We hired Glenn at Raven Restoration to get the original windows in our 1927 Mediterranean back in working order. The prior owners had painted over things and hadn't kept them working. Out of 7 windows, none opened fully and only 4 opened a few inches. After Glenn worked his magic all 7 fully open and close again! Glenn was a pleasure to work with. He showed up when he said he would, did a good job setting expectations on what was his responsibility vs ours, did thorough cleanup and was responsive to phone and email. Plus - he maintains a current contractor's license and pricing was reasonable for the work done. Our final bill was higher than the estimate but we needed extensive glazing compound added to the windows (which was clearly called out as a possibility in the estimate). With older houses you can't always see what you're working with until you get in there. He's in demand (working on older windows is a skill set that's hard to find) so I'd recommend getting on his job list. read more

We hired Glenn to repair 12 original wood window in our Edwardian flat, and couldn't be happier with the results! Initially, the tops were all painted/caulked/stuck/warped shut, and the bottoms would barely scrape up and down, and I was sure that the best course of action was replacing them with all new vinyl windows. However, based on Glenn's estimate - coming in just a bit higher than the cost of replacing with vinyl - and some advice from friends, we had him restore them instead. The end result is truly amazing. The windows now open and close smoothly, both top and bottom sashes, and have a heavy, luxurious feel. You know the difference in feel between opening the doors on a cheap car, vs. a luxury car? The restored original windows feel like a luxury item compared to vinyl windows. 4 wooden windows at our place aren't originals - they were installed in the last 15 years - and they now feel like cheap imitations of the restored originals. If you have original wooden windows that need some serious TLC, it is worth getting on Glenn's waiting list and having him restore them. read more

With the number of Victorians in San Francisco, and the city requiring street facing windows maintain their wood character, it would seem the path to dealing with windows with dry rot would be obvious and straight forward. After years of looking at replacement options (and a couple of mishaps) we found Raven Restoration and couldn't be happier with the results. We have 9 flat windows and 4 curved windows and Raven took care to address them all. They repaired and replaced sashes as appropriate, rehung and rebalanced the weight system to get windows opening top down/bottom up and operating smoothly. Additionally, we had a significant rattle in the windows when the fog rolled in, and they refit the sashes into the frame to eliminate the rattle and, incidentally, drafts. I truly had no idea how amazing the actual workings of these windows were, and am so glad that we chose the path of restoration versus replacement and removal of the ropes and pullies. Glenn and his team were incredibly professional and knowledgeable. After seeing the work done, this truly is heavy on the craftsmanship. They were thorough, and easy to have in and out of the house for the duration of the job. I would strongly recommend Raven Restoration for any wooden window work, and especially for curved glass or other challenging projects. We are very happy with the result. read more

I needed some advice about removing and fixing a non-functioning sash window in our SF Victorian, so I called Raven. He answered promptly--on a Sunday morning!--and even though he was too busy to work me intro his schedule, he took the time to talk me through the problem and the repair process. And he even offered to review whatever bids I might get from others to ensure that I'm getting the right service for the right price. A++++! read more

If you live in a vintage home where the windows and doors need a bit of love, give Raven Restoration a call. Glenn and his team are very professional and they take great pride in their craftsmanship! They restored 6 windows (3 with curved glass and 3 with flat pane glass) and weather proofed the front door in my 1904 Edwardian flat. The windows were originally in bad shape and there were several air gaps and some broken or missing pieces of hardware and wood trim. The front door also had some air gaps. This made my place drafty and sound like a haunted house on those windy and foggy San Francisco days. Now the windows operate like they are almost brand new! The restored windows and front door are beautiful and keep out the cold drafty air and street noise. read more

See all

Raven Restoration made us 2 beautiful solid wood mahogony doors with stained glass. They are absolutely top class great looking doors. We love them. These guys are a very professional outfit and I would not hesitate to recommend to use them for all your door and window needs. On time, on budget, great communication and an end product we couldn't be happier with. What else can you ask for. As they say a picture speaks a thousand words, so here are a few photos. read more

See all

This is a looong overdue review for Raven Restoration. Glenn was very knowledgable about the construction and mechanics of the hard to fix/replace original windows of old SF buildings. He was professional, and easy to communicate with. He and his team helped repair windows in my 'vintage' aka old Edwardian condo - some windows wouldn't even open before they came in. They did a great job, would definitely use them again. read more

I recently spent a lot of money to have the sashes of my century-plus-old wooden windows rebuilt. They looked great, but there was still a ton of air and noise leaking through. I called Glenn to come out and take a look. He very thoroughly examined the sashes and frames, and walked me through exactly what he was going to do and how long it would take. When he started working, he and his guy took pains to make sure everything in rooms where he was working was covered in plastic or moved out of the room, and cleaned up thoroughly at the end of each day. When he was done, the windows still weren't perfect, but the work he did looked great and I believe him when he says that they're as good as they can be for wooden windows in an old Victorian. Certainly a major improvement. I'd recommend Glenn to anyone looking for wooden window work. read more

My wife and I own a registered San Francisco Landmark stick-style Victorian home, built in 1877. The windows were noisy and drafty, and were in need of some care, but we wanted to retain the architectural integrity of our home as required by its Landmark status. All told, Glenn repaired or replaced 25 windows for us (most of them dual sash), as well as repaired seven doors. We had a few intricate situations - privacy glass that needed to be replaced with period-appropriate glue chip glass, custom stained glass, etc. - and Glenn was terrific every step of the way. He and his crew were knowledgeable, neat, and communicative. There were of course occasional delays and unexpected costs, but Glenn always collaborated with us, worked around our schedule (including over Christmas), and did really terrific work. In fact, Glenn's work was so good last year, we have him back at our house now working on the windows that weren't in our budget last year (which is what reminded us to write this review!). We'd wholeheartedly recommend Raven Restoration to anyone with a classic home. read more

I truly have enjoyed working with Glenn. His professionalism, friendliness, and expertise made our time together a pleasure. He will listen to understand your interests and tastes in style and help you to discern what be the best combination for your home. He specializes in the authentic reproduction of Victorian and Eastlake doors original to the San Francisco area. His personalized approach makes it worthwhile. I highly recommend Glenn for your reproduction door. read more

I have 20 original windows in my SF Victorian Condo, all of which were drafty, some of which did not work. After checking around, I hired Raven Restoration to work on 11 of the windows. Glenn and his crew did a great job, they showed up when agreed and cleaned up every day they were there. I am still pleased with the work, so much so that after the recent North Bay fires, I had no ash drifting in any of the windows they worked on. As the work was completed in 2013, the lack of ash I think is a testament to the quality of their work. read more

Glenn restored 7 windows in our ~1900 house that had water damage and had been painted shut. He was a delight to work with and really knew his stuff. We received a quote from another firm that was a higher price and we had less confidence that they had specific expertise with restoring old windows. We were very pleased to go with Glenn and recommended him to our friends. read more

Glenn is seriously the best. I got so spoiled working with him and now working with any other contractor is just painful. Glenn is so careful to keep mess and disorder to a minimum, talk you through exactly what will happen and when, explain any challenges, and for the amazing work he does his prices are more than fair. He was even great working around my two VERY curious and interactive cats, making sure to keep them shut away from the worksite. He restored and re-built 9 windows and an over-the-door transom for us, replacing sash weights, getting everything to true up, re-building frames, and restoring functionality to the upper sashes so the windows open from the top and the bottom again like they were meant to. I have literally sat right in front of my windows during a storm and felt no draft, which is amazing. I recommend him whole-heartedly to anyone who has Victorian windows that need some work. I was really worried that mine were beyond repair, but Glenn fixed them all beautifully. Keep up the great work! read more

We hired Glenn to repair 4 bent/curved glass in our master bedroom and replace our 9 flat windows that were replaced years ago with poor quality composite double-pane windows. None of our windows would shut completely, and our bent glass windows rattled so much that we weren't even sleeping in our master bedroom. Glenn and his worker David were very professional. Glenn took the time to explain the entire process. I now know more about windows than I ever did before. I work from home, so I was here for the entire repair/install. The amount of work and level of detail was incredible. They took the time to make sure all the windows were operating correctly. They cleaned up after themselves every day before leaving. Now that the install is complete, we are sleeping in the master, and the windows are rattle free. The remaining are all new wood and in keeping with the period of the building. We couldn't be more pleased with the finished product. read more

Scam artist! We have some old wooden windows that need some TLC. Raven came out and looked around, two weeks later i get a un-itemized quote for 12k. Luckily I had another crew through and knew their number, 1500. I asked for a breakdown of the 12k and never heard back. He was looking to rip us off, stay away! read more

I have a Victorian flat and needed 6 modern aluminum windows replaced with wooden windows and 11 other vintage double-hung wooden windows restored. The previous owner had removed the original windows in the front and replaced them with Home Depot windows, which would probably have been okay if a) they were not on a Victorian and b) had been properly installed (I think the previous owner "installed" them himself; one never closed and the others were not correct fits). The windows they made as replacements look and work great, and the 11 restored ones also are much improved. Their work is beautiful, and I now have 17 functioning and balanced double hung windows; they were not free, albeit not overpriced, and judging on how much time was spent here by Glenn and Klaus working constantly on making the windows of 1903 as close to original, they were a great investment. There is a lot that goes into it. The people who have worked on other parts of my flat since the windows were done have been quite impressed and have similarly been much more precise in their repairs than the repairs I received previously. It is so much quieter. I am very thankful. read more

My husband and I were excited to learn about Raven Restoration in order to have our windows replaced in our Victorian house (We did not want new windows so we were excited that a company like this existed). This review is not for the work that was completed by the company since no work was ever completed. So, I can't comment on the completed work. However, we were provided a quote for restoring and making sure that all of our windows were in working order. We decided to move forward with fixing a few windows. However, we were told this work could not completed since our project is too small and it is not enough to keep this company busy for the day. I think it may be better if they share from the outset that they are only interested in large projects. Not sure why they bother quoting projects that they are not interested in doing. Seems like a waste of time for all involved. Anyways, my 1 star review is about the most that I can give them since yelp requires me to provide one star just to complete my review. read more