I hired Tom for a tenant improvement project at my mixed-use building on Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla Shores. The work included relocating an ADA bathroom and getting everything through the city's permitting and inspection process. At first I thought I could manage the remodel myself, but once the city got involved I realized I needed someone who understood commercial construction. I talked with a few contractors, but I already knew Tom from a previous project and decided to go with him. I'm glad I did. Tom was easy to communicate with and was at the job site all the time. If something came up, he'd explain my options and work through it instead of letting it become a bigger issue. He also coordinated with the architect, inspectors, and subcontractors, which made things much easier for me. The project was finished in just under two months, much faster than I expected for a commercial remodel with permits and inspections. Overall, I'm happy with how everything turned out. If I have another commercial project in the future, I'd call Tom again. read more

Someone cussed my child and I out when we went to their business office address. I'm pretty sure he was home and sent his mother in law. I came to discuss my displeasure at the garage door he installed falling off the rails as my daughter walked under it and the woman got all aggressive on me before I could show her a photo. I wish they'd post an unedited video from their ring camera. It would've been pretty funny if my 2 year old hadn't been in my arms. read more

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Contracted tom for a $400k remodel; house looks like it was done by rookies bc it was! Will post pics soon. We have been asking him to fix his mistakes..; he has stopped responding to us and we are planning to take this matter to court. read more

Tom is my go to person for almost everything I need to do in my house. I called him up maybe once every 1-3 years. When I do call him up, he is always responsive and available. He's so personable and understanding yet professional. You can tell he knows what he is doing. He's very honest about everything he does. I called him up recently (4 months ago) for a plumbing leak upstairs in the master bathroom. Even though he is my go to person, I still called around other companies because I like to do my research and I like to get at least 3 quotes as well as understand the situation. I also did call the home insurance company. After talking with other companies and the insurance company... only Tom was the one that really gave an honest answer that aligned with the home insurance company in that it was not going to be covered by insurance due to wear and tear from the age of the house.. From this point, Tom gave me the most honest answer on how to proceed with everything. He saved us time and money. His pricing is always reasonable. He and his team did the project right away within the week. He was very thorough and made sure everything was good. He even came a week after to make sure all the work was done properly. For the plumbing project - he had to break the floor tiles and walls since it was wet, dry them out, replace the tiles, dry wall.. and then spray stuff so it doesn't mold inside the walls. He also had to fix the garage walls since our bathroom was on the second floor. Since we was doing that project, we had him take out the last of our popcorn ceiling (everything was tested before he took it out). He also fixed the plumbing/toilet stuff. Tom is amazing! I highly recommend him. The best part about Tom is that once he fixes something in my house, I don't have to fix that item again because he does such a great job. Thanks Tom!! read more

Tom and his team did a superb job re-roofing my home in 2022. I had an old wood shake roof that needed replacing. I've used Universal for previous house projects - kitchen and bathroom work / repainting, Outdoor BBQ / bar, tile and grill installation and several years ago Universal patching up a leak in my old roof. Tom's quote was concise, complete without hidden "extras" and he used double layer 30lb felt, 1/2" plywood (vs. 7/16" quoted by other companies) and provided a 15 year vs 10 year warranty in spite of 30lb vs 40 lb. My roof was not an easy job - broad roof, steep pitch but Tom's quote was very competitive. Throughout the work, his team was thorough, professional, courteous and showed up consistently. They ensured that the removal and installation was effectively handled in stages around a couple of unseasonable rainstorms to avoid risk of interior exposure to the rain. His team checked for termites and had spot termite treatment on hand in case they found some - fortunately I had none. While I always get multiple quotes for projects, Universal will be my go-to company for future interior and exterior house work. A real pleasure to work with. read more

Universal Construction company did sizable portion of my house remodeling including master bathroom, master bedroom floor, new windows, fireplace resurfacing, laundry room, upstairs full-size bathroom, and staircase wall two years ago. I was happy with his job, and I hired him again to do my guestroom bath remodeling again. They just finished the project yesterday and the bathroom looks great. The owner of Universal Construction, Thomas, is professional, his price is reasonable, his time management skills are particularly good. He lined up all the subcontractors right on time to finish the project on schedule. He did part of subfloor replacement and reinforcement before the floors changed from carpet to wood. The only time we had to wait was when the floor materials delivery was delayed due to Covid. Thomas's experience and knowledge of the materials and techniques gave me sound advice whenever needed. He employees two teams of confident project managers who are great for tiles, plumbing and electrical work. They are his salaried employees and extremely dependable. I highly recommend Thomas and Universal Construction for your projects, read more

Universal Construction - My 3 bathrooms and MB looks great now - General Contractors Near Me - Escondido, California

Tom and his son, Ethan, from Universal Construction did an incredible job in my home renovation project. Even though they specialize in larger commercial projects, they were able to offer extremely competitive pricing and delivered top-notch results. We needed a new section of drywall installed on top of TV mounting services. When Tom was done, the new drywall actually looked even better than the house's original construction, and the TV was mounted to utmost perfection. I cannot recommend Tom enough for his friendliness, attention to detail, and quality of work. read more

Tom did an excellent job remodeling our store. He's reliable and very professional. We have recommended his company to our friends who owns local businesses here in San Diego. He's awesome read more

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We were referred to Tom by a good friend, and we are so pleased with our home remodel! There was a significant amount of work involved - adding on a pantry and laundry, expanding our master bath, closing off the fireplace, updating electrical/plumbing, expanding our living room window, redoing the patio, AC/heating system, insulation, and finishing the garage. Tom listened to our design ideas and helped us problem-solve to find the best options that fit our needs and our budget. He communicated with us regularly and was very responsive whenever we reached out to him (text is the best way to reach him). He efficiently coordinated with each of the subcontractors and advocated for us to get the best quality work possible. He even finished our remodel ahead of schedule!! There were a few minor things where materials were delayed due to COVID, but that's just life these days, and Tom made sure those portions were completed as soon as he had access to the materials. We are so happy with how everything turned out, and we have recommended Tom to several of our neighbors (one recently started their remodel with him!). Tom genuinely cares about the work he delivers to his clients. Highly recommend Tom and his crew! read more

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Tom did an extensive renovation for us in coronado. Overall it was a very pleasant and positive experience! Here is a list of what he did for us: - brand new kitchen - 3 renovated bathrooms - hardwood floors - lighting - structural work ( knocked a few load bearing walls and raised parts of my ceiling) It was all pretty smooth! I would recommend him because he is hard working, very honest, and extremely competent. I've already recommended to many of my friends. Here is the only catch, he does not work for pennies. If you want cheap labor, go to an unlicensed handiman. If I had done this, I would have been in trouble since Tom stands by all of his work. He came back for months anytime to make sure we were happy. I would trust him again without question! read more

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Tom and his teams are most reliable for their works His estimates are most reasonable among multiple betts. Jobs were done on time. And follow up are excellent and available. I highly recommend Tom and his Co. BL read more

Recently I worked with Thomas for a ton of remodeling job for my house. It was including many new lights adding, new stair work, garage refinish and opening a wall. All works have been done perfectly. Moreover, he is extremely professional on his work; very quick finish, caring all works done properly, instant real-time response, very flexible schedule adjustment for me, and even kindness! He is totally doing a great job, my satisfaction is 100%. I strongly recommend him, if somebody needs a guy with a responsibility as well as an efficiency. read more

Universal Construction - General Contractors Near Me - Escondido, California

I have used this company for over 15 years for remodeling and repairs. Recently we returned from vacation to find a slab leak in our living room floor. Tom Kim, the owner of Universal Construction came to the house right away. He and his crew handled everything from tearing out wet wallboard and flooring, water and mold mitigation, and full restoration. He is always professional and reliable. I highly recommend this company. read more

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Universal Construction remodeled our kitchen and powder room last year. They were highly recommended by two of my friends who had their bathrooms remodeled. We had a few estimates and Universal's was most reasonable. Tom Kim, the owner, oversaw the complete remodel of our kitchen and powder room. He helped make the entire process easier by helping us select countertops, flooring, cabinets, light fixtures, etc . He also explained everything he was going to do, so we felt comfortable that we knew what was going on every step of the way. His team was also excellent -- always on time, professional, and did high quality work. And at the end of each work day, they did a great job of cleaning up. Tom always goes above and beyond --he also replaced all of our recessed light bulbs in our home with led bulbs without charge. Universal Construction's after service is excellent. If there were any issues, he responded immediately and resolved the issues. Later on we also hired Tom and his team to paint the exterior of our home. They did a wonderful job and were very thorough. Before the painting process, they power washed the entire exterior of our home, and painted with care and efficiency. Tom and his team were again very considerate about cleaning up at the end of each work day. At the end of both projects Tom and his team cleaned up everything. I highly recommend Universal Construction for any remodeling and home improvement projects. Tom is professional, accommodating, and best of all, his high quality work is lifetime-guaranteed. read more

I highly recommend Tom and his crew. I am an interior decorator and have brought Tom in on many remodel jobs, including kitchens and bathrooms. He is very flexible with our wishes and requirements and follows through until job is completed to clients satisfaction. He has great work ethics. His pricing is very reasonable and Tom is very reliable and shows up whenever required. I highly recommend Tom and Universal Construction read more

We were recommended Tom by a friend of a friend, and it really worked out. Tom was always prompt, responsive, and professional. We had him completely renovate a bathroom down to the studs and sub floor as well a other carpentry, tile work, cabinetry, and painting. He and his crew were incredibly on time and on schedule. He was true to his budget and was great in working out little issues that came up (as always do in renovations) in a non-nickel-and-diming way. He really knew what was needed to make the final product look good. We almost immediately used him on another project to paint the exterior of our house, which needed bit of work. We've recommended him to friends and neighbors. read more

Universal Construction - Sweet new bathroom. - General Contractors Near Me - Escondido, California

We did a couple of home remodel projects at our house in Carmel Valley they were quite extensive. We did a kitchen and master bathroom remodel and did crown mounding throughout our downstairs family room and kitchen and Tom, the owner, oversaw the whole project and he and his team did a fabulous job. They were always on time and gave a very fair price on all the work they did. If I had any questions or anything I wanted changed, Tom was very obliging and corrected anything if we were not completely satisfied. Tom is a wonderful person and a true professional. I would highly recommend him for any job large or small. read more

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We highly recommend Tom and his team for any Design & Build Commercial tenant improvement . They are the "Best" in San Diego. Universal Construction build our new Restaurant and it was a great experience!!!! We were very pleased with their work ethics & performance . Job were completed on Time & Budget !! Tom did everything what he promised from start to finish. My wife and I both are very satisfied with Universal Construction and would highly recommend to anyone who needs Tenant Improvements . Thank you Tom and we look forward to doing business with you on our new location!!. J . Son read more

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What a great experience! Universal Construction, they are absolutely the best! My 80's kitchen and the old fire place got fancy new looks! It's not easy to find a good contractor with my budget and what I needed but then I found Universal Construction. From the first meeting to the final work, they've met the quality that I expected. I had tons of questions through the renovation and Mr. Thomas, who is the general contractor, didn't mind explaining them all to me. They were on time and on schedule. The construction process was clean, safe and successful. And the price wasn't bad either! I highly recommend Universal Construction. read more

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Very efficient service with quality workmanship. Would recommend highly. We purchased an older home in Old Scripps Ranch and needed major remodel work and addition on our home. We called and got several bids from different General Contractors. We decided to hire Universal Contruction to Design and Remodel , since price was reasonable and they were referred to me by my good friend . My husband and I were clueless on design, thank goodness for the Universal Construction's Architect & Tom's (owner) design and workmanship. Everything went very smoothly from start to finish and we are very satisfied. We would highly recommend Universal Construction . read more

They came highly recommended from a colleague and I was very pleased with their remodel work. We wanted to modernize our kitchen and master. Tom who is the owner was very professional and thorough in his planning, budget and setting timelines and expectations. He has a great eye for design. We are very nee to this so it was reassuring to have some as experienced as this team. Plus their references are top notch from some of the most respected business owners. We are very happy with our new kitchen and bedroom! Thank you!!!! read more

Great work on my floors and bathroom remodeling & repairs. Very thorough job and reliable. No leak issues. Great price. Very happy with the results . read more

Universal Construction build out our new commercial office building. They handled everything from start to finish which included obtaining a city permit and architectural plan. They were very organized and on schedule. They finished on time and have great customer service. I would recommend Universal Construction very highly and would refer to anyone who has needs for Construction projects. read more

Horrible mistake in the selection of this company. Poor workmanship, business ethics and no plans. Had a worker walk off site and leave the house open. What a mistake. read more

I don't usually write reviews because most professional services tend to perform the services they were hired to do at acceptable levels but with Universal Construction, I just had to write one because a business with excellent customer service should be recognized and recommended. From the moment I got an estimate to remodel my restaurant to the moment when the job was completed, the team was very professional by providing me with different options on how to remodel efficiently and effectively. After explaining what I wanted to do, they presented me with preliminary plans and an estimate lower than the competition. The whole team, including their subcontractors, did an excellent job to stay on schedule so I can go on with my business with minimal interruptions. After seeing the work that Universal Construction did for my business, my customers have been very pleased with the appearance of my restaurant and have expressed great interest in knowing who the contractors were. I am more than pleased with the quality of work that Universal Construction has performed in my restaurant and I recommend them to anyone who wants the lowest price, great workmanship, and excellent customer service; bottom line is that Tom, the owner is an outstanding professional who knows his business...thanks Tom! read more