We were delighted with the work Topos did for us. Peter is a great listener and presented us with…read moredifferent options, made revisions to the initial mock ups per our requests and helped execute on the option we selected. He helped us find an excellent contractor and his team managed our build. We are very happy with the results and the level of service.

I'm happy to strongly endorse Peter Baltay and his crew at Topos Architects as both a design firm…read moreand as a project management service. When my wife I are were contemplating building a home, we approached Topos as we had seen a previous spec project they had done and loved it. Design elements include maximizing space utilization, minimizing hallways, lots of light and windows, beautiful wood accents, high quality trim and attention to detail all appealed to us. During our first meeting when I complained about not finding any good lots for sale, Peter pointed out a few, including one particular lot that was not yet on MLS. The location was perfect for us and I ended up buying it 7 days later. The take home is that Peter has contacts in the area that give his clients access to info not always publicly available. We interviewed many architects and came back to Topos. I didn't like how some wanted to deliver a set of plans and walk away, leaving the builder to struggle with implementation. I also didn't like how some were 'out-dated' - I wanted computer-based models so I could visualize my home before it was built. As an engineer type, Peter and Topos were a great fit. I also wanted a firm who would help oversee the process from start to end and not and not pass the potato as soon as things went wrong (without paying through the nose for a personal assistant). I knew from previous contractor experience that building a home wasn't a cake walk and I wanted someone with integrity who I would work with through the entire process - Peter gave me that impression. Perhaps most of all, I wanted to know I was paying a fair price. I hated the standard fixed bid way of building houses where you're always combatting the general contractor over quality and price. I wanted complete transparency. Topos was prepared to offer this and had multiple previous projects to illustrate how this could be done and what I should expect. I want to address some of the negative comments in one review on this site directly. Building a house is not like Extreme Makeover where you go on vacation, return home and say 'Move that Bus' and have the house of your dreams. It is a process with literally thousands of decisions and over a dozen sub contractors. Mistakes are going to happen. Some people are going to do poor work some days. The city is probably going to say you can't do something essential to your design. Some tiles look great in the store but don't work in your house. Bad things happen. If you don't like a design element, it isn't Peter's fault, it is your fault. What you want on your team is someone that will work with you to effectively manage these things, prevent them when possible and deal with them when unavoidable. I can't imagine Peter and Topos doing a much better on this front. I'm willing to bet the negative reviewer never gave Topos a chance to fix what bothered her. In our case Peter and Topos were very up-front about what services they offer and where we might consider augmenting with our own consultants. Many people hire a lighting designer, interior designer, landscape design, etc.. We only hired a landscape guy and did the rest with Topos to save money. It is up to you. Look at previous homes and see what meets your standards and what doesn't. Oh, the comment about not working hard is absurd. Peter is there 8-7 most days. And, when things do go wrong, Topos stands behind the job. In our case a tile sub messed up the master bath. Peter made them tear out thousands in tile and redo it from scratch. While the sub provided the labor, Peter paid for all the tile out of pocket claiming they should have caught it earlier. This is someone who admits a mistake and takes responsibility for fixing it. For a bonus-factor, Peter is an amazing diplomat. He worked with some frustrated neighbors to make them advocates for our project, he worked with the city to find a way top get our gutters and design approved, and most of all he worked with me (which is no easy task) for 18 months to build a beautiful home. One other thing I'll add - in retrospect I undervalued the importance of working with subs that are beholden to the general contractor for their next job. While Topos let me select which contractor to use, there is an advantage to going with ones that they have used in the past and will use again. Because Topos builds a number of projects each year, many of the best subs work from one project to the next (provided you elect to go with them). Because of this dependence, they are incentivized to finish through 110% on your project. There were a few cases where a sub has had to come back many times (often fixing someone else's problems) and they have done so without complaint and without additional 'change orders'. They do it because it is right and they want to stay on Topos' good side.

I've worked with BG design on both my home renovation and a rental property remodel, and couldn't…read morebe happier with the results. They handled both the design and build which made the process seamless from start to finish. Extremely knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and efficient in finding ways to reduce costs while maximizing space. The work turned out beautiful, functional, and on budget. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a skilled, reliable engineer who knows how to build/knows construction

We've worked with BG Design Build and Bahman in several residential and commercial projects in SF…read moreand the Peninsula, and we couldn't recommend him more. Bahman is professional, responsive, and incredibly easy to work with. His expertise as an engineer, architect, and contractor makes every phase of a project smoother. He really listens to what you want and thoughtfully incorporates your requests into the final design and execution. Whether it's a personal home build or a commercial space, he brings the same level of care, detail, and pride to his work. Truly a rare find!

Feldman Construction completed a 2-bedroom renovation with exceptional professionalism, clear…read morecommunication, and strong technical expertise. The team was organized, responsive, and attentive to details throughout the entire process. They kept the project moving smoothly and delivered high-quality results that exceeded expectations. We would confidently recommend Feldman Construction to anyone planning a home renovation.

Feldman Construction was excellent from start to finish. Ginadi the owner was communicative,…read morehonest, kind, and he and his employee were efficient and clean in their work. So happy I worked with Feldman and would not hesitate to hire them again in the future!!

We'd been planning to renovate our 100yo house for 20 years, but with its corner location and tiny…read moresize, it was near impossible to get permitted by the City of Palo Alto. We went with Greenberg because they knew how to do modern houses and how to deal with the City. We went from horrible hideous uninsulated shack to a gorgeous gem where we can Age in Place! Every single person who has walked in says, "WOW! It's beautiful! It's incredible what you guys have done!" We have friends & professionals who have built/renovated many houses all exclaim what a high-end luxe job this was! We could not have done this without Greenberg. In particular, we worked with the wonderful Ohad Sherion throughout the process who managed all the subs, city departments involved, neighbors, vendors, etc. Our attention was elsewhere as we were very busy with our work, caring for our elders, so it was invaluable that Ohad kept us up-to-date throughout the process. Ohad was able to make our wishes come true, including bathrooms with custom tiles that were no longer available--so he found us an artisan who recreated them by hand. To make the small space look and feel spacious, we went with an open concept which left few walls to hang art. From the beginning, we worked with Ohad to create a design to showcase our art collection. Ohad is persistent and works to get projects not only functional but beautiful. For example, we have a unique front door which needed to be tweaked and he patiently worked with subs to make it happen. My husband was thrilled that we ended up with a house with superb insulation (including sound), up-to-date plumbing, electrical, and lighting systems. He feels great about the new roof and solar panels. But I am in love with the amazing personal details that make this place a home (finally). We are so grateful to Ohad. Go with Greenberg to make your dream come true!

Just moved into my house and am just floored by the incredible work done by the team at Greenberg!…read moreI was originally skeptical of such a major remodel - every friend had horror stories of contactors doing sub par work, disappearing, completely, etc. I was really glad to work with Ohad, our project manager for the project. He'd worked with one of our friends previously, and so we knew he'd do a great job for our project. We also loved Greenberg's integrated approach. The architect, constructions, design and management was all done by Greenberg. This meant that the project from top to bottom was aligned with the team actually doing the construction work. My top priorities were 1) a modern home design 2) a job done with high quality 3) low stress. Ohad / Greenberg helped deliver on all of these aspects in spades. The last thing I wanted to do was have to coordinate with flaky contractors, have to re-do low quality work after a long day at work. Ohad kept the project on track and handled all the hassle of dealing with subcontractors & inspectors. Greenberg probably won't be the cheapest contractor you'll talk to, but as the saying goes - you get what you pay for. Quality work, up to code, and no drama is well worth the cost. Ohad worked with us throughout the project to consider different budget options, and gave candid advice about where he thought the budget would be best spent. Overall, highly recommend. I was referred by a friend and have put multiple friends in touch with Greenberg for their projects as well. Everyone is floored by house nice our remodel turned out and will 100% be in touch in the future for any future projects we have.

Ashish and his team have been great with our remodeling needs and overall management of the…read moreproject. We have done 2 designs with him, and both have been very smooth and at the right pace. The team is easy to reach out to and has been very responsive with communication and updates. The design team is very accommodating to the needs and very knowledgeable about the latest trends in design and material options. Highly recommend them as they are providing high-quality services at a reasonable price.

Had very good experience working with OR homes. Ahsutosh was very helpful. Came up with good…read moresuggestions to meet our needs. Shweta and Ashish made sure getting through city was smooth.

The work completed was exceptional, beginning on a Sunday and concluding with a superior product by…read moreThursday. The individual exhibited remarkable flexibility, accommodating my requests, visiting the job site, and conducting an independent review to ensure optimal results. The value of the work was very reasonable for the product received. Should future needs arise, I would unequivocally select this individual again.

Great service and quality! I recently remodeled my apartment and they did a great job. I love my…read morenew home! Definitely recommend them.

The Kastrop group are very professional company. My house was a total re-build and both Mike &…read moreBrian made this incredible task go very smooth. I would definitely use them again and would recommend the Kastrop Group !!!

We found The Kastrop Group through the Better Business Bureau. We were looking to renovate about…read more50% of our home and raising the floor in our laundry room to create a 2nd bathroom for the house. Brian V. came over to check out our house and to see if our expectations were realistic. He was very calm and organized. We found him very knowledgeable, especially about the San Mateo County permit & planning department. We interviewed a couple of other architeture firms, but found Brian at The Kastrop Group to be the best. Once we hired Kastrop, Brian quickly set up a time to come measure the entire house. Our 80 year old cottage had no central air/heat, so Brian referred us to an engineering firm that would help work out all the  computations that the permit department would need to approve this addition. As we moved through the architectural design process, Brian came up with solutions that would give us what we needed, along with a few suggestions that would provide more storage near our new second bathroom. We found Brian and Kastrop to be very accomodating with no drama. We like it when there is no drama. Once the architectural drawings were approved, we wanted to know if we had budgeted enough for the renovation. So, Kastrop had a General Contractor look at the plans and visit our house to give us some preliminary numbers. This was a big help for us and we were so thankful for this extra step. The Kastrop Group is an outstanding architecture firm that took us through the entire architecture design process with a gentle hand and no drama. We were grateful for their professionalism and their recommendations. If you are considering renovating your house, your first stop should be The Kastrop Group for impressive architectural expertise and being a great partner to navigate the county permit process.

Tom was great to deal with. He listened to our needs and design preferences. Kept to the proposed…read moreschedule and pricing was much more competitive than other quote received. I would not hesitate to recommend him.

Tom installed brand new railings and balusters for our stairs to match our new floors, and they are…read morea work of art! We've gotten so many compliments, and the whole design really elevated the look of our house. He is detail-oriented, clean, conscientious, and efficient. It took him 4 days to complete the job, and he was flexible with the timing while we were waiting for our stair work to be completed with the flooring contractors. His prices were also very reasonable, and he came in the lowest out of the three contractors we contacted. Thankfully, we got MUCH more than we paid for, and Tom was a pleasure to work with. Thank you, Tom, for your fabulous craftsmanship!