We used E&F for a bathroom remodel. They did a fantastic job on a job that was not easy. This…read morebathroom had not been remodeled in over 70 years. Yes, 70 years. Everything needed to be torn down and replaced. The wiring was old. The plumbing was leaking. And the flooring needed to be completely replaced. They produced an estimate. And came in on budget. They gave a time frame. And finished on time. I'm not sure what more you could want in a contractor. We will use them again!

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 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!

We are very happy to have chosen Tinka Construction to remodel our bathroom. The result is…read moreexceptional. George was always quick to respond to any of my texts and emails no matter what the news may be. Our bathroom needed a complete teardown to expanding one wall out an additional foot. His crew was outstanding whether it be reconstruction of a wall, plumbing, electrical, painting or cleanliness. And to complement George's crew, he uses highly skilled third-party specialty contractors, such as, for our custom shower install. What amaze us most was how the work was all done as seamless as possible by being creative and resourceful at solving any potential obstacles or issues. We are looking to hiring George and his crew again on another project.

I would definitely recommend contacting Feraru & Associates for any home renovation projects you…read morehave. Their design/build capabilities, broad experience and portfolio of completed projects are all very impressive. We were considering various approaches to a bedroom/bathroom remodel, and Sorin and his team walked us through multiple possibilities, listened carefully to our feedback, and set us on a path that matched our needs precisely. They also provided us with a lot of insight into the steps need to take the project from start to finish, and all of this was reflected in a very thorough bid. Sorin's communication, promptness, and follow-through have all been exemplary. We'd be glad to work with Sorin on any other projects in the future.

Feraru & Associates Building and Design remodeled our bathroom last year, and let me tell you--our…read morebathroom now looks so good, we're considering charging admission! From start to finish, their team was on point, paying attention to every tiny detail like they were crafting a masterpiece. They made the whole process way less stressful, even guiding us through material selection at multiple showrooms (because, of course, we couldn't find everything in one place). Luckily, with Sorin's help, it all went smoothly--no meltdowns, no decision fatigue... okay, maybe just a little. Their crew? Absolute pros. They showed up on time every day (which is basically a miracle in construction) and left the place spotless, like bathroom remodeling ninjas. Honestly, these guys know their stuff. If you're thinking about a home remodel, stop thinking and call them. In fact, we're already planning our next project with them--because once you start with Feraru & Associates, it's hard to stop!

I happened upon Kevin by word of mouth at the perfect time! I was visiting my sister and the water…read moredamage in her bathroom was well beyond my ability to cope with. He also dealt with some rot around her windows and managed to fix her deck that had been a hazard for far too long.

Kevin is great! I had him come and install an oddly-positioned custom gate in my backyard and the…read morequality was top-notch! Kevin not only does great work, but he is easy to communicate with and has an excellent customer service orientation. I was so impressed with all his work, that he is now my go-to handyman for all jobs in Berkeley. He is also very reasonable and fair in pricing. I highly recommend Kevin for any projects that you may have around the house.

Howard's company is the gold standard for retrofitting residential buildings in the Bay Area, and…read moremay be the only option if you have a very old house with a brick foundation. I recommend the company with no reservations. See my full story below. I purchased a 130-year old Victorian triplex in Oakland last year and given the many news stories I've seen in the past few years about the Hayward fault being overdue for a major quake, one of the first things I looked into was how to make it earthquake safe. Like many houses from this era, the house had an original brick foundation capped with concrete in some places. Because it is a large building, I was told by several retrofit companies that Standard Plan A would not work and I would need to hire a structural engineer to make a retrofit plan for it. These companies made no mention of brick foundations, which is surprising given the amount of old buildings in the bay area, most of which have not had full foundation replacements. Long story short, the structural engineer ended up telling me my brick foundation could not be retrofit and would need to be fully replaced. I got quotes for doing a full foundation replacement, and the cost was eye popping and made no sense financially given the house otherwise was not suffering any problems due to the foundation. I came across Howard's website while trying to figure out if there were any other options, and was heartened by his scientifically sound videos about retrofitting brick foundations. He inspected my house and made a custom plan to augment my foundation within the footprint of the basement and bolt the house to the new concrete footings. The cost for doing this was 1/4 the cost of a full foundation replacement and he took the time and energy to walk me through the reasoning and the math for why this would be sufficient to keep my house on its foundation during a major earthquake, which is what you need to prevent catastrophic damage. It took a bit of time to get the work scheduled (they're busy, for good reason!), but once his team got started they were the best contractor team I've ever worked with. I hardly noticed the work was going on while they were there, and they made sure to do things like keep my front garage door closed while they were working down below. The resulting work looks great and they ended up overbuilding compared to the plan, giving an even larger margin of safety. While of course only the results of a large earthquake will fully tell, it's a big weight off my chest knowing that the house is as prepped as it could be. It's clear that Howard is passionate about earthquake safety and takes pride in the work he does. It's a tough job crawling under buildings and digging in the dirt. He is a highly experienced expert at what he does and you won't regret hiring him.

I did extensive research and received a half dozen quotes for the soft story and bolt+brace…read moreearthquake retrofit of my 1890 victorian in San Francisco. Howard is clearly incredibly knowledgeable, and the team helped me understand what my home really needed vs. what was gross overkill/a money grab. They were far from the most inexpensive, but also far from the most expensive. The teams were knowledgeable, professional, and on time. The project was pretty extensive and took several months, but I'm thrilled with the results and hope I never need to experience the quality of their craftsmanship!

I had an excellent experience working with Ron from Green Group Remodeling over the last few weeks…read morewhile exploring a garage conversion. Although I've decided to put the project on hold for personal reasons (finishing a campervan project first!), I wanted to specifically highlight Ron's incredible professionalism and dedication. I did a lot of research for this project, and Green Group was the only one out of five companies that offered both competitive pricing and a payment plan that strictly followed California law. That level of transparency and commitment to legal standards is rare and was deeply appreciated. We spent over three weeks going back and forth on the quotation and contract details. Ron was extremely patient, answering every single question I had and providing a highly detailed, transparent 16-page proposal. If you're looking for a team that is thorough, communicative, and professional, I highly recommend reaching out to Ron. They will be my first call as soon as I'm ready to move forward with the conversion!

Roy was my competent project manager and ensured that our input was valued in the process of final…read moreplanning. The marble bathroom steam room project was flawlessly executed. There were minor issues several months after the project was competed. When I research out, I got a lightning fast response from Roy and he sent Cristian who repaired both minor issues in a timely manner. I believe that after service of a project is just as important as the final finish of any project. I plan on working with this crew in the near future.

First: I have not used Troy Construction. So why am I reviewing them? Because out of half a dozen…read morecontractors we met, Bulent was my favorite. We did not choose Troy Construction due mainly due to timing (he couldn't start our project for 3-4 months due to his busy schedule). So why was he my favorite? He was down to earth, was very enthusiastic, clearly understood what we wanted to do, and had a lot of useful advice for us. Even though he had a busy schedule (which we didn't know until we asked him when he could start the project), he spent over an hour with us discussing our project. While we ultimately chose another contractor, we already know we want to use Troy Construction for our next big house project...

We had Bulent and his crew install a new bedroom and 2 bathrooms to our existing home in Richmond…read more It was quite a undertaking! Bulent and his crew were awesome to work with! They were polite, efficient and made the disruption as minimal as possible. Bulent kept us informed every step of the way. He is professional, personable and very easy to work with. Can't say enough good things about Troy construction!

Remodeling our home has been a dream of ours for a long time, but finding the right person to trust…read morewith it was the hard part. We actually met with quite a few contractors before we found Mike. Honestly, the fact that he was willing to come out on a Saturday just to work around our crazy schedules told us everything we needed to know right off the bat. From that first meeting, Mike just 'got' it. He didn't just listen; he offered real insight on how to open up the space and make it actually functional for our family while keeping the modern look we wanted. Even when the inevitable hiccups popped up, Mike always had a workaround ready. He wasn't just a guy we hired; he felt like a partner in the whole process. Our home is beautiful, and we can't recommend Mike enough if you're looking to start your own project.

This past year I hired Home Quality Remodeling to remodel my two upstairs bathrooms (the master…read morebath and guest bath). This included a complete demo of the master bath (including removing the tub and extending the shower) and partial demo of the guest bath. I was very happy and pleased with the results. From the beginning of the design phase through the final touches of the "punch list" my HQR Project manager, Ronnie Illan, was in constant contact with me. He helped me with materials questions, project timelines and even picked up some of the materials for me. From the beginning it was clear my satisfaction was his number one priority. The contractors HQR used on my project were equally friendly and easy to communicate with. Even when I made some changes in the middle of the remodel (which is bound to happen!) everyone was friendly and accommodating. In short, I was very pleased with the work HQR did and I would highly encourage others to include them when you are getting bids...I'm sure you won't be disappointed! Attached are pictures of both remodeled bathrooms. I've included pictures of the original master bath as well as the 3D rendering of the remodeled master bath BEFORE any work was done. Notice how close the new Master Bath is to the 3D rendering.

Nisan was very helpful on guiding me via the permit process for earthquake retrofit. Work was…read moreexecuted quickly. Thanks

A BIG thanks to Ryan and his crew for doing an excellent job doing the Earthquake Brace & Boldt at…read moremy parent's house. Easy to work with from the beginning to the end and completed in a timely manner. Also, Ryan answered all my questions even on his days off (Thanks again Ryan!).

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

Premium prices, sub-par work, abandoned project altogether when we complained…read more Most work had to be redone by professionals. No Mistake