Chris Van Horn recently inspected a remodeling project that one of his crews was working on. Their work was OK—but OK is not up to his standards.
“I walked them through, told them to redo it and showed them why it was not exceptional,” says Van Horn, owner of CMP Construction in Olathe. “I asked them, ‘Do we want to be like everyone else or do we want to be better?’”
This commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction is why CMP has a sterling reputation for quality and value. Richard Carrothers, president of the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park, trusted CMP with a challenging project.
“Chris Van Horn isn’t the cheapest contractor you can use, but he is one of the most reliable,” Carrothers says. “I trusted Chris with a million-dollar remodeling job that had to be done in 28 days. Everyone but Chris told me it was impossible to do in that length of time. Not only did he do it, he did it with a day to spare. When Chris tells you something, you can believe it. You can trust his word and his work. He will do an excellent job for you.”
Van Horn, who has more than two decades of construction experience, started the company in 2016 and later bought out his partners. Its seven full-time employees work on projects across the metropolitan area, although primarily in northern Leawood and Overland Park. Although CMP will tackle any remodeling project, Van Horn is especially proud of its bathroom and kitchen expertise.
“Room additions are neat, but they are only square footage,” he says. “Our bathroom and kitchen projects are really cool. We can add a lot of pizzazz in a small space and do things to maximize utility.”
Van Horn listens to his customers and then offers several options that fit their budget.
“For the most part, people come with a need or desire to update or remodel and don’t really know what it costs,” he says. “If a client will just tell you the budget, the contractor is much more capable of giving the proper advice and the right kind of estimate, so everybody benefits.”
As the old saying goes, customers usually get what they are willing to pay for.
“There has been a lot of competition recently because the economy is good,” Van Horn says. “One guy came in at $8,000 on a project, and I said, ‘man, good luck, because you have $7,800 worth of materials.’ As a homeowner, how do you choose between me and the other guy? The only way is to be sure they are licensed and insured, check references and ask to go out and see some of the projects they have completed.”
If CMP is not the right fit for a project, Van Horn will refer them to a company that is. He also gives back to people in need, especially military veterans. Last year, he gave a substantial discount on a project for a disabled veteran of the Korean conflict.
The bottom line for homeowners is to find a remodeler they can trust who will complete a project on time and on budget. Van Horn has been successful by following three simple rules: “Do it right one time, build trust one room at a time, and right is right.”
Completed projects can be seen at www.cmpremodel.com. For a complimentary in-home consultation, call 913-839-9234.
