Ray,
We wanted to let you know how grateful we are for the house you built for us. We just got back from five days at the house and could hardly stand to go back to California.
The house is just perfect for us in everyway. I wanted to thank you for holding our inexperienced hands through this and guiding us to the right decisions (for us), from both you and your staff. Your experience and advice was invaluable to us. We have heard so many horror stories about getting houses built that we still can't get over how great it is and what a great experience we had! Some people don't believe us when we tell them that you built a 2,000 sq ft home in 3 1/2 months, exactly on schedule! Also, the quality of the workmanship on our house is outstanding, the service was outstanding, all promises were kept and in the one area where there was a misunderstanding you stepped up to the plate and offered to make it right. We found everyone to be professional and courteous. Ray, you are not only a good contractor but a good human being as well. We feel very fortunate to have found you for this project and perhaps you have spoiled us for any other builders. If there is ever anything we can do for you please let us know. Until then, we will recommend you to anybody that will listen!
Phil & Dorreen Romans
We have been in our new home for a month now, and we want you to know how happy we are with the final product. We are so pleased with your work and that of your subcontractors. The Big Sky crew (Casey, Caleb, and Stan) were punctual, professional, and delightful to be around. We miss all of you now that you are on to your next project. Ray, you must have thought you had two crazy and obsessive clients on your hands in the beginning. We asked you dozens of questions and we were so nervous about building the house. You stuck with us, answering every question thoughtfully, and never wavered in your support. Like most people, we had heard the horror stories of contractors, budget problems, and endless delays. You made the process easy. We can truly say that it was a pleasant experience. You gave us a finish date and were done on that date. Not only did you finish on time, you used excellent materials throughout the house, stayed on top of everything and everybody, and surpassed our expectations. Ray, we appreciate that you are an honest man with integrity. We never had to worry about you mismanaging our money or building materials. We have had "that" experience in the past, and we can't tell you how terrific it was to have you go over every detail, let us know the bottom line, and then stick to it. We came to rely on your expertise in every area. Finally, we have to say it all came together in a beautiful way. Our home is everything that we wanted and then some. We are enjoying every moment in our new surroundings. Thank you, Ray, for making our dream a reality.
A Very Thankful Client
Dear Ray,
What can we say - Thank You, Thank You, Thank You! From the bottom of our hearts we Thank You for building such a beautiful home! We cannot believe that having a home built could be such a wonderful experience! To have a builder so trustworthy, devoted and dedicated to their customers is a rare find.
Bill & Sandie Sheets
We have had Big Sky Builders build 2 homes for us. Both times the work was excellent and finished exactly on schedule. Ray was very easy to work with and made every effort to make sure our new home turned out to be just what we wanted. Ray is very honest and true to his word. If we ever decide to build another home, Ray will be the one we call on. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend him to anyone.
James & Janet Thomas
Dear Ray,
I wanted to "stop my world" for a few minutes and correspond with you about my feelings concerning the recent remodel/additions done by Big Sky Builders for my personal residence. Those feelings can be summed up in one word - EXCELLENT!
Ray, I must say that in every aspect of the project, excellence was exhibited. You will recall that in the framing stages of the construction, I had an out-of-state house guest who was a builder himself. After work hours, my guest and I would go out to view the accomplishments of that day. On several occasions my guest had mentioned, "This guy knows what he is doing!" or "You have a good man here, Jim. Your builder's practices are better than the norm." And, admittedly, this was a tight budget for both of us but the project costs came in right on target. One is always concerned about the materials used on one's project, but they were all new, of quality grade, and installed properly. Even your subcontractors were very pleasant (and patient) when queried about an aspect of the job.
As an insurance agent, I have an edge in knowing the insurance requirements for a construction project. I was pleased and assured to see all your insurances in place and adequate. I was also pleased to find that all the subcontractors were insured properly as well.
Ray, you have done well and I am very, very pleased. If at any time you need a reference, please have whomever call me. Again, THANK YOU for a job well done and at a price to the penny of that quoted.
With Utmost Respect, James & Janet Thomas
Greatful New Homeowners
All the monster stories we heard about building a home did not happen because of you! We expected times of stress and difficulties while having our house built, but thanks to you guys the only difficulty we ran into was deciding on colors. Big Sky Builders made the process of building our new home easy and fun. I was also very impressed by the politeness of your crew at the job site. The house is wonderful and we will enjoy it for many years.
John & Barbara Scrivner
...we lived in Washington state and wanted to move to Montana and build our dream home. With the help of our son & daughter-in-law & a realtor (Sharon Dedmon), we found some beautiful land west of Victor. Once the land was found, we knew the next item was finding a Builder. Ray Tipton was recommended to us by our realtor. She told us that Ray was a good builder and very particular about how he built "his" houses. We called him and felt comfortable right away. We liked the way Ray was honest with us and he asked that we be the same with him. With the guidance of our Lord we felt that Ray was the builder we were supposed to use. We were very impressed with how he wanted to handle the work. We remained in Washington, but kept in constant contact with Ray by phone, fax, and email. His plans were to start the work on March 1st and have the home finished by May 30th. We were surprised that he could really build it in that short of a time, but true to his word the home was finished and ready to be moved into by that time. Working with Ray has been easy. He has been more than willing to help us get things done and/or put us in contact with the companies who could help.
Ted & Collette Maxwell
We could not have been more pleased with Ray Tipton (Big Sky Builders) during the construction of our home. His commitment to high ethical standards, detail, and professionalism could not be better.
Ray worked with us from the beginning, even helping to design a blueprint. We gave Ray our ideas, shared our thoughts as to how the home should look. Ray readily understand our concepts and came back with structural design, materials, samples, and additional ideas to make our home complete on time and within budget!
Ray is excellent in scheduling and working with employees and subcontractors. He is committed to excellence and our home is a testimonial to the quality Big Sky Builders puts into its construction projects.
Thank you "Big Sky Builders"!
Val Barzetti
Ray Tipton worked with my husband and me on several building projects over the last few years and he is by far the best contractor we've ever had. He is very easy to work with, always tells you what to expect up front and, if the unexpected pops up (which sometimes happens in construction), he lets you know what the options are and will give advice, if asked, about which way to handle the situation. He is knowledgeable, honest, hard working and always on schedule. We call Ray first whenever we need a building job done!
With Utmost Respect
I cannot believe how such a major event in my life--building a new home--was carried out without the problems that one often hears about. My experience in working with Big Sky Builders was most pleasant. I was kept informed on a timely basis of each phase of the building operation. I was very pleased having the progress pictures posted on their website for myself and all my friends to see. This was particularly important in my situation since I was far away from the building site. The completion of my home took place exactly as planned. Big Sky Builders is highly recommended by me to anyone who would like to have a hassle-free "building experience" carried out by courteous and professional people.
Joe Frechette
I've been in the construction business for 30 years myself, and I believe that Ray is one of the best contractors there is. His ability to keep his crew on schedule is virtually unheard of nowadays and very much appreciated, especially when you have a deadline for moving into the place under construction. Another exceptional quality is Ray's availability to the homeowner - he was there for us at all hours and was willing to work through any construction problems with us until they were resolved to our satisfaction. I also liked his clear and timely paper work so there was never any question of hidden costs or overrides. He is always professional in his work and I'd hire him again for any other construction job in the future.
Janet L. Miller
....Ray Tipton remodeled and in essence rebuilt a house for me that was formerly built in the 50's. I first contacted him from a reference given by my realtor (Mark Dickerson), who had sold me the home. I immediately liked Ray, as he was pleasant, straightforward, and willing to listen to my seemingly impossible requests for a home transformation that would almost double the size and bear no resemblance to the house I had purchased! From the first, Ray was very honest with remodeling prices and provided computer printouts and layouts explaining each phase of the rebuild, and gave me options from the most expensive to the bare minimum to choose from. What I was asking him to do from ideas in my mind, had not been done before, and had to be created into feasible and "do-able" plans by Ray. I was often amazed by his willingness and sincerity in trying to work with and create blueprints accordingly with my requests. He gave me computer printouts with schedules and dates in which his and any subcontracted work would begin and be finished. As the work progressed, and as in any remodel, when problems arose or I decided to make changes or additions to the work scheduled, Ray would always give me a price list and detailed descriptions of the materials necessary and had me sign for the additions or changes, so I always knew where I was at financially before any additional work progressed. This in itself was an amazing feat, as I travel extensively in my job, and sometimes had to make decisions via phone or fax. In spite of many changes and additional work, Ray finished the job a day earlier than he originally projected, and I was able to move into my essentially "new" home the next day. In my opinion, Ray Tipton is a very professional and talented builder, and his work is precise and solid and even artistic. He is an extremly gentle and kind person, and proved to be very patient and willing to try many of the ideas I visualized. The quality of his work is exceptional, and is often verified by guests to my home who have experience or knowledge in the construction field. His charges for work were consistent with current market values, and were exactly to the amounts he projected. He left me some useable materials at the end of the job, and left names of subcontractors as well as his own, and urged me to call if I discovered anything that I questioned or found to not meet my expectations. To sum it all up, I really love the home Ray created for me. It is essentially new, open and bright, and very much exceeded the "dream" I had before I asked for his help. If I were to build again, I would not hesitate to ask Ray to do the work. I cannot imagine asking anyone else!
Rita Staley
Ray Tipton is the best contractor I've had the pleasure of working with. He was always on time, courteous, considerate of my wishes and never made major decisions without consulting me first. I appreciated how fast, efficient and clean he was in remodeling my house in the middle of winter. I have since hired him for other projects and would again if I need any more building done. He's as professional as they come!
James Thomas - Valley United Insurance
I've known Ray Tipton (and family) for many years. I've not only handled his business insurance but also his personal insurances. I've also used his expertise in remodeling my personal residence. During this period of time, I've found Ray to be very professional, considerate, conscientious and hard working. Ray isn't hesitant about providing the customer a 10-hour day at an 8-hour price. The work accomplished for my personal residence was superior (as was the pricing). That I can recall, I've never had a single claim on any home that Ray has ever built or remodeled and that I have insured through my insurance agency. I could and would highly recommend Big Sky Builders Inc. and Ray Tipton to anyone needing new or remodel construction.
Mr. Harry Uhde
In regard to Big Sky Builders I have one thing to say before building around it. Ray Tipton is a man of integrity. That is what his company is built upon. I have known Ray for many years and have used the services of his company. As a retired carpenter and builder myself I see his work as professional in all respects and do not hesitate to recommend Big Sky Builders to any and everyone for any kind of construction or even just minor home repairs. The cost is not a "rip-off" and the workmanship is without reproach.
Mrs. Harry Uhde
When Big Sky Builders came promptly, according to their word, it was so refreshing. Then, the helpful suggestions and creative ideas were appreciated. Good nature and good will are manifested by this company.
Another Happy Client
We chose you as our builder primarily because you took the time to explain the details involved in constructing a home, and the fact that you treated us as if we were your only customers. Having interviewed about every other builder in the valley, we felt that you were the most forthright, thorough, and concerned about our feelings. As soon as you began to build, we found that you were more particular than us about our project. This was evidenced by a conversation that I had with one of your subcontractors. He informed me that you were the most organized builder in the valley; you stick to your budget and your schedule and expect your subs to do the same. He also said that he enjoyed working with you because you were always ready when you said you would be, were fair and reasonable, and that you always pay on time. But most of all, he said your clients always come first. I think that says it all!
Bob & Noreen Johnson
Ray, we would just like to give you a "pat on the back" for the high quality of work you have done for us. The price was reasonable and you were right on time, well prepared, friendly and courteous. We also appreciate the work-up you did for our upcoming project and would like to have you start it this next summer. Keep up the good work.
Art & Darlene Hendrickson
If we were ever to build another house, we would have Big Sky Builders Inc. (Ray Tipton) build it for us. We found him very professional. His quality of work was very high. The project was completed on schedule. The pricing, documentation, and execution was handled in a clear and concise manner. And afterward, if there were any problems, they were taken care of promptly and courteously.
Joan Dority
Mr. Tipton came highly recommended and I can see why. He gave me a copy of his construction schedule before he got started and he finished the very day he said he would even though I had requested some changes and some extra work. His bookwork was clear, concise, and up-to-date so I always knew exactly what I was spending on my new house. I felt that Ray never took an opportunity to take advantage of me, and always had my best interests at heart. The final bill came to the penny of what he said it would. His wife Kathy helped me pick out lighting fixtures as well as tile and flooring colors and was very helpful and fun to be with. I am very happy and would not hesitate to recommend Big Sky Builders to my dearest friends. They did an excellent job for me. They helped me modify my plans to better fit my needs and were very understanding when I wanted to add or change something. They gave me a schedule and stuck with it, despite a few changes I decided to make along the way. I couldn't be more satisfied and have already recommended them to my closest friends. Very trustworthy and honest.
Howard & Linda Potter
We were living in Missouri, owned land in Montana, had our "dream house" plans, and only needed a builder with a great reputation! We found that and more in Ray Tipton and Big Sky Builders. After talking to Ray on the phone, we met with him in person and were so impressed with his professionalism that we decided we wanted him to build our new home. Ray kept us informed by phone, e-mail and with pictures on his web-site of the progress; we were never left out of what was going on.
Ray and his sons, Shawn, Caleb, and Casey are very pleasant to work with, as well as his wife Kathy and his daughter Jamie. Casey was the foreman on our house and he did an excellent job. Jamie took the pictures for the web-site; she is a great photographer and the web-site is top rate. Ray is committed to detail, has excellent Christian ethics, and hires only sub contractors who work to his standards. We had many questions; however, Ray was always patient with us and helped us through the process. Likewise, in many situations, we had definite ideas about what we wanted and Ray was there to help us decide if those ideas would work the way we wanted.
The budget was right on line also we asked for a few changes and Ray informed us of the complete cost before they were started. The house was finished earlier than projected which was wonderful with the moving van on the way from Missouri!
Everyone who asked who our builder was - from the banker to the hardware store - when we told them Ray Tipton and Big Sky Builders, would reply "Ray is wonderful. He really gets things done right!"
Thanks Ray, and your family, for all the work you performed. We love our new home!
Tom & Carol Schwan
We are thrilled with our house. It is fabulous. Though it is not yet complete, it has an amazing feeling of comfort and calm inside it already. Tom has got the fever now and looks at the photos on your website multiple times everyday. We find working with Big Sky Builders and Lee Kierig Architect to be a wonderful experience. I laugh to myself when people try to tell us about their nightmare experiences with building their houses. They want us to think that we will have that experience too. We will never be members of their club. Please tell your family and Melissa that we appreciate all their good work and excellent communication.
Jon Kimble & Laura Cullen
Ray,
we are so looking forward to seeing our new home! The pics on your website look beautiful and we can't wait to spend some time in it.
We have enjoyed working with everyone at Big Sky Builders and couldn't have had a better experience. You are honest, accurate and hard working...pretty much everything we could have asked for.
NO one believed us when we told them that you would hit your completion date let alone build a 2000 sq ft house in three months, but you were as good as your word. You built the house on time, despite some change orders!
Thanks for everything Ray, not the least of which was your sound advice and Melissa's invaluable assistance.
Mike & Jenny Lucey
Dear Ray,
Now that our home is built, I wanted to drop you a short note to tell you how pleased Jenny and I were not only with our new home, but with the wonderful experience we had with Big Sky Builders.
First the home Everything about the house has exceeded our expectations! The workmanship, the finish, and the overall appearance is just excellent. You and your team worked closely with our architect to come up with exactly what we wanted. We could not be more pleased. We are also very impressed with the process itself. We had been warned by friends that building a home was difficult and stressful. It was neither for us. From the initial design phases through final construction, the process was fun, interesting, and stress free. Your website made it very easy for us to monitor the progress of the construction, and you and Melissa were always accessible to answer our questions. We really enjoyed the process.
Jenny and I would be most pleased to serve as references for anyone considering using Big Sky Builders. It was a wonderful experience and we could not be happier with our new home.
Lynn Kotula
Dear Ray and staff,
Thank you so much for doing a great job for my clients, Mike & Jenny Lucey. All of their comments about the experience of building with you were positive. And even more important, they love the final product!! They did this from a far with only 2 or 3 visits during construction. Your communication and photos kept them involved in the process without it becoming a burden. In fact, they had started a remodel of their kitchen in San Mateo at the same time you started to build, and the kitchen remodel took as long as your construction of their home!
Thanks again and I will definitely refer future clients to you and your crew!
Lynn Kotula
GRI--Realtor
Heinz & Krista Ober
"Ray, this is Krista Ober. I want to make another change." This was a phone call that Ray received many times while he was building our house. We lived 900 miles from our building site and Ray was always accessible, patient and efficient whenever I changed my mind at the eleventh hour!
Ray spent hours escorting us to many different stores and when he sent us to the flooring and lighting stores, the employees already had copies of our house plan.
While we made round trips about every 3 weeks, the Big Sky Builders crew worked non-stop through wind, rain, snow, mud and more wind. Big Sky Builders is so organized, our house went together like a swiss watch.
From our initial phone call to the completion of our new home, Big Sky Builders can be summed up with four words: HONEST, DILIGENT, THOROUGH, and KNOWLEDGEABLE.
We highly recommend Big Sky Builders for any construction project.
Big Sky Builders of Montana Inc. is a member of the Bitterroot Building Industry Association, the Montana Building Industry Association,and the National Association of Home Builders. We are registered with the State of Montana (#145950) and meet or exceed all state Worker's Comp. and insurance requirements.
