Husband-wife team constructs ideal working relationship

Oftentimes when a couple is building a custom home or putting on an addition, it is the woman who ends up handling the day-to-day decisions.

Especially when that woman is a stay-at-home mother, these challenges often become hers to solve because she is the person who is most readily accessible to the builder.

Cathie Sanzeri feels that works to her advantage.

She and her husband, Chris, own Carol Stream-based CMS Builders, which builds custom homes in the $900,000 to $1.2 million range, constructs additions and finishes basements, primarily in the far West suburbs.

"Many women seem to feel more comfortable dealing with another woman when they are building their home or having construction done," Cathie says.

"They like having a female that they can have a conversation and develop a friendship with instead of dealing with an old-time contractor who doesn't want to talk with the 'little woman.'

"Besides, I am very flexible and willing to do things that other contractors won't do," she says.

Cathie works as the project manager for CMS. She sells the jobs, works with customers, pulls permits, advises homeowners on financing, schedules subcontractors and pays bills.

Chris, a third-generation carpenter, is the president/construction manager. He manages the subcontractors on site and does the framing.

"I try to keep everyone happy on the job and Cathie is the hammer," Chris quips.

Most of CMS' work is done in Naperville and St. Charles, although they have also built homes and additions in Roselle, Carol Stream and Bloomingdale. And their referrals are exclusively by word-of-mouth.

Their dream house: A home in Florida that is a combination of contemporary and traditional with lots of windows, a pool and an ocean view.

Favorite new home amenity: Gourmet kitchens.

Background: Chris Sanzeri likes to say that he has had a hammer in his hand since he was 7 years old and since his father and grandfather were both carpenters, that is probably true. The Medinah native began working full-time as a carpenter right after graduation from Lake Park High School and for many years he framed high-end homes for a custom builder.

In 1996 he started CMS as a rough carpentry business and in 2000 expanded its scope to include building custom homes and small commercial structures, as well as doing residential remodeling and addition work.

He met Cathie, a Bloomingdale native, and married her soon after her graduation from Lake Park High School. They have four children between the ages of 23 and 13 and she was a stay-at-home mother during most of their growing up years.

When she was no longer as busy at home, it was Cathie who urged Chris to expand the business and she went into partnership with him, handling most administrative dealings with customers and suppliers, freeing time for Chris to do the construction work he enjoys.

Details: In addition to their rough carpentry subcontracting business, CMS builds two custom homes in an average year. They recently completed a $1 million-plus, 4,800-square-foot prairie-style home in Bloomingdale and a $900,000 home in Roselle. They also do small commercial jobs, like a maintenance building at a local parking garage, in addition to many residential additions and remodeling jobs.

For custom homes, buyers come to CMS with architect's plans, but for remodeling jobs, Chris usually handles the design work by consulting with the customers, Cathie explains.

Their philosophy: "We try to do things in such a way that we get the end result that I would want if I was going to be living in that house," Cathie says. "We treat every project personally and we get to know every family we work with."

Buyer profile: Most CMS customers are move-up buyers with families who are looking for more space, Cathie says. They usually have purchased an older home and hire the Sanzeris to tear it down and replace it with a custom home.

Best part of the business: "I love the fact that I can set my own hours and could be around when my kids were younger and they needed me more," Cathie says.

"I like the fact that at the end of each day I can see what I have accomplished," Chris adds. "And I love being able to drive around and see the houses that I have helped build."

Biggest challenge: "As a woman, I had to earn the respect of all of our subcontractors," Cathie admits. "Basically I have just let them know that I am running the job and handling the money, so if they want to get paid, they better do their job and do it right."

Biggest changes seen in the business: "Architects are getting more innovative and houses are getting bigger," Chris says. "When I frame a house now, I have to spend a lot more time there because of all the tray ceilings and dome ceilings and other new things they are designing more and more often."

Cathie sees many changes in the buyers. They are much more knowledgeable today, thanks to the Internet, she said. Their most recent clients, for instance, extensively researched everything that went into their home.

Future plans: "We will continue to do all kinds of jobs from custom homes to framing, remodeling and basements," Cathie said. "But with this economy, we just can't plan too far ahead."

• For information, contact CMS Builders at (630) 293-4079 or visit www.csmbuilders.org.