Contacted Shawn after reading reviews here on Yelp and after seeing photos of his work on Houzz. I…read morewanted to update my kitchen to make it brighter and fit in with the style of the rest of the house but needed help with what to do. Shawn took a look around, listened to what I had in mind, and thankfully told me what would or wouldn't work. He picked a beautiful quartz counter top, gave me options to choose from for the paint, faucet and hardware. He has a great team working for him. They were respectful and trustworthy. The refinished cabinets look like new. They do high quality work. He made his best effort to get things done within the time frame discussed but, as with any renovation, there were some unexpected issues that led to minor delays and affected cost. I really appreciated how his main concern was that I was happy with the end result. Before and in process photos attached (forgot to take a picture of the final product and don't want to clean the kitchen right now).

4.5 stars We did a…read morefull kitchen remodel soon after moving into our new home (before we got too settled). Due to unusual circumstances, we had a very tight timeline (see below for more details) so they were able to finish in 2 1/2 months. Overall, we are very happy with the end result and love our new, open layout! TL:DR version: - GREAT construction team/vendors and Fadil is the BEST project manager. Also the flooring contractor, Izec, is amazing. - Loved the design recommendations made by Shawn, like the floating shelves and bench by the window. - Pricing is competitive. Quality of work is fantastic. Designs are beautiful. - Area of improvement: better communication throughout the project. I had to be proactive and ask a lot of questions and follow up often. They offer both design and construction services, all under the same owner. This was convenient in that I only had to deal with one company and they took care of everything. Our project was unusual in that I was 6 months pregnant when we started the project. Typically, they don't start on construction until all materials are in stock but we needed to get things moving and completed quickly, so we ordered mostly standard sized and in-stock materials. The owner, Shawn, kept his promise on adhering to our timeline to the best of his ability, even as we ran into challenges with plumbing, structural, and electrical. His team worked tirelessly--even on weekends--to meet our deadline, without sacrificing quality or details. With any major construction, nothing is flawless. The one challenge I had, which may be unique to my circumstance, was getting proactive updates and just overall communication. At times, the construction team didn't even know what they were working on. Some of the designs didn't match the materials ordered. There was some miscommunication on which materials we were responsible for vs. what they would get for us. These were minor issues that eventually got resolved but it did cause me some stress and unrest. Highly recommend being proactive, with any big construction project, and staying close to the details... At the end of the day, despite some bumps, we now have our dream kitchen! And it was completed in record time! Last but not least, if you're told that any materials are "stuck" at the Oakland port, GET SOMETHING ELSE that's in stock. There is no ETA on when things will get unloaded at the dock...could be weeks or even months.

We worked with Douglah Designs on a major renovation of our home and are very happy with the final…read moreresult. The craftsmanship and quality of the work are fantastic, and the finished spaces look beautiful. It's clear they care deeply about design details and the overall outcome of the project. Like many large renovations, we did experience a few missteps along the way related to coordination and timing. However, what stood out to us was that the team remained engaged and focused on making sure we were ultimately happy with the result. They were willing to have open conversations with us and worked with us to find solutions so we could close the project out in a positive way. Renovations can be stressful, but we're very glad we chose Douglah Designs and love how our home turned out.

Douglah review After…read moreliving in our house for over 25 years, we decided to redo our kitchen - appliances, cabinets, floors, countertops, lighting, etc. We also wanted to update our laundry room and hallway bathroom. We were looking for a business that would handle everything from design to installation. We met with Leila Douglah and her staff in their showroom in Lafayette. Fast forward 2 years, and we now have a wonderful kitchen, laundry room and bathroom, and except for the purchase of the major appliances (refrigerator, ovens and cooktop), we never had to work with anyone else. We are very happy with the results, and while there were some snags in the construction process (that may or may not have been partly Douglah's fault), the entire process went professionally and smoothly. Douglah Designs is an all-in-one design/construction service. As you might expect, the total cost of the kitchen remodel was probably higher than if we did more of the legwork ourselves and used multiple vendors. But there are certainly advantages to offset the increased expense. The project was seamless and professional. Many of the craftsmen that Douglah Design uses are employees, not contracted. There is no finger pointing between designers and contractors; they all work together to use make things work. To us, the extra expense was definitely worth it. My wife and I are pretty picky when it comes to design, and Leila and her staff were very patient with us. We did have a similar esthetic, so we were usually on the same page from the start. Leila and Rachel Steely had a level of experience and industry knowledge that was a great advantage. Watching them work on the design and materials selection was very impressive and gave us high confidence that they REALLY knew what they were doing. As we realized, designing a kitchen is actually quite a complicated process, with thousands of details that we would not have even known about, let alone been able to address. But the designs and plans handled every detail and issue beautifully. Douglah recommended vendors and products with which they had experience and confidence, which saved us the trouble of having to vet each product, and which gave us confidence in the products. One limitation of working with Douglah Designs is that you are somewhat limited to products and vendors with which they are familiar and confident, so that may constrain your choices (and which may increase the cost of the project). But we felt that limited choices and extra cost were outweighed by the dependability and quality of the products that Douglah recommended. Overall, we were very happy working with Douglah Designs. They are not for everyone - if you have a different esthetic, or a different budget, or want more control over the process, you probably would be happier elsewhere. But if you want a top notch design and installation and have the budget, we highly recommend Douglah Designs.

I had a great experience working with Josh from Red White & Blue Construction to put in a gorgeous…read moreshower, build a staircase to connect two levels, and help me turn my storage into usable space. Josh and his team were reliable, punctual, and extremely easy to communicate with throughout the entire project. They sent updates via email and text, and explained all the nuanced details in an easy to understand way. What stood out most was their ability to problem-solve and find solutions when challenges came up, especially when working with the city of SF, which is quite a feat. Josh was approachable, dependable, and always made me feel like my questions and concerns were heard. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a trustworthy contractor.

We just finished a major home addition, kitchen remodel, covered patio, and HVAC modernization…read moreproject with RW&B. I told Josh in our last conversation that I'll call him for the next one. I highly recommend them. There are some mechanical things about doing a major project that matter for your quality of life, on which RW&B is excellent. 1) The team is there every day. 2) Change orders are straightforward. 3) Specialists are scheduled promptly and are reliable. 4) Parts purchasing is well planned. 5) The job site is clean. 6) Communications are frequent and consolidated in the group chat. Where RW&B really stands out is design vision and finish quality. We took 5 bids for the project. We chose to go with Josh because in our first meeting, he took the time to inspect and understand the space and the opportunity. He translated our idea and improved on it--throughout the project. In the kitchen, he's the one who suggested moving the range to the other wall, freeing up the floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinets and built-in appliances we wanted. For the covered patio space, all I had was a shape and vibes. He took that roughest outline, built it out, made suggestions for the finishes, and designed the beam wraps which took it to the next level. We felt that he & the team shared our desire to build something that mattered. Living in the space now, we can't even remember the before-time. It feels so natural, and fits what we wanted exactly. Highly recommend Red White and Blue Construction.

I had an excellent experience working with Quakebusters. Jerome and Francisco came to give me an…read moreestimate and helped me navigate the EBB application. Once the work began, the entire crew was very careful, thorough, and communicative. Unlike other contractors, they made sure to clean up the spaces when they were done for the day and made it a positive experience.

My wife and I went through the pretty byzantine CA Earthhquake Brace and Bolt (EBB) grant process…read morein order to get our house more quake-resilient and get the Berkeley rebate and CA grant money. I had spoken to Jerome early in the process for an estimate, and he came prepared with all sorts of literature about what brace and bolt consists of, the soup-to-nuts process and general earthquake preparedness. We had to get multiple quotes, but other contractors were either dismissive or way more expensive. Once we decided on Quakebusters, Francisco was tremendously patient with us and guided us through the entire process and helped with advice about how to gather the information we needed. The crew took exactly as long as they anticipated, arranged their own porta-potty facilities, were punctual, arranged for the special and city inspections, worked with our schedule and cleaned our crawlspace nearly better than they found it! Quakebusters were also transparent that there were cheaper options than to go through the official EBB grant process, but we decided spending the extra money for peace of mind and to have permits was out best option. Thank you guys so much! Who you gonna call? Quakebusters!

I hired Lamorinda Construction to build a detached ADU and add a new master bedroom and bathroom…read moresuite onto my home, and I couldn't be happier with the result. They met the timeline they originally estimated, which I know is not always easy with projects of this size. The quality of the construction was excellent, and it's clear they take a lot of pride in their work. Their crew and subcontractors were always professional, friendly, and respectful, and the craftsmanship throughout the project was superb. One thing I especially appreciate is the support they provide even after the project is completed. In the two years since construction finished, I've reached out a few times with minor questions or issues, and they've always responded quickly and been happy to help--even when it wasn't clear whether the issue was related to the original construction. Overall, I highly recommend Lamorinda Construction. They deliver high-quality work, stand behind what they build, and are a pleasure to work with.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel obligated to share our experience so other homeowners…read morecan make an informed decision. We engaged Kari/Lamorinda Construction while exploring a backyard renovation project. Very early in the process, we were directed toward a long list of surveys, consultants, engineering analyses, and vendor engagements that ultimately proved unnecessary for the scope of work we actually wanted to pursue. By the time we stepped back from the project, we had already spent a substantial amount of money with both her company directly and vendors she directed us to with absolutely NOTHING to show for it. Throughout the process, communication felt condescending and dismissive. Rather than helping us thoughtfully evaluate practical options within our goals, we increasingly felt pressured toward a far more extensive and expensive scope of work -- including a complete pool demolition/rebuild that we ultimately did not want to undertake. We were explicitly told that without moving forward with that major project, she would not undertake any other work on our lot. In the end, the experience felt far more focused on escalating project scope and costs than on collaborative problem-solving or customer partnership. I could not recommend this company less. My advice to anyone considering working with them is to proceed very cautiously, get multiple outside opinions, and insist on extremely clear written justification for every recommended survey, consultant, and scope expansion before spending significant money.

We had a smooth and positive experience with Bay Home Remodeling. They completely transformed our…read morebathroom, and we are very happy with the results. Tom is knowledgeable, patient, and professional. He guided us through the entire process, including when and where to purchase materials and fixtures, and kept us informed every step of the way, including scheduling and passing inspections. His crew was efficient, skilled, and pleasant to work with. They maintained a professional attitude throughout the project and delivered quality workmanship. We were so pleased with the experience that we ended up adding a few smaller projects in our kitchen as well. Their pricing was reasonable, communication was excellent, and they delivered on their commitments. Most importantly, they earned our trust through their honesty, reliability, and attention to detail. I would highly recommend Bay Home Remodeling to anyone looking for a dependable contractor for their home renovation projects.

We recently decided to remodel our shower and contacted Tom and his company Bay Home Remodeling…read more From the very beginning, Tom and his team were outstanding. Tom and his crew are truly amazing -- knowledgeable, professional, respectful, and very clean! We are extremely pleased with their work and very grateful for the quality and care they put into our remodel. We will definitely be contacting them again when we are ready to renovate our second bathroom. Thank you, Bay Home Remodeling!

I worked with Itay on a complete renovation of my San Francisco condo -- new bathroom, kitchen,…read morefloors, lighting, electrical, and everything else in between. Renovations are never simple, and unexpected things will always come up. What's important is having a contractor that you can trust. I appreciate that Itay does things by the book and is committed to keeping his clients happy. Whenever an issue came up, I knew I could always talk to Itay to figure something out. That made the process much more manageable. I am very happy that I chose Itay and his team to partner with on my project. They did a very high quality job, and I'm very happy with the work they did. Thanks Itay!

I cannot recommend TRD enough! We recently hired them to remodel our kitchen and dining room, which…read moreinvolved knocking down walls to create an open-concept space. From start to finish, the experience was fantastic. What really set them apart was how they handled the "unexpected." As with any major remodel, a few hurdles popped up once the walls came down. Instead of delaying the project or overcharging, Itay and the team came to us with creative, out-of-the-box solutions that actually ended up improving the final design. We are so happy with our new space!

We are so happy to have worked with Raz and his team for our first big project--converting our…read morebasement into an ADU studio. We've never worked with contractors in the past and the process was so overwhelming getting bids with price varying so much and it was hard to know who to go with with the amount of investment we were putting in. The moment we met Raz, we connected with him instantly--he listened to us, gave recommendations, understood the work and what we needed, and boy did they execute flawlessly. Not only did they execute the plans we had in place but Raz went above and beyond with me to pick out finished materials and gave recommendations on what to choose from flooring, cabinetry, bathroom, etc. I had no idea what I was doing but he was always there for questions and was so responsive. I highly recommend working with Raz and the entire team. Thank you so much for making our ADU dreams come true. :)

Rani from S&I is a great contractor. His professionalism and kindness impressed me most. It was a…read moregreat shame that we changed our plan and didn't proceed our project. I hope we can hire them next time. I truly recommend S&I for any construction project.