Thanks to Ara and his amazing team, I am now someone who wants to squeegees my shower glass and never wants to leave home because I love it so much. Ara is honest, fanatically clean/detail- oriented, thorough, highly experienced, punctual and gifted at project management. From demo to finishing touches, he has been highly communicative and responsive to my concerns. Furthermore, his selection of subcontractors worked with an identical ethos- each was fastidious , highly-skilled and respectful of our home. Our project was an interior remodel - I made the decision not to use an interior designer due to previous experiences. Between Ara and our architect (Sevak Karabachian, also 5stars), I felt fully supported in aesthetic selection and am thrilled with the final design outcome. I would highly recommend United Firm Construction and am so sad our project has come to an end! read more

As a Subcontractor I have had some experience with Ara, Great guy to work with highly recommended.

When do you ever hear someone say, "I LOVE MY CONTRACTOR"... probably never, until you've worked with Ara at United Firm Construction. Ara and his team are absolutely amazing. They worked on my total home renovation of gutting the entire house and building my dream home. Ara was able to see my vision and execute with keen attention to detail and a sense of perfectionism like it was his own home. He never gave me false promises and always delivered when he said he would. He was also very transparent about the budget and kept me within my budget as best as possible. He even got me and my family into our house EARLY! I would not hesitate to work with him again and recommend him to all my friends and family. read more

See all

We signed our contract with Ara at United Firm Construction 2 weeks ago. We are doing a major remodel and have a long road ahead. I believe that if things start well the chances of finishing well are strong. I'm happy to report that Ara's team has been on it! Demo started on time, plans happened on time, permits were pulled on time... in short we are off to a good start! Ara gets involved in every part of the work and his passion for what he does shows . I have been through remodeling homes in the past and I know it's a hard process but so far Ara is making it feel easy. Here's an update to my last review of United Firm Construction. The demo is now complete and Ara has the Master Bath is already framed and repairs have been Week 17 and the job is going very well, amazingly we are only a week off from the original time line; this is due to a sub ordering the wrong materials . The quality of the work is very high and I will post pictures later. 11 months later and we have an amazing house! The project was huge but worth the wait. I highly recommend United Firm Construction. read more

Ara and his team are absolutely top notch. I wanted to work with them after seeing the work his team had done on a friend's kitchen (one of the photos above). United Firm Construction helped us upgrade our kitchen and remodel a couple of bathrooms, and we couldn't be happier. They started when they said the would, cost what they said it would, and finished on time. Although we moved out for the work I was working from my home office almost daily during the project. Being around I witnessed Ara directly supervising the beehive of activity occurring within our home. Throughout the project he was also readily available to meet us at hardware/tile/stone/fixture store to help guide us. And the final product is high quality. I'd always heard nightmare stories about contractors, but working with United Firm really liberated us to focus on the design details of our project(s). Ara and his team are honest, dependable, reliable, and really do a great job. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone and if I ever need additional work done I know who I'm contacting. read more

United Firm Construction - General Contractors Near Me - Pasadena, California

My wife and I purchased our home (our first home) about 3 years ago in Pasadena. We knew the house needed to have some significant work done to make it really feel like home, but i kept putting off starting the project because the thought of providing oversight to a large construction project with two young kids and both my wife and I working full time jobs was daunting. I have been following United Firm Constructions instagram page for some time now as I had been searching around for a contractor in Pasadena who I felt could deliver on the vision my wife and I had for our home. Having never embarked on a project like this before, I reached out to United Firm to get a sense of what the project would entail and its related costs. Ara provided a detailed quote highlighting all major costs and other optional costs and he stuck by the signed contract. The extent of the work was essentially adding 550 square feet to our house. We added a great room (kitchen/family room), a shareable bedroom for our boys, and a powder room. We also renovated an existing bathroom, and painted and touched up the whole house essentially. Below you will find my key experiences with Ara and United Firm: On Time and On Site: There was never a question where Ara and his team were. Ara was either on site supervising or off-site taking care of all the minutia that I did not have time for. Professional: Ara does not cut corners, uses quality materials, and is transparent throughout the life of the project. He is a perfectionist, extremely detail oriented, and expects the people he works with to be the same. He keeps the work site clean, tidy, and organized. Ara would always think ahead with the small things like making sure that painters came after everything was done for touchups. He wanted everything to be perfect before we moved in. Works well under duress: We started our project right when the lockdowns with COVID-19 started. My wife and I were nervous to start this project but decided to just go with it. Ara not only followed every new guideline that was thrown his way (masks worn on site, several cleaning stations present, maintained social distancing, etc), he even went so far to help us get tile samples from stores he works closely with even when they were closed to the public. We started our project in early April 2020 and moved back in first week of October 2020. He was able to finish the project in the timeline he had promised even during a pandemic. Ara has good taste: More than just good taste, he has enough experience to know what works and what doesn't in terms of style and execution. While my wife and I had our ideas of what looks nice, we always welcomed Ara's opinions and incorporated them to the project. Ara was also invested in our vision and tastes and would often send us pictures and ideas of what he thought we might like. The end product proved to be nothing short of everything we wanted. Quality Work: We are impressed with the overall quality and cleanliness of Ara's work. Patch work and paint is phenomenal. I remember going to our house to see how things were progressing when the patch work was being done. Ara would have blue painters tape all over the walls where there were imperfections. He would have the patching touched up over and over again until he was pleased with how it looked. I would not hesitate to recommend Ara to anyone who is looking for a contractor who is trustworthy, reliable, and stands by his work. read more

See all

Good contractors are hard to find, look no further! Ara and his company United Firm Construction are amazing. They are dependable, trustworthy, honest. and experienced. It is refreshing to have a contractor that responds to your calls and texts and keeps you updated with progress and schedule. We are extremely happy with our project and appreciate all that Ara did for us. It would be a pleasure to recommend and refer Ara to anyone. read more

I called Ara up because my husband and I saw a house that was being remodeled up the street from our house that we just sold. Since we just closed escrow on our new house, we needed to start on remodeling the new house as soon as possible. The tough part is, our budget was really tight. From the moment we met Ara, he was extremely detailed and really spent his time listening to our needs. When you are looking for a contractor, that is especially what you want-someone that listens, and take notes mentally over all the details. Unfortunately in the end, my husband and I decided that with our budget, we would have to manage a big part of the project ourselves. I would highly recommend Ara to anyone who is looking for a general contractor that is on point, and meets your goals. read more

Ara Sevajian, his father Luther, and their crew, especially Miguel, are top notch! After nearly 5 months of work on two separate projects, I now consider Ara to be a friend, and with the projects finished, we really miss seeing him everyday. Yes, we saw Ara just about every week day, and on a few Saturdays, too. He's not one of those contractors you only see when they pick up a check. Ara was out there, doing hard labor alongside his crew. I really respect that. They built a period - appropriate porch onto our 1913 craftsman home and completed a flagstone pathway and driveway to complete our front yard makeover. I feel happy every time I look at our house! We got 3 quotes for the work, and we are so glad we went with United Firm Construction. I will never hire another contractor again! Aside from being experts at design and construction, Ara and his team are courteous, respectful, friendly and caring. Just one example of how Ara went above and beyond: my first baby was born midway through the first project, and Ara personally pulled our trash/recycling cans up the driveway for me every week since then. So sweet! They are the best. read more

Having just purchased my first home it was definitely a "fixer upper". Outdated kitchen, walls, bathrooms, windows.Everything was old and rusty. A friend of mine referred me to United Firm Construction and I am very happy about my choice. The personal touch they provide is great, the owner Luther and his son were on site everyday. I'm not that familiar with certain things, but Luther makes a lot helpful little suggestions amd does not nickel and dime you to death. His crew works very efficiently and the end of day clean up really is crucial; especially if you're going to ive in part of your house while they uprgade another. What I did: So I bought a two bedroom house with a basement and garage. They did the kitchen all brand new (counters, granite top, stainless steel appliances. Recessed lighting throughout the house, Demolition and replacement fo staircase to basement. Room expansion into patio area. Skylight replacement. Wood flooring throughout. Added 3rd bathroom and walk-in closet in basement. Complete remodel of the other 2 bathrooms; tiling,vanity tops, lighting.and window replacement throughout. Crown and base molding throughout. ALL DONE IN 60 daysfor a very reasonable price! And I got multiple bids before choosing them. Thank you United Firm Construction! Will upload pics! read more

If you're in the Pasadena/Greater San Gabriel Valley area, or anywhere in Los Angeles and are looking to have work done on your home, I would highly reccommend United Firm Construction. I was referred to them by a friend, who was very satisfied with the service they got with this company. I had a complete remodel done (inside and out) to my house this year, and all of it was handled by this firm, Luther and Ara Sevadjian. The entire process from begining to end was seamless. With construction, we were concerned about the quality of work, time of the project, and the outcome of course. Both Ara and Luther were very straight forward and honest with the whole project, and we were very pleased with the outcome. They delivered on the time they proposed, with no issues. The quality of the work is A++, we were surprised how detail oriented they were with the quality of their work. They completed my entire roof, framing structure, bathrooms(plumbing), kitchen, living rooms and backyard. They helped us throughout the whole process, even with all the last minute changes we wanted to do. Luther and Ara are very honest and patient contractors, and handled the entire project without any issues! They are very easy to deal with. They also presented many different ideas about the remodel throughout the process, which helped us out alot. Luther and Ara are very knowledgable about their work, and it showed with the outcome. The cost $ of the project was also very reasonable, they were able to help us out with the entire project to fit our budget. I would definitely reccomend Luther and Ara for any kind of home construction need. I have already referred them to a friend who is having a complete remodel done also, and is very content with them! Any of my home projects from here on will only be handled by this firm! Thanks Guys! read more

Just had my bathroom completely overhauled by UFC. Ara was ALWAYS available to speak with and was at my home everyday! My home was built in 1927 and Ara took the tiny bathroom down to the studs and rebuilt the entire floor. Ara was also really good about giving me all the information so I could make informed decisions. Even with all the surprises an old home provides, Ara stuck to the budget. And he was such a great guy, my kids still ask about him!! We love our bathroom and I would totally recommend him to anyone! read more

United Firm Construction - General Contractors Near Me - Pasadena, California

Well, if you're looking for a contractor that does amazing work and is extremely detail oriented, look no more!! Stop getting unnecessary quotes from random contractors. Ara and the folks at United Firm Construction were awesome. Ara has been in the business for a long time and was a pleasure to work with. Last summer we had unfortunate leak from a pipe that went bad in our kitchen which ruined our hardwood floors. Since we had to rip out our floors, combined with the fact that our kitchen was quite dated, we decided to gut the whole thing. I must say, start to finish, Ara and his team were extremely enjoyable to work with - he's reliable, shows up when he says will, has fantastic suggestions and ideas, and unlike a lot of contractors, Ara is at the job site and actively supervises and participates with his crew. He was a joy to work with - literally one of the nicest guys you'll meet. He proved to be a man of his word, gave very reasonable prices and stuck to his estimates. My wife and I have two little very active boys who were a challenge to keep out of the job sit (we didn't move out of our house during construction). Ara and his crew quickly became friends with our boys and were on a first name basis in no time. Ara was very mindful with our family's schedule and they would clean up at the end of every day to minimize dust! Truly a great experience!! Ara takes the anxiety out of your reno and actually got us looking forward to our next project with him. Thanks Ara and United Firm Construction!! read more

United Firm Construction remodeled my house in 2000 and they also did some bathroom remodeling in 2014. Their service is excellent and they have the knowledge and expertise to execute the job and do it well. No matter what we decided they always went out of their way to try and accommodate us and also explain to us what our best options were. This kind of service is difficult to find these days. But these guys possess those qualities and I am very happy with the work they have done on my home and they are the only people I will call for any other future remodeling. read more

As anyone who has ever gone through the process of selecting a General Contractor knows it can be overwhelming . If you want to make the selection process easy we would like to recommend Ara Sevajian ( United Firm Construction ). He recently completed an addition on our home in Pasadena. It started with his fair and very detailed cost estimate. Ara and his crew did not miss a day on a 6 month project. He is neat, detailed, very creative with the design ideas he offered us. He trained under his father's construction company and continued his Best business policies. To sum up we were pleased with Ara every step of the way. He's a real Gentleman . read more

I wanted to put in new windows in my house, remodel/upgrade a patio room and paint inside and out. I found UFC here on Yelp, the pictures of the finished products I saw and the positive reviews here made me give them a call. Ara came out and we talked about the project and he gave me some good advise on what could be done. I just got a good feeling about UFC and their very professional approach, so I moved forward and I'm glad I did. Ara and his guys were always on time and did quality work. Ara always was reachable and listened to my ideas but also gave me good advise about what would work and what wouldn't. I would recommend UFC to anyone who wants to do a remodel with and an honest, upfront and professional contractor. Thanks Ara! read more

See all

Absolutely a great experience working with Ara Sevajian with United Firm Construction! He was always accessible and willing to have conversations about the work during construction so that we felt heard and understood everything we were getting. He was very organized, both on site and with recording everything that we (my husband) kept adding. We remodeled both bathrooms, the master bedroom, and our daughter's room. Keep in mind I had just given birth to our daughter right before work started, so Ara really made those couple of weeks stress free. I work as an interior designer, and UFC definitely surpassed my expectations when it comes to general contractors. read more

Briefly, to give a sense of the scope of our renovation, it involved pretty much everything: restructuring a roof line (tile), adding space, moving walls as well as electrical, cabinets, doors, windows, and floors. Additionally, our home is from the 1950's, and our goal was for everything to match - stylistically. So, roofing tile, hardware, flooring, moulding, etc all had to be sourced correctly. Given the structural aspects of the work, we involved an architect at the beginning of the project. However, her role ended once the plans were drawn and approved by the city. Whenever we told any of our friends or colleagues about our renovation plans, they would look at us with pity, as though we were going in for a triple bypass. In fact, many people told us that we should just accept that our project would take 3-4x as long as expected and go over budget. However, this seemed like a bad strategy to us. Why accept failure from the beginning? After talking with several people (who had gone over budget), we figured out that the key person in this process - in staying on time and on budget - is the contractor. Therefore, if we had a good contractor, we would be fine. Thus began our search for a good contractor. We interviewed several contractors. All of them were recommended highly by friends. (As an aside, don't always trust your friend's judgment). During the interview process, we noticed several trends: 1) some contractors would ask clarification questions (good!), 2) some would ask for copies of the plans when making their estimates (good!), 3) some would give us an estimate within a day or so (bad!), and 4) some immediately began suggesting additional work which was outside of the scope (bad!). Varying from the scope is the fastest way to go over budget. Ara asked for clarification during our initial interview, then called back and asked more questions. Then he brought out several subs, and they asked clarification questions. When we met to go over his estimate, it was several pages long. Not only was there a price, but details justifying the price were included. For example, the specific type of lumber and drywall were called out, the method for removing debris and securing the construction site were included, and the type and quality of paint was specified. This level of detail really appealed to my OCD nature. Additionally, he gave a time estimate of 3 months. This was Jan-ish. At this point, we were thinking of doing construction in August/September. He recommended that we put a deposit down, and then he could reserve his crew for that time. We did. Fast forward to august... Despite the fact that we are literally removing several external walls and the roof of a section of our home, we (my husband, me, our two large dogs and our cat) are living in our home throughout the construction. By the way - this is not recommended. I've heard of (and observed) many horror stories of absentee contractors or sloppy construction sites. Since we are living on the construction site, dust became my best friend. However, nails, glass shards, broken 2x4's, etc did not. Ara and his crew cleaned up every single day. Given the animal situation (the dogs pretty much roamed free in the evenings), this attention to detail saved our animals from being boarded throughout this process or being hurt. Additionally, Ara is on-site every day, inspecting everything. As mentioned, our home was from the 50's. While it was built pretty well, a couple of the floor boards were cracked (the ones under the hardwood flooring) and one of the roof support beams was cracked. Without being asked (or charging us extra), he fixed them. The main point: he treats your home like it is his home. You don't have to worry about him cutting corners with materials or taking shortcuts with electrical. And he is in constant communication with you throughout the whole process. Both my husband and I work, so this communication was extremely helpful and re-assuring. I could give even more details and praise for the extremely talented crew (painters, amazing custom cabinetry, etc), but I'm not sure anyone has read this far... So, one last thing is critical to note: We finished 1 week early and on budget. :) read more

Used UFC for a complete renovation of our home. Demolition, framing, plumbing. Estimates were fair. They showed up on time, work was accomplished on schedule, and the crew was reliable. I was very happy with the project. Would recommend them for all your construction needs. read more

Short version: We can wholeheartedly recommend United Firm Construction and Ara Sevajian. They have recently completed a major remodel and new addition to our home in Pasadena. The project has run smoothly from beginning to end and we are delighted with the results. Longer version: We found United Firm Construction through Yelp and Ara came to our house for an initial consultation. What struck us immediately was Ara's enthusiasm. He clearly wanted the job (a number of the other contractors we met seemed indifferent). Ara presented a number of ideas and options using examples from his previous jobs. He would tell us if our ideas made sense and would fit the style we were looking for. In our case, we wanted a modern look and Ara would tell us if our ideas were more contemporary or transitional than modern. We had several additional meetings with Ara before we awarded the contract. He was always willing to attend and this gave us additional confidence. He also took us to another of his job sites to show a recently completed remodel. We actually used some ideas from this house in our own! All through the project Ara was always easy to contact either through phone, SMS or email and was always willing to answer questions regardless of the day or time. Ara provided a very clear breakdown of estimated costs for each aspect of the project (e.g. demolition, framing, plumbing, electrical) based on the scope of work we wanted to do. This was invaluable as it is easy to let your imagination exceed your budget and the last thing we wanted to do was run out of money before completion. Our project ran from March through to November 2017 and I am very happy to say it went incredibly smoothly. We were anticipating a hiccup at some point but nothing materialized. Ara gave us plenty of notice of upcoming decisions allowing sufficient time to do research and shopping around. He was happy to come with us to various stores as we made decisions on fixtures and fittings, paint colors and flooring etc. His team was very professional and the job site was always clean and well organized. We were always welcome to come by to see how the work was progressing and we also had formal progress updates and walkthroughs. The quality of work has been first class. I can confidently say that no corners were cut and the finish is exactly what we were looking for. Ara is a perfectionist and he spotted some blemishes that I missed and made sure they were rectified before the job was complete. We have some more ideas for future work, in particular an outdoor pergola and barbecue area and will definitely work with Ara and United Firm Construction for this. You hear a lot of horror stories about 'cowboy builders' and unlicensed contractors. You can be confident working with Ara and United Firm Construction. The quality of work will be excellent and the experience will be a smooth one. read more

Happy to give Ara Sevajian and his crew five stars here! They took an outdated bathroom that was falling apart and made my vision for that space a reality. Great job and great service. Will be using them for all my projects moving forward. Well done! read more

United Firm Construction is as good as it gets. In a field notoruius for flakes, inflated egos and outright frauds, Ara Sevajian is an extraordinarily rare professional. Our project was mid-size with some unique features that several contractors walked away from. Ara was never once put off by any of it. From the start and all the way through the job he was confident, competent, and treated us as if we were his only clients. Here are some of the reasons you should call UFC first. * Skilled, competent workmanship * Consistent, responsible service * Excellent communication on every level - even concerning minor details * Honest and fair pricing * Thorough and aggressive representation with suppliers * Schedule kept as close as you can expect * Clean job site - beyond what you might expect * Ability to work through unforeseen challenges and offer constructive, sensible resolutions * And above all, these are people you can trust. I've never written a review anywhere until today - Ara Sevajian and his team deserve my first and most sincere recommendation. Thank you Ara. read more

We worked with Ara on a project to refresh our kitchen (new floor, counters, backsplash and replace a section of cabinets), refresh a bathroom (new floor, counter, all new tile in the shower - floor, walls, ceiling, new plumbing fixtures, lights, etc.) and a ground-up full remodel of another bathroom (including custom cabinets). We also painted the interior and the entire exterior (including brick), replaced about 40% of the exterior stucco, and replaced weather stripping. His estimate was 100% accurate - we added stuff of course, and he was on schedule even with the additions. We did our demolition right after Memorial Day and were back in the house before Labor Day (so a little less than three months). His tile and cabinet guys are amazing, with great attention to detail and just did beautiful work. Ara was super helpful and thorough in the budgeting and planning process, working through multiple scenarios until we locked in the scope. He is also a perfectionist, and anticipated design details that I wouldn't have thought of until it was too late. He is very professional, and his friendly/amicable attitude make him a joy to work with. We have two other family members who have done large projects with Ara, and on every project we have seen the same consistent approach. read more

I have a tiny 1939 house that has seen better days. I wanted to spruce up the place before I retire, so I won't have to worry about it later. Ara and his crew really came through for me! They added new baseboards, headers over the doors, crown molding, bathroom tile and fixtures, new front door, painted inside and out, and similar aesthetic improvements. It was a comparatively small job but I never felt disregarded or that my project didn't matter as much as his major remodels. My walls and ceilings were in terrible condition but Ara took extra steps and put in additional time (without charging me) to give me a smooth finish and "like new" look. He also had good advice about colors (I tend to go a bit overboard) and was creative in solving the challenges of a small home. The trim work looks amazing and the quality of the painting, etc. was first rate. I was out of town while the work was being done (about 6 weeks), but never felt nervous or anxious about not being there. Ara kept in touch and made sure I knew exactly what was going on all the time. He takes great personal pride in the work and it shows! If you want a professional, detail-oriented, and personable contractor, you can't go wrong with Ara and United Firm Construction. read more

Third update! The problem we were having was fixed within a week of my complaint! Ara got in touch with me immediately, respectful and amiable as always and jumped in with solutions. Kept reminding me that my approval and happiness was important. Already asking United Firm about our next project. THANK YOU! read more

Ara Sevajian did an amazing job on our kitchen and family room remodel. Not only were his fees reasonable but the work was perfect. He helped us adjust the project to fit within our budget and was always willing to listen to my concerns. We wanted to remove an old brick fireplace but it turned out to be a structural element, But now it is a beautiful focal point of our home with new stone and a gorgeous mantle. The dangerous wiring, decaying subfloor and all other "surprises" within the walls and floor were replaced with top of the line methods. The extra work we requested was fairly priced and completed quickly. The crews were clean and efficient. We really enjoyed the process and love the results. We consider Ara a good friend and miss having him here! read more

A year ago we were in the process of selecting a contractor to do a rebuild of our home. We were adding 1500 square feet and virtually taking the house down to the studs and doubling the size of the home. We wanted a contractor that who we felt comfortable taking on such a huge undertaking. It wasn't an easy decision but we decided to go with Ara Sevajian (United Firm Construction). We are so happy with our decision and love our new house! Ara helped by guiding us on many difficult and unexpected decisions throughout the building process. He pointed out the pros and cons and provided suggestions while letting us make the final decision. His communication, availability, quality of work and attention to detail was so on point and really shows through in the quality of his work. We fully trusted Ara with such a large undertaking. He was reliable and on the premises of our property almost everyday throughout the entire process. I cant say enough positive things about Ara and his team and we will definitely use him on our next home. read more

The work we had done on our new home with United Firm Construction was getting recessed lights, removing popcorn ceiling and getting the entire interior painted. Ara was very professional and came and met with us and he really worked with us given our budget. We let Ara know by what date they needed to be done in order for the flooring contractors to come in along with other vendors, and they actually finished a day or two early! Even with the various prep issues that existed with our walls! They worked overtime in order to meet our deadline. He coordinated everything with the plumber (minor plumbing issues), electrician and painter. Ara is definitely a man of integrity, so I had full trust in him to do a good job. He is very knowledgeable in his field and very dependable! He also guarantees his work....he came back a couple times to do touch ups, came back to fix some minor things, and he was always available for calls and questions. Ara is a great person and we definitely recommend him. Our house looks beautiful and we're happy we worked with this company! Thanks Ara! read more