Mark and his crew were simply great. Showed up on time, very professional and courteous, skilled at there craft, clean, and finished the project on time and within budget. Mark came by regularly to insure the quality of the work. Bid was a fair price for a drain system installation that many others could not figure out. I am so happy with the way it all turned out, I'm now asking Mark to give me a bid for several other jobs I need done on my home. Can't give a better recommendation than that. David K Millbrae read more

See all

We very, very highly recommend Mark Lavine at UH Improvement. He is a professional who delivered for us top, top quality work and in an efficient manner. While we hope we won't have the need, if so at another property, we would hire Mark again in a second if ever we were faced with a flooding, drainage or related issue. We live on a slight hill and our garage flooded the past 4-5+ years. It was horrible. (See photos) It had been getting worse each year. At first we tried fixing on our own by making some drainage improvements. That did not work. The next year we hired a general contractor but, as we later realized, he did not have the expertise in this specific area. He did install some new drainage and waterproofing, etc., but his "solution" was really no solution at all. Sadly, the flooding in our garage persisted just as before. After that experience we realized that our drainage and flooding issue needed a true pro with this specific experience and expertise. Therefore, the following year we interviewed several contractors who "said" they were experts at drainage and flooding issues. Mark stood-out amongst the group when we met him. His many years of experience, and specifically working on properties with drainage and flooding issues, allowed him to have a more clear vision than any other contractor for a solution to our problem. We scheduled the work for summer 2023. Mark and team were in/out in less than two weeks, just as he said, and his team was very professional, hard working, and courteous. While we never doubted Mark and his team, we felt it was more honest to wait and write this review after the 2023/2024 rainy season. It's now mid-March 2024 and we've had many, many big rainy days and nights that, in the past, would absolutely have flooded our garage and had my wife and would be down there sweeping out the water. This winter: WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE DROP OF WATER flood into our garage! The drainage has worked perfectly. The work Mark did has worked perfectly and we could not be happier. We are soooooo glad that we met and hired Mark and UH Improvements..... Thank you Mark and the team at UH Improvements ! We are forever grateful. -Steven & Kim read more

See all

My husband and I highly recommend Mark and his Universal Home Improvements crew. This year's torrential rains left us with a flooded small building in the backyard and rivers of rain running along the sides of our house. Mark definitely lived up to his great reviews - he walked us through the french drain design he proposed, showed us photos of the different stages of building similar drain systems, and created a plan that would work in the specifics of our yard, house, and the two large Monterey pines in the back. Mark was very responsive to text messages, which we appreciated. His crew was great - arrived on time, made sure the site was safe during their work (including demolition of the flooded building) and after they left for the day, worked closely with Mark to develop modifications to the plan when needed, and left a very neat job site at the end. We are really happy with our above-ground container vessel (kept our pine tree roots safe) that will let us use rainwater for the backyard during dry seasons. And we feel prepared for the next torrential rainy season. read more

Mark and his crew did a great job waterproofing a below-grade room attached to our house. They sealed the foundation, and installed a french drain and sump pump. Mark checked in with us daily to answer any questions we had and to keep us updated on the work being performed. His crew worked very hard and finished the job two days ahead of schedule. They were polite and cleaned up their work area when they were done. Looking forward to working with Universal Home Improvement again. read more

For personal reasons I needed to cancel a job with Mark even though I signed the contract. I was disappointed because Mark seemed to be most knowledgeable and experienced retaining wall work. He was understanding and even offered help. I wanted him to keep the upfront deposit but he wanted to void the check. He is honest and you can bet 100% reliable on a job. Thanks Mark read more

The crew worked very hard and kept at it, but there were a few inconsistencies with what was quoted and what was actually done. We were told we would get a steel plate put up against the house where it was dirt. That didn't happen and just kind of, "oh by the way, we aren't going to do that". We were told we would get a wire mesh put down (gopher prevention) and that only happened after I mentioned it several times, and came after they had already filled in the dirt. So, we had to pay $500 extra, and if I had known it was going to be that much extra, I would have said no. Apparently, there is a water source directly below where we had the french drain and sump pump put in. I thought this should raise some red flags, but it didn't. So, now, our sump pump runs every couple of hours all day long, even though there has been no rain for three months. We are draining some kind of creek below our house, sending it from one side of the house to the other. The owner seemed to think that moving the water uphill (via sump pump) and sending it down to the drain in front of our garage, made sense, even though the water just gets sent to the other side of the house, downhill and out the backyard. Poor planning, if you ask me. The drain should have gone downhill straight out to the backyard. Me no understand why... I've submitted reviews three times now and have yet to seem my $20 Google/Yelp Gift card and $10 Amazon gift card. Joan read more

Mark and his crew installed a French drain for us at our house on a hillside in Pacifica. Mark explained everything in detail with lots of photos before we signed the contract, and was always quick to text back any time we had questions throughout the process. His crew always arrived right on time and did excellent work. They put boards over the trench, tied everything off with caution tape, and cleaned up the yard (as much as possible) each night before leaving. Our whole ground floor used to flood every time it rained and now the issue is completely fixed. Very happy with the work that was done! read more

My backyard looks amazing. the team that came to my home and took out an old retaining wall and built a new one was so easy to work with. The finished new retaining wall is beautiful, I am so glad i let them design and build it! read more

Completed extensive drainage work at our house. The guys were early most days and worked incredibly hard. Mark was responsive to our texts and calls. When we thought of possibly modifying our plans he was willing to adjust with us. He responded to concerns we had after work was completed and addressed the issues as he promised. The commitment to the quality and lasting functionality of the work is apparent. We have had no issues with drainage this winter. read more

Mark installed a french drain for us at a large building in the Richmond District where the sand that is the Richmond makes deep trenching difficult. Everything went perfectly well, and the concrete finish replacing the sidewalk is very attractive. Heavy rains came this Winter and no more water intrusion! He has capable contractors who all have licences and insurance. We are thankful to have a qualified contractor we can work with on our larger jobs. Exterior water proofing, window replacements, renovations, roofs, and replacing dry rot with new framing are some of the jobs we have coming up that Mark can do for us. He does about everything. Highly recommended. read more

I spent a long time attempting to find a contractor who had knowledge of french drains and waterproofing foundations. After negotiating through a sea of contractors who had no idea what to do and others who just walked away, I contacted Universal Home Improvements. I met with Mark who had amazing knowledge regarding my construction issues. He explained all of my options and answered all of my questions. After construction started, the Foreman assigned to my job was Ed. He was on the same page as Mark and there was good communication between the 3 of us. Ed was detail oriented and did not cut any corners. He also went the extra mile to complete some minor details that I thought were important but probably would not make any difference. My neighbors all liked these guys as well. Construction has been ongoing at my house and these guys were the first that my neighbors approved of. They kept the dust to a minimum and made sure to clean the neighbor's property. We all appreciated that. These guys did a great job and went the extra mile. Not only would I recommend them, but I also hired them again to do another job that should start in a few weeks. read more

Used Universal Home Improvements for a drain project for our house. Mark and team were very responsive, professional and quick in responding to any questions, comments, or concerns that I had. I highly recommend them and would certainly use them again. Thank you! read more

Henry from Universal Home Improvements called me on my home phone that is on the National do not call list. When I advised him we were on the do not call list he said we were not on the list he uses and kept trying to sell. When I asked for a manager he said no managers available . He then became abusive and said I must not be taking my meds. No regard for telemarketing regulations, deceitful high pressure sales techniques, and rude and abusive when they realize they can't bully you into using their service. read more

I was quite happy with Mark and the crew's work and was ready to give a 4 or even 5-star review. But all that has changed after I paid off my bill on time. The reason was that Mark repeated ignored my request to issue an invoice or receipt (although he indeed promised that the would support one once I payoff my final bill. But it never came, even after repeated followups by email, phone call, voice mail, messages with his office). I have no clew why such a "professional and responsive" contractor suddenly turned into a liar. Was he trying to hide something (by not issuing an invoice)??? From my end, I need it only because the work was for an investment property and I need it for my own tax reports. I hope he can address this ASAP. My next step is to log an official compliant with BBB and other consumer protection agencies. Maybe I should also call the IRS and CA tax authorities to better understand the potential reasons behind his no-receipt practice. read more

****8/2017 UPDATED and EDITED I am not trying to bash but just sharing my experience and opinion.*** I found Universal from a Google search. Universal's website seemed slick, professional and had many seemingly glowing reviews. Plus they offer a FREE estimate. My courtyard patio had a drainage issue so I called to schedule an appointment. Easy. Two days later Mark, the owner, came on time and we discussed the project. The concrete paver patio was flooding due to a poorly routed drainage system. Mark said he understood the scope of the project; he said he would pull up pavers, install new drain line and also install a new catch basin with a sump pump to drive the water out to the street curb. It sounded elaborate as it now required electricity and an electrical pump. Almost like putting a pump in a rain gutter if the gutter wasn't draining properly! Mark promised a quote in two days. I wanted to see what he would come up with. Mark returned on time and we went over the proposal: it would take a 2-3 workers 5 days to lift 30 feet of pavers, dig up the old drain line, and install a catch basin = $15,000. Whoa. Proposed job from my perspective: Lift 30' of pavers (1 day) + trench by hand 30' (1 day) + lay pipe and refit pavers (1 day). I estimate 3 days and Mark thought 5. Let's do a super conservative/generous estimate of our own: LABORERS - $4800 ($40/hour x 40 hours x 3 guys). That's three guys working non stop for 8 hours a day for five days. MATERIALS - $800 (pump $500 + pipe $200 + $100 miscellaneous) Our heavily padded estimate = $5.6k. I informed Mark $15k was way beyond reasonable. He asked what I was willing to pay and I replied $5k which was still too much IMHO. He said he was confident in his solution and estimate and asked me if I wanted to give him the job because he had a team ready to start. I told him I would get another estimate or two. The next day I called up the original contractor and explained the flooding problem. Due to the severe drought the drainage system hadn't been Mother Nature tested for 3 years when late 2014 it rained for a week and my patio flooded badly. I had assumed any warranty was long expired and that's why I didn't call original contractor from the start. Long story short, original contractor (Black Diamond Pavers) came out assessed the problem and said they would correct the problem free of charge; apparently I had a 26 year warranty!!! Two days later three guys came out and got to work, lifted many pavers, added an additional drain line, a pop-up, improved the runoff slope, and extended the original line all the way to the curb. Best of all gravity fed - no electricity or pump required. The work was completed in 1.5 days!!!!! (Universal quoted 5). Dave apologized for not getting it right the first time and said to call him and let him know if I had any further problems. A day later after the repair it rained heavily for two days. And guess what, the new system worked perfectly, no flooding or standing water. (UPDATE as of 8/2017 still problem free) SUMMARY: Get more than multiple estimates (three is a good number) and carefully compare them. read more

I had flooding in my house and needed a fix ASAP . Met a few contractors and then finally met Mark. Right off the bat you knew this guy was professional and knew what needed to be done . Job was done efficiently and since had no problems . If you want something done to your home right then call Universal Home Improvement , you won't be let down read more

Mark came out to do our front yard landscaping. He added in fake grass and help us totally re-arrange where things were laid out. For example, he recommended a new location for the garbage cans and build a nice enclosure for it. He turned our front yard into a nice location to garden area where we can plant flowers and trees. We brought in some lime, lemon and orange trees. On top of that, he found an issue with our driveway and was able to help replace that in a very quick time. Mark was very communicative so he let us know what happened each day or what was planned for the week. Mark envisioned something very nice and help us envision a better looking front yard. We now have a front yard that we can enjoy. As a recommendation, it is easy to get carried away with all the nice things you can do as Mark describes them. It would be best to understand your budget before hand so you don't get carried away. We didn't get carried away but I could see how that could easily happen. In short, I would use Mark again. read more

Beware, this guy is a professional con artist. He took the money and ran. Any work started was left incomplete and has not only not tried to bring the job to a satisfactory conclusion, he won't even return calls. I'll soon post pictures of the complete and total disaster he and his makeshift crews left here. Months into the job, still incomplete. Most of the windows he ordered were the wrong size; leaving the multitude of unusable windows stacked in the garage for months. Still waiting since September for installation completion. Drainage systems installed by this moron as well. Just in time for the December rains. Unfortunately they were installed improperly too. Some of the drains are higher than the driveway surface, making the drains less than functional. Can they do anything right? It baffles me that this man is still in business. read more

The owner did not come by the house to check on his sub's progress as promised so as a result much of the work is sloppy. I had them do some of it over and the rest of the mistakes I will have to live with. He is very expensive and is not worth it. Twice he let the shower door installer into my home then left. Funny, I thought part of a general contractor's job is to supervise outside vendors. read more

Out to rip you off. Do NOT use this contractor. Has NO employees. Just a fast talking salesman with no insurance. Steer Clear!!!!!

Hello Mark after responding to your message about my yelp review I immediately contacted your company Via phone and email. At no hidden surprise to me I was greeted not only rudely but in an unprofessional manner, at one point in time I quote "Remove your yelp review or else" naturally I don't scare easy so I am writing you back through Yelp. Feeling un discouraged I called your company 3 more times 2 of those 3 I was hung up on and the 3 time was told after confronting my issue with Slander about my alleged Dis honesty and was told that Due to the fact that you were NOT hired to actually do my Roof repairs I would not be logged into your files for the simple fact that you do not log Jobs that you bid on but did not win. Now the truth is Mark I am not really in the mood to explain all this to you in detail because YOU and I both Know that what I am saying is true why Lie? Further more after your companies threat towards me to remove my yelp review or "ELSE" I am not going to give any specific address because I am now in fear for myself and my neighbors well being. Thanks for your attempt at covering these truth but I am going to personally make sure that they are found because people do not forget. have a lovely day read more

The crawl space under my home gets wet and flooded every year. Also, last year the heavy rain flooded our room downstairs leaving a lot of damage. I had 3 contractors come to view and give estimates. When Mark came it was apparent he was very knowledgeable about french drains and the areas we needed to install them, much more so than the other contractors, it was determined we needed 2. He spent along time examining and explaining what needed to be done. He came right after the flooding of our room downstairs and gave us a lot of free advise, such as recommending pulling up all we carpets ASAP, removing molding around floor boards, taking a hammer and punching holes along sheet rock along the floor boards, to let dampness out and recommended renting a dehumidifier and running fans to avoid getting mold. We ran dehumidifier and 4 fans 24 hours straight for a couple of weeks and were lucky not to get mold. His crew were very hard workers and professional. They ran into a problem trying to put a french drain behind my house and worked hard to come up with an alternative and they did. So far so good, although there was some dampness under my crawl space. Mark came out right away and checked. He declared it wasn't the french drain, dampness came up under the cement. He promptly send a worker out to put water proofing over area that got damp. He said it would stay dry as a babies bottom. It hasn't rained since so I don't know for sure, but I'm sure if there is a problem, Mark will come out promptly and resolve. I would highly recommend Mark and his crew. read more

My sister and I hired Universal Home Improvement to remodel an inherited house we planned on selling. The house was in disrepair to say the least and had been neglected for some time. So, ultimately it needed a lot of work and was not a project we looked forward to. However, the owner was such a pleasure to work with. He literally held our hands every step of the way and kept us informed almost daily on the progress. He also had excellent taste which made the selection of the finishing touches a breeze! The major projects we had done by Universal Home Improvement were: roof; interior and exterior paint; landscaping; replaced all windows; new doors throughout; and remodeled both bathrooms and the kitchen. The end result was that we sold the house after only 2 days on the market! I highly recommend Universal Home Improvement. The quality of work was so good and the cost didn't break the bank! read more

We had a drainage issue with standing water collecting next to Our House after a rain. Up to 8 inches of rain would be next to the foundation. We got three bids from different contractors. Mark was the highest BUT we also had the most confidence in his explanation of the problem and how to fix it. We ultimately decided to go with Mark for this reason. He let us know when he would be available to start and how his contractors would work. He also talked to our neighbor as this affected his yard as well and met his request and expectations as well. The job was more complicated than expected but Mark developed a fix for the problem while making it look nice. He was very available to communicate via email and answered all my questions. Mark also provided a written 5 year warranty that no other contractor offered. He told us to just call and he would fix any issue. So far no water has collected but no big El Niño rains yet! We are very confident in the work Mark did. read more