Gelu replaced our cracked tile with gorgeous ceramic wood planks. He took great care in the layout across multiple rooms and levels to ensure his finished design would be aesthetically pleasing. We look forward to having him back to upgrade many other rooms in the house. He is professional with good communication and, ultimately, does beautiful work. read more

Very disappointed in Gelu. He came to check out my bathroom and asked if I was planning on applying for a permit, saying that a permit would be $5000-$7000 (it's actually less than $2000). Naturally, I asked if it could be done without a permit and he said he'd think about that. He gave me a quote and I agreed to meet him at the tile store the next day to pick out tile. I asked if he'd have a contract ready and he said yes. The next day, I met him at the tile store, saw some tile, and then went to another tile store. At teh second store, I explained that I wanted tile to be installed on half of the wall around the toilet area, in addition to the shower area, and that I would paint the other half of the wall myself. He seemed fine with that... but he did not have a contract with him. A few hours later, I texted to ask if he had ordered the tile so it would be ready the next week. He said that the number for the tile store was busy and that I should find another contractor. I was blown away! Why? I had never insisted that he do the job without a permit. He explained that he had to have a permit to do the job. I said, "That's fine!" Then he said that he couldn't bring the contract because I said I wanted tile on the walls as well as in the shower... makes a lot of sense, right? Making it out as if 1) I insisted that he do the job without a permit and 2) that wanting tile around the toilet area is somehow a dealbreaker, when the contract hadn't even been drawn up yet. Mind you, this all happened in less that 24 hours. So basically, he was almost definitely double-booked and had to pull out of the job. But of course, he had to make it seem like it was my fault. I would not recommend wasting your time doing business with a dishonest person like Gelu. He may do good work, but it's not worth being lied to and gaslighted. read more

Gelu did an amazing job on our small rental kitchen. He has done other work for us in the past that was also fantastic quality. Our contractor and designer remarked about what nice work it is. He has great attention to detail, and his seams are imperceptible. He came to work on a weekend, because he knew we needed it finished by a deadline. Once again, he did beautiful work, and cleaned up after the job was complete - even left a beautiful orchid to brighten the space. His prices are very competitive (on the lower end of all that we were quoted), and he goes above and beyond. Very friendly and accommodating. I highly recommend. read more

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Gelu Ilie completed a half bath for us in El Cerrito. My husband and I had been thinking about adding a half bath for many years. We asked Gelu to take a look since he had done a truly excellent job of tiling a stall shower and a shower over the tub in our one existing bathroom about 10 years ago. In all those years, I have been nothing but extremely happy with that job. Tile work can be tricky, but Gelu is a true artisan. When my husband and I met with Gelu, he said it would take a week, which seemed shockingly quick since what we had was a closet without plumbing etc. True to his word in all things, Gelu finished in 4 days! We still can't believe that we have a lovely half bath after all these years. I needed to stay in the house, and Gelu, his assistant and his plumber (both are also terrific workers) were all careful to keep the dust out of the rest of the house as much as possible. Then, after Gelu finished, he cleaned up completely! I cannot recommend Gelu more highly. He is honest and generous with his time and advice without pushing us to do more. Gelu is super-fun to be around and as trustworthy as anyone I have ever met. Thank you Gelu! read more

Gelu Ilie Construction - After - General Contractors Near Me

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Amazing work & service! Thank you Gelu!!! Highly recommend for kitchen, bath and flooring!!! read more

Gelu and his team is amazing. We needed a kitchen floor done on very short notice. Gelu was extremely helpful from the beginning. He returned our text right away, and showed up to check out the job the same night. He gave me a very fair deal, especially for the high caliber workmanship. Within a couple days the job was finished. My wife and I were ecstatic. They removed the original floating floor, laid cement underlayment to level the imperfections of our old house, and installed our hardwood bamboo floor absolutely beautifully. Every step was done beautifully. His team worked hard, and didn't cut any corners. The work was extremely thorough, and the finished product is of the highest quality -- what can only be considered truly professional. My wife has an extremely critical eye about these things and she still gives Gelu 10 out of 10 stars! We are very happy with his work and totally grateful we found him. Highly recommended! Don't hesitate to hire Gelu and his team for your next job. You will not regret it. Thank you Gelu! read more

Gelu llie recently installed a tile back splash in our kitchen. He responded to my initial call right away and was able to come and give us an estimate within two days of first contacting him. He was also able to fit our project in quickly. He estimated the work would take two days and it did. He arrived on time both days. Our kitchen back splash looks amazing. I would highly recommend Gelu llie construction for any tile work you need done! read more

Gelu Ilie Construction - a kitchen with white cabinets and black countertops - General Contractors Near Me

Gelu did an amazing job on our bathroom renovation. The quality of his work is unmatched and his attitude is simply infectious.

Really wonderful experience working with Gelu and his team of hardworking and talented folks. We had a our bathroom remodeled and he was very responsive and helpful from the first time I called him. He came over that day and provided a quote on the spot. His bid was reasonably priced and his timeline was efficient. He was able to perform the work when my materials were in (about 3 weeks) and kept his word about timing throughout. We needed to do extra work to replace the floors and the side walls due to water damage and he was able to add that work and stay within the original timeframe--that seems pretty unheard of to me. We tried to stay in the house as much as possible during the construction and Gelu did what he could to allow us access to the toilet and bathtub which we recognize as super considerate. The crew also put down cardboard and plastic barriers when needed to keep my home as tidy as possible. They also cleaned when they were done and were really great about disposing of trash and all of the demo. Not only is Gelu super hardworking, he is also kind, intelligent, and funny! We shared many laughs and it was always nice to see the progress that he was making at our home. He takes great pride in his work and did what he could to make my home beautiful. I haven't worked with many contractors but I would say that this quality seems exceptional. Thank you Gelu for my new bathroom. It's incredible! read more

This review is strictly based on an estimate appointment. I contacted Gelu last weekend to schedule an appointment to bid on our master bathroom remodel. We agreed on Wednesday at 5:30PM. 5:40PM came rolling around and I tried to call Gelu. His phone didn't even ring so I decided to follow up with an e-mail to which he never responded to at all. Will not attempt to reach him again. Poor business practice to no show an appointment and then not even call or email the client. Also, including the email thread below as I just received a follow up to my review from Gelu stating I was a fake person trying to schedule an appointment, as well as my 3 outbound phone calls to see if he was going to show up. E-mail, physical address and phone numbers have been redacted for privacy. Gelu Construction Bathroom Remodel 13 messages Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 2:39 PM To: contact@gelu-construction.com Hello, We have a master bathroom that we are looking to remodel and a few walls to close up to expand the existing bathroom. Could you please let us know if you have any upcoming availability for an estimate in Castro Valley? Thank you! Best, Lindsey & Jeff Outzen Sent from my iPhone gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 2:57 PM To: Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Cc: contact@gelu-construction.com Hi Lindsey Let me know when it's Ok to come there to see the project.!! Just call me or email (510) 506-5073 Gelu [Quoted text hidden] Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Mon, Jan 21, 2019 at 2:59 PM To: gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Cc: contact@gelu-construction.com Hi Gelu, Thank you for the swift response. Let me know when you have a time and I will arrange with my husband. Thanks! Sent from my iPhone [Quoted text hidden] gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 7:19 AM To: Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com I need to know the address and I schedule the date..!!! [Quoted text hidden] Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 7:41 AM To: gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Please provide times for availability and then I will forward the address. Thanks! 1/24/2019 Gmail - Gelu Construction Bathroom Remodel https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=c56a0bf2ba&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1623311383755194418&simpl=msg-f%3A162331138375... 2/3 Sent from my iPhone [Quoted text hidden] gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 7:52 AM To: Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com I can't come today after 4 o'clock [Quoted text hidden] Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 9:04 AM To: gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com If you are unable to come today, can you come tomorrow at 5:30PM? [Quoted text hidden] gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 9:05 AM To: Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Yes, I can. But sand me the address.!!! [Quoted text hidden] Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 9:07 AM To: gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com 0000 Privacy Dr Castro Valley, CA My phone number is 000-000-0000 in case anything comes up. Thanks! [Quoted text hidden] Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Tue, Jan 22, 2019 at 3:47 PM To: gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Hi Gelu, I can be there at 5:20 tonight but I do have another appointment at 6 so we would have to be fast. Let me know if that works for you. Thank you! [Quoted text hidden] Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Wed, Jan 23, 2019 at 5:40 PM To: gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Are you on your way? We had an appt at 5:30 Sent from my iPhone [Quoted text hidden] gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Thu, Jan 24, 2019 at 4:45 PM To: Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Hi Lindsey Thank you for the best star what you put in my Yelp. 1-You don't give me your address for the beginning 2-You don't give me your phone number. 3-It's possible your email to be fake 4-You don't call me never to talk to me in the phone. 1/24/2019 Gmail - Gelu Construction Bathroom Remodel https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=c56a0bf2ba&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1623311383755194418&simpl=msg-f%3A162331138375... 3/3 5-You put me one star where it's mean my business is go down. Have a great day [Quoted text hidden] Lindsey Outzen ___@gmail.com Thu, Jan 24, 2019 at 4:47 PM To: gelu ilie geluconstruction@gmail.com Gelu, Would you like me to post all of the emails on my yelp review to prove? Happy to do so. Horrible customer service. read more

Gelu Ilie Construction - General Contractors Near Me

Really beautiful, precise tile work. Our bathrooms and courtyard look awesome

I have worked with this guy for so many years. I believe it's been about eight years? He has done many many projects for me and my company and I have referred him many times over the years. He is a really good guy who does quality work and works very quickly as well. He will also always offer you a fair price in my experience. read more

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I dealt with Gelu Construction Co in several occasions. Gelu had remodeled two of our bathrooms, the kitchen, and had tiled our hallway. Gelu has a positive working attitude. He shared with us his knowledge and experience and gave us valuable feedback on our projects. The work quality is ....just perfect . Gelu we cannot thank you enough. You deserve 5 stars on quality, performance, skills, and punctuality. read more

Gelu Ilie Construction - General Contractors Near Me

Gelu did a fantastic job remodeling both of our bathrooms. He was very professional throughout the projects, gave helpful recommendations and always delivered on schedule. The quality of his work is excellent and his attention to detail is sharp. I am thrilled with the results and would strongly recommend him to anyone looking to do home improvement. read more

Gelu Ilie Construction - General Contractors Near Me

Came to give me an estimate. He did not have a tape measure. I had to give him mine. He never called back with an estimate. He kept saying that the bathroom floor was "very bad." Insulting, reeking of cologne, no tools, did not write anything down. It's been almost two months. Bad experience for me. read more

We are happy to describe how wonderful it was working with Gelu. He is extraordinarily reliable, responsive and dedicated to do a complete and thorough job. He completely remodeled one of my bathrooms. We didn't know that a beautiful bathroom would make us so happy - but it does! The tile work is exceptional, the heated floor a delight. Our house was built in 1914 and has all sorts of unusual features that make remodeling a challenge. Gelu was able to problem-solve all of these issues and transformed the space for us. We are so thrilled that we are asking him to do a second bathroom and to make some long wished-for changes in our kitchen. We would recommend that you have things planned out as much as possible before demo starts - Gelu is a bit of a whirlwind and moves quickly. That said, he is incredibly accommodating - meeting us before or after work and on weekends on occasion. And his prices are, as many have said, extremely reasonable. read more

It has been my pleasure to work with Gelu on a bathroom remodel project that increased to ceiling scraping, wood paneling removal and drywall and paint project. We intend to start master bathroom and kitchen reno with his team over the summer. His tile work is impeccable. He has a great eye for design and is a problem solver. He manages his team well and delivered on timeline and budget. He communicates well and is available to discuss last minute changes. read more

Gelu and his crew are awesome. Thank you Gelu! I have a duplex in Oakland and chose a thin 2"x8" tile which is a lot more work, I will use them again for the other unit because 1) on time and on schedule 2) great attention to detail - my 1924 tub was slightly unlevel and they were able to cut the tile to make it look great 3) Very nice work around shower alcove and placement of tile visually (where the joints appear) 4) they even cleaned off the tub after finishing the work You can tell these guys are experienced and smart about their work and take pride in it. Thanks again! read more

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Gelu tiled a fireplace in our living room. The tile pattern I'd originally wanted wasn't going to work because of the actual size of the fireplace, and Gelu was very creative in coming up with a better design. He is a problem solver, is prompt, clean, and reliable. He works very quickly and I would hire him again. Highly recommend! read more

Gelu did a fantastic job in our 5 x 8 bathroom. He replaced the window and tiled the tub/shower and the floor. It came out great!!! He was honest and fair with the price. He kept to his word. We really loved his work. We are DIYs, but always leave the tile work to the professionals. He is definitely the guy to call for your tile work: Trustworthy, friendly, professional, attention to detail, awesome tile job, cleans up, and last but not least...his price was unbeatable. click on photo to see the fabulous job in detail read more

Gelu Ilie Construction - Beautiful tile job!!!! Thank you Gelu!!!!!! - General Contractors Near Me

Gelu Ilie tiled our new kitchen floor, two small bathroom floors, and bathroom walls beautifully. He is highly skilled, energetic, resourceful, and easy to like. Gelu did the work fast, at reasonable cost, and quite soundly as far as I can tell at this point (two months later). We benefited from his aesthetic sense, especially in meeting challenges of layout in irregularly shaped rooms, and from his experience in coping with subfloor slopes. Our many visitors have offered nothing but complimentary reviews. Some uncertainty developed about workday scheduling and finish details as Gelu juggled other projects with ours, but he stayed in contact and completed the job in less time overall than we thought would be needed. The rating here is 4+ stars, perhaps to be revisited and upped to 5 after quality of the installation is confirmed over time. Update 3-4 months after initial review: I'm ready to go with all 5 stars now. Gelu's work has held up perfectly, in contrast to the job done by another installer that a general contractor brought in for part of the overall house project. We recently called on him for one more small piece of work that was beyond the original project scope. As before, Gelu was accommodating, skillful, fast, and reasonable. This guy is a serious pro; he really knows what he's doing around tile. read more

We had Gelu handle a kitchen tile job---very happy with the job, the quality and the price. He handled removal of old floor, re-leveled the sub floor, installed radiant heat coils and set the tile perfectly. We highly recommend Gelu Ilie construction to anyone looking for professional, courteous and clean tile setting at a fair price!! read more

Gelu did a fantastic job tiling our front porch.He was very professional throughout the project.He gave us helpful recommendations and delivered on schedule. the quality of his work is excellent .We are thrilled with the results and look forward to working with him on our next project. we strongly recommend him to anyone looking to do any tile work. read more

Gelu did 2 projects for me up to this date and I will call him right away when I have a next project coming. He tiled one of the bathrooms a few years back and did a remarkable job. Last year he did the 2nd bath remodel tiling the bath himself and coordinating other people with plumbing, carpentry, etc. Great work, great service, easy to work with. Highly recommend! read more

I am writing to recommend Gelu Construction. Gelu did a great job on our bathroom last year. We needed a total remodel of our bathroom. At the last minute, our previous contractor bowed out on us and we were in a bind. I found Gelu's name and emailed him and he was over the next day to give us an estimate. We were in a bind, so we hired him to do the work, and the bathroom turned out beautiful. What I especially liked is that he managed everything for us, plumbing, installing a new shower, toilet, sink, and tiling. He provided the plumber and the shower installation people who were also good. He even went down with me several times to the tile store, appliance store, and other places to pick the right kind of items. Guiding us through this complex reconstruction process was a real plus. I would recommend Gelu for any remodeling project you have. Myron B read more

Gelu did a great job remodeling two bathrooms. He gave me the best quote that was competitive. Initially I had plans to remodel one bathroom and the other in a different time, however due to some mold issues that Gelu discovered it made sense to remodel the second bathroom. In both bathrooms Gelu discovered a leak which would have been costly had I not remodeled. Being a first time home buyer Gelu was open to share design ideas. He even assisted with choosing vanity and all bathroom accessories. Now both of my bathroom look great and will definitely have Gelu work on future projects. read more

Gelu is awesome! He has tiled 3 bathroom, a kitchen and two floors for us. He is fast, reliable and offers great design insight.

Gelu Gets it Done! Gelu has provided excellent craftsmanship and service on shower and kitchen tile jobs for us. In both instances Gelu has been timely, responsive and action-oriented with attention to detail on our custom projects. Gelu provides great service at a fair price and brought our project vision to life. I highly recommend working with Gelu! read more

Gelu tiled the front hall in front of our doorway in a large high rise condo building in Oakland. He had to rip out existing floor covering. It is a difficult building to work in because of many homeowner association rules and waits for the elevator. Gelu handled it all very professionally. I had one tile pattern in mind, but he envisioned it during his scoping out the work; and recommended a different much better pattern. He is imaginative and smart. He is very skilled with 20 years of tile work experience. He is prompt. He is highly professional. He and his helper put down effective protective tape and drop cloths to prevent dust spreading during sawing of tile. He worked in a clean manner and cleaned up after their work very carefully. It was a two-day job and he was punctual 8am at my place promptly each day. On top of his skills, he is a tall, strong, very friendly person who is fun to have around and to discuss the work. He speaks English, Romanian, Greek, and Spanish. Highly recommend. read more

Gelu did two bathroom remodels for us, and I recommend him very highly. He does beautiful work, on time and on budget. He is very generous with his time, and arranged to meet with us to pick out tiles and appliances early in the morning and on weekends. He is extremely reliable, always showing up on schedule and with a great attitude, even when we made last minute changes. The bathrooms are gorgeous, and we couldn't be happier with them. read more

Gelu could not have done a better job for us! We remodeled an 8' x 5' bathroom, and Gelu did incredible work. As tile is his specialty, we were particularly pleased with that aspect of the work, but his subs also did a great job with plumbing, electrical, and paint. He gave us a very reasonable estimate, and wouldn't accept payment until we were satisfied with the job (which, of course, we were). He was a great communicator by cell and text, and finished the job ahead of schedule (quoted 1-2 weeks, finished in 6 days!). Couldn't recommend him more highly. He's a breath of fresh air in an otherwise unreliable contractor market! I'll add pictures soon, and you'll be impressed. read more

Gelu Ilie is a talented craftsman and contractor who works extremely rapidly and whose work turns out well and long-lasting. His prices are extremely competitive and he is efficient at coordinating his workers to other tasks which are not his specialty: tiling. My only complaint is that he is not as efficient in coordinating with his customers as with his workers. Sometimes he just goes "offline" and it has taken days to organize a meeting anticipate and get questions answered before they come up. You can see other reviewers here with the same comment. This can be frustrating, and better communications would definitely turn my 4 into a 5. Nevertheless, the work gets finished and the jobsite is completely tidy when he has completed. read more

We had a small cultured marble shower that was out of date, stained and wasn't draining properly, leaking into the floor. Now we have a beautiful travertine tiled shower with sexy new fixtures that feels like a spa treatment every time we use it. And it drains well, too! Gelu gave us good advice, even bringing us to one of his client's house to show us an example of his work. He coordinated the plumbing work with a colleague and stuck to the reasonable quote that he gave us. We plan to use him again on another project. read more

Gelu and his team were incredible! We were stood up by another contractor at the last minute, and Gelu made time in his busy schedule to drop in for an immediate bid. He was personable, professional, and his bid couldn't have been more competitive (and we have spoken to DOZENS of tile contractors this past year as we complete the renovation of a kitchen and two bathrooms). He knew that we were in a bind, so he dropped everything, returned within two days and had our kitchen tile installed (which was a difficult herringbone pattern, to boot) within a few short days. We liked his work so much that we asked him to return to complete our kitchen backsplash, which was also a super difficult job installing tiny tile strips into a chevron pattern; without fail, he was back in a week and was in and out before we knew it. The work was intricate and highly technical, and we found Gelu and his team to be a joy to work with. If the big criticism leveled by other Yelpers is that he didn't return a bid, it must be the case that these folks haven't worked with many contractors in the past: independent contracting is a super difficult job, and some of these guys are handling a ton of logistical information all by themselves. That often means that contractors may be too busy to respond, or they may simply find themselves overwhelmed with work, requiring them to pass on certain bids. That said, Gelu did right by us when we needed his expertise the most, and I will certainly work with him again in the future! In fact, I would be willing to slow down a renovation project just to ensure that we could work with his team. Do yourself a favor and get a bid! read more

Gelu Ilie Construction - Kitchen backsplash - General Contractors Near Me

Gelu worked on a small (125 s.f.) and somewhat complicated, exterior deck tile installation in May for me. It can sometimes be difficult to get contractors to respond to small projects, but Gelu was quick to respond and get the job completed in a timely manner. He was helpful with suggestions as to grout color, tile size and layout, and very easy to work with. I would most definitely recommend him, and would use him in the future. read more

We used Gelu and his crew for a major bathroom remodel a year ago, and I have been meaning to write this review ever since. So, on the one-year anniversary of the remodel, here goes. Unlike other contractors we have worked with, Gelu and his crew showed up every day, and on time. That in itself says a lot. In addition, the job had to be done within three weeks -- when we were to move into our new house -- and he actually finished the job a few days early. Incredible in the construction world! Gelu subcontracts all the jobs except tiling, which he does himself. He was always determined to make things right, and to make sure I was happy with the job. Unlike some of the other reviewers here, I never found Gelu arguing with me or making excuses. In fact, I made a couple of bad calls (about which way the bathroom door would open, for example) and Gelu was willing to return and re-hang the doors without charging extra for the work. Other contractors would not have been so willing to fix mistakes which weren't theirs. Best of all, Gelu's estimate came in at less than half what other contractors bid. While we did encounter some unexpected issues which brought the price up somewhat, we still ended up paying about half what we would have with other contractors. Gelu is a bit informal about the estimate, as others have noted, so I just typed up everything we agreed to, including the price (the scope of work, basically), and we both signed it. That made me feel better, as it's always a good idea to have things in writing. And Gelu completed everything we had agreed to. The bathroom looks beautiful, and anyone who comes into my house has to see it. Did I mention that Gelu had his wife come in the day the job was done and clean our entire house of all the construction dust, from top to bottom? He says that is part of his service for every job. You can't beat that! read more

Gelu Illie came out and gave me a kitchen tile estimate and some ideas on how to proceed. His costs were reasonable and he came back on agreed date and did the work promptly with excellent results. I highly recommend his services. read more

When we mentioned to a neighbor that we were planning a bathroom remodel, they recommended that we use Gelu. They showed us the tile work he had done in their bathroom and it was really impressive. Gelu gave us a very fair quote. He spent the time to consult with us on the project. We left for a short trip hoping that Gelu would be able to complete the job before we got back. His team ripped out the old linoleum in our bathroom and kitchen, demoed all of the ugly old cabinetry, demoed the rotting walls, replaced the walls, re-tiled our bathroom & kitchen, updated all of our plumbing, installed a new toilet, two cabinets, a pedestal sink, a bathroom fan, a claw foot tub, a shower system and painted the bathroom all in 5 days. It was like coming back to a brand new house. He is genuine person and so is everyone on his team. Very cool people. He is highly recommended. read more

Gelu came to our home to repair our kitchen tile grout. He carved out the old grout, cleaned the kitchen tile surface and regrouted the worn area - a great job. Left the kitchen very clean and looking good. Gelu is very hard working and gets the job done quickly at a fair price. This is the second grout repair job he's done for us and we recommend him. read more

I recently remodeled the bahroom of my Oakland home. The tile work was done by Gelu Ilie, he tiled the floor and walls around the shower/tub. Gelu did a terrific job! Contact info: Gelu Ilie Construction http://gelu-construction.com/index.php (510) 506-5073 Sandi M read more