I am on the HOA Board for my building, and it has been challenging to find a reliable contractor that can do quality work, guide us on repair options and meet our insurance requirements. Universe does this and more. Estimates are realistic, with options for constrained budgets, and prices are honored while we get appropriate HOA approvals. The work crews do high quality work, are courteous while on-site, and very communicative. read more

We can't recommend Universe enough. They painted our house 15 years ago, and we just had everything refreshed again. They fit our project in quickly, did an excellent job, were so easy to work with, and the whole house, both inside and out, looks amazing! Asen is a great guy, helpful and kind in every way. read more

I had a leak in my guest bedroom from three different entry points during the big storm around Christmas 2025. Asen and his workers were referred to me by the roofer based on their reputation of being reliable, restoring and matching damaged areas back new and their great clean up. They did not disappoint. Their work was excellent and the professionalism of the workers were impeccable. I would recommend Universe Construction and Waterproofing and Painting for any and every repair job. read more

Asen and his team did a top notch job on reinforcing the terrace and wall in my backyard. He and his team were always on time, professional, and provided amazing quality workmanship. Asen is a trained engineer. His design and out of the box thinking saved time and money. He completed the job early and exceeded my expectations with the work quality. Everything looks beautiful! Asen is also a nice guy with a great sense of humor. I highly recommend Universe Construction. read more

Universe previously had painted stairs for us years before with no issue. We contracted with them for a 4-unit HOA building project which turned into a dry-rot structural repair project. Despite telling us the importance of permits, Universe did not get the proper permits for structural repair in kind. They did pull a permit for painting and stucco but advised us not to have it inspected due to the extra structural work they did not get permitted. They told our HOA about further delays permitting would require which were either a lie or they did not understand how to properly permit this. We also had issues with misrepresentations regarding subcontractor work, billing of the subcontractor work and a Time and Materials contract that violated state guidelines. Finally, they issued an invalid Mechanic's Lien for a project that was not finished, as it was neither inspected or properly permitted. After a CSLB investigation, it was determined that Universe violated Business and Professions Code (BPC) 7110a: No Building Permit obtained for additional scope of work, BPC 7117a Name style variation on contract, and BPC 7159d9b Failed to provide total price in change order. A Letter of Admonishment will be on CSLB's public website for one year and be listed in Universe's license history. read more

We worked with Asen and Universe Construction for a large job that involved replacing a roofdeck and fixing water damage to a ceiling below. Overall the experience was great and Asen was responsive and flexible when we decided to add scope during the project. read more

In July of 2022, I hired Universe Painting, Inc. (UNIVERSE) based in Oakland, CA to work on a property in Alamo, California for which I'm the trustee. After signing two contracts with UNIVERSE and paying both in full, I was presented with an invoice for "additional work" on a time and materials basis, which I had never approved or signed. Home improvement contracts do not permit invoicing a residential client on a time and materials basis. The work performed by UNIVERSE was substandard and full of violations of applicable Building Codes that caused me to hire other licensed contractors to inspect, correct and document all the defects. Asen Angelov, the general contractor for UNIVERSE, was at the job site for less than 3% of the time and the individual who did all the electrical, plumbing and construction work was not supervised, nor was his work inspected by the GC. I found the GC to be argumentative and he even threatened me with a mechanic's lien even though he knew I was preparing the house for sale. His threat became reality when he filed a mechanic's lien on the property before payment for the final invoice was due. The defect list resulting from UNIVERSE's work is quite extensive. The two contracts that I paid for included painting; UNIVERSE violated its own contract that states in detail how areas are to be prepped before painting. As a result of UNIVERSE's negligence, dry rot was painted over, and peeling paint was discovered on the exterior of the home. We just recently discovered that the GC fraudulently claimed to be Diamond Certified, even though that certification expired in 2017. I am filing a separate complaint with Diamond Certified. There are lots of companies out there for hire. I would not recommend using UNIVERSE. Litigation with UNIVERSE is ongoing. For more details see the detailed report and its supplemental at: https://app.box.com/s/xv1jqxn282twg7h18k204jdsnldjye5m read more

Our management company helped us select Universe for an HOA project to paint many of the common areas in our building, including all of the doors, stair edges, exterior pipes, a wall at the entry, and exterior other metallic fixtures. While the manager, Cesar, was very friendly and seemingly attentive, the work performed by the crew was far below acceptable quality. Their preparation of the doors, frames, and frames especially, to be ready for painting, their lack of protecting surfaces from overspray, and their lack of managing use of the stairs until the paint was dry contributed to a general chaotic atmosphere that required board members to spend a lot of time with them to express our, reasonable in my opinion, basic expectation of quality, which was just not understood or at least followed. It took them 2 weeks just to paint the stair treads and after spending a few days painting the doors on the 3rd floor, they WALKED OFF THE JOB and provided no notice to the board or anyone else on site. We were later informed by our management company that the crew didn't believe that they were capable of finishing the doors to an acceptable level of quality. ZERO communication was provided and we have a signed contract. I would NOT recommend Universe if you're expecting quality results or general professionalism. Beware they may just quit and leave you with a partially finished mess! read more

This was a quick turn and they painted three rooms for us. At the last minute we added an extra space with no issues. The job was finished on time and it's wonderful. Asen and his team were so professional. FIVE STARS. Book them. read more

Update: still TERRIBLE. Job "technically" done but took 13 weeks instead of the promised 3 weeks (!) and basically all aspects of the job were done to an unprofessional level. -No warning to owners (told each would receive a 3 days notice to remove personal items) when their private areas were power washed (badly leaving dirty windows & surfaces- some windows were open!) or painted. -No tarps or drop cloths. -Paint drips throughout. No wet paint signs resulting in many hands with wet paint, including elderly who use handrails. -Multiple areas skipped. -No warning for unit front door painting, expected owners to be able to leave doors open to dry with no notice. -Didn't have proper paint brushes for details-I gave then a make-up brush so they could paint around door numbers properly. - Did not paint two coats as agreed upon. -Painted over rotten wood instead of replacing it as agreed upon. -Did not notify us of other rotten wood and painted over it instead so it looks terrible. -Soooo many emails telling them that the job was actually NOT done and sooo many photos sharing their mistakes. -Owner agreed the job was not drive properly and told me he was going to fire the painter?!? read more

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Universe Painting did our interior painting this summer. I still walk into every room & marvel at how amazing it looks! Asen is AWESOME. from the moment I met him for the estimate, I knew her was top notch: really listens, explains things clearly & thoroughly, very responsive. the painters on the crew were all very friendly. great work. took care of the details & took care of the fixes as soon as we requested. I wish I could say the same thing about Anthony, the foreman for our job-- he is the reason this is not a 5-star review. he was very difficult to reach & did not follow through on several requests. we ended up having to contact Asen for several issues Anthony should have taken care of. totally appreciated their flexibility. had a nightmare experience with our flooring people & also some issues with our kitchen cabinets-- the painters totally kept their cool when the schedule was thrown off, did some extra work for us that the flooring people were supposed to take care of, and Asen was just generally great about holding my hand through all this! highly recommend Universe. but I suggest you ask for a foreman besides Anthony... we only did 2 bids for the job (several people I called never responded... WTH?), it was slightly lower than the other bid. and I got a Yelp discount! read more

My house was painted a year ago by Universe Painting. My home is 75 years old and had peeling paint around the doors and windows. It was desperately needing paint. I found Asen and Hristo and their team gave me some of the best customer service I've experienced anywhere. A week before they came by and painted samples on the front of the house so we'd have time to consider the colors. During the job their painting team came and left promptly, cleaned up daily and were considerate through out. I have young kids so the last was very important to me. Also, they meticulously removed all the peeling paint. I know they did a great job because a year later everything is smooth as it should be. read more

Universe Construction Waterproofing Painting - side door in geranium red - Painters Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Universal painting did an outstanding job at our house. Before giving us a quote, Asem did a very detailed work through and explained all the work needed. They patched up some cracks, and took care of all the needed cosmetic details before painting. The painting was done carefully and with attention to detail. They were professional, clean, and considerate. They even cover our cars and any cars around house every day, to make sure nothing got stained. They made sure the job was up to our expectations, and it certainly was. The painting crew was always on time, and respectful. Everyone did a great job, and they checked with us every step of the way to make sure we were happy with the results. read more

Asen came as one of 5 different companies to quote my 3 story exterior paint job in SF. He had by far the most thorough walk through, inspection, and quote of any of the contractors that came. The quote was very competitive and the quality came out perfect. Absolutely recommend and would use again if I needed to. read more

UP did a decent job painting an exterior of our building. Looks good and fresh. Some of our folks start asking for the address again since they couldn't recognize the building. If something is being done not up to the people's expectations they redo it right away. Mike The Lead is great. He knows how to organize and prioritize work within the team. I deduct one star for speed. The team is somewhat slow overall. They start working at 9am. But we never saw them past 3 or 3.30 pm. I deduct another star for leaving platforms up weeks after completion without any security. read more

Asen and his crew did a wonderful job painting my 100-year-old Craftsman bungalow. It was a challenging paint job -- with steep hills, badly peeling paint, rough redwood, and brittle shingles. I give them an A++ at prep! They took so much time to get it right before they even started putting on paint. Asen was very knowledgeable about paint and kept me from making a wrong decision with the paint type for my shingles. My house looks wonderful. His crew was a delight to deal with everyday. And their price was very reasonable. I got over 10 quotes, and I am so glad I chose them. read more

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I recently needed my 20 yr. old light maple kitchen cabinets and the bathroom cabinets in two baths sanded and re-stained (not painted), along with painting my entire kitchen. Chris came out and gave the best estimate. The job was finished by Maximo and his crew within the timeframe expected. Care was taken to fully cover the floors and protect the house from sanding dust. They arrived on time and cleaned up at the end of each day. They were able to match the exact paint colors I wanted in the kitchen and even did some extra trim work I requested mid-job for a minimal additional fee. Every cabinet looks like they did when new---actually better. Before closing the job, they waited a few weeks to make sure all was done correctly. I did see a few places that needed touching up and a quick email to Chris was all that was needed to schedule a time for Maximo to return to do the touch up. Excellent job---I'll definitely use them again. read more

I am a landlord of a four unit building. I have hired Universe Painting for the job of painting the whole house, scraping and painting the front wooden door and remodeling one of the apartments. The remodeling involved replacing the ceiling in the living room, replacing one of the walls in the dining room with installation installed, and painting the whole apartment. First, the good. Asen has taken detailed notes about the work that needed to be done. He was very professional and produced a very detailed estimate. The price for the job was not the cheapest bid I got, but it was very aggressive. Asen drew a detailed contract, and I decided to hire Universe Painting for the work. Asen's brother, Chris, was supervising the work, Rodrigo was the foreman and Victor was Rodrigo's right hand man. Everyone I dealt with very extremely nice and the work has started on time. Now, the bad. Rodrigo and his crew are lacking in skill, and they were cutting corners everywhere they could. The interior work: 1) The new ceiling had to be redone. The first job on it was extremely poor. It was not smooth at all with every stitch between the Sheetrock visible. Their second attempt was better, but by no means perfect. 2) The wall that had to be replaced was just fixed. 3) Furnace room was not painted. 4) They left one of the power outlets in the dining room hanging. When I pointed it out to them, they said that it was like that from the beginning. Well, it was not. Plus, they definitely had to remove it to paint the woodwork, and they should have put it back in. 5) They have screwed up the electric wiring completely. It blew the fuses, and lights were not working. I had to call the electrician after that to fix the wiring, replace the fuses, and replace the broken thermostat. The exterior work: 1) THIS IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM that I had with their work. The back wall started peeling two days after they finished. The paint also had started bubbling in other places. Near the roof, the paint was peeling badly and had to be completely redone. We were meeting every weekend for about a month and a half to fix it. 2) Same with stucco back wall. It was peeling badly. At some point, Chris and I have decided to stop fixing it now and meet in March to do it as part of warranty work. 3) Front wall has stains after the painting which they could not fix. 4) The crumbled filling between the boards was not replaced. Instead, each individual crumbled piece was painted. 5) There was not enough prep work done sanding the front door. On top of that, they have clogged the drain with paint chips and left sharp objects outside which my tenants with kids complained about. At some point, I asked Chris to get another crew, and he brought in Hugo to finish some of the repairs. So would I hire Universe Painting again? This is a tough question. I definitely would not work with Rodrigo and his crew again. I would like to see the kind of work they do in March. If they manage to fix everything, then yes, I will hire them again. My advice is, make sure that Rodrigo is not the person working on your property. read more

I really, really regret hiring Universe to paint the exterior of my house. Their work was poor quality - painting over dry rot, not filling in cracks, not cleaning, and generally not doing thorough prep work. This caused the paint to bubble up. They came back to fix some of the problems. I'm sure they ended up losing money on the project. I certainly lost a lot of money by having to stay home multiple times to be here while they redid their work. In the end I still have paint bubbling up all over my brand new paint job. UNIVERSE, do not contact me again. read more

This review is intended to help a particular type of homeowner (people who want the best they can afford and appreciate quality, as opposed to those who love and live for low prices). I got bids to paint my house (exterior) from 5 companies. They were all responsive to the request for a bid. Two of the five wrote a number on a piece of paper and offered a few references. No thanks. Two others submitted actual proposals (one off the charts high, the other too sloppy to be considered seriously). Universe Painting was responsive to the original request and Asen brought me the best proposal I've received from ANY contractor. It was thorough, informative and his price was competitive. He was also very thoughtful with suggestions and accurate in his prediction of scheduling. But that is only part of the reason why he rates a 5 star recommendation. The team that painted our house was simply terrific - hard working, exceptionally courteous and really great at what they do. They got going on time, worked long hours every day and cleaned up completely every day. They prevented my wife from complaining and that is no small feat! Final thoughts - very well run company, great painters and a paint job that we really, really love. At a fair price (not the lowest price, but worth every penny). read more

Hugo & team just left my house this morning after putting the finishing touches on my exterior paint job. I am beyond ecstatic with the way my house looks. They did a fantastic job. My 1922 stucco was full of cracks and peeling paint, everywhere. They took the time to fill and patch thoroughly. They prepped old wood window sills, patched holes in my porch, replaced some rotted wood, and even offered to fix a broken wood banister. They were not the lowest bid I received for the job, but they were the team who would complete the job in the safest manner. I have a new baby and was very concerned about the tons of peeling lead paint everywhere. They have a vacuum tool attached to their sanders that captures the lead resulting in a minimum of dust around the property. At the end of every day, my property was cleaner than when they got here. They really do take the time to clean up. No dust to bother the neighbors, dirty your car or poison your baby! Their higher price (I didn't say highest) is worth the peace of mind you will get with the care they take to remediate lead in a safe manner. As an owner of a real fixer-upper, I have worked with many contractors of all types. A lot of them are flaky, or seem to be doing you a favor by returning your calls. Universe Painting, on the other hand are very customer-service oriented. They return calls quickly, show up on time, send you really detailed quotes, and overall have a lot of communication throughout the process. I used to have the ugliest house on the block, but now I am proud to pull into my driveway each day. I will definitely call them again if I need more paint work. Thank you so much Asem, Chris, Hugo and team! read more

I contacted Asen due to paint falling off both the body and trim of my house that he painted 3 years ago. In part, his response was "I have photos of your house before and it was in very poor condition with many years past due on painting. I can't fix many years problems with a magic wand." So buyer beware. Unless your house does not need prep, do not hire this company. Very disappointing and extra money to be spent to remedy the sub-standard work. read more

Hired Universe to paint several bedrooms and hallway. They did meticulously superb job. Clean, professional and took the extra time to do the job right. read more

I couldn't be more pleased with our experience with Universe Painting. I invited them to bid on our work based on the positive Yelp reviews. I hired them because Asen was a true professional who made a great impression. (I also received a quote from another company with great Yelp reviews who made a good impression, but was almost exactly TWICE the price.) The team kept to the schedule (even accommodating my request to delay the start by a couple of days). The painters showed up on time every day and worked hard all day long, leaving the property just as clean as they found it when they arrived. Chris showed up more than once to check on progress and to be sure we were pleased. He answered all of our questions and addressed all of our concerns happily and professionally. One area for improvement is that painters on site didn't seem to have the same level of detail as in my discussion with Asen (like using non-VOC paint on the interior work). But I was home when they were doing the work, and was able to communicate with them myself. When the time comes to freshen up the house again in a few years, I will have no hesitancy using UP again. Nor do I have any hesitancy giving them my strongest recommendation. Thanks, UP. The house looks great, and you were all great. read more

The word on the street is that there is a recession going on.... but apparently, the recession does not apply to SF restaurants (Packed every day - I'm talking to you One Market for lunch and Frances for dinner) and SF painters. After a month of searching for painters and getting bids, I must have talked to at least 8 painters, many of whom passed because the job is too small (only 4 rooms), or cannot commit on a starting date for the project (looking for a bigger project) or just flat out don't respond. Asen was a breath of fresh air, prompt, professional and responsive; on top of that, gave a very aggressive bid, not the lowest, but very very close. His guys, Alex and his crew started 5 days after I met with Asen and finished in 3 days. It is worth mentioning they were pretty on time, give or take 15 minutes - which is definitely on time for contractors. The project is more complicated than their original expectation due to the wall paper behind existing paint, lots and lots of plastering work, chunks of the wall fell off as the work progressed that needed patching... Even with the additional work, they didn't ask for extra money and finished only half a day beyond the original estimated schedule. All in all, two thumbs up, and the finished product looks terrific!! read more

I needed to get my condo re-painted in-between tenants a couple months ago and found Universe through yelp. Well, technically, the boy found them, but I digress....I got a quick call back from my initial response and Asen was able to meet with me after work the next day. I was running a bit late (I'll never understand how it takes 45 minutes to go 7 miles from SF to Oakland), but he was great about waiting for me. We did a walk through and I told him what I wanted - he provided some suggestions and answered all my questions. I didn't have the original "white" paint that was used for the base boards and doors, but this wasn't an issue, they were able to match it. They did a great job and were reasonably priced. Excellent service and results - I'll definitely call them again next time! read more

Our home need some long over due remodeling and we searched long and hard to find contractors to do the job. These guys were easy to work with and very helpful and responsive. read more

I had to write Asen a review after the great work he provided for my Auntie. My dad grilled Asen on what he does to prep a house as he used to paint exterior buildings. He said Asen had all the right answers, so he gave my Auntie okay to have him paint her house. Not only did Asen and his team do a phenomenal job, but his team was very neat. Asen and his team cleaned up everyday. She and I greatly appreciated the fact that it didn't look like other painting company work sites with trash, plastic and paint everywhere. We would highly recommend Asen and his team to paint for our friends and family. He was nice, very passionate about the quality of his work and extremely professional. read more

I've contacted half a dozen painting contractors through Yelp. Universe Painting was one of them. Asen came by and described in detail their painting process and gave me a fair estimate. Based on that, plus their great Yelp reviews, I decided to have my home painted by them. My neighbor across the street also praised their painting work on her house. Chris, his brother managed a crew of 2 people. The workers were courteous and polite and always call me by my name. They did a great job painting and left my house clean and tidy at the end of their work days. They missed a couple of spots of unscraped old paint but they were minor enough, that they still merit good recommendation. I will most likely use them again for future painting needs. 4.5 stars. Update. As soon as I posted my good review, Chris contacted me and offered to fix the minor paint problems. They did the fix and I'm a happy camper. University Paint definately want their customers completely 100% satisfied. They're a 5 star company in my book. read more

We just had our house painted by Universe Painting. We started getting bids for painting this summer. We got a total of 5 bids. Asen's bid came in as the second lowest but I was most impressed by his responsiveness (called us back within the day and scheduled to come out and give us a bid within the week), his knowledge of the prep work that would be needed and his ability to discern what would be the best service for us. I cannot tell you how happy I am that we went with UP. Asen's brother Chris was our project manager. He couldn't have been nicer or more responsive. Hugo was the crew leader and those guys were amazing. They had excellent attention to detail, were very respectful, cleaned up the site every single day and our house looks beautiful now. We've already received many compliments from our neighbors (who were not disturbed during the job at all). We are so pleased with the entire experience and highly recommend UP for any painting job. read more

Quality work at a great price. I picked Asen since he provided comprehensive information upfront. His team got the job done quickly and it looks beautiful! read more

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While we ended up using a different painting contractor for our project, I wanted to write a short review to comment on their excellent customer service. They were professional, polite, and knowledgeable with all aspects of our interaction with them, from the initial visit, to the completed proposal. Of the 4 companies we interviewed, Universal had the lowest price, but a two year warranty. Ultimately, we felt the longer warranty from the other company provided some additional piece of mind. Next time, Universe, next time. read more

I'm a new homeowner, and this was the first time hiring house painters. I was a bit nervous in the beginning (I doubt I was Asen's... easiest client). My next door neighbor has been a house painter, and he was often home while the job was taking place. He told me he was very impressed with the amount of work the crew did sanding the paint off this old house. Early in the job, Asen identified some wood that was rotten & had to be replaced - he brought in a contractor who proved to be very honest, affordable & did good work. I've had several conversations with Asen, and it's crystal clear that he's deeply knowledgeable about his craft. He has my respect - I'd work with his company again in heartbeat. Oh, and our house looks fantastic now :) read more

I had the pleasure of working with Universe Painting for a Homeowners Association I manage in Danville. The Association hired Universe Painting to complete the repainting of 150 wrought iron patio fences, as well as the wrought fence which ran along the perimeter of the entire property and Association. Throughout the course of the project, both William McKenzie and Asen Angelov were professional and accurate in their initial assessment of the scope of work, length of the project and proposed costs. Mr. Angelov made sure the residents and myself were updated accordingly on the projects daily progress and various steps. In addition, the crew was extremely clean and always made sure to clean up their work materials and any debris at the end of the workday. Overall the quality of work was done with care and precision and the communication throughout the course of the project was excellent. I would recommend Universe Painting for your Homeowners Association and residential painting needs. I know I will be using their services for any future painting needs and projects my clients may have. read more

Asen & Chris, You and your team rocks. Thank you for your patience as I tried to determine what color to paint the exterior of the house and for your recommendation. Your team picked up each day keeping our surroundings clean. The deck also looks wonderful - I just love how everything looks. read more

Asen, Lalo, and the entire Universe Painting crew transformed our home from being the eyesore fixer-upper 100-year old bungalow to the best- looking house in the neighborhood! Asen's comprehensive assessment of what needed to be done to repair old cracked stucco, strip layers of peeling paint, and replace rotted wood ornaments, and to thoroughly prep the house for a beautiful and long-lasting paint job was detailed and clearly communicated in a very thorough and professional estimate. From start to finish, everyone on the Universe team was wonderful to work with. They always arrived on time, worked efficiently and meticulously, cleaned up after themselves, and were always willing to go the extra mile to make our house transformation complete. So many people now slow down to admire the look of our home. We considered many different painting companies before settling on Universe, and are so glad we chose them for the job. We wholeheartedly recommend them in the highest terms! read more

Universe Construction Waterproofing Painting - Before - Painters Near Me - Berkeley, California

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After getting 4-5 quotes for the exterior of my house, I chose Universe Painting and could not be more pleased! The house looks great and after a summer of various contractors working on my house, I was ecstatic I did not encounter any issues with this company. I would highly recommend them for your painting needs. Just a note, they do not take credit cards.... read more

Asen and his team at Universe Painting were excellent! I needed a project done in a short timeline for an interior paint job, preparing my clients condo for market to sell. Universe Painting was efficient, professional and completed the project with quality and style. I would absolutely hire Universe Painting again and recommend them to others. Thank you so much! read more

Universe just completed a serious paint and repair project for me in Oakland. The painting and carpenter teams were and outstanding example of great teamwork and to a man were committed to excellent work. They were very neat in all phases and left my property spotless when the job was complete. The work itself exactly as I had envisioned...I feel like I have a new house! I couldn't be more pleased and I recommend this company without qualification. read more

Asem & Universe Painting got the job done (and done well) before some of the other guys could even provide an estimate. Professional, high-quality, and efficient. We've been upgrading our entertainment room, and hired a (terrible) electrician to install some in-ceiling wiring. When he was done, the room was dusty and the ceiling looked like low-quality swiss cheese! We called Asem to see if he could help with patching the plaster and painting everything to match. He came out to give a quote within 2 hours of the call (!), and his guy started on the job about 12 hours later. Wow! They took great care with our home to prevent spills and minimize dust--much, much better than the electrician. At the end of the project, there were a couple tweaks I wanted which were taken care of quickly and without objection. At the end, the work was high quality, done fast, and the price reasonable--much better than others were quoting, and they didn't add extra even though some aspects of the patching ended up more involved than they had anticipated. read more