We confirm receipt.
The team reads the form, reviews the path and service you selected, and replies within one business day. We stay in front of the conversation, then propose two or three consult times that fit your schedule.
Are We A Fit and Vice Versa?
For those who ease, consistency, and certain results
Tell us a little. We’ll be in touch within one business day.
Thank you. We’ll be in touch soon.
What happens next?
The on-site consult.
We walk the home with you: exterior, attic if relevant, problem spots. Documented roof health report. Materials consultation with swatches and Brava samples. No pitch, no pressure, no signature asked for.
Detailed proposal.
Flashings, ventilation, accessories, supervision, tear-off, and the planned schedule are named. If concealed conditions change the scope, the discovery and price change must be documented before that additional work proceeds.
Build week.
A named project manager and crew lead own communication, progress photos, site cleanliness, and the final walkthrough. Your proposal should identify who fills those roles.
Who Locke & Ladder is for
Not always the lowest bid. Here’s who chooses us anyway:
We are a fit for:
A more discerning client. The client who can read through the “trusted expert” jargon, stock photos, and SEO drivel littering most contractor websites.
The client who notices Locke & Ladder does not refer to them as “customers” because we feel so strongly against transactional language.
Clients who value relationship. We have never seen home improvements as transactional. Whether it’s servicing your current home over the duration, or re-imagining your next home together. Locke & Ladder values the long game and dare we say friendships formed along the way.
Clients who value consistency, communication, and certain results. We have systems to guarantee results. Part of our core ethos is the expectation of excellence. It’s one thing to say. Entirely different to live. Day in. Day out. No fear, stress, or guesswork regarding delivery.
Clients who have been burned and don’t know who to trust. Here’s a secret: Most of the way we are structured is based on delivering the experience that we would desire in your position. We are also homeowners. We’ve had bad experiences with contractors too. It’s the worst. Our answer is to implement how we want to be treated and make sure we are the complete opposite of those we did not like. We’ll admit, sometimes construction gets messy and things do not go as planned. We have never left a client hanging and we never will. It’s part of our DNA. We stay on top of it until it is right. Founder Jon Strand is often heard in production meetings banging his fist on the table exclaiming, “knocking out punch list quickly is arguably more important than the actual install.” Locke & Ladder is for people who don’t want to wonder whose side their contractor is actually on.
Clients who value taste.
Clients who value their own time.
When we’re not a fit:
No offense. It’s not you, it’s us…akay maybe it’s you. But we’re not here to judge.
True Low Bid. If this is the dominate criteria for either commercial or residential, we are not your company. The race to the bottom (and out of business) is not a race we are willing to run in.
That being said. Be careful of paying more to own less in the long run. You save $1,000 up front only to pay $7,000 more in energy bills. That math isn’t mathing but we see it happen all the time. One of our favorite things is to help “price sensitive” clients avoid this situation. We’ve trained our sales guys to say “Before you say no, at least let us put an offer on your plate.” Only seems fair we say it here.
If you don’t care about quality. Our values are probably not aligned. We wish you all the best anyway.
Project is outside of our service area. We have made special considerations for clients in adjacent service areas. For example, our Indy market has serviced Lexington and Louisville, KY.
Reach us directly.
Carmel, IN office.
Locke & Ladder
3077 E 98th St, Suite 275
Carmel, IN 46280
(317) 662-2169
Monday – Friday 8:00a – 6:30p
Saturday 10:00a – 5:00p · Sunday closed
Burr Ridge, IL office.
Locke & Ladder Chicago
8004 S Madison St
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
(708) 859-6942
Monday – Friday 8:00a – 6:00p
Saturday – Sunday closed
FAQ
Schedule a Consult
What happens after I submit the consult form?
Within one business day, the Locke & Ladder team responds to confirm receipt and propose two or three consult times that fit your schedule. The consult itself is on-site whenever practical: we walk the home with you, listen, look, and take notes. No pitch, no pressure, no signature asked for at the visit.
Do I need to have everything figured out before the consult?
No. Most homeowners arrive at the consult with photos, a rough scope idea, and a few questions. We bring the catalog, sample swatches, project proof from nearby installs, and a structured decision framework. The consult is where the scope gets defined, well before any contract is signed.
How long does it take to receive a proposal?
Typical residential proposals land within five to seven business days of the consult. Brava and other specialty-roof projects sometimes take longer because the scope detail requires more material spec work. Insurance-claim proposals follow the adjuster’s timeline.
Who will I be working with?
Each project gets a single named project manager: typically Caleb, named repeatedly in our Google reviews, plus the specific crew lead for the trade (Jay for windows, Charles and Joe for whole-home installs). Reviewers consistently note that the same names show up on the install days as on the consult.
Is Locke & Ladder the right fit for my project?
We are a strong fit when (1) scope clarity matters more to you than lowest price, (2) the home is a long-stay or architecturally significant property, (3) the project involves long-life or design-specific materials like Brava synthetic cedar, James Hardie, Pella, or copper detail, or (4) you’ve had a previous bad contractor experience and want a project run differently. We are not a fit when lowest bid is the dominant decision criterion.
Is Locke & Ladder the cheapest contractor?
Usually not. Lower bids may be appropriate for simple work, but they can also omit flashing, ventilation, trim, supervision, or cleanup.
What should a homeowner look for in a contractor quote?
Look for named materials, quantities, flashing, ventilation, tear-off assumptions, exclusions, warranties, project management, and cleanup.
Do you offer financing?
Financing options can be discussed after the project scope is clear. The Cost & Scope Index is a project-planning tool, not a financing calculator or credit offer. Available programs and terms depend on the lender, project, and applicant.
Can I bring a competitor’s quote to the consult?
Yes. Send or bring the quote before the consult. During the consult we can identify scope questions to ask—ventilation, flashing, tear-off, accessories, supervision, and change-order terms. You do not need to hire Locke & Ladder before that conversation.
If the form isn’t your style, call us.
Each office has its own direct line: call whichever metro fits your project. Carmel / Indianapolis: (317) 662-2169 · Burr Ridge / Chicago: (708) 859-6942. We answer during business hours; outside those, your message is returned within one business day.