Testimonials

This is a letter of reference for The Chappell Group, who I turned to recently for renovations and repairs for privately-owned properties that I manage. In the fall of 2017, I needed an emergency repair job done at a gulf-front beach house named Coach's Lair.

The scope of work was significant, but the time-frame was short. The Chappell Group was referred to me. I had not heard of them before. I called and met on site the next day with Hank Chappell and his brother Chris. The project was to demo and rebuild a large, tiled walk-in shower and steam room with bench seats. A hidden leak behind the walls was the culprit. It apparently had been ongoing for a while. The house was a three-story beachfront rental property. Time was of the essence. Renters were scheduled for the Christmas holidays just three weeks away. Given the amount of work needed, I didn't think it could be accomplished before the guests arrived, and I certainly didn't want guests arriving to find a half-completed steam shower that was meant to be one of the house's finer touches. By way of context, the steam shower is part of a large exercise room that also includes a walk-in sauna. Hank and Chris discussed with me the scope of work needed. Tiles, walls and concrete sub-flooring would need to be torn out, walls re-framed and plumbed, and then a new concrete sub-flooring would need to be poured to exacting specifications. After the concrete set, workers would begin the tedious job of replacing all of the subway tiles.

In the meantime, The Chappell Group would help me shop for replacement tiles and a new shower door. After describing all that to me, Hank Chappell looked at me and said, "We'll get it done and have it cleaned up before your guests arrive for Christmas." Ha! What are the odds of a crew showing up every day - and finish the job on-time - even if they mean it when they say it? Well, in this case, the odds were very good, because The Chappell Group performed exactly as they promised. The task was completed with a few days to spare - including cleanup - and my Christmas guests enjoyed a beautiful new walk-in steam shower. Moreover, the price was fair and the quality of work exceptional. I was impressed enough by the workmanship that I asked The Chappell Group to return in January of 2018 to clean, repair and paint the entire exterior of the house and beach-side pool. The results were the same as before, quality workmanship in a timely manner. I then contracted with them to install new flooring in two other properties. Those properties also were resort rentals, and again, time was of the essence. No problem for The Chappell Group. They also did the little things well - answering phone calls, returning missed calls promptly, carefully describing the scope of work in advance, showing up on time, and displaying courtesy on a regular basis. To top it off, the price always was fair and they always proved honest.

I was fortunate to discover The Chappell Group. I will use them again. I encourage anyone needing repairs and renovation to give them a call. They do good, honest work, and they do it well. Sincerely, R. Stephen Bowden,  Manager Bowden Investments, LLC

My husband and I were looking for a contractor to paint/stain the exterior of our beach home in Seagrove, Florida. After putting feelers out on NextDoor for recommendations, it was suggested we contact The Chappell Group/Southern Grace Restorations. Hank and Chris Chappell, as well as other contractors, came out to the house to assess the job and provide their estimates. Ultimately, we chose the Chappell Group. We are extremely glad that we did. Brothers Hank and Chris, along with their work crew supervisor, had arranged to come by the house within twenty-four hours of being contacted then promptly sent us the cost estimate along with copies of their Tax ID/Certification form and Certificate of Liability Insurance as well as numerous client letters of reference.

Discounting the loss of approximately one week due to rain, the job was completed on time and done thoroughly and professionally. You could set your watch to the arrival of the crew each morning and they worked diligently until 4:30-5:00 every day. All were polite and respectful of us and our property. Hank and Chris and the crew boss often stopped by to check on the progress and ensure we were satisfied with the job. I was particularly impressed one day when, after completion of all prep work of pressure washing, caulking, etc., the crew started the actual painting and the crew boss came by and stopped the painters from proceeding until I could return to the house from an errand. He wanted to make sure I was completely satisfied with the color and the way the paint looked on my cedar siding before allowing the crew to continue with their work.

Once the job was completed, the clean-up of the property was quick and thorough. As a final touch, Chris and Hank had a few bales of pine straw delivered and laid around the property to fill in gaps where ladders, equipment, and crew had disrupted the grounds and laid a few sections bare. That was a nice gesture and much appreciated, as well as unexpected. My house looks terrific. A total refresh that adds beauty and value to our home. I am more than happy to recommend The Chappell Group to anyone who is looking for a contractor to deliver a fair price, excellent work with attention to detail, and great customer service.

I'm writing to share my experience in working with Hank Chappell & Team at the Chappell Group Nothing is more daunting than discovering that your dream home & investment by the beach has severe water damage & not knowing just how bad it really is. especially when you live nearly 1200 miles away & have had a string of poor contractor experiences there in the past. This is the situation we found ourselves in. With several bids in hand & a list of referrals, we chose Hank & Team.

While not the cheapest, he & his team gained our confidence with detailed plans, solid references & a personal sense of trust like no other. He & his team seemed to very sincerely care about our home & our highest level of satisfaction from the very first time we met, while the others saw us as just another deal in the busy marketplace & rarely returned our calls. The original task at hand was to remove 4 stucco walls & replace them with hardy board because of some relatively obvious water damage. As they began removing the stucco it became clear that we had a much bigger problem than we thought. In some areas the walls were rotted down to & including the studs. Hank & team ended up rebuilding window frames & other vital supporting structural aspects prior to reinstalling the windows & expertly installing & painting the hardy board on the exterior & lots of originally unanticipated internal sheetrock, trim & painting. This job entailed lots of detailed woodwork & caulking to prevent problems in the future. The house now looks great & is well protected from water for many years to come. We were so pleased with the work & Hank's personal & professional demeanor that we immediately hired him to do another job at another home. He removed, replaced & stained 3 levels of old decking & railings. This home is now much safer & looks great as well. Both jobs were completed in a very timely manner, delicately planned around our rental schedule to insure no loss of income & left in a meticulously clean state afterwards.

With our distance in mind, Hank sensed our uncomfortableness & sent pictures & videos of the work virtually every day throughout the project to keep us abreast of their progress. No one person can make a good team. Hank has some very experienced, talented & professional folks on his. Seems that each one of them takes great pride in doing a job right vs just getting it done. This often resulted in superior choices of supplies & investing more time resulting in a level of craftsmanship than I believe we would not have received from anyone else. I strongly recommend Hank & his team & welcome a call should you wish to hear more of my experiences working with them

It's my absolute pleasure to recommend Hank Chappell and his brother, Chris, for any home construction or remodeling needs you may have. Whether it's a small remodeling project or total home construction The Chappell Group provides quality craftsmanship. My wife works in interior design and has a very good eye for professional work. After purchasing a condo in Panama City Beach, Florida, she decided to remodel the interior. We reached out to several contractors within the area and after interviewing Hank and Chris we were most impressed.

Their knowledge of home construction and expertise in remodeling quickly gave us the confidence we needed to ensure our work would be completed on time and our expectations met. We were on a very tight schedule and time was a top priority. A timeline was established and we were very pleased with how organized and timely our project was completed The key to quality home construction and remodeling is having a high performing team. Hank and Chris have put together a very dynamic group of highly skilled craftsmen.

They are very talented, dedicated, hard-working, and do all they can to please the customer. So, if you are in need of someone who is a joy to work with and will exceed your expectations, I highly recommend The Chappell Group. Hank and Chris will work to meet your every request and deliver a superior product. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Respectfully.

Hank, my family and I want to thank you, your brother Chris who oversaw the project, and your team for an incredible paint job on our 3-story Seagrove Beach home at 2780 E County Hwy 30A. I cannot begin to tell you how we all felt as we drove down Hwy 395 a couple weeks ago and saw our newly painted home at the intersection of 395 & 30-A. Wow!!!! My wife, 27 and 22-year-old children, and I were blown away. It was like someone had built us a new home. Thank you...thank you...thank you! When we first met on March 8 at our beach home to discuss our project, I was really impressed with your friendliness, professionalism, and clear interest in helping us refresh our beautiful home.

I particularly appreciate your willingness to "cut to the chase" and not waste my wife's and my time. You helped us understand a couple of tricky issues as it related to repainting our home and our stucco walls. You pointed out some areas of our house and walls that might end up being issues, but gave me confidence that you would determine the best and most economical way to address them. Which you ultimately did! As you know, we met with and got bids from, two other reputable painters in the area. While they both gave me reasonable quotes, I clearly did not come away with the confidence in them that I had in you. My wife particularly appreciated your advice on our paint colors and whether or not to retain our shutters and screens. As you know, she, and all of us, are ecstatic with our joint decisions. I appreciated your calls and pictures when you ran into some issues with the deterioration of our stucco walls. More importantly, you limited the costs of addressing those issues. I will always remember and appreciate your response when I asked when you expected to start and complete our project. It was Saturday afternoon. You asked when we were leaving, to which I said Sunday afternoon. Your response: "We will be here Monday and there will be more ladders and men on your home by Wednesday than you can imagine." You continued on to say, "We will complete the job as quickly as possible, depending only on the weather." By Wednesday, you were sending me pictures and giving me text updates. Net, net, you completed the job quicker than we had expected and at the costs you had quoted.

The final touch was when you suggested I withhold a portion of my payment until my wife and I were able to come look at the house in person. Obviously, when we arrived several weeks later, the job was perfect! I should add that several people who have driven by, several we have seen on the beach and at the Surfing Deer, across the street, have commented on our beautiful new paint job. Hank, please feel free to refer anyone to me who might be considering your services as I would be happy to speak with them on your behalf. I plan to share this letter with many of our Nashville friends who have homes on and near 30-A. Lastly, I realize you and your team do far more than painting. I'm sure I will be calling you, as we need renovation or other home repair projects. Actually, I've already called you on two rather minor home projects and you knocked those out within a day. Thanks again!

It was a pleasure to have engaged Southern Grace Restoration for the repair of our home in Santa Rosa Beach. The damage was assessed with professional integrity and the job completed with high quality in mind.

The job, relatively major due to the damage created by the A/C condensation in addition to the added contract to paint the rest of the house inside and outside was expediently completed and was done with the utmost care for quality. The 100% replacement of first and second floors wood flooring, the sheetrock replacement and repairs and painting were completed in schedule and with professionalism and high level of detail. Every corner and nook were exquisitely done and sections of trims, ceilings or walls needing special treatment, was accomplished with perfection.

The paint grade used was top notch and with the help of highly rated caulking material, the exterior painting gave new life to our home. It looks beautiful! ]MJ Optimum Properties is appreciative of a job well done by Southern Grace Restoration and would recommend them for restoration projects small and large.

Southern Grace Restoration, Hank & Bull Chappell were hands down, our favorite contracting company we've ever used. We have been building houses, remodeling & doing projects for over 25 years as a family and have never had a contractor be so efficient with time and a budget. Hank's patience, knowledge, honor and professionalism never wavered even as we made changes and obstacles presented themselves.

Especially working long distance, he went above and beyond to meet and defeat every challenge. He made promises that he kept and did exactly what he said he would do. These are great people first, great contractors second. They deal with subs and a crew that were just as responsible, kind and gifted in craftsmanship. We are grateful for The Chappell's and "Southern Grace" and our new relationship. We are more than satisfied with every aspect of the well-done job. We will absolutely use them every chance we can.

In the spring of 2015 The Chappell Group completed a significant amount of work on our vacation rental home, Casa Madalena, located in Destin, Florida. We were under tight deadlines before the rental season and our rental home was in need of some extensive repairs. We worked with Hank Chappell on every aspect of the projects and he exceeded our expectations in every way. The first project completed included extensive repairs to the exterior of the home including repair needed to plaster and flashing. The exterior was then completely painted including all of the trim, porches, deck railings, and overhang areas.

The house looks fantastic and Hank kept us up to date on progress and any issues they found during the entire project. Following that project, we again hired Hank and The Chappell Group to do more extensive painting in the interior of the home, replace all of the tile in 5 bathrooms, and to replace the stairs on our decking access to the beach. During the repair in one of the bathrooms they found water damage to a wall area. Hank called us and made recommendations on additional work needed. Again his work and attention to every detail of the work being done was outstanding. Working with Hank made all the difference in these projects. He always explained his charges and kept us up to date on what he needed to make the projects successful. He sent pictures to keep us up to date on progress, picked up supplies needed, and he made recommendations on additional repairs when they found issues instead of just patching over the problem.

We will call Hank to assist us with all of our future renovation projects and would recommend him for any projects you may have. His work ethic, attention to detail, and communication are outstanding. Hank has such a great attitude and was such a pleasure to work with.

This fall we had a narrow window of time to totally renovate the ground floor of our townhouse at Quiet Surf Il, Unit #8. Our time line was three weeks and we hired Hank Chappell's Group to oversee every aspect of the work from demolition of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, storage of the furniture, to painting all walls and ceilings.

He also handled replacement of some rotten wood and painting on the exterior. Once the initial demolition, repainting, etc. was complete, we installed the new cabinets with Hank's people coordinating the work from electrical, plumbing, paint touch up and tile and grout replacement. The townhouse was completed on time and within budget with the Chappell Group responding as necessary to conclude a great looking project. Working with Hank was a great experience, with Hank always keeping us appraised of the progress, issues that might come up, and where we were on the schedule. I can highly recommend Hank and the Chappell Group for any projects you may have. Hank is very positive and has a "can do" attitude.