About a year ago we hired Ward Construction to solve the drainage issues at our house in Berkeley. They installed a French drain and sump pump, and completely fixed the problem. Even in this latest deluge, the basement stayed dry. We still run a dehumidifier down there and have to drain it every few days, but thankfully no longer have to Shop Vac out gallons of water every time it rains and for days after. read more

Prior to selling our home we had multiple companies give us bids for foundation work. Not only did Ward provide a bid that was fair and competitive, but they helped us avoid additional work that turned out to be unnecessary. They did high quality, professional work, were courteous and left everything spotless afterward. They also expedited our job because we were on a tight timeline to list. My wife and I would highly recommend Ward! They are honest, fair and do excellent work. read more

We have been fighting water seepage and flooding in our first floor of our two-floor house in El Cerrito for the past forty years. The big atmospheric rains of Jan 2023 caused a lot of damage. My wife and I finally made a decision in late Fall 2023 to put in a French drain or underground drain. We solicited bids and Ward Construction gave us a very reasonable one. Ward was also recommended by friends of ours who had similar work done at their home in Marin. Work began in December and ended in January, 2024. Once the underground drain was completed in January, we have had a dry first floor -- and "peace of mind." Forty years of seepage and flooding have come to an end. The Ward team -- starting with Henry and Jesus and the others -- performed very well. The work was hard and often performed under difficult weather conditions. But the team persevered through all of it. Thanks to them too. read more

We completed our third project with Ward Construction in November. I am happy to report that our basement has not had any water in it this rainy winter and I have such piece of mind now. read more

During all the atmospheric rivers we've had this winter, I was surprised to find a flood in my crawl space. After hiring another company to pump it out and install a temporary pump it was recommended that I have a French drain installed on the side of the house. I called Ward Construction and Henry came out to look at the problem. He sent me a contract proposal and I showed my kids and they thought it was a good company to do business with. It took several months to start the job but after a week of work and some noise it's done! I have to thank Raffa, Jose and Sergio for their good work. They cleaned up everyday and helped me with some decisions. I highly recommend Ward Construction for any job like this. read more

Starting with the storms of 2022 and 2023 I began to experience water seepage into my lower bedroom and bathroom making the rooms unusable. Of the contractors I approached, Ward Construction offered the best solution. The work was started quite promptly and completed very efficiently. The crew were a pleasure to work with. I have no hesitation in recommending Ward Construction. Peter L. read more

The storms of New Year's Eve 2022 and the winter of 2023 flooded our basement and shredded our nerves. Ward Construction's solution was elegant and straightforward. I want to commend the crew who undertook the work on our drainage problem. They were efficient, courteous, and meticulous and did a terrific job of cleaning up once the work was completed. Thank you. Stephen C. read more

I hired Ward Construction to address a settling issue with my parent's home. A small restroom was to be renovated and the settling needed to be addressed before that happened. Not only was the bid by Ward Construction very reasonable and the lowest, the leveling of the house was completed in just two weeks. They showed up on time every day and took care of business. When they completed their work, they cleaned up after themselves. The only visible indication that there was foundation work was some new cement where they went under the house to jack it up and secure the foundation. 100% recommend!!! read more

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We just completed a major drainage project at our house. The project entailed the replacement of solid and French drains around the perimeter of the house and running a long line to properly discharge the water. Concrete walkways had to be demolished, landscaping needed to be dug up, and deep trenches needed to be carved out of rocky soil. Ward Construction did an outstanding job. They quoted fairly, were easy to work with, did what they said what they were going to do, unexpected problems (buried slabs of concrete) were dealt with per the contract to our mutual satisfaction, they did their best to minimize landscape damage, and their concrete work was outstanding. I highly recommend Ward Construction and would not hesitate using them again should the need arise. read more

The work by Ward Construction is beyond impressive.  Our complete foundation replacement for a small home was finished in exactly 30 days.  Each Ward Construction staff person was professional and knowledgeable - and it's a bonus when Art comes to the site!  Their thoroughness to point out some plumbing pipe corrections meant everything could be accurately finished.  We also had a drainage system installed to eliminate rain water collecting after the foundation replacement.   The job Ward Construction completed was pristine, passing all the City code inspections.  Others may do good work but Ward Construction is top-notch! read more

We had a very good experience with Ward Construction. Reliable and hard working crew and a very communicative owner who oversees your project from beginning to end. They did a major retrofit on our house. They were very accommodating, returning several items to their pre-construction status. This included a step that had to be rerouted because of a new concrete footing. Of course, there always are some unknowns with a project. In our case, they hit bedrock which necessitated a jackhammer for some excavation. We were worried about the extra cost but they did keep an accurate record and it wasn't excessive. Art Ward, the owner, who was always available for communication. What pleased us the most, is there were never any interruptions on the job, the crew was here every day and completed the work in a timely manner. The icing on the cake was receiving a hand written thank you note from the owner, Art Ward. How often do you receive such a personal touch? We happily recommend Ward Construction. read more

We had Ward add/replace extensive drainage around our home. They replaced all of the underground downspout pipes along with installing a new french drain and surface drains along the back/side of the home. They were great at communicating, dealing with all of the permitting and the people doing the actual work were extremely professional the entire time. Highly recommend for anyone that needs work done related to drainage around the home. read more

My basement used to get seepage and flooding when we got lots of rain. I called Ward Construction to do drainage work, and Art Ward fitted me into their schedule. Antonio, Rene, and Fernando did a great job - at least as far as I can tell before we get lots of rain to test out the work! They were pleasant people to have working around my house, and they were super courteous about dealing with picky neighbors. The work included demolishing and replacing some pavement and steps. Fernando's concrete work was much better than I had any right to expect. I figured the Ward team would do an OK job, but he went beyond my expectations, matching the look of the added concrete to the old steps and landing alongside. When I need construction work that's in Ward's wheelhouse, I'll call them back again. read more

Rick came out to talk about some drainage issues and in doing so, directed me to a less costly solution that didn't give him a nickel of business - so I can't speak to his work but him being a straight-shooter and not directing me to what brings him a profit is worth five stars alone. read more

We had Wards construction replace part of our homes foundation and install new drainage. The crew was very hard workers, very polite and cleaned up on a daily basis. Art Ward always kept us informed and updated in regards to the various stages of the project. They did a great job and I highly recommend them. read more

My husband and I spent 2 months planning for the foundation work with Ward Company. We committed to do the work with them, spent 5K in the engineering report and agreed on a bid to move forward. We were pleased and ready to do the work until we got an email from the owner that in just 1 line stated the price increase of 50% on what we had agreed on without any change to the project just a matter of their misunderstanding of labor and cost. My husband followed up with a phone call to understand what happened. They didn't care about the position they left us in. Sarcastically they wished us good luck and that was the end of our interaction with them. A big waste of time and money! read more

Art Ward and his team provided drainage around the entire perimeter of my home as well as seismic retrofitting. At the time our basement was allowing water entry every time it rained and in one portion of the basement wall there was marked leakage. We had just purchased the home and the large basement space had to be left all but unused. Since the work was performed, two rainy seasons ago, the basement has been bone dry. His team was pleasant, helpful, respectful of our space and on time with the work. The price was very competitive and we are thrilled with the excellent results. read more

This company did a substantial French drain and concrete job for us to mitigate a large upslope we have to our Lamorinda area home. They delivered just as promised, on time, on budget, and left the yard just like they'd found it: undamaged. Their pricing was far, far less than some of the other bids we got and the quality and service were really excellent. When we had questions or wanted a minor change, they took care of it with zero resistance and no follow up needed on our part. We recommended them to neighbors as well. read more

We were very happy with the job of Ward Construction and would definitely recommend them to others. We got a number of bids on our job and had a number of possible solutions to our drainage issue. I felt that the work proposed by Ward made the most sense. The workers did exactly what they said they would do and were very thorough and professional. read more

Thanks to Ward Construction we saved over $20,000 by not using their service. Backstory: Ward gave a bid for replacing the foundation on our detached single car garage. Because they were responsive, we worked with them bu needed time to get the money together and four (4) months later we called and told them we had arranged financing and were ready to go. Ward sent back the same contract/scope of work but the cost had risen $4,500 in four months. When asked why the price increase, Ward responded by saying all of their costs had risen (surged in 4 months???) and no adjustment would be forthcoming. The price was, "good for 90 days." We put out the project for bid and got three bids 20 to $25,000 cheaper. We went with another licensed contractor who we are very happy with. Our new contractor did great work. Final inspection is this week. We have saved approx. $25,000 for not going with Ward Construction. You could too. read more

Ward Construction did an extremely professional job putting in a French drain next to our house. We had some moisture intrusion in our crawl space and our garage a few years back. Rick Arden came out and diagnosed the problem. He worked with our budget in coming up with a solution for both problems, and remained responsive and helpful during and after the project. The construction crew was extremely professional and courteous, and the project was completed on time and on budget. Three years later the drain continues to work great, and our crawl space and garage are dry year round. I would recommend them to anyone else with drainage issues. read more

Ward Construction replaced ~10 linear feet of crumbling foundation under our two-story home, including having to replace ~100 sq ft of concrete flooring adjacent to the foundation. They were extremely professional, punctual, & fair & accurate. We recommend them, & we would gladly hire them again. read more

Ward construction was a very competitive bidder and because of their experience I knew I made the right choice. They built a complex four pier partial foundation with haunches on a circa 1929 four-plex on a hillside lot. There was minimal interior disruption, and the building site, both inside and out, was left neat and clean. Their work was on time and budget. Their interface with my structural engineer and Oakland Building Dept. was seamless and without issue. I would highly recommend Ward Construction to anyone needing these kinds of services. read more

We hired Ward again for some more drainage work in our back yard. They were super professional. The crew was pleasant, efficient, nice to have around. They left the patio exactly has they had found it. A really great job. I would hire this firm again any time. read more

They may be a good construction company in general, but my experience with Rick Arden was not a good one. In an attempt to ask simple questions about a project on the phone, he was indignant and reactionary. We terminated the proposal of services as a result. I've never been inspired to post a Yelp review until now. read more

They built about 75' of piers to help stabilize a slope/driveway. Very thorough, very punctual, very professional and personable. I had two other contractors bit nearly twice as much to build walls. I had a rep from Ward come out, assess the problem, and suggest an engineer and design that cut my costs in HALF. Only wish that they did plumbing too. Highly recommended. read more

We had a water issue, got multiple bids Art's was good price for a licensed contractor and this had to do with our house so we were not taking chances. He was very responsive and clear with his communication. Crew was there each day on time and considerate of our yard. Art worked with the town on permits, all went as smoothly as can be expected. This was done two years ago and this year is the rainiest on record and so far no issues so I would say he did a great job. read more

My home in East Oakland with a nearly 100 year old foundation needed a full foundation replacement, additional support for the the addition's foundation, and added earthquake structural support. Throughout the process we were impressed by the professionalism of the Ward Construction crew and the president Art Ward. It was a major project that was handled at a quick pace, great communication, and with no pressure to undertake unneeded work. You'll be glad you chose to work with such a professional crew. read more

We hired Ward three years ago to install a French drain around two sides of our home, along with a sump system. I'm just getting around to writing this review, but they still deserve 5 stars for the job they did. Art and Rick were both great to work with. They were accessible, responsive and professional. Their team of guys was great. The drain has been functioning perfectly. The price was excellent. Thanks, guys! read more

Terrible company with a terrible owner. And extremely expensive. Had french drains installed in September of 2016. We've had nothing but trouble since then. The sump pump they installed keeps failing. It can't keep pace with the rainfall and the pump activation switch keeps burning out within a year or two. I had to pay for pump replacements 3 times in 4 years, so I finally bought my own utility pump and keep it running alongside the 'official' pump Ward installed. That's the only way I can keep the official sump pump from burning out. So every winter I now have to go out in the pouring rain and insert the utility pump, plug and unplug it, etc every time heavy rain starts. Why did I pay almost $13,000 for this system if I still have to trudge out in the rain in mud every winter to drop in my own utility pump? Have gone back and forth so many times with the owner Art Ward, and he won't do anything to fix the underlying problem, which is an incorrectly designed system. Don't use Ward construction, go with someone cheaper, more reliable, and who takes more accountability. read more

We used Ward Construction on a massive foundation underpinning project at our home in Lafayette. My experience with Ward Construction was outstanding. I strongly recommend Ward for both quality of work/service and price. They diagnosed the problems that we're causing cracking in various potions of our house, found a cost effective structural engineer to work with us, and came in with a budget that was more competitive than any of the other four companies I talked with. Ward started the project on time, was extremely communicative throughout each stage of the project, came in on budget and left the work site immaculate when they project was finished. Ward also did a significant drainage project for us at an extremely competitive rate--we had the same great experience as with our first project. read more

We had a tricky situation: a decades-old retaining wall falling outward because of the heavy rains, and the clearance space between the wall and the house reduced to less than three feet. Plus, it was near our property line, which added more complications. Art, Rick and his team, working with the engineer, put together a good plan, and figured out solutions when we ran into snags with the city. A large amount of jackhammering, digging, concrete pouring and other construction tasks had to take place in a very small space, and the Ward team managed to do it with hardly a nick on the house wall. When they left, everything was cleaned up and neat as a pin. All at the original quoted price. Update: I have to mention that the actual final price came in several thousand dollars above the original quote. So not quite the unicorn I originally presented in the review, but I still think they did a good job. read more

They redid my drainage. They were great; on time, polite, thoughtful, efficient - I wouldn't hesitate to retain them again.

We had a great experience with everyone we dealt with at Ward Construction. We recently had them install a sump pump and subterranean drain around the perimeter of our basement which had water intrusions in heavy rains. The were very attentive to our concerns and were done quickly (despite some delays in getting the Berkeley permit guy out to inspect due to holidays etc). Best of all, it's rained a lot recently and the basement has stayed dry! read more

We hired Ward Construction to do some drainage work for us. Their proposal was reasonable in terms of price. Their workers arrived when expected, worked quickly, and did quality work as far as we could see. We feel more than satisfied with Ward Construction. read more

When we decided to add 4 new piers to better anchor our hillside home into the bedrock, we reviewed many contractors for this work and selected Ward Construction. We were very happy with the whole experience as well as the very reasonable price. Art and his crew were very responsive throughout the entire process. Based on our experience, we highly recommend Ward Construction. Ward is a great choice -- very happy with our decision. read more

Our 100 year old house required a french drain system around the perimeter to save our foundation. Fernando the foreman was great at communicating what work was being performed, highly reliable and overall great experience. This was a big and costly project but we had confidence and trust in the crew. I only wish it was a wetter winter so we could really put the new drainage system to the test. read more

If they offer to give you a home survey for a fee you should decline. You can get them for free from other contractors.

I hired Ward to install a huge French Drain around my house. Their pricing was good, and their speed, quality and service were excellent. Great crew all around. read more

Art Ward, his right-hand man, Richard Arden, and crew were so attentive and did the job, start to finish, just like they said they would;. We had to replace part of our foundation to our 83 year old house. Art and crew found that our french drains had not been properly installed either, so that was done along putting in an outside sump pump to carry water (if we ever get any rain again) away from the house. The price was good but what was even better is that they were always on point, everything was explained, and we just feel very confident in the work that Ward Construction did. read more