Alan and Lori Lorig knew that someday they wanted a dream house - a beautiful home built to their specifications on a lot in Crete.

They had a number of residential contractors bid the home. It wasn’t until they consulted with Glenn VanDerAa, Sr. of VanDerAa Construction in Lowell that their dream started taking shape.

“Glenn worked with us for almost two years before we were actually ready to build,” Alan said.

“We met a number of times to discuss floor plans, roof lines and the finishing details like trim work, lighting, cabinets and tile allowances before Glenn ever gave us a bid on our house.”

What has impressed the Lorigs, they said, is VanDerAa’s attention to details.

“Other builders told us they could build our house for less, but none of them put the details into the bidding process like Glenn,” Lori said.

“Ultimately, the end result was the house we wanted, built the way we wanted it and the way the contract was written.”

A home builder for nearly 40 years, Glenn VanDerAa Sr. worked 20 of those years for other contractors as a construction superintendent and carpenter. He opened his own business in 1979 in the south suburbs and moved it to Lowell a few years ago.

Today both Glenn Sr. and Glenn Jr. work alongside their crews to complete each custom home VanDerAa & Sons Construction Inc. builds.

“We are both a general contractor and a carpentry contractor,” Glenn Sr. said. “That’s an important key to controlling the framework and trim work, which are major parts of a home.”

It also means that the VanDerAas work closely with subcontractors to guarantee that only quality products are used in the home, he said.

“We believe in quality materials, in carefully choosing materials. We watch closely what is used.”

Creating good customer relationships is another credo of VanDerAa & Sons, Glenn Sr. said.

“We treat our customers with respect. They are part of the job. They make the decisions and that’s reflecting in the design, bidding and building,” he added. The builder said he credits his faith with helping him run his company.

“Our faith in God and biblical principles dictate that we are to be honest and upright in all our dealings,” Glenn Sr. said. “We also believe this means having a servant attitude. We believe this is at the heart of our success, and this is evident by the many verbal and written testimonies of our satisfied customers.”

Alan and Lori Lorig said the VanDerAas bring their mission statement right on the job with them. They were able to observe this because the couple was at the building site daily. And every day, they said, progress was made on the house.

The coordination of the subcontractors was “amazing,” Lori said. And the home was completed before the agreed upon date.

“Glenn VanDerAa is a rare find in today’s world. He runs his business with morals and values at the forefront,” Lori said.

“His honesty, his eye for detail, his high standard for quality workmanship, his outstanding crew and his excellent choice of subcontractors made our building process a delight,” Alan added.

The Lorig’s home is representive of the type of homes VanDerAa & Sons builds, Glenn Sr. said.

The 3,300-square-foot brick and cedar two-story Georgian-style home has four bedrooms, all on the second floor, including a master suite with master bath.

The first level features a formal living room, formal dining room and an office. Across the entire back of the home’s first floor is the family retreat - a kitchen with dinette and a great room.

The home also has a full basement and a three-car garage.

Glenn VanDerAa Sr. said the homes his company builds range in size from 1,800 to 4,000 square feet and in price from $180,000 to $400,000.

Most customers bring their plans to the firm for bidding, he said.

“We seldom build two alike.” And Glenn VanDerAa Sr. said an extensive interview process with the prospective client occurs before any bids are made.

“We prefer to find out what the customer wants,” he said.

VanDerAa homes can be found throughout south suburban Illinois and Northwest Indiana. The company has built houses in such communities as Beecher, Chicago Heights, Crete, Lansing, Flossmoor, Olympia Fields, Lowell, Schererville, St. John and Munster.

“We build on mostly rural locations. We don’t buy up blocks of lots (in a subdivision). We build custom homes on the owner’s own lot.”

Alan and Lori Lorig said they’ve recommended Glenn’s company to all their friends for both new homes and additions.

“Many people go through the building process with one bad experience after another. Not us. Glenn made it enjoyable and fun.”

For more information about VanDerAa & Sons Construction Inc., call (800) 788-1662.