Building Efficiency did a great job on making my home more comfortable and efficient. They did attic, wall, and subfloor insulation. My house is in the Sunset district and it is always cold there. Before any work was done, it used to be about 66 degrees in my home in July. The insulation made a HUGE difference in the comfort of my home. Now it is warm (73 degrees) without using the furnace. I'll update this as I go through my first winter with the insulation as to how long it holds this temperature. David was very professional in every aspect of the work. Even when I had some issues, he never sighed or got frustrated. He treated me with respect and tried everything he could to help me resolve my issue. He is a true professional. The insulation crew worked fast and did a great job. It was very messy but they did a great job cleaning up daily. They respected my property and belongings by masking and covering it up. One tech gave me smart remark and a crooked look when I had made a request and I thought that was unprofessional but he did get the task done. This company is courteous, polite, professional, and they sure know what they are doing. I highly recommend Building Efficiency to help improve the comfort of your home. read more

I was referred to Building Efficiency through the CA Energy website and could not be happier with their service. Ben, David, Sarah and all whole crew were very patient, courteous and informative on my project - helping understand my various options, benefits and what to expect along the way. I had my old gravity furnace and asbestos duct replaced, walls and attic insulated and doors and chimney sealed. My house is nice and cozy. David also helped me install an air purification system. I appreciate all their efforts to follow-up, the thorough cleaning crew after the job and most especially their quick follow through to submit the paperwork to get my rebate from PG&E. Great people to work with (including all the crew) and welcome to my home - respectful, courteous and hardworking professionals. Thank you Building Efficiency! read more

Just had my insulation done with Building Efficiency, and it was very worth the extra time and money! They provided great service every step of the way. The two men who did the insulation, Jose and Lalo, showed up on time every day, were professional and courteous, answered all of our questions, and in every way went above and beyond. They took special care to cover furniture and protect our apartment from dust, and cleaned up after themselves before the left at the end of every day. I was very impressed. The patching crew didn't just fill the holes with stucco, they had special products to match the texture of our walls (which, for some reason, all have different textures) so that once we repaint you won't be able to tell where the holes here. I didn't expect this, and know several of the companies I took estimates from weren't planning on doing any covering or batching besides filling the holes. Best, the cleaners did a deep clean of our whole apartment after all the workmen left. All three of these groups worked seamlessly together, and it was a stressless as such a process could have been! Meanwhile, we instantly noticed the difference in street volume, and haven't turned our heater on since. I got estimates from six companies. Building Efficiency was the most expensive, but they definitely did the best job and I don't believe any of the others would have come this close to protecting our space and cleaning up after themselves. I will recommend them to everyone! read more

The people at Building Efficiency were EXCELLENT. We live in the outer sunset and my husband and I are doing our best to make our house the most energy efficient we can. They walked us through the process. Everyone was very nice and very knowledgeable. They gave us great tips on how to improve our house including putting a balloon in our chimney, blowing in insulation and other things we had not thought of. David spent time with us first on zoom and then he came to our house. We got insulation installed and it is an unbelievably amazing difference!! Our house feels warm and cozy now. When we turn on the heat, it heats up really fast and stays warm. Also, the guys who put in the insulation were so great and did an amazing job. It is hard work and they did it so well. We are so thankful. We are already saving money on our PG&E bill and also helping the environment. I was so impressed by these guys and will continue to call them to help us convert our heat to electric... which is our next step. THANK YOU Building Efficiency. You all make a huge difference. read more

David H and his team are top-notch. Even Sarah H is great at managing the office. My wife has been complaining about the hot and cold areas in our house for years and I've been frustrated with our $300 to $500 PG&E bills. We had another firm give us an energy assessment a couple years ago but we couldn't afford to act back then. Once we had cobbled some money together and once there were more rebates to apply, we decided to try again. Building Efficiency's assessment was more comprehensive than their competitors but even more important, was David's insight on which fixes would give us the biggest bang-for-the-buck; i.e. which improvements (that the other firm recommended) were not worth doing. In the end, they upgraded our furnace, put in a tankless water heater, new insulation in the attic and sealed all the drafty pipes and vents in the house. it was costly, but the rebates made it worthwhile and cut 33% of the cost. It also took a long time to get everything right, but I know from experience that working with a bunch of different contractors on different projects takes twice as long as expected. So expect that. The one complaint that I voiced was that their plumbing contractor's employee didn't know all the codes in my county (San Mateo vs San Fran) and made 2 fairly big mistakes when installing the hot water heater. Both were fixed, and there was never a night we didn't have hot water, but it was a good lesson I think for the B.E. team to be sure they're sure what rules are different depending on which county they are working in that day. Overall though, this is still a 5-star company that provides an important service in a very professional way. I'd highly recommend them and hope everyone improves the energy efficiency in their homes. It's worth it now that i see my cheaper PG&E bills. read more

David and his crew did a great job upgrading energy systems in my house. They performed an audit, discussed deficiencies, we made a plan, and they came in and took care of business. The workers were clean, efficient, and good guys! They replaced my noisy 30 year old furnace and the asbestos laden ducts with a new furnace and insulated duct-work. Insulation was installed in the basement. The floors seem a lot warmer. They drilled holes throughout in interior and blew in insulation. I could barely tell where the patched holes were! Their cleaning crew was great. Did not see a bit of dust after! Bottom line: Professional, personable, quick, efficient company. The results of their labors were felt immediately. The house seems more comfortable now. In addition, I received a nice rebate check from PG&E soon after Sarah submitted the required paperwork!! Well done Building Efficiency! Thanks. read more

I am very happy with the work and the service I received from Building Efficiency. My old victorian home was very drafty and I needed insulation. The whole team was very professional and performed quality work. They worked with me to schedule the project around my timeframes and completed it quickly and on time. In addition, the pricing was competitive if not the best I could find. I wasn't sure how much rebate I was going to be able to get and I think BE was able achieve the maximum possible rebate for the work I did. They also handled all of the paperwork and I have since received both rebates, one from PG&E and one for the energy assessment. Last and maybe most important, my house is SO much warmer! The heat was on constantly and now it heats the place up for a few minutes and then isn't on for the rest of the evening. My one recommendation to the office was a more communication on who was showing up and when, once the plans and schedule was finalized. I realize it's a big team but just wanted to know who was going to be running the project. Highly recommended. read more

Building Efficiency replaced the furnace, air ducts, and installed insulation. They also facilitated asbestos removal. David, Alex, and team were incredibly professional and educational throughout the process. I really enjoyed my interaction with the whole team. Highly recommend them for energy assessments and upgrades! I received the energy rebate (about 32% of the total cost) within 6 weeks and my first PG&E bill was nearly 50% lower than the same timeframe the previous year. Thank you! read more

Building Efficiency recently did major renovations to my home. I had some leaking windows that caused subterranean termite to find my house and feast on my back wall. The damage was quite extensive and I am so thankful I had Building Efficiency come fix the problem. The wall that leaked takes the majority of the winter-wet weather when a storm comes through. My house sits on the side of San Bruno Mountain and gets bombarded with wet weather even in the smallest of storms. Scott from Building Efficiency immediately recognized this. He helped me to understand how he would rebuild the wall stronger and how he could keep the wall from leaking using advance home technologies and materials. The outside of the wall was completed in early December. We had a number of heavy rains after the wall had been finished. While the inside sheetrock was under construction there were a number of heavy storms that rolled through. Since I was able to se the inside of the wall during these storms I was able to observe how successful Scott had been at keeping the water out. Now that the inside is done I am able to feel the full effects of the improvements Scott and Building Efficiency did. The entire house is warmer and there are no leaks. The price was affordable, Scott and Dave are easy to work with and understanding. They listen to any concerns you have and are eager to work with you to make sure you are happy with their work. They are extremely knowledgeable and bring with them years of experience and experience. I highly recommend Building Efficiency. read more

We had building efficiency install a hot water heater and furnace for us. Owner David is very responsive and helpful. He came up some really smart ideas and helped us saved a lot of storage space by putting furnace in the crawlspace. Yesterday there was some confusion about how the furnace works and I called David, he showed up promptly and explained how the 2 stage furnace worked. I highly recommend Building Efficiency and their great customer services. read more

Hi found Dave and his crew at Building Efficiency on Yelp and everything ran like clock work. I insulated both my attic and basement and received a rebate of about 50% to cover the cost. My home is much warm, quieter. Both Dave and his team arrived on time, did exactly what they needed to do and then cleaned up after themselves. The process could not have been easier or more professional. Thank you! read more

We had a very dirty/old garage with an outdated heating system in Sunset, SF. The owner, David, was very knowledgeable and gave us good recommendations. The workers later came in and finished the work on time. I'm impressed by their professionalism and the attention to details. My garage and heating system look great right now. The pricing was straight forward and honest. I would recommend Building Efficiency to anyone ! read more

After years of dealing with a freezing cold flat I finally made the decision to insulate. It has been one of those why-didn't-I-do-this-sooner things. My flat has gone from a tree house, subject to the whims of the weather, to a consistently comfy fortress. I haven't turned on the furnace once, NOT ONCE during this SF summer. Building Efficiency made it an easy process. They were a real pleasure to work with and were very considerate, timely and on budget. I appreciated everything from the great communication I received to the expert patching they did to the thorough cleaning that followed the work. With PG&E offering such great rebates there really is no excuse for not getting this energy-saving work done. BE took care of all the rebate paperwork to boot! Thanks guys! Highly recommended. read more

In Sept. 2020, I hired Building Efficiency to install air conditioning, ceiling insulation , a gas furnace, and all new air ducts in my San Rafael home. I am very satisfied with how my entire project was handled. David Hamburger, the owner of Building Efficiency came out to my home to look at the project I wanted to have done. He was very professional, and made some excellent recommendations for my project. I received a very detailed estimate, and David worked with me to make the desired changes for my project, and there were a few. I was very pleased with the fact that Building Efficiency (Alex) handled the processing of all eligible rebates, and kept me informed of the process, as well as he kept me informed of the date my project would begin. The work was performed by the Building Efficiency crew in a exemplary manner! My home was kept neat, and tidy during the approx. 7 days that my project took place. The crew arrived on time daily, and finished as expected. I can't say enough good things about David, Alex, and the Building Efficiency crew. The inspector from San Rafael building dept. even commented on how well the air conditioner was installed. As a result of my completed project, my home is now well insulated, has a great new furnace, and I have enjoyed the temperature in my home, even on the hottest summer days. Thank you for a job very well done. I recommend Building Efficiency in S.F. without any hesitation at all. I tend to be a very particular customer, and I write this review with great pleasure. Thank you, David, and the entire Building Efficiency team! read more

I contacted Building Efficiency to help my home retain heat. The service rep Dave came out and spent time exploring the house, offered several options and patiently answered questions. I was impressed by the professional and thorough process, from initial consultation to full and detailed estimate. I did not feel pressured to buy, but I would definitely use them for any project. read more

I heard these guys were great and I was excited about my home energy audit. After a series of back and forth phone calls, we set up a time and I was asked a few questions about our house. Suddenly I was told the company was not interested in doing a my home energy audit because it didn't sound like there was 'a big project' on the other end of the audit. In other words paying them $450 to show up and check out your place = not interesting enough. I'm sure their service is amazing if you have a big project. They could be more explicit about that up front. Some energy wasted so I'm off to find efficiency elsewhere. read more

Why didn't I do this sooner? Building Efficiency's team was in and out in three days, leaving our house perfectly clean. We immediately noticed a difference in our home's comfort and had to lower the thermostat to keep us from being too hot. Highly recommended. read more

Customer service is back in fashion and Building Efficiency delivered. Last May, I reached out to get a house fan installed as well as add attic insulation to keep things cool. Before the modification, I peaked with a house temperature of 92F on some of our hotter days in 2014. Since the insulation, I only hit 80F once in 2015. Needless to say, I've been quite happy with both additions in keeping a cooler house while avoiding AC. 3 months out of warranty, the house fan need a service call. David came out and worked with the manufacturer to solve the problem. Even though it was just out of warranty, he wanted to make sure I remained a happy customer. It's nice to do business with a company that does great work and you know will be there when problems arise (if they do). read more

This is my first Yelp review in a while, I usually don't get around to writing... but I am motivated because of the very complete and effective job done by Dave Hamburger and the people at Building Efficiency. About two months ago I contacted BE by e-mail to discuss getting a home energy audit. They got right back to me and we scheduled a time. During the audit, they identified several very obvious areas of energy drain, including duct leakage and air infiltration. We then scheduled to have them come out and address these. The duct sealing addressed leaks of ducts into attics, walls and crawl spaces. Leakage was reduced from 15% to 6%. Overall I spent about $1600, including the audit. I estimate I will have around 10% less heating and cooling expense. Since these are around $5000 a year for me, I will save about $500 a year. This will pay off in just over 3 years. And the house is much more comfortable. And I feel a lot less piggy about this consumption. Thanks to Dave and his team. They are very knowledgeable, professional, and a pleasure to have around the house as they do their work. read more

I selected Building Efficiency to replace my 70 year old gravity furnace after talking to several other contractors. The project involved removing and replacing asbestos ducting for two units and installing a high efficiency unit. Every person I encountered from Building Efficiency impressed me. Dave was extremely patient in answering my long list of detailed questions, his office staff was proactive in managing the PG&E rebate process, and every person who set foot on my property was skilled, respectful, conscientious, communicative and did excellent work. I would have been happy to have every one of them join us for dinner. Shortly after Dave and his crew began work, I wanted to make a significant change to the project. The BE team was flexible, creative and informative in addressing my new goals, and Dave was fair in negotiating a modest change to the project cost. Last week the building inspector visited to clear the project. His sole remark: "I wish everyone did it right like this." All in all, I got a good product and will be happy to call on Building Efficiency again. read more

We appreciated how Building Efficiency measured the efficiency of our older, drafty house. What a difference to have a new, modern, efficient furnace! We liked how they coordinated different teams of experts (electrical, roofing, asbestos abatement) and filed all our paperwork to enable us to get rebates from both PG&E and SF for the energy upgrade work we had done. read more

Building Efficiency did a fantastic job. They were in and out of our house, clean, in five days, full weatherization, furnace replacement, the works. They followed up to make sure our rebates were processed (saving us $thousands). AND, whenever we wanted info or help after the job, they were always there. I can't see any other company beating that. read more

The team at Building Efficiency conducted a thorough audit of our home energy efficiency needs, then prepared an itemized list of potential upgrades. We worked with them to prioritize the greatest efficiency improvements, and maximize our rebates. They did an expert job insulating our entire home, air sealing, and making substantial improvements to our furnace ducting. Today we live a well insulated home with good air quality that retains its heat. We highly recommend them. -- Brian & Kelley read more

Scott and Jerry from Building Effeciency did a fantastic job on my kitchen and bathroom renovations. Couldn't be happier with the process and the work they did and would happily recommend them to anyone. read more

Since I posted my review here, Building Efficiency did reach out and offer a full refund on my install fee (I accepted a partial refund). I do sympathize with BE to some extent given how bad Nest is at supporting its products and its installers (e.g., changing the types of systems supported midstream). However, this doesn't change the fact that I would expect a higher level of professionalism from a certified Nest installer. read more

We're having Building Efficiency replace our asbestos covered ducts and insulation. So far, the team has been nothing but super professional! They have been prompt and clean up well after themselves. Heather and David have been super responsive and accomodating, especially on allowing me to spread our payments over the course of a few months. Beto was very courteous and even brought us space heaters when we won't have our furnace available for a few days. These guys are the best! 5 stars! read more

These guys know their stuff! They transformed our old 50's rancher from a drafty, cold, energy dissipater into a warm, comfortable, modern-feeling home. Couldn't be happier with the quality, follow-through, professional staff and price. All very solid and well under quotes from competitors. Highly recommended! read more

Building Efficiency just update the Furnace, AC, ducts and Insulation for us. The workers are very professional and did a great job. They also try to minimize the impact to our normal life during their work. Although there are some unexpected issues coming up, the schedule didn't slip too much. We are very happy with the work and looking forward to see how our energy bill goes down this winter. Thanks to David and his team! read more

Building Efficiency does fantastic work. They replaced the furnace, put in a whole house purifier, a tank-less water heater, and a device that creates "positive" pressure. These upgrades made my home more energy efficient. The best part was getting back "clean" air to breathe in my home. I was robbed of clean air due to a chain smoking neighbor who smoked 24/7. For the past 10 years, I had more than a dozen air purifiers running 24/7, but I still had asthma attacks, sneezing fits and watery eyes and nose from the 2nd hand smoke that kept coming in from the neighbor's constant smoking. Two of my cats died from cancer since they were extremely susceptible to the carcinogenic effects of 2nd hand smoke. After the positive pressure was in place, the first 2 days at home was like heaven since I had clean air to breathe. Air quality issues are quite difficult, and upgrades do not yield results at 100%. I am glad that David will have more ideas for me to keep the air in my home clean and breathable. I will not have to think about moving out of my precious home anymore. read more

It was a pleasure working with Building Efficiency. From the informative energy audit that they performed at the beginning of the project (required and rebated as part of the PG&E rebate process) through the abatement of the old asbestos covered ducts to the installation of the new furnace / ducting system Building Efficiency was thoroughly professional and effective. We're thrilled with the improvements to our house, and look forward to the next phase (insulation) soon. Building Efficiency's front office (Becka) was very effective at processing the rebate material and handling paperwork in a timely fashion - we're looking forward to receiving a rebate in excess of that originally estimated (the improvements to our home's efficiency was better than that forecast). David was helpful before/during/and after the project helping us to keep our house comfortable when the old furnace was not functional. After the project he helped us deal with a problem that arose after another contractor finished their work, eventually sending his team back to find and fix the problem that the other contractor had diagnosed but was unable to pinpoint. read more

Just finished contract with Building Efficiency at my 1962 built home. Two teams worked here. First replaced 20 year old animal damaged furnace ducts & installed whole house fan. Second team installed new insulation in shallow, low attic and long crawl space. Hard to believe ALL that insulation went into my house, until I look under house and think how hard they worked getting it in. Both teams impressed me. First team had to wait around on me because I wasn't available as I should have been to let them start. They kept their cool and just pitched in when I got home. That's not always true when a team or contractor gets delayed. They were professional & pleasant. They even asked where I'd like the fan control! I actually felt safe allowing them to work in my home while I went to work. Second team equally pleasant and professional. They volunteered to improve my attic space closure and insulate it. When I got home tonite they'd even gone another step further and improved my basement door to latch properly and sealed the perimeter to protect warmth. Bless them for their consideration. Unlike so many who have muttered their way around my attic and crawl space, (myself occasionally included) they just worked. Both teams clearly took professional pride in their work. I look forward to being warmer with the next storm. Able to pay on line from their invoice. The house? Not a tract home, not quite a flat roof, built on a hill and recently relieved of ugly rodent infestation in attic and crawl space. Had the rodent exclusion company also remove all the contaminated insulation they could reach. Located in San Jose, 95120. And despite poor attic access, they kept their discussion focused on how to best resolve, not complaining about it. I'd happily hire this company again. Glad they were willing to work in San Jose. read more

We bought a 90 year-old home in San Francisco and the walls are paper thin. We replaced all the windows and saw almost no improvement in how cold our house was. Our heater works amazingly and heats up the house in 30 minutes, but it only took 1 hour for it get cold again. After looking for a company that does insulation, I read about Building Efficiency on Next Door -- neighbors with similar houses had recommended it so I thought I'd give it a try. The price was higher than I expected (about $8000 for 1200 square feet), but since PG&E gives energy rebates right now, the price fell by more than half. The job took 5 days, working from 8am to 3pm each day. That was inconvenient, of course, but the results are worth it. The house maintains its temperature! If you don't have the money to do everything, just do the attic. The day after they insulated our walls I didn't notice much change. But the day after the attic was done was completely night and day. Definitely worth it if your home is leaking heat. read more

We had David and his crew replace our furnace and ducting in San Francisco. They were very professional and communicative throughout the whole process, including their assistance in streamlining the rebate process through PG&E. And I'm happy to report after one year everything has worked out great. Our new furnace is much more efficient and the ERV is a great addition to the system, allowing fresh air into the house and removing excess moisture from the air! Building Efficiency did a terrific job! read more

We were very impressed with David and Sarah and the rest of Building Efficiency's crew. They were very informative and clear about how we could improve our energy efficiency, and they were good at helping us decide which options would be best for our 93-year old home. We chose to insulate our exterior walls, plug various air leaks, got a high energy efficiency furnace, and a new water heater. All the work was done in a timely manner. Blowing insulation into the walls was a messy operation, but we were amazed at how thoroughly they cleaned up at the end of each work day. I highly recommend Building Efficiency. read more

Building Efficiency did a great job insulating our house. We hardly need to turn the heater on now and, when we do, it holds the heat longer. Along with the other changes they made, our final test-out showed our energy efficiency had improved by 50%. They also do all the paperwork for PG&E rebates which helps you save money. The workers (Lalo and Jose) are reliable, efficient and clean. I thought there would be a big mess afterward with dust everywhere but there wasn't! Highly recommend this company. read more

The guys at Building Efficiency are professional, knowledgeable, responsive, and extremely helpful! They got back to me very quickly (unlike some contractors who took their sweet time preparing a quote) and were pleasant to do business with. I recommend them to anyone and everyone!!! =) read more

We had a good experience. David, the owner, was easy to reach. Office manager, Heather, was very helpful. No high pressure sale. They also helped to file for PGE rebate. Only downside was they are very booked and it may take a while to get on the schedule. read more

David is very professional and has helped cut down electrical costs dramatically.I highly recommend getting an energy audit. The bill went from $1400.00 to $400. (big house) It was worth every penny! I have learned so much and have been able to reduce my own electrical bill (outside of work) at my apt for $15. a mnth! read more

This business seems very pulled-together and organized. David showed up at exactly the time agreed on, and was very attentive to my furnace needs and particular situation. He emailed a detailed bid that was well-thought-out and priced very reasonably. NOTE: I ended up going with another vendor, but Building Efficiency did nothing wrong and I am confident they would have done an excellent, professional job. read more

Amazing experience with David and Becka at Building Efficiency with having them pump insulation into our completely uninsulated walls. Started with the energy assessment and then a very clear quote about what would be done, and what wouldn't be done. Got it scheduled, they showed up on time, were incredibly clean at the end of each day, and were finished on time. We ended up getting more money back from PG&E than they had originally estimated. Our house is now completely different. We haven't turned our heat on hardly at all since the project and it's also much quieter. If you're going to do your insulation, use them. read more