more... final punch list items he was actively engaged and treated us like we were his only client. Our goal was to build a small beach house and budget was very important. I had already shopped pricing for the project before approaching Big Fish and knew getting into our discussions that I was over my initial budget. I can say Big Fish was very competitive in its initial estimate. However, what I was also looking for was a contractor that would work with me to figure out ways to be more creative in construction and bring suggestions to the table to further reduce costs and reach my budget. Bo took the time to prepare and review an itemized estimate, noting where the discretionary money was and where he felt we may be able to make some modifications to improve in the budget. At the end of this process we signed a contract for an amount that met my initial budget. Now that construction is complete, I can say that there were no hidden costs or areas where saving money compromised quality and in fact they were able to upgrade some things like using granite counters and custom cabinets by shopping allowance items harder and working with subcontractors to make sure they understood the scope.
As you get into a project and see it under construction you always get ideas on how to improve things. Big Fish takes the approach of being proactive and very willing to accommodate these changes. I am still amazed at the way Big Fish would accommodate my requests on changing walls that had been framed or moving stairs around, or adding wall switches/outlets or changing the exterior trim and just “fit it into the budget”. Early in the framing process Bo called me and said he saw an opportunity to add a second floor porch with an outstanding view and how he thought it could be done with no extra cost. It was efforts like this that have lead me to write this letter even though it has been almost 5 months since construction was completed.
In residential construction it is often the case that the project moves along well at first but then as the next house gets started, work on your house slips and schedule slides. That was not the experience I had. Big Fish stuck with this project and kept pushing subcontractors and met the schedule we initially agreed to. In fact at one point I wanted to use the house about a month before it was to be done. Big Fish adjusted subcontractors schedules to make it “habitable” for me.
If you are looking for a contractor that has competitive pricing, outstanding character, is flexible and willing to work with you as changes come up, does good quality work and sticks to schedule, I would look no further than Big Fish Construction.
I would be pleased to discuss my experiences with any prospective customers and thank you again for the great job.
Regards,
Lawrence J. Wagner, P.E. Vice President Appledore Marine Engineering, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Dear Steve,
Thank you so much for making my construction project so easy to do. I was very happy with all of the work done. My new covered deck is just lovely and everyone who sees it just loves it and thinks it's a great improvement to the house.
The men on your crews were polite and diligent and worked hard to get this project done in the short amount of time we had. Also I was very impressed Read more... at your presence almost every day on the job to assure that it was on track and going well. Thank you for being so responsive to all of my questions and concerns, and for your real concern for my satisfaction with the project. Before this experience, I would have been hesitant to go into a building project, but now I can imagine building a new house on the cape with you and Big Fish.
Best Regards,
Maggie Parke
Director
Waltzing-Parke Productions S. a r. l.
Luxembourg, Europe
Phil and I would just like to say what a pleasure it has been building our beach house in San Dunes on Cape San Blas with Steve Newman of Big Fish Construction. Living in the Atlanta area we relied on Steve for companies locally that would provide building material choices for the house and in all cases the companies were great to work with and had a wide variety of materials from which we could choose. Steve also took an active part in helping us find the best prices for Read more... those materials which was a godsend!
The subs for electrical, plumbing, framing, painting, etc. were also very accommodating and bent over backward to please us because Steve puts a great deal of importance on owner satisfaction and has developed a group of subs that he has worked with for a very long time that share that ideology. I made multiple trips down to the Cape during the building process to watch the progress, but Steve also kept us informed via email and phone calls on a regular basis which made for a very effortless partnership.
Please feel free to contact us about Big Fish Construction and Steve, or better yet, schedule a visit to see our beautiful beach house and meet us in person when you are in the area. Steve has our numbers! Since the construction process is now complete on our first tier home, we have purchased the gulf front lot in front of our house and wouldn't think of using anyone but Steve to build it for us,since he has become a trusted friend!
Phil and Mary Jane Wolfe
Duluth, Georgia
I am writing to thank you for all your hard work while building my home. As you are aware, this home was the first for Krystal and me. We are so pleased with your professionalism and knowledge of products, materials, and local building guidelines. You guided us from the design, to small detail items, which make Read more... our home unique.
Krystal was enthused about moving in before the beginning of the school year. I was very surprised the home was completed before the anticipated finished date. I was not surprised by your customer service and time spent going over even the smallest details. We appreciate everything you did to make our first home a special one. I will most certainly use Big Fish Construction for future projects and refer your great product to all my friends and colleagues. Thank you for everything.
Sincerely:
James M. Terry
State Certified Residential Appraiser RD7124
"My lot created many challenges to building. Steve Newman and Big Fish were on top of it from the beginning. He helped develop the plans to ensure that my house would be just what I wanted and to maximize my budget, space and lot. I had many Read more... discussions about how the house would be utilized and with each discussion Steve was able to ensure the features of the home I built would match my desired utilization. Big Fish just finished the home in March of 2009 and I have placed the home in a rental program. The house has been rented from the day it was finished due to many unique features I put into the home at Big Fishes suggestion, from the elevator for handicap access, to the location of the pool which is beach side and unusual for an ocean front home. The home was built with high end finishes like Hardwood floors in the main living space, and granite counters in the baths and kitchen. Steve also knew that I needed carpet in the bedrooms. It was nice to build with someone who could guide the project, since I was in Atlanta. Big Fish finished the Home on time and on budget. I would recommend Big Fish to anyone looking to build in Gulf County."
Ernest Jordan
To anyone thinking of building a new home: Big Fish built our new home and it was done in a very timely and professional manor. Everything is great and the relationship between contractor and owners could not have been better. Good job Big Fish.
Thanks, Dick and Jean D'Alemberte
Steve Newman of Big Fish Construction finished my beach house in April of 2007. It was built to our exact specifications, on budget and on time. We would highly recommend Big Fish to anyone who is considering building in Gulf County.
--The Cannon Family, Atlanta--