Berkeley Design Center

I'm a retired builder/remodeler. Over the years I've worked with many subcontractors from all the…read moretrades and none have been easier to work with, more professional or have produced more impressive results than Efren and his team at Bay Countertops. Tobee runs an efficient installation and shares many helpful insights. The office staff makes every effort to work with your schedule. And I still marvel at the way the cutters have matched the veins in my quartz countertops. The showroom is well designed without being overwhelming, and is just a short drive over the Richmond Bridge from Marin to the Marina Bay Parkway exit off of 580.

I had a great experience with Bay Countertops. The owner, Efren showed up exactly when he said he…read morewould for the consult and estimate. He was efficient and detail oriented while taking the template for my countertops, and the turnaround time for install was exactly as promised. A week later Tobee and Enrique showed up, walked me through the process, and after I answered a couple questions they had the countertop in and looking great. Overall I would highly recommend them and I will definitely use them again in the future.

Kitchensync

4.7

(25 reviews)

Several years later, we are still loving our kitchen with the cabinets and countertops we got from…read moreKitchensync. It is highly functional and beautiful, holding up well, and cat-friendly.

We did a kitchen remodel several years ago and our contractor recommended KitchenSync as the place…read moreto get our cabinets. They worked with us to get the best choice to fit our budget and layout. (We got Mid-Continent cherry cabinets that we're really happy with.) Fast forward to 2022 and a hinge on one cabinet door had come loose, causing the door to sag slightly I called the shop and asked if we needed a special tool because Phillips and slot screwdrivers were not working very well. Jeffrey looked into it and confirmed that we needed a Pozidrive #2 bit (available at Ace Hardware for $2). Sure enough, problem solved. The point being, they are great to work with and will stand by their products and customers years after the sale. Can't ask for more.

Schicker Luxury Bath

4.9

(18 reviews)

Shams, TC & Ryan, project mgr., Diego and Daniel, installer, Casey, Pamela Martucci, all worked…read moretogether, from the very beginning proposal to the finishing touches, seamlessly. Easiest experience I've ever had with a remodel. And I was a nervous Nelly like no other. I've never done anything in the 20+ years I've lived here so I was scared to death of being ripped off and taken advantage of. I needn't have worried. Shams was meticulous with his proposal, outlining and detailing every step of the procedure. He was patient and explained everything in terms I understood. Next came to work: They covered my carpet taking care to make sure that they picked up after themselves at the end of each day. The noise and disruption was minimal. Every step was explained and they didn't mind my occasionally observing and asking questions. Em, my cat, thinks they were purr-fect! Impressive how well SCHICKER worked with Pleasanton's permit inspector in all three phases, to complete this project on time. SCHICKER's lifetime warranty assures me that if I have any issue in the future, all I have to do is call them. And I will!! I highly recommend this company if you're interested in integrity, reliability and professionalism.

From design to completion, a professional job at a fair price…read more Workers were pleasant, finished on time, clean up was perfect. A beautiful, new, walk-in shower.

Paragon Kitchen & Bath Studio

3.9

(40 reviews)

•$$$

So this morning I was making coffee in our newly remodeled kitchen. Everything about it is…read moreimproved. The space is small, less than 120 sq. feet in our mid-1920's era house, and yet there is an amazing amount of counter and storage space, and the workflow between range, fridge, coffee station and sink is natural and makes sense. Everything is light and airy looking and the space looks modern yet retains the feel of early 20th century construction. Tile, counter, cabinets, floor and paint are complimentary, and soothing. There's even a range hood for handling cooking exhaust. We could not be happier with the outcome of our project, and we realize that engaging Aimee Toy Inouye at Paragon Kitchens and Bath was the number one reason for the success of our remodeling project. Rewind 4 months. My wife and I decided our 90s-era old kitchen had to go. Massive dark granite counters/backsplash was cracking, Ikea cabinets were crumbling, lighting was dim and we could barely lay out a cutting board for meal prep. We knew enough subcontractors that we thought we could handle the project ourselves, but how were we going to best change the space? We investigated kitchen design firms and the upfront cost seemed shockingly high. Paragon's quote was in the middle of several firms we investigated, but still, we were thinking we could save money right away by figuring out a design ourselves. Keep in mind, engaging a designer will be your first expense. Later on you will be writing check after check without thinking twice but in the beginning, you will hesitate. You will think, they can spit floor plans out of a computer in an hour. It's a counter and some cabinet boxes and some tiles. Plug in the numbers and it's done. You will think of the cost of designer time, when you really should think of the cost of designer expertise. You are paying for knowledge, experience, and talent, which actually is priceless. In this case Aimee's knowledge, experience and talent were an amazing bargain. She and her partner Christina visited our kitchen several times and talked to us about our issues and what we wanted out of a remodel. They took exact measurements, and then several weeks later came back with renderings of four different layouts, with pros and cons listed for each. We worked with her and in the end combined two of these proposed designs and asked for cabinet estimates, a counter source, and advice on paint, flooring and tile. Here Aimee's contacts were key. We visited a slab yard in Berkeley together and picked out stone that would work with her design, and found complimentary backsplash tile and flooring. She put together a cabinet order that was complex and complete, with a company that gave a firm delivery date, and with that in place we were able to start demo on Jan 5. Paragon provided a complete set of layout and elevation plans with all measurements that our electrician, cabinet installer, tile contractor and plumber used with everything accurate and complete. Because of her assistance, we experienced smooth sailing step by step, and the project was completed exactly one month later! Throughout the process, Aimee was instantly responsive with questions about delivery, measurements, paint colors, lighting fixture suggestions, and sink and faucet recommendations. Everything she recommended worked perfectly, and when everything was finished the results were amazing. We could not have been more pleased. My wife and I recommend Paragon highly. Remember when considering engaging a designer, that you will be living with the end result for many years, long after the memory of starting the ball rolling has faded. You will enjoy the results!

Contracting with Paragon was by far the best money we spent on our remodel. I can't say enough good…read morethings about Aimee Inouye. Not only did she capture our design esthetic beautifully, she also connected us to the best contractor, cabinet maker, countertop manufacturer, and tile supplier. Having someone in the know in the business connect you to the right folks is priceless. She also set up all of our orders for us, which meant we didn't need to count tiles or spend hours staring at fixtures trying to figure out what would fit in our bathroom space and also look good. She just took care of *everything*, was incredibly responsive and professional, and thoughtful throughout. You won't regret working with Paragon!

Amazing Stone

4.9

(64 reviews)

I received 4 quotes for stone installation for our kitchen renovation. This included waterfall and…read morebacksplashes (including one tall panel up the wall). Amazing Stone was very easy to communicate with and prompt with their quote. The breakdown: - 1 company was at $14.5K. - Amazing Stone and another company were at $11-12K. - 1 company was at $9K. We selected this company and were happy with the job they did.

They did a great job for a fireplace stone surround. Dariel was very responsive and gave us a good…read moreprice for a complicated project. They accommodated our requests and even helped with cutting some of the mantel pieces to size. The measurements were spot on even though the mantel had some imperfections in dimensions. I would highly recommend him. Bonus: My cat loves our new setup

Mission Home Remodeling

4.7

(54 reviews)

Posted this on Google reviews and it got hidden to the public. I think it's important folks know…read moreabout this experience so see below: ______________________ I had such a bad experience with Mission Home which I know will look bonkers given the 5 star reviews. I was definitely persuaded by these reviews - and now will question every business that has 5 star reviews. Do your homework and don't be fooled. Project took much longer than what it should have because they were disorganized and would forget certain things (the foreman would even admit that the PM should have told me certain things!) that I would have imagined a contractor had down pat in terms of sequencing. They use some subcontractors and you are at the mercy of their schedules. They just are not organized (you will do a lot of the reminding, checking in, following up, and certain things still may not happen). They failed inspections meaning more cost (it is their job to pass these! It says this in any contract!) If it seemed as though I was questioning something, the PM got defensive and sometimes unprofessional, gaslighting me in a very aggressive manner. I saved the communication, in fact. The people I worked with directly were young and it showed in the almost-too-casual style of communication and lack of professionalism. I surrendered towards the end and just wanted the project done and everyone gone. I feel completely foolish that I went with the significantly higher estimate thinking it would offer a smooth, superior experience. The actual people who did the work worked hard though and did nice work - hence the two stars. But at the end of the day, it's actually hard to enjoy the work as I am reminded by the months of bad experiences - up to the very end. You can find more experienced contractors out there for equal quality of workmanship and for a more competitive price. I am using a different contractor now for other work at the property - it's a 180 degree difference - they have a dedicated team for my project, meaning time to completion is more accurate and on time; they have a dedicated person to procure the finishes and fixtures, not myself; they are way more organized and even provided me a timeline of what to expect and communicate with me what time they are showing up and what progress was made that day (!!); they are bringing a truly expert eye with attention to detail that ELEVATES the space and are teaching me to ask things I didn't even know I should KNOW to ask; and most importantly, I feel truly comfortable asking questions without defensiveness and aggressive steamrolling in their answers. I received none of this level of care or expertise with MHR, and I want you to know that you should expect these things!!!

Try to get some basic quote range but they say no, they cannot do that and we have to schedule a…read moresite visit even with the measurements and picture I provide. This makes no sense because we just want to get a ballpark to see if it's even make sense to continue. But anyway, on the date of the site visit, the guy come without any tool for measurements and for note taking. The guy just spent like 20 mins walking around the house and said he will get back to us with a quote. But I never hear back from them since. I think the company is very picky on clients and like to see if they have enough money to pay for their service. If they think we cannot afford it, they will just cut all the communications. This is also mentioned by other 1 star reviews.

Elegant Stone & Cabinets

(59 reviews)

Working with elegant stone and cabinets was so easy. I was worried something would go wrong, like…read morethey would cancel and adjust date, or would take lo ger than they said. But no. From beginning to end we t smoothly. We hot counter top, backslash and new sink done in 8 hours, 2 guys did all the work. It looks great, love it and would recommend.

We just redid our kitchen and our contractor sent us to Elegant Stone and Cabinets for our cabinets…read moreand countertops. Kira helped us pick out the cabinets, counter, sink, handles and she did an excellent design of our kitchen. The kitchen turned so beautiful and we are enjoying it so much! Thanks to Elegant Stone!!!!

Green Group Remodeling

(192 reviews)

I had an excellent experience working with Ron from Green Group Remodeling over the last few weeks…read morewhile exploring a garage conversion. Although I've decided to put the project on hold for personal reasons (finishing a campervan project first!), I wanted to specifically highlight Ron's incredible professionalism and dedication. I did a lot of research for this project, and Green Group was the only one out of five companies that offered both competitive pricing and a payment plan that strictly followed California law. That level of transparency and commitment to legal standards is rare and was deeply appreciated. We spent over three weeks going back and forth on the quotation and contract details. Ron was extremely patient, answering every single question I had and providing a highly detailed, transparent 16-page proposal. If you're looking for a team that is thorough, communicative, and professional, I highly recommend reaching out to Ron. They will be my first call as soon as I'm ready to move forward with the conversion!

Roy was my competent project manager and ensured that our input was valued in the process of final…read moreplanning. The marble bathroom steam room project was flawlessly executed. There were minor issues several months after the project was competed. When I research out, I got a lightning fast response from Roy and he sent Cristian who repaired both minor issues in a timely manner. I believe that after service of a project is just as important as the final finish of any project. I plan on working with this crew in the near future.

Tinka Construction

4.9

(61 reviews)

We are very happy we used Tinka Construction to remodel our small bathroom and update our kitchen…read more George and his crew are super friendly, clean, and creative at solving transitions between spaces. His team is resourceful and they did not generate excessive work to add cost. For our kitchen / laundry facelift, we updated the flooring, backsplash, lighting, and reconfigured our laundry area. George's crew helped to side vent the dryer which the big box store was unable to do. George gave valuable input on our bathroom design to optimize the small space. He had suggestions for an in-wall toilet, a corner sink, window ledge niche, and talked us out of a doorless shower (thank you!). He knows small spaces very well and was able to place the fixtures in their best locations. George would give us a heads up on our requests that were going to cost more than ~1k. He had some subcontractors come in to help with varying degrees of quality and cleanliness. We are glad he managed the plumbing contractor who had to come back 3 times. His paint jobs varied quite a bit in consistency depending on who was painting. The best part of working with George was that we were expecting our first child, and he worked very hard to complete the project before her due date. To our surprise and delight he totally finished it before she arrived!

George helped us with a complete remodel for our home in Berkeley. He and his crew (Oni, Enrique,…read moreMarvin, Wuillian) are extremely smart, honest, professional and creative. His pricing is also reasonable and transparent. We started with an awkward layout (even no room for fridge in the kitchen!) and ended with a tastefully transformed home: open, modern and feels much more spacious than before. George is patient, transparent, detail oriented (with a special eye for safety!) and always a clever problem solver on behalf of his clients. What he did for our project was too much to list, but I'm attaching a few photos where the end results can speak for itself! Contractors like George is hard to come by and highly sought after in the current environment, we would recommend him to any one who values craftsmanship and quality!

True North Kitchen and Bath

4.5

(217 reviews)

Steve Grant was awesome. Very professional, timely, thorough and personable. The crew that did the…read morework cleaned up everyday before leaving. My new shower is lovely!

Guy came out, looked at my tub, took some measurements and said I needed something custom. Said…read morehe would send me an email with the details. We went through his book and his schpiel and selected what I had in mind. Well... over a month later and no email. I guess they're not hurting for business. Thats fine, they'll get none of mine.

Innovative Tile

(61 reviews)

Zaprian from Innovative tile is a true professional and does outstanding tile work. He helped us…read moremake nice stylistic choices for our kitchen backsplash, worked fast, was very reasonable, and extremely friendly. 10/10. We HIGHLY recommend reaching out to Zaprian for any tile work, he is amazing!

Zaprian does great work highly recommended. He is professional and works with you to find the best…read moresolution.

Custom Stone

(60 reviews)

We are the owners and designers of a nearly 4,000 square foot high-end home in Marin County for…read morewhich we recently completed new construction. We hired a general contractor and agreed to use all of their selected subcontractors except for a small subset we insisted on selecting ourselves, including Custom Stone. Custom Stone came highly recommended by multiple stone suppliers and other fabricators in the Bay Area. The scope of our stone installation was large and it was critically important that we select a fabricator who had experience with higher-end homes and highest-quality installations. Our scope included a master bathroom consisting of a double vanity, an 8' tall all-slab master shower and an undermounted roman master bathtub; a large kitchen with multiple stone surfaces including a 12' x 9' island; two guest bathrooms with marble slab vanities; a guest bathroom all-slab shower; an all-slab marble surround and hearth for a 42" fireplace; a custom designed and constructed semi-precious slab backlit bar; and an outdoor BBQ counter with Neolith. At the outset of the project, Custom Stone joined us during trips to various stone yards, advised us on the considerations of different materials, and helped us to obtain the most competitive pricing with their relationships. During the fabrication process, Custom Stone sent us multiple detailed design mock-ups and welcomed us to participate in the process. They recently invested in state-of-the-art fabrication equipment and technology that enables Contractors and Owners to see exactly what output they can expect, and to efficiently and flexibly provide input into the design and configuration decisions. For example, their new 3-D Laser measuring system and real-time digital vein-matching software allowed us to approve our slab layout before the fabrication started. Custom Stone's CNC waterjet cutting machine enabled exceptionally precise cuts on the material that we didn't find possible with other fabrication firms, allowing Custom Stone to produce the highest-quality end products for our project. Custom Stone's work is uncontestably one of the highlights of the new home and has significantly enhanced its aesthetic and value. We cannot speak highly enough of their work and the process of working with them. They worked and collaborated well with other trades/subcontractors, offered up creative solutions and demonstrated an unwavering commitment to quality. When we were selecting our stone subcontractor, we considered five (5) criteria in the following stack-ranked order: (1) precision in design and craftsmanship, and attention to detail; (2) knowledge of products/materials; (3) design skill in assembling pieces to create contiguous and less visible seams; (4) use of current technology and tools; and (5) reliable and on schedule. Custom Stone achieved the highest marks across all five criteria. We would certainly recommend and hire them again for whatever scope project we consider in the future.

Highly recommend working with Dimitar and Custom Stone. They were fantastic to work with on our…read moreKitchen/Bar/Bathroom remodel. They have really great attention to detail and excellent customer service. We are so happy with how it all turned out!

Bay Countertops

4.5

(46 reviews)

Howlett Machine Works

(8 reviews)

Mike's a great guy easy to work with great attitude. He got my job completed with a smileread more

Reached out for help with custom residential metalwork. Mike generously squeezed me in on short…read morenotice and was both precise and quick in workmanship. I'm very happy with the result and the quote. I'll be sending my business to Howlett first, in the future. PS If you get a chance to visit, the machine works is an amazing place; if you need to build or modify any metal, they have the means.

Andrew's Tile

(92 reviews)

Andrew is a hardworking pro who does great work. We went with a simple white subway tile for our…read morekitchen to freshen things up, and he was able to complete the job in just two and a half days. It looks fantastic -- honestly feels like a brand new home

OMG Andrew is an excellent artist and communicator & his work is truly meticulous. I plan to hire…read morehim again for another tile project in my home.

GM Elite Tile & Stone Installation

(57 reviews)

The team was extremely professional and careful, taking a lot of care to make sure they did not…read moredamage our counters, walls, or floors. Our kitchen was usable for the entire three days they were working on the backsplash. They also helped us pick out the right grout to go with our tile! We're so happy with their work and would hire them in the future.

We hired Alfonso and his team to tile our kitchen floor and they were AMAZING: hard working,…read morepatient, meticulous perfectionists. They took their time to make sure everything was done right. The results speak for themselves. Our original kitchen floor was creaky, not level, and covered with fake wood, vinyl boards that weren't wearing well. When they pulled up the flooring, they found the subfloor was made with toxic exterior plywood boards laid over the old joists, so they had to rebuild the subfloor entirely from scratch. Alfonso gave us a choice of either laying cement boards over the existing floor (cheaper but would have raised the floor ¼" higher than the adjacent room's floor), or reinforcing the joists with stringers and lowering the subfloor, to make it level with the other room and strengthen the floor (a bit more but more polished looking). We appreciated having a choice that was budget conscious, but chose to go with the flush option. The added cost was reasonable for this unexpected work, and his team worked very hard to get it done quickly and efficiently, so they could still deliver on time. When we were indecisive about grout color, Alfonso made mockup samples of a few colors so we could see the end result more easily and was very patient and accommodating as we waffled our way through it, offering his expert opinion at every turn. The original estimate for the project was 4-6 days, and even with losing a few hours to an unexpected gas leak and the need to detour to rebuild the subfloor (literally improving our home from the inside out), they still finished on time and did a truly fantastic job. The work is exceptional, better than we could even have imagined or hoped. On top of all the obvious skill and pride in their work, Alfonso's team is among the most conscientious, hardworking crews we've ever worked with. Alfonso is friendly, warm, and communicative and made sure we knew what to expect at every stage of the project, frequently texting me with updates and talking with me onsite. His communication (and his assistant Maria!) was invaluable. We didn't move out during the work and were onsite every day so we saw up close how focused and professional they were. They made every effort to protect our other floors and to minimize dust and disruption. They cleaned up spotlessly at the end of every day (so you would hardly have known they were there). They arrived every day at 8 a.m. on the dot and worked steadily with just a lunch break through to 4:30/5. His crew was dedicated, respectful, kind, friendly, and hard working the whole time they were here. We knew we were in good hands. Of all the bids we got, Alfonso's was one of the more expensive, but it was also the most comprehensive -- including everything from removing and reinstalling appliances and baseboards, demolition and haul away, leveling the floor, laying the tile, waterproofing, sealing the grout, and cleaning up meticulously every day. Alfonso's work--given its exceptionally high quality--is absolutely worth it. Some of the other installers we talked to didn't include these end-to-end services in their costs, and it was worth every penny to have the project be handled by such professionals from start to finish. We hope someday we'll have another tiling project so we can work with Alfonso and his crew again! We really can't recommend Alfonso/GM Elite enough. Thank you, Alfonso, for our beautiful new floor!

A2Z Kitchen And Bath