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!

In short: Tom and his team are fantastic and turned our 2/1 into a 3/2 with a full basement in…read moreabout 8 months. We wanted to add a bedroom, bathroom and basement to our house and had heard about Tom from other Alameda residents and family who had had some work done in the past. He is well known for basements and foundation work here in Alameda, but our project had it all- new bedrooms, decks, roofs and everything along with it. Tom and his team was able to do it all turning our 2 bedroom, 1 bath into a 3 bedroom, 2 bath with a large daylight basement, all while we were still occupying the home with two young children! They finished very close to the estimated timeline with excellent workmanship. We were very impressed how quickly they performed the demo and framing, getting everything enclosed well before winter. Our new bedroom and bathroom have been a dream and our basement is an awesome.

Recently carroll construction put in some porch stairs of me…read more The job was meticulous and the company was a joy to do business with. I would highly recommend this company.

Responsive, thorough and professional. No longer full service so Jim has structural engineers that…read morehe recommends and has with in the past.

I reached out to Jim regarding a leak that was coming into the house at the lowest point of my…read morehome. I thought I would be in for a large cost to install a French drain system, but he was the first to say that we should look into seeing if we can solve this for $10. 1/ Adding some caulking to the side of the house, due to some cracking he saw in the exterior. 2/ adding to the downspout and adding a separate tube that can move the water to a different location. Super honest and thoughtful. In the future, if I need some investigation or work, Jim's my guy! Thanks for saving some money and being thoughtful.

They remodeled our bathroom, redo everything from waterproof to tiling…read more They also did some extra roof repair and cleaning for us. (separate from the bathroom project). Very careful with protections from day-1, I think it's good quality overall.

Pablo and crew are absolute professionals. We hired them to remodel our new master bathroom. It had…read moreto be completely gutted and they handled literally everything from plumping to electrical to all the finishing details. Great communication and top-tier work at an awesome value. We'll be hiring them again for other projects down the road!

I worked with Brian and Mila from Geico builders. They were incredibly professional and…read morecommunication was amazing. From the very first day Brian and Mila were able to help my vision come true when it came to transforming my small backyard. Their crew was incredibly efficient, thorough, and considerate. Their job was finished quickly but with quality in mind. Their pricing was reasonable as well. I would highly recommend Geico builders to anyone looking for a contractor for a home renovation/ landscape project.

I hired Geico Builders to repair dry rot in a second floor wood balcony and in the fascia boards…read moreabove the living room window.   Of all the bids received, I selected GEICO because the proposal submitted by Victor contained detailed descriptions of the project scope, the defined steps, the materials to be used and the deliverables. Two workers were assigned to the job who completed the tasks on time and the dry rot was removed, repaired and the entire balcony and fascia boards repainted. For the duration of the project, either Victor the project manager or Rodrigo the project lead would come to the job site every day to check on the progress and to communicate with the workers and myself. They were also available unfailingly by phone or via texts to answer questions and to liaison with the workers who had trouble speaking and understanding English. They were also the ones who got things fixed when not done correctly the first time  I can report that I'm very pleased with the final results and can rest easy since they have shown their commitment to quality and back it up with a written 10 year workmanship warranty.

The best! My mom hired Gilor Construction for a full ADU remodel at her house, and the experience…read moreexceeded expectations. They started in mid-December and finished by April 7, earlier than we anticipated, and that timeline included a major setback: an 80-foot redwood tree fell on the house during a Christmas storm. The roof was crushed, part of the structure separated, and we lost power for nearly a week. It was a stressful situation, and they handled it. They repaired all of the damage and still completed the full project within budget. That alone says a lot about how they run their jobs. Or Haim, the owner, is very communicative and genuinely cares about making sure everything meets expectations. That level of involvement made a difference. The fantastic onsite team was led by Jesus, who treated the project like it was his own home. He was thoughtful, detail-oriented, and clearly took pride in the work. We would absolutely hire Gilor again and are happy to serve as a reference.

We had an excellent experience with Gilor Remodeling Group, especially Jesus (project manager) and…read moreArturo (one of the work crew). We've done several other home improvement projects in the past and had such a headache with the contractors and sub-contractors not showing up when they said they would, or not paying attention to details, so I know how rare it is to find a contractor you actually like! Plus, their bid came in much lower than the three other contractors who quoted for us. We replaced four bathroom vanities which seemed like a small project, but required more skilled work than we originally imagined - including redoing plumbing and moving electrical to accommodate the new layout of vanity, mirrors, and lighting. The crew was very careful to cover surfaces to prevent damage (and also avoid dust getting on all our things) and to clean up their tools and equipment at the end of each day so we could have our space back. Arturo did really stellar work and clearly pays attention to the small details, like smooth caulking lines and patching each little area of drywall and paint to ensure a completely finished project. Their communication was great, and when we ran into a few hiccups with how to best install wainscoting, Jesus ensured we were happy with the plan before the crew moved forward with it. All in all, we really recommend Gilor and will be using them again for future home projects.

You know that sinking feeling, "I wish I knew a contractor I could trust...". Very common for first…read moretime homeowners, or someone -- like me -- with an old house. Eli Israel and Integrity Remodeling is that contractor. I have had the good fortune of working with Eli and his team on two projects over the last 10 years. One was a major remodel/addition, the second project most recently was a minor project that was very impactful to my home and family. Both projects were completed to my 100% satisfaction. The cost and scope of the project was clearly outlined at the outset, there was open communication throughout the project and the everything was finished on time and on budget. Just as importantly, Eli and his team are clean courteous and professional. My family and I lived through the remodel/addition and at the end of the day the house/job site was left in a clean condition, and Eli's team were always on time and professional. I'm telling you - call Eli and the Integrity Remodeling team. You will be writing reviews like this for the next 10 years. They are that good.

We partnered with Eli and the Integrity Remodeling team for a major, full home renovation. The name…read moreof Eli's business is apt: Integrity Remodeling approaches contracting with a commitment to integrity in all facets of their work. We began in January 2020, unaware of the impending Covid outbreak. The project was slated to be ~12 months but Eli's team had to deal with a number of extenuating factors which delayed us to 16 months. Eli's team did a tremendous job navigating a complex and dynamic situation. I highly recommend Eli and Integrity Remodeling for a few reasons: 1. Quality. The quality of the work is outstanding. I fully trust that when the IR team approached any aspect of our project they would do so with a deep commitment to quality. 2. Communication. It's nerve-racking to approach remodeling, which demands making decisions across hundreds of elements, most of which we didn't have any expertise in. The IR team was great at helping us understand the process, what was needed when, and the factors that we should understand about decision making. 3. Expectation setting. Eli is up front and transparent about budgets and timing, which is so important to plan, both financially and logistically. 4. Great team. Eli and his team are a joy to work with. Even amidst hard moments in our project, we felt like partners. Eli works with great subs and they were all committed to doing an excellent job on our project. You'll be in excellent hands with Eli and Integrity Remodeling!

We had a leak in our office from the roof/deck above that I had been dreading fixing for a long…read moretime. Don't be like me and make sure you get those things fixed before they get worse. I know hiring a contractor is scary. There's a lot involved and they'll be in your house for an indeterminate amount of time which makes it really important to hire someone you can trust. Tom came out to provide an estimate for our project. He was the only one of the contractors I called that really investigated the existing condtions and repair based on what he could see and his own knowledge. He spent over an hour at the initial call making sure he didn't miss anything and talked through the potential issues and repair. This was his time spent not knowing whether or not we'd hire him. He was also the only contractor to tell me he would only do the work with a permit. Whether or not you think one is needed, just knowing that he wasn't afraid of the permitting or inspection process was a big plus to me. Always ask about permits during the interview process. He then went to his car, drafted an estimate and came back to talk to me about it. I was really impressed at this point. There wasn't any pressure from him to sign on and he encouraged me to ask questions. The estimate was well defined and a bit higher than another bid, but from what I saw I thought it would be worth it. After we signed on, he gave a rough schedule and starting time and said they stay on the job until it's done. We had a list of items to buy and he helped us out there too. He was in constant communications and always responded, even on weekends. Before the work begins, it is pretty easy to promise things to the client while telling your crew something else. When the work actually started, Jesus was our foreman and true to their word, he stayed on the project until completed. They were extremely respectful of our home, carefully protected things and kept the work area clean. During demolition, they found some unforseen things, but took care of it without issue. There were times when they could've easily walked through our house to talk to us, but instead opted to ring the door bell to respect our space. The construction went smoothly and Tom would visit and communicate frequently. He took care of the inspections as well without issue and some other things without charging us, which I appreciated. At the end of the project, we had some concern about the slope of our deck above the office. Tom and his crew came out and fixed it and didn't even mention the final payment until we were happy. Our remodelled office looks amazing. I'd gladly recommend LB Construction for anyone looking for a contractor and will contact them again in the future.

LB did a fantastic job for us. We hired them for a major remodeling project and they delivered…read morehigh-quality work, on budget and on time.

Tried twice to schedule a site visit over text for a small project after speaking with Jesse over…read morethe phone. First time, no response. Second time, a time was scheduled but no one showed up.

Ethos saved me a lot of money by educating me on exactly what I needed for a drawer. Very nice!…read more I'm very thankful.

Posted this on Google reviews and it got hidden to the public. I think it's important folks know…read moreabout this experience so see below: ______________________ I had such a bad experience with Mission Home which I know will look bonkers given the 5 star reviews. I was definitely persuaded by these reviews - and now will question every business that has 5 star reviews. Do your homework and don't be fooled. Project took much longer than what it should have because they were disorganized and would forget certain things (the foreman would even admit that the PM should have told me certain things!) that I would have imagined a contractor had down pat in terms of sequencing. They use some subcontractors and you are at the mercy of their schedules. They just are not organized (you will do a lot of the reminding, checking in, following up, and certain things still may not happen). They failed inspections meaning more cost (it is their job to pass these! It says this in any contract!) If it seemed as though I was questioning something, the PM got defensive and sometimes unprofessional, gaslighting me in a very aggressive manner. I saved the communication, in fact. The people I worked with directly were young and it showed in the almost-too-casual style of communication and lack of professionalism. I surrendered towards the end and just wanted the project done and everyone gone. I feel completely foolish that I went with the significantly higher estimate thinking it would offer a smooth, superior experience. The actual people who did the work worked hard though and did nice work - hence the two stars. But at the end of the day, it's actually hard to enjoy the work as I am reminded by the months of bad experiences - up to the very end. You can find more experienced contractors out there for equal quality of workmanship and for a more competitive price. I am using a different contractor now for other work at the property - it's a 180 degree difference - they have a dedicated team for my project, meaning time to completion is more accurate and on time; they have a dedicated person to procure the finishes and fixtures, not myself; they are way more organized and even provided me a timeline of what to expect and communicate with me what time they are showing up and what progress was made that day (!!); they are bringing a truly expert eye with attention to detail that ELEVATES the space and are teaching me to ask things I didn't even know I should KNOW to ask; and most importantly, I feel truly comfortable asking questions without defensiveness and aggressive steamrolling in their answers. I received none of this level of care or expertise with MHR, and I want you to know that you should expect these things!!!

Try to get some basic quote range but they say no, they cannot do that and we have to schedule a…read moresite visit even with the measurements and picture I provide. This makes no sense because we just want to get a ballpark to see if it's even make sense to continue. But anyway, on the date of the site visit, the guy come without any tool for measurements and for note taking. The guy just spent like 20 mins walking around the house and said he will get back to us with a quote. But I never hear back from them since. I think the company is very picky on clients and like to see if they have enough money to pay for their service. If they think we cannot afford it, they will just cut all the communications. This is also mentioned by other 1 star reviews.