Bumble Bee Construction-Joe is your friendly neighborhood contractor to go to! He took on most of…read morethe siding job on his own till the rest of the crew could join. From there completion time sped up. Very knowledgeable, able to explain process in simple way and also flexible with my hectic schedule.

Joe did an amazing job redoing our back porch. He made sure to pick out the best redwood and worked…read moreefficiently. We are happy to have a beautiful porch that will last for years to come. We highly recommend him and look forward to bringing him in for future projects!

I've had Damon & his crew (Carlos, Carlitos, Marcos, Samuel) do a couple jobs for me now (these…read morethings tend to snowball, ugh, lol) & they've always done top-notch work. I had a fan in my master bathroom crap out on me, which was weird, since I only bought my place 4 years ago, it was newly remodeled, & I even remodeled some more on top of that. My wife pointed out it wasn't working, but it looked new to me, so I popped the cover to find out...not new at all. New COVER over a fan that was a year younger than the missus. Uh oh. The old "lipstick on a pig" boogie from the prior owners/ seller. Damn. Hate getting hoodwinked. So, I think "well, better check the 'new' fan in the guest bath too." Pop THAT shiny, nice cover & ...same drill but even OLDER. Some mid-80's (I think) giant 13" circular fan they don't even make anymore. Double ugh. Last stop: laundry room. Final fan, pop the cover...whew, it's actually a new-ish fan. 1 outta 3 ain't bad, right? /sigh So I put out the feelers for an electrician (I had 2 dead outlets, 1 indoor, 1 outdoor as well) & after doing the "online quote" thing w/ Yelp, I got in touch w/ Damon @ Berkeley Home Repair. Funny dude, super helpful, quick & responsive. He schedules his electrician, Carlitos, to come out ASAP, for what I think is gonna just be a basic fan install & outlet fix job. Nope. Carlitos goes into the attic & discovers the ducts are all wrong. 3 fans running thru 2 ducts, both bathrooms on the same 4" line, & laundry room on some weird 3" duct. Now, you can get away with 4", but 6" is code & preferred, & every fan has to be on its own dedicated/ independent duct, or you're just blowing moisture from room to room & into the attic. Not good. We crawl the attic together & confirm I need a 3rd roof penetration & new ducts. So much for cheap & easy. Damn. Damon adjusts the bid (as gently as possible, considering my costs just went up almost 10x) & I wind up with 2 brand new Panasonic Whisper Quiet fans (amazing. Almost TOO quiet), a new roof penetration & cap, new independent 6" ducts for each fan, an excellent sheetrock patch & paintjob on my guest bath ceiling (prior, old-timey fan was just way too huge compared to current models) AND Carlitos fixed both dead power outlets (one of which turned out to be an arcing short/ broken wire inside the wall, which we were lucky to catch before a fire). All the workers were amazing to work with & did great on their specific parts of the now much larger order. Everyone worked quickly &, despite the gig snowballing far beyond the expected, Damon priced fairly & had the work done as fast as possible with minimal intrusion & inconvenience (crucial during these pandemic "work from home" times) Tho it was obviously a bummer to have a small job turn into a much bigger & more expensive one, I always felt like I was in good hands with Damon, his communication was clear, direct, quick & honest, & the outcome was excellent. I'll definitely be using Berkeley Home Repair for future work, since homeownership often means nasty surprises like the one I got ain't all that rare, unfortunately. Heh. At least now I know who to call to get sorted fairly & quickly. Thanks fellas! Will try to post pics when I get a chance...but most of this was "behind the scenes" work, or what my buddy likes to call "invisible money", heh.

I called this company and spoke to a guy named Damon who asked me to text him photos of the project…read moreI had in mind as well as a diagram with measurements. I did that. In fact, on the call he said I could text or email him and I asked specifically which mode he preferred - he said that text would get the fastest response. So I texted. No response. Called a couple times. No reply. This place has either closed or has awful customer service and communication. I'm grateful that I didn't spend long on this company but I still wish I could get my time and energy back spent schmoozing this guy who would end up ghosting me Edit: I got a notification 35 minutes after posting this review that he commented and I couldn't be happier that I left one star. Bro wrote an actual essay on yelp instead of doing good business

Great job, guys! This crew demolished some old janky fences and built two new ones in three days…read more There were a lot of complications they had to deal with: two creek crossings, some old metal junk that had crept over from the neighbor's yard, and a row of trees that had long ago been planted on the property line. Their creative solutions look so good, I'm excited to finally start using this back part of our yard!

Jose built two gates, a small door, and a large planter. He was responsive, came on schedule and…read moreI am completely satisfied. I intend to call him again next time I need work do

The Great (+2 stars) ==========…read more * The structural work: Our home is on a great, new, solid foundation (with shear walls), so we feel as safe as we can be in our home for an earthquake! * Our basement is also now more usable. * Drainage: There is now drainage around the foundation and under the basement slab, so we are no longer worried about our basement flooding! * The working crew were very friendly and considerate. The Bad (-1 star): ========== * The electrical subcontractor was quite bad. The electricians didn't install the dryer outlet properly (one conductor came loose before I first used it), most outlets they installed are loose (they give when pushing in a plug), and they installed a used, old (not LED compatible) dimmer for the LED lights they installed. Also, the owner yelled at his team a lot. * The plumbing subcontractor was bad, too. They misdrilled several holes, damaging the interior of the home. They didn't seal around exterior penetrations into the house. They didn't put a cover over the branch of a wye that was no longer needed. They wouldn't do anything about the loss of hot water pressure in a bathroom faucet that occurred after they moved some plumbing around (I ended up having to disconnect and disassemble the hot water valve myself and I found a piece of silicone clogged in there). They over-glued the drain of the laundry supply box making it nearly impossible to remove the cap, and they lost the o-rings on my faucet aerator. The Ugly (-2 stars): ========== * They overlooked details in the plans about where walls and doors should go, and denied responsibility since they weren't in the structural engineer's plans, which they opted to not have updated with the revisions I told them about. This lead to a sewer pipe being installed in an inconvenient location (it went through the foundation, so it can't be moved), a structural wall that was almost built in the wrong place (I caught it while they were digging the footing), and a room that was built with no doorway (they had to cut some framing to make the opening). * The pricing/scope was negligent at best, but I'd put it closer to misleading or deceptive. During the initial visits, they talked about all the things they would do (including putting up framing, drywall, and insulation), and then sent over an estimate that I accepted. I didn't realize until halfway through the project that the estimate didn't include many of the things they talked about (including the framing, drywall, and insulation); those apparently would be part of "Phase 2," not included in the price of the first estimate. I had chosen E&F over another estimate that was less expensive even though it did explicitly contain the "additional" scope. I was also surprised that the electrical and plumbing (most of which was necessary to get them out of the way for the structural work) was billed separately; i.e., an unexpected additional expense. * They chose to rebuild a segment of stairs (rather than just adding two steps at the bottom, per the plans), which ended up having insufficient clearance with an overhang halfway down. They tried to convince me there was no new problem because they built them the same as before (but the run of the new stairs was one inch longer, causing the 4th step down to be 4 inches closer to the overhang) and resisted remedying the issue. They just ended up taking a sawzall to trim the overhang -- a joist -- which I just have to hope doesn't compromise any structural integrity! Further, they didn't even finish the stairs (sand and seal); "Test your staining skills," they said. * They ghosted before Phase 2. As the structural work was reaching completion, we were going back and forth on scope for Phase 2. However, when the structural work was actually completed, they just stopped communicating, left dirt and demo debris they left on our driveway for a month, then disappeared. There were lots of things they removed to get out of the way (like several segments of fence) but didn't put back. I could easily add 3x more issues and details, but this review is already too long.

We used E&F for a foundation replacement as well as seismic retrofit, including brace and bolt…read more They finished on time and under-budget, with good communication from both the owner and site foreman. I'm definitely planning to have them quote the next phase of our remodel!

We hired Crow for our kitchen remodel because he had a wealth of experience as well as an eye for…read moreaesthetics. He was an excellent communicator and outstanding at his craft. He came up with good ways for some additional savings. Any kitchen Reno is grueling but Crow brought terrific energy and skill. We were so pleased with his work that we hired him for 2 additional projects.

Crow just finished renovating our bathroom. He is everything you want a contractor to be: highly…read moreskilled and meticulous, shows up on time, good communicator, problem solver. He is conscientious about budget and will discuss different options and tradeoffs. Our project actually came in a bit under budget. Crow has fantastic design skills and the experience to know what will work best. He is happy to offer design advice if you want it or need it. He is a pleasure to work with and I couldn't be happier with how great our tiny bathroom came out!

Hired to replace and repair siding so we could prime and paint. Also installed a new sliding door…read more Dennys was very professional, on time, knowledgeable, and had a fair price. The team did a good job, but we did notice some of the patch jobs falling apart or allowing bubbles to form after we painted. Considering how bad the siding was in places, I'm not shocked but it would have been nice if they had pulled us aside to replace the boards that weren't serviceable instead of patching. Despite everything, would recommend working with Longshore.

Longshore Handyman is simply wonderful. Dennys and his crew, as far as I can see, know how to fix…read morepractically anything, which is what I've asked them to do over the years. Most recently, Dennys found, in a few minutes, the source of the tiny beetles that have been *biting me* for a year, and which the professional fumigator hasn't been able to do, though they charged me a lot of money. I can't recommend these folks highly enough!

We approached contractors cautiously - the two jobs we had were relatively small and we weren't…read moresure if a contractor would take them on - but we had a feeling they were too big for a typical handyman. Eli was willing to take a look and we immediately knew we had our person when he came out to see the job. Affable, kind, generous with his time, Eli explained things thoroughly, understood our intent, brought a ton of experience to the table, was conscientious of our budget, had good ideas about how to achieve what we wanted within that budget, presenting us with good, workable solutions. He was incredibly responsive to text and email, thorough and professional with his transparent estimates, and started and finished when he said he would. Once going, his crew was terrific. Professional, yes, but also impeccably clean and with an amazing attention to detail. Romero and Giovanni took great care in their craft and were just a pleasure to have in the house. Everyday the jobsite was left spotless, all the tools and materials neatly arranged in the garage at the end of the day, doors and gates locked. In the end, the work was finished exactly to our intent, the fit and finish of everything was top notch, and everything was done on time and on budget. So rare these days! The job is done, but we find ourselves looking for other opportunities to work with him. We'd go to Eli again in a heartbeat.

Used Eli at SYR electric a few years ago - he fixed some circuits and old wiring. Would definitely…read moreuse him again for electric and wiring needs in Berkeley.

I had 5 estimates to raise the front of my house 2-inches (leveling) onto an existing solid…read morefooting. I was not as concerned about price as how the work leveling would be accomplished. All Season was the only one that offered a straight forward solution. As there were many unknowns, they offer a "time and material" bid with a max not to exceed. They did a 5-star job with much attention to detail. Set up inside laser level to make sure I was happy with the result. I will be calling them first when I do leveling on the back half of the house. Project came in at less than 1/3 of the max estimate. Super professional.

They did a fabulous job on our French drains. Crew and Jeremy were great and everything was done…read moreon time. Very good at explaining what the problems were and how they would fix them. I highly recommend them.

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!

D Garcia Landscaping completed a large fence project for us and we are extremely happy with the…read moreresults! This was a technically challenging project involving a steep hill and very mature redwood roots. Standout qualities of this company are: 1. Ease of quoting process Before coming out in person, they were able to give us a ballpark price based on dimensions, fence type, and site images. This allowed me to decide whether to move forward and I thought this was really respectful of my time. Then, Dago, the owner, came for the site visit and to discuss details. 2. No bait and switch In ironing out the details, there was some miscommunication about whether staining was included. Dago was able to meet us halfway with the price increase. This honest business style continued throughout the project and no change orders or unexpected price increases happened. 3. Detail oriented Throughout the project, we discussed details such as fence posts placement relative to tree roots, post height, etc. Dago was both available in person and by email via his assistant Maria. It was also nice to have responses confirmed in writing so that things were clear and there would be no bait and switch. 4. Personality Dago is a really nice person and I enjoy speaking with his about his geriatric dogs, etc. This also helped me not feel anxious about the project, because I felt that I could trust him. For this fence, we received multiple quotes. Two companies were in the $9-10K range, another was around $12K, and an outlier was above $20K. Dago's price was the lowest quote (with minute differences in material) and we are very glad we went with him!

Dago and his team are amazing! They have been maintaining our yards in El Sobrante for a few years…read moreand always to a wonderful job. They are friendly, and always go above and beyond. Recently, we had them to a full conversion/remodel of our backyard from awful weeds to nice natural grass, with an irrigation system, mulch, and tasteful plants. I was amazed with both how well it came out, and how affordable the project was! I would HIGHLY recommend using Dago Garcia's team for either regular yard maintenance, or any yard project you have in mind. Dago has decades of experience and knows exactly what he is doing- he is super friendly and helped us with great ideas. Give Dago a call!