TL;DR: Don't give these guys your money. Strong sales pitch, but the reality did not match what was…read morepromised. In late 2024, my husband and I met with Reggie Keding to see if New Key would be a good fit for a major renovation on a 1950s ranch-style home we had just purchased in Pleasant Hill. We loved the idea of working with a local contractor and were initially impressed by Reggie's communication, professionalism, and assurance that he could accomplish everything we wanted within our substantial 6-figure budget (with mid-range fixtures and finishes, which we agreed to). We signed a schematic design agreement, writing a 5-figure check and trusting that they'd deliver on those expectations. We had an initial walkthrough with Maya, New Key's designer, and were excited about her ideas. Reggie encouraged us to "dream big" and share inspiration. However, the vast majority of our emails to Maya went unanswered, and there was very little collaboration or back-and-forth during the design process. After raising concerns, we were shown interim designs that were largely based on our own ideas and didn't add much new direction. A few weeks later, we had our formal design presentation and were beyond disappointed. All three options ("good, better, best") felt underdeveloped and missed key priorities. For example, two versions did not include vaulted ceilings in the main living space (which we had clearly identified as a must), and even the top-tier design featured a very small kitchen window despite the home's natural light and backyard views. Some design choices also introduced significant added cost without clear benefit, such as removing a load-bearing wall where simpler alternatives seemed possible. But the kicker was the price to build New Key's designs: even the cheapest "good" design came with a price tag of $1.2 million to build, pretty much doubling our budget and definitely overvaluing for our PH neighborhood. At that point, we lost confidence and decided to part ways after the initial design phase. While Reggie remained professional in tone, we did not feel the process or pricing aligned with what had been communicated at the outset. We lost a 5-figure design fee and about 3 months in the process, having to start over with a new architect and builder. Now, a year later, I'm writing this from our fully remodeled home, which includes everything on our original wish list. After starting over with a new team, we were able to complete the project close to our original budget--nowhere near the $1.2M estimate we were given. Losing the time and design fee was painful, but in hindsight, it was better than continuing down the wrong path. I would strongly recommend that anyone considering New Key get clear, detailed pricing expectations early and proceed carefully.

We worked with New Key Construction to remodel our backyard workshop and transform it into a 1…read morebedroom, 1 bathroom ADU for my parents to retire and live in. New Key did an absolute outstanding job and we are so happy we chose them for one of the largest investments we've ever made. - Quality Work - Reggie and his team do quality work; they do not cut corners, and they will always lean to do things the right way that is safe, compliant, and functional. You can feel the quality when you walk around; there is a meticulousness to the work that is hard to find anywhere else. - Project Planning - We were assigned a project manager and a foreman who kept us updated very frequently on the state of construction. The work was completed on-time if you account for the realities of construction which were largely due to supply delays and/or the occasional coordinate of some competing work. To convert a workshop (where we literally stripped it down) to a livable, high-quality ADU in 5 months is impressive! Also, they showed up on-time every day and if they were going to be late (or not come), we would be told. - Culture - Everyone that works at New Key Construction was a pleasure to work with; they hire people who care about the work they are doing and make an effort to get to know you. We could tell the employees enjoyed working at New Key, and it shows in the work. We looked at several companies before choosing New Key. I wholeheartedly will say it was worth it - you get quality work, quality communication, a 10-year warranty, and people who legitimately care about you and your home. You won't regret it!

Dream Big Construction is outstanding. The owner, Travis Johnson, is involved with the project…read moredaily from bid to completion. His team, Mario, Hal, Hope, James and Mal were all exceptional, treating our home as if it were their own. The work quality was terrific and completed nearly to the day Travis predicted. Dream Big is fairly priced and provides great value due to the quality of their work. They show up when they are supposed to and do what they say. What can be better than that. We are already planning a bathroom remodel and won't consider any other contractor.

These guys rock!!! I've known Travis for years and in that time he's helped me out on some…read morechallenging construction projects. Travis has mastered his craft. His team are all consummate professionals that care about what they do and their customers. In this day in age its difficult to find such an honest and hardworking team of builders. I fully respect these guys and will gladly keep referring them for years to come.

When I began researching companies for my home remodel, LRL was one of the companies I was excited…read moreabout. Unfortunately, after meeting with a representative to review the scope of the project, we never received any follow-up or a quote. During that time, I began receiving a series of marketing emails about why LRL would be a great company to work with, which I didn't mind while I was waiting for the estimate. However after that, I started receiving emails stating that I had chosen to move in a different direction and that I should consider them for a future project. The confusing part is that we never made that decision. we were waiting to hear back. I was genuinely interested in working with them, but it ultimately felt like the company chose not to move forward with us.

Great experience all around having 2 vanities installed. As soon as he saw what was needed, we got…read moreright down to business and worked out a plan. There was no up-sell pressure or anything. He came back with a reasonable quote right away, scheduled a date and duration, and then stuck to both. The finished work is very high quality, despite some tricky work customizing an odd-sized vanity counter. Raz was honest and went above and beyond what was expected.

John is extremely professional and very responsive. I found him to be very clear with his…read moreassessment of his project, and when we had hiccups with our windows, he was very flexible. John came highly recommended from Dolans windows and he got our windows installed beautifully. Highly recommended. His team is also amazing- they cleaned up their work station and did a very detailed and thorough job.

The Badger construction team was excellent. High quality work installing new windows and siding…read more Highly recommended.

I have gotten to know Gordon through a bi-monthly roundtable meeting over the past few years. I've…read morenever met someone who was more committed to client satisfaction and ethical business practices. Since our first meeting, it was clear that he is a great industry mentor and highly respected by his peers. What an amazing business he has created! From the design process to the clear communication during the project. If you are looking to add a room addition or remodel your kitchen or bath, I highly recommend working with Gordon Reese.

Exceptional company to work with. Top notch quality and control. Would definitely recommend to…read morefamily, friends and colleagues !

Decade Construction proved to me yet again that my "ok" doesn't compare with their delivery of…read morequality and professionalism. Robert came to look at a wall between my kitchen and lounge room. He advised that opening it would be simple and he knocked it out, re-headed the opening, and made the house truly open up. When he finished our kitchen stood out that it was outdated, so while he was there for the job he was kind enough to give a quote and share his ideas that were spot on. Experience and pride in his work show. Needless to say, I hired his crew again and now I've got an amazing kitchen that I can work in while I watch the kiddos in the lounge room. Thank you Decade!

Robert and his crew--Vidal and Miguel--did an incredible job for me in Dublin. A pre-sale home…read moreinspection uncovered multiple issues with the roof, eaves, plumbing, and HVAC. Decade handled everything seamlessly; there truly wasn't an item they couldn't take care of. While I was stressed about the scope of work, Robert continually reassured me with, "We've got this--no worries." I highly recommend Robert and his team for being extremely capable, thorough, and professional. Overall, it was a far more positive experience than I could have imagined.

Joe and his crew recently completed a garage bathroom and bedroom project on our home and we…read morecouldn't be happier. The attention to detail and quality of workmanship was top notch. Joe and his team listened and were open and receptive to any tweaks I made or requested. The pride they put into their work shows in every detail from the first step of the job to their immaculate clean up at completion. His communication was timely, job was completed in the time estimated. We will definitely be using him for future projects. Thank you Joe and crew!!

Joe's team did such a great job painting and doing repairs on our house. They were so efficient,…read morecourteous and professional. Easy to work with. I would highly recommend them all!

We wanted to renovate our kitchen and bathrooms without having to do everything ourselves and MSK…read morecame recommended to us from friends and other families we knew and they sure didn't disappoint us! Most importantly, MSK listened to all our conditions, likes and dislikes and never really went over budget at all and even finished the work ahead of time which is unheard of in construction industry! Kat, Kelly, Curt and all of them were detail oriented, patient, and we loved working with them. It showed their experience in this industry and all the vendors they work with were also great. Communication was easy with CoConstruct and it was great to not to have to deal with every small thing. MSK took care of all the permits, engineering and inspection paperwork's which I think was the biggest hurdle prior to actual work. I would highly recommend MSK!

I had been wanting to remodel my kitchen and living areas for the last few years. My first phone…read morecall was to Kat, the co-owner at MSK Design Build. She spent close to an hour with me on the phone and provided a rough idea of budget as well as ideas to make the job more cost effective. Following that, I spent several months and considerable time meeting with several other designers/builders in my area. As a result, my decision to work with MSK is based as follows: 1. They spent the most time and effort upfront to provide a realistic estimate and made every effort to include costs that others overlooked (i.e. asbestos abatement). 2. They were very clear about the process and scheduling for the job. The utilize an application that is transparent for both the client and themselves. It was very clear to me that responsibilities were well defined in their company. 3. They took the time to explain the details of the job to me. Prior to signing design contract, they were available to answer any questions or concerns I brought up. 4. Specific personnel would be assigned to my job. It would not vary throughout the duration. 5. The fact that they design AND build (from their own design) was appealing because that would minimize any discrepancies between a separate design company and a separate build company. Linda was my designer. Although she is now retired, she has many years of experience in design. She did an outstanding job in the new layout of my kitchen. In additions, she made other helpful suggestions of things that I was not aware of or had overlooked. To help me select materials, she assisted in every step with flooring, plumbing fixtures, tile, counter tops, etc. She made appointments with their vetted venders and we would go together to make the selections. Linda had a clear understanding of my preferences and guided me towards making sound decisions. I was very pleased with the trades people who performed the work. Joe was the lead carpenter. He was meticulous and took great pride in his work. He did an excellent job of installing the new cabinets, casing work and trim details. Shawn was the painter assigned to my project, and again, his expertise and experience was evident in the finished project. Jorge was the plumber for the job and like the others, his work efforts were appreciated and his abilities added to the job success. These individual's main concern was to do a job I was pleased with and I never felt their extra efforts or time spent were a burden to them. Like their vendors, MSK have several years of working with the subcontractors used for the tile work, electrical, counter tops and sheetrock. They were all professional, timely and courteous. Communication throughout he project was outstanding. Curt was my Project Manager. Any e-mails, text messages, concerns, etc. were addressed and answered promptly. The work areas were always clean at the end of the day and construction debris was removed promptly. The project came in on schedule and on budget. MSK did exactly what they said they would do. I was very pleased with the results and would not hesitate to recommend MSK Design Build for anyone who is looking for a reputable company.