This is a review long overdue but has the benefit of an extended perspective and extensive experience with Dihedral and Chad Gailey. The bottom line is this: Chad Gailey is a five-star builder and if he does work for you, count on a five-star outcome. Here’s why we feel this way:
For a variety of reasons, my wife and I had to move forward with our Jim Sykora-designed PNW contemporary custom home on a challenging, steep hillside lot overlooking Skagit Bay during the height of the pandemic. I’m sure Chad would be the first to agree it was a fraught process—all the tribulations of that period were present: wildly gyrating materials costs, supply chain disruptions, subs’ schedules derailed by illnesses, labor shortages and other factors. One of the themes you’ll note in other reviews is the extent to which Chad is a partner and collaborator and that was emphatically our experience in a demanding, chaotic environment, but to that I would also add problem-solver par excellence. Whether rejuggling work schedules, looking for alternatives when materials skyrocketed (or weren’t available) or dealing with unexpected construction or design challenges (along with myriad others) he was cool, calm and solution-focused on a path forward, assuring quality and design integrity while mindful of costs. We had the advantage of being close to the building site so were frequently with Chad and could observe his problem-solving behavior with others as well as experience it ourselves as he provided options and alternatives to us. We felt we had a trusted partner all the way through.
Another theme you’ll note is “Chad is a craftsman and designer.” The stairwell to our B level is one of the focal points in our great room and Chad personally sourced the black walnut for trim and railings, milled it in his shop and installed all the pieces. Visitors with discerning eyes for detail frequently comment on the beauty of the installation and the fine, tight joints. He also came up with a lighting plan for the stairs to the B level to accommodate my failing vision. He explained it was not just a matter of illumination, but also, contrast—creating shadows that clearly demarked tread edges (see photo). Working with the electrician, he designed an LED system routed up and behind tread edges creating with light and shadow a safe stairway for me. Combined with dimmers, this is now a stunning architectural design feature as well as a functional low vision solution. These are only several examples on a personal level; extended to large, complex projects such as ours, his commitment to quality craftsmanship extended to the high bar he set for his workers and sub-contractors. I was consistently impressed with the firm but respectful way he communicated expectations, or, occasionally, remediations, to either his staff or subs. And, I consistently noted how they respected him back—and performed.
We are now a few weeks past our three-year occupancy permit anniversary, so there’s ample “lived in” perspective. The house is spectacular (designer Jim Sykora also gets credit for that) and is performing beautifully. This is in contrast to several of our neighbors whose custom homes by “high end” local builders have been beset by various significant problems. So: now with over five years total experience with Dihedral and Chad specifically, we can say without qualification we love our house and Chad’s still one of our favorite people to have an [N-A] IPA with. We maintain that’s a five-star outcome by any standard.
