My husband and I had been contemplating some remodeling of our main level living area of our house and had very little experience. We chose our design/build company from a tally of recommendations from friends and colleagues. We had very definite ideas about the overall sense we wanted to achieve. We were assigned Caitlin as our designer and she could not have been better. She listened carefully to our thoughts and ideas and would bring us suggestions and materials that fit our ideas to choose from. We felt she brought us enough range to design with without being overwhelmed. Our project manager, Nicole was excellent. She was able to oversee this large project like a dance choreographer always responsive and willing to address any questions and manage the many teams of specialist tradesmen with grace and dedication. There were many different tradesmen (and women) who worked on our project who are artists and fine craftsmen in their own right. I would love to mention them all by name but there were so many. Everyone was courteous and considerate. Doing a renovation is a long haul there is no doubt about it. Having people in your space for months on end can be challenging no matter how great they are. We had some ideas that posed some difficulty (like the staircase) but they were willing to do whatever it took. We found Forward design very organized with a department for everything. Meetings and milestones were laid out ahead of time as well as when payments would be due, which we found very helpful. Who to contact about what was communicated as well. The project ran a little bit over deadline due to unforeseen setbacks. We are very happy with the end result and very glad we did it and with them. Highly recommended!

Our experience with Forward Design Build was excellent from start to finish. After meeting with several design build firms and construction companies, we decided to choose Forward to build our custom home based on the quality of their previous work and their professionalism, and we are very glad that we chose them! During the design phase, they listened to our needs and wants, worked with us to create a functional yet stylish home, took into account and worked with us on our budget, and ultimately were able to design a home that met all our expectations. Forward then exceeded expectations during the building phase of our project. Their construction manager kept us abreast of all work that was going on at the site and made sure that the work done by the subs was top quality. In addition, the project was done essentially on time (less than ten days past the initial finish date during an 11 months build) and on budget (literally less than a tenth of one percent off our initial budget). The quality of the finished home is excellent, and we would strongly encourage anyone looking for a custom home builder in the Ann Arbor area consider Jef and his crew.

My husband and I are absolutely delighted by the work that Forward Design and has done for us! We have lived in our 1924 bungalow for more than 40 years now, and last year decided to address the laundry list of problems that annoyed us during that time. We had a leaky basement with crumbling floor, a garage rotted beyond repair, a gravel driveway that would be much nicer if paved, icy back porch stairs in the winter, knob and tube wiring, and no first-floor bathroom! We contacted Forward to help us address these issues with an integrated design, and to manage the legions of sub-contractors.The finished product is fantastic. With a small addition we now have a fine first-floor bath, new kitchen, mudroom with breezeway to the new garage. Our basement is dry with a smooth floor. These changes are nicely integrated and retain the character of the house. The Forward team really opened our eyes to design possibilities that we had not considered. They were spot-on with advice and recommendations. The design process was interesting, and the team very accommodating and easy to work with, particularly when making hardware selections.Our building phase was not without a few bumps in the road – one large one being the Covid-19 shutdown of several months. Still we were very confident that Forward would provide us a quality build and address any issues. Our site manager, Rob W., did an outstanding job of moving progress ahead, working magic with scheduling sub-contractors, and keeping us informed. The sub-contractors all did superior work. (The excavator was particularly impressive). The Forward carpenters saw to all the rest. I was pleased that all the workers on site, were pleasant to be around as well as respectful of our home.To summarize: Forward Design and Build company did an outstanding job for us, meeting all our requirements. Their work meets high standards, is attentive to details, and Forward is very responsive when issues arise. The actual cost was quite close to the contracted amount. Our house is so much more livable now! I would highly recommend Forward for their quality design and workmanship, reliability, and management of sub-contractors. I felt very comfortable working with them - they made it easy for us to undertake this project.

It was a pleasure to work with Forward for our basement renovation. The switch to working from home during the Covid-19 pandemic was challenging for our family as we tried to shift spaces to accommodate two home offices plus a new nursery. Forward helped make this process seamless for our family during a complicated time, from presenting design concepts that were exactly on point with our style to excellent communication and strict adherence to Covid-19 policies. They even finished the project ahead of schedule! We immediately felt at home in the renovated space, because the design and decor decisions facilitated by Forward so accurately reflected our tastes and fulfilled our needs. We highly recommend Forward Design Build Remodel!

We used Forward for a full remodel of our kitchen from the subfloor on up. We are very happy with the job they did in both the design and build phases. We appreciate how organized and detail-oriented every step was. We love our new kitchen!

We were so delighted with our major kitchen renovation a few years ago that we had Forward Design return this year to remodel two bathrooms. Their designers once again rose to the occasion, working interactively with us to arrive at a concept that was functionally excellent and attractive. Coordination between the planning, design and building phases was seamless - they are easy to work with, fun, and highly communicative. The site supervisors are terrific, handling all subcontractors, ensuring high quality work and keeping the job site impeccably clean. And when issues arise on a project - and some always will regardless of who handles your project - Forward Design handles them in a professional and collaborative manner such that youre always in the know and never ever feel taken advantage of. Highly recommend them!

Professional remodeling, excellent craftsmanship and creative design. Highly recommend Forward Design for any remodeling project.

What a great team and company, starting with the top, owners Jeff and Monica Forward. We couldnt of asked for a more professional, dedicated, and honest company that gives you an excellent result !There are no surprises. The team works with you to provide a detailed contract that fits your needs and your budget. Everyone is so nice and easy to work with.. Will definitely work with Forward Design again in the future.

We had an excellent experience with Forward Design Build Remodel. Our project included finishing the basement, full kitchen remodel, new mudroom, powder room remodel, and wood floors throughout the first floor and staircase. As first time remodelers, we appreciated how thorough the Forward team was in describing the entire process so that we had no surprises from start to finish. It was a pleasure working with Ashley leading the design team and Rob leading the construction team.Ashley and the design team listened carefully to our wants and needs to come up with creative solutions that worked for us. She would quickly CAD up 3D designs and even render in patterns and fabrics to give us an idea of how things would look. She kept the process going at a good pace for us to stay on schedule.Due to the scope of our project, we moved out during the renovations, but Rob kept us well informed about the status during our weekly meetings at the house. He regularly updated and sent out a calendar to track the progress and give us a look ahead. Despite our not being there day to day, the construction team kept the house as tidy as could be expected - and did an excellent job sealing off the rest of the house from dust and debris. We had a hard deadline for the project completion and the Forward team kept right on schedule.The quality of work and the materials used are well worth the investment. We love our new home and would not hesitate to hire Forward again in the future.

Forward Design has done two remodel projects at our house. They did a major kitchen, first floor remodel and a master suite remodel. Their work was very good. High quality and well managed. One of the best things about Forward is their design and build skills combine to make for a much better outcome. The project management was well executed as well.I would recommend Forward Design for any remodel projects. Perhaps the best testament to their work is that we hired them a second time on the master suite project.

We worked with Forward Design Build to remodel our kitchen and had a terrific experience. As newbies to the whole renovation process, Forward was amazing to work with each step of the way, helping us make good decisions for the space. One of the reasons we selected their bid was the creativity and problem-solving solutions they brought to our project. Five years later, our kitchen is our favorite room of our house and continues to work so hard for us by maximizing the space efficiently and truly serving as the center point of our home. Forwards talented team members are a joy to work with and were excellent communicators, which we appreciated as the process unfolded. We look forward to working with them again!

Forward Design remodeled most of our first floor, including a bump out in our kitchen. The entire team worked closely with us to make sure everything, and particularly the design, met all of our desires. We are pretty particular - the Forward team took on the challenge and delivered! They listened and responded to our thoughts, gave creative design ideas and suggestions, tackled the always to be expected unexpected “finds,” and gave us a home we love to come home to! If we had to do it all over again - we would hire Forward Design again!

I have been doing electrical work for Forward Design Build for several years now and have to say they are a top notch company with a team that is very professional and truly cares about the job at hand and customers we do work for. They also communicate extremely well with all the trades to keep the jobs running smoothly. Which is extremely important and makes the jobs nice to work on. I’m very proud to be part of there trade team. I would highly recommend them for the smallest to the largest of jobs.

Forward Design Build remodeled 3 bathrooms for us. Our experience was exceptional. The entire team, as well as every subcontractor, was very competent and professional. From design recommendations to extraordinary finishing work, the jobs were completed beautifully and on schedule.We would definitely recommend this company.

Ive known and worked with Jef, (owner), for 15 years now, and you wont find a better person in the design/build business. From a homeowners perspective, I am always impressed with their design, attention to detail, and quality of work. From a plumbing contractors perspective, I appreciate their communication, timeliness, and organization. EVERYONE that works at Forward Design Build are top notch, great people. Im always proud of the projects that I complete with them.

We have worked with the Forward Design team on several projects including remodeling two bathrooms, kitchen and exterior updates over the years.Its always a pleasure working with Jefs team! Forward Designs attention to detail at the design phase and during the build has consistently produced excellent results. We are very happy with the quality of their work. The team is good at communicating with us and they are responsive to our requests during the process. We highly recommend Forward Design and look forward to working with them again on future home improvement projects.

When contemplating remodeling our kitchen we chose Forward Design Build based on observing their work and talking to Jef at several area remodeling showcases. His team was attentive, creative and responsive. The interaction we experienced with both the project designer and construction project manager was excellent. We highly recommend Forward Design Build. We love our kitchen!

We had a fantastic experience with Forward Design Build. We loved their attention to detail and the quality of their work. Theyre also just really nice people! After our large renovation, we continue to use them for smaller project. Strongly recommend this company!

My husband and I were just crazy enough to go through a complete kitchen/first floor renovation with two children under the age of 5. Up until February 2020 the Forward process could not have been smoother. Chad called me and asked all the right questions and just made me feel at ease. I knew my shopping was done at that point. Later, we met Carly who deserves a medal in Client Reassurance for all the times I said Are you sure about this? and she would say Just trust me, that’s what I’m here for. Every time, Caryl was right! The design process was so collaborative and I always felt like I was being presented with well thought out design concepts based on the needs of our family. In Feb 2020, construction started and for a solid month we were plugging along full speed ahead, in fact, we were tracking three weeks ahead of schedule! I came home one day to find Brian leveling our ceiling so our crown molding would be straight and as he explained the whole process to me I just couldnt help but marvel at his keen sense of detail and exceptional skill! March 2020 rolled around and COVID happened. Yes, even a firm as exceptional as Forward couldnt work around the fallout of a pandemic but they still put their best foot forward and made us feel like we had not been forgotten. Our Project Managers Brian and Tim checked in with us at least once a week to see how we were doing and if there was anything they could do to help us keep our sanity. They kept me informed of plans to resume as soon as they possibly could and reassured me that this delay in time would not at all alter the price or the product. There were many times I thought to myself would any run of the mill contractor be able to handle this kind of problem as flawlessly as Forward did? I believe the answer to be, no. There were no delays in Forward getting back to work once they were able to.My family of four lived through the construction from May to August and while you hear horror stories, our experience could not have been better. All of the Forward carpenters and sub-contractors were beyond respectful of our home. There were many nights I walked through the construction area with no shoes because it was that clean and safe! I happened to be off of work one week and Jon was there working and he was just the nicest person you could hope to have in your home. He would ask me questions on how I would like something installed, give me some tips on how to use something, troubleshoot/problem solve with me on the spot, and he was available if I had any other random questions.Forward Design Build gets a 10/10 from me. I am a particular person and this project was no exception. As a female, I often feel like Im made out to be a Diva or annoying if I ask for things to be a particular way and I NEVER felt that way from any of the Forward team. They would always say Absolutely, we can figure something out or youre right that isnt quite right or Youre paying a lot for this, we want it to be perfect, too! Hire Forward! They are a polished company that knows what they are doing and they do it well! Many friends gave us tips and suggestions and every time I asked Tim or Jon about them they both would say oh yea, we already did that or its in the plan, we have it covered! They obviously love what they do and they care about their homeowners. They stayed within budget, they stayed within the timeframe they committed to (outside of COVID), and they were able to gracefully navigate through a pandemic that drastically affected their business. I would never hire another contractor after what I know now.

Forward Design completed an addition to our house this Spring (2018) ahead of schedule and under budget. It included removing a wall in our existing family room and connecting that room to the new room. We also had a partial wall removed between our living room and dining room and an expansion of our driveway. FD was very professional, creative, patient and kind through the entire process.At first we really didnt know exactly what we wanted and they helped us to figure that out. They even produced a computer generated walk through that allowed us to see what the new space would look like and how it would work for our family.During the construction phase, all our questions were promptly addressed. Our lead carpenter Rob handled absolutely everything and kept us informed about where we were in the process. He even took the time to explain things to my young grandson who was very interested in the entire process.Forward Design is a great group of people. You can trust them. We highly recommend Forward Design for any construction or remodeling. We had a great experience from start to finish.

The Forward Design team was a pleasure to work with! Incredibly professional and took care of every little detail in all of our interactions and also in all of the work they did on our house (kitchen/dining complete redo, and second floor bedroom addition). Two years later we are still loving how functional and beautiful our rooms are.

From beginning to end, working with Forward Design Build Remodel was an absolute dream. The design team was so diligent, professional, thorough, and creative as they helped turn our vision into specific details. The construction team was equally diligent, professional, thorough, and flexible throughout the remodel process. The design team and construction team worked together in a smooth, integrated, flawless way, communicating clearly with each other and with us; this made everything go so smoothly. We are absolutely thrilled with our gorgeous, functional new addition (kitchen, dining, and family room) - it is absolutely perfect and it has changed the feel of the whole house for the better. And on top of that, the Forward team came in under budget and ahead of schedule! We could not have been happier with the process or the finished product.

I have been working with Forward Design for the past 15 years. They are a very professional company who take pride, and who stand by their work every single time. They always make it their first priority that the customer is happy with the work being done. And they treat their trades like family.

We hired Forward to redesign and build a new kitchen and bathroom, and bump out an existing wall to create a dining-room space, for our small home in Ann Arbor. From the get-go, they displayed a willingness to listen to our ideas and meld them with their own. The process was a long one, but in hindsight, their thoroughness, dedication, and professionalism made the project an overwhelming success. I really appreciated how detail-oriented they were in the initial stages. When we were out of the house during construction, I knew exactly what was been done and how the project was proceeding. The design and construction teams were very amenable, and Jef, the owner, intervened appropriately when necessary with his expertise. We are incredibly happy with the project - the levels of craftsmanship and eye for aesthetic make the work timeless. Forward is worth the investment.

We have used the Forward Design group for at least four projects at our home and have never been disappointed. To find an architect with first hand experience as a builder is like falling into a gold mine. We found their communications and workmanship to be topnotch. When weve had impasses on design thoughts, Jef has been amazing at facilitating a compromise we are both extremely satisfied with. Forward Design Build Remodel stands by their work but since theyve done it right the first time for us, seldom have had to return to correct. Should we have a need for more work, we will not hesitate to call them!

We have worked with Forward Design Build for two large home remodeling projects. We live in Ann Arbor hills in a contemporary home (1960 vintage). The first was a new design of most of the lower levels of our house which includes a large home theater exercise area, guest bedroom and bath. The second was a complete kitchen remodel.The design process involves a series of meetings with Jef and the design team. Jef was flexible with the scheduling and met with my wife and I at work on several occasions. They use architectural drawings and computer models to help you visualize the remodel. They are also helped us go look at countertops, tiles, back splashes appliances and furniture.At the end of the design process you know what you are going to end up with.Having construction performed in your living space Is inevitably a pain. But the Forward construction team are awesome. They were reliable clean and courteous. Had great conversations with them about the job, building and life in general. You always know when to expect them in the morning because they do an excellent job communicating. They also did a great job showing you what they found when the inevitable surprises turn up. Like a pipe that appears when you break up the floor and has to be re-routed.We live in Ann Arbor. We feel like compared to our friends in other parts of Michigan, we pay more because we live in Ann Arbor. We think of it as the Ann Arbor markup. From what we can tell, Forward Design build is not the most expensive contractor around but they are not a discount outfit either. Most importantly, at the end of the process, you feel like you got what you paid for knowing the local market is what it is. With Forward, you know what you are ending up with because of the excellent design process and you know that the work performed is to a high standard and occurs on time without unnecessary gaps. They are transparent about costs up front and worked to address specific surprises in the building process.It is always important to get several bids from different contractors when considering big home remodeling projects. Forward Design build should definitely be on your list if you value high quality work and a timely reliable process.

Forward Design Build did a great job. They were 100% on time and executed all aspects of the project flawlessly. Without exception, the entire staff was professional and courteous and a pleasure to work with. We have received hundreds of compliments on their work. I would highly recommend them to everyone I know.

Friendly, knowledgeable and hard working people. Our house looks fantastic because of the Forward team!

Our first encounter with Forward Design Build was having our 2-bedroom/half-bath on our third floor converted to a suite for my brother-in-law to live with us. We had also contacted two other builders for bids. Jef Forward had ideas and suggestions on converting existing space into something certainly more functional including a full bath for which we previously thought we didn’t have enough floor space. His creativity in adding a shower was a pleasant surprise. We were not disappointed and the renovation was completed in a timely manner and on budget.Our next project was a complete kitchen remodel down to the studs and sub-floor including moving a bathroom to more logical space. Based on our previous experience with Jef Forward, we did not even consider getting bids from anyone else. Jef sat down with us and presented designs for various kitchen layouts and floor/tile/cabinet/cupboard/appliance options. The detail was very inclusive and he also encouraged input and suggestions from us.Office and Business Manager, Monica Forward kept us informed with on-going updates and status meetings for budget and timeline issues. We found these to always be very productive. The experience with the entire staff from Jef and Monica, to office staff, and work crew was most pleasant and beneficial. Jef and Monica are very knowledgeable, personable, and hands-on. A joy to work with. Everyone on site was extremely courteous and attentive to any questions or concerns we had. At the end of each day, the workplace was as clean and organized as what it was when the workday began.Additionally we have used Jef and crew for Handy Man type jobs. Quickly responsive and not surprising, based on previous experiences, able to handle any request at a reasonable rate.Forward Design Build is extremely customer oriented and creative with vision that exceeded our expectations in the 15 years we have had them do work for us. Total satisfaction for every encounter with them. Indeed a Full-Service company with the customer Job 1.Jim and Holly RamseyAnn Arbor

I have recommended the firm to anyone and everyone who asks (and some that dont ask as well). As first time remodelers, we had no idea what to expect, but Forward Design met and exceeded our expectations in all areas. Everyone we encountered was professional, kind, and replied to our questions or concerns in a timely manner. After the renovation, our space went from being a house to a home. The beautiful design and fixtures of our kitchen have elevated the value of our home, and improved the quality of our daily life. We look forward to working with Forward Design again on future renovations to our home.

Forward Design Build is always ready and organized for my team and I when we start a new interior trim project for them.

We, at Jetstream Mechanical, have been working with Forward Design since 2013. They are timely with payments, organized, efficient and an overall all pleasure to work with.Steve-Jetstream Mechanical

Jef Forward and his team - architect, building supervisor and associated contractors - did a very nice job on our addition, which included a bump out to the garage below and the dining area above. Family rooms and kitchen were nicely improved, and the area looks so much better. Professional expertise, which was excellent, is one part of the job. The others - accommodating the needs of a family, cleanup, family safety and security, and communication with the client - was also very good. Jef and his staff were very friendly and accommodating to last minute changes and subsequent touch ups and repairs. We recommend Jef, and would not hesitate to call him again for future projects.