We were fortunate a few years ago to pick up a tiny cottage in Carmel By The Sea. We realized in…read moreorder to make this something that we could potentially retire to we'd need to expand it a little. For that we needed an architect or draftsman that could design something that was sympathetic to the existing structure, the cottage is pretty funky being built in the 30's and remodeled by no other than Hugh Comstock 10 years later so is bursting to charm and quirks. One of our neighbors has just remodeled their orig. Comstock and used Darren so introduced us. Yes he's a hard man to pin down but the way in which he embraced the brief was just the ticket. The point of the extension was to expand the property but ultimately make it feel like it was all there from day one. In working through the process with the city (not the easiest process I must say) and all the fees and approvals you need, it was clear we chose well as on every turn Darren had the schedule mapped ahead and in every case the officials had nothing but fantastic words for his work and integrity. I assume if we got this choice wrong then the whole project would have been a miss but it set us up for what I think has been an epic result. One further thing, we decided to daisy chain all the contractors from this relationship forward so we asked for referrals on a general contractor, got 3 and picked 1. Each of the contractors from this point on (except for 2 minor subs) had worked with each other on scores of homes over a period of 25 or so years so it made relationships between each party very smooth. I can't speak high enough about Darren, so if you have the good fortune to use him I would highly recommend it. I hope we have the occasion to collaborate with Darren again.

From the owner: Draftect was established in 1985 by Darren Davis to provide professional building design services…read more Since inception, Draftect has completed more than 1,600 projects. Part of Draftects success has come from engaging with clients early, when a collection of ideas has yet to form into a tangible vision. Early involvement is often most valuable when ideas are coming from more than one person, and the first big step is marrying various ideas into a unified vision. This assures that every project gets started on a successful path, which significantly enhances the likelihood of a timely and agreeable result.Of the 225 new homes that Draftect has designed, more than 50 have been in the community of Carmel-by-the-Sea. While being one of the finest communities in the world, it is also one of the most restrictive with respect to building. Draftect has gained tremendous experience in helping realize many dreams amidst this mix of high-end expectations and restrictive regulations. Draftect has also designed more than 20 historic renovations, which have enhanced its ability to help clients navigate challenges associated with regulatory compliance and permitting processes regardless of the design complexities involved.Since 1985 Draftect has grown into one of the most highly recommended design firms on the Monterey Peninsula. We hope that we may help you design your dreams into reality.

We live in Carmel Valley and hired Justin and his team to do an addition and full remodel of our…read morehome including re-plumbing, rewiring, redoing the septic systems and replacing our ridge line beam, after having a terrible experience with our first contractor. Justin's team picked up the project while in the permitting phase and did a fantastic job on all aspects of the project, from pulling the permits through the final. They were always available, transparent with their bid process and exceedingly fair when unknowns came up in the project. Doing a high-end remodel is never cheap, but their pricing was fair, transparent and they worked with us to fit everything we wanted into our budget and schedule. Could not recommend them more highly!

I am a CA Licensed Realtor and would hire Hastings Construction for any of my clients. They are…read morevery professional, communicative, clean and do an excellent job.

Unreliable. They were perfect until we signed with them, then they changed the rules of the game…read moreand decided to try to siphon as much money as they possibly could from us. We got nothing from them, not even an idea, anything to go with, and they still took $2000 from us, claiming they worked for hours. On what? No one knows for sure. Scam.

One of a kind architect, experience in the field of remodeling, new construction, and commercial…read more Knows his way around the city and county politics to get projects done. Had helped our family construct and remodel numerous homes.

We have three rental homes in Pacific Grove and Jeff Edmonds (Edmonds Design and Construction) has…read moreworked on all of them. He's as good as you can get. First of all, he showed up right on time for our initial appointment. We walked him through the first home and showed him what we needed and his bid was very reasonable. He also pointed out things we could do to save money. We were very pleased with the results. The work on our second place was much more extensive and he and the crew were there on time and on budget. He's always been quick to respond and very thorough in his work. Even when smaller things have come up, he responds quickly and gets the work done. We couldn't be more pleased with Jeff and highly recommend him.

From the owner: We design our projects using 3-D visualization CAD software. Then we estimate, schedule, and help…read moreyou build your project. Cal. GC license 349605. I have designed many ADU’s and remodel projects. Working on the Monterey Peninsula. Please email your requirements for a consultation.

BUYERS BEWARE - DISHONEST, FRAUDULENT BUSINESS We used Sand…read moreCity Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry based on our contractors recommendation. We placed a very $$$$ order for custom maple wood Dewils cabinets and unfortunately, paid 70% down on 10/3/12 after being told this is the standard and will allow for the distributor to negotiate a better rate with the manufacturer. We were also given a definitive 6 week turn-around-time. 6 weeks came and went and we were given a handful of excuses from weather delays preventing delivery, delivery truck axel breaking down, and finally that Art Brost had submitted the cabinet colors incorrectly on week 8. The final straw was when Art Brost confessed on 12/5/12 that he had spent half of our down payment to pay bills AND that the order had never been placed with Dewils. (A contractor friend told me that this was a common practice... for smaller businesses to take down-payments and use the $ to leverage or float other projects.) Additionally, Art had the audacity to ask me for the remaining 30% so that production of the cabinets could commence. We have since filed a dispute with the credit card company, contacted the manufacturer and consulted an attorney who has advised us that what they did was simple THEFT especially since the initial order was never placed. Upon further investigation, we found that we were not the first victims... there are at least 3 other customers this has happened to...Art and Jorge are basically running a ponzi scheme. I don't care if Art Brost claims 44 years in the industry, his legacy will end with him as a liar and cheat.

From the owner: Kitchen & bath cabinetry design and sales. Also closet and home office cabinet systems.read more

I had the pleasure of working with Amy..and a pleasure it was. She greeted me when I walked in the…read moreTile Studio and her genuine, attentive attitude was immediately apparent. She heard me and we began to formulate some ideas. I had an appointment and needed to leave before any decisions were made. Amy said she was off the next day but she'd work on some ideas. I knew she meant it. I went back two days later..she remembered exactly which sample I'd looked at and we started to brainstorm. Her interior designer mind kicked in and we were off and running! Where we started and where we ended up was phenomenal. I loved her suggestions, choices and vision. Within less than an hour we'd agreed to a beautiful combination of tile and colors...I am excited beyond words! Thank you Amy for your confidence and guidance.

Great service and selection. The staff is kind, patient and helpful. There's no need to drive out…read moreof town; The Tile Studio has assisted us in finding the perfect tile for every remodel!

the problem with LB is they are all talk and no action. They repeatedly bypassed and/or over road…read moremy ideas in favor of a more expedient and profitable design that they tried to sell me on whilst fabricating false barriers to going with my choices. They lied. Each contract is "non refundable" and releasing the design we prepaid was contingent on paying more money and signing more contracts with each contract extending the start time and each contract manipulating the scope of work to add to their profits. We expected a three to four month turn around from design to completion based on our initial meeting, and it took 5 1/2 months just to get the first draft of the design that was not to scale and didn't have corrections. Because they increased the price tag without ever breaking ground and the extended the projected completion date, we fired them. The new contractor started demolition within days, did an impeccable job remodeling the area I wanted remodeled, and was on time and on budget even with additional work for other repairs. LB are not trustworthy. Don't waste your time and money with Them. By the way, other contractors considered our job to be "small".

Lewis Builders (LB) did a gorgeous full-house remodel of our forever home in Monterey. Because the…read moreremodel took place when we were living a couple of hours away, we appreciated having the engineer, architect, designer, etc. all working on the same team. We didn't experience the coordination difficulties that others endure when working with separate companies on the same project. LB does high quality, innovative work and we felt confident that they would complete the work on time. From what we've heard from others who tried the permit process on their own, we never could have done that ourselves as easily or quickly as LB was able to do. They are true experts, and made suggestions about things we didn't even anticipate we would need. It didn't take long for fabulous designer Valerie to understand our needs and style. It was helpful that she did not overwhelm us with choices, and we knew that if we didn't like the options presented she was willing to bring new options. But that rarely happened because she is simply the best. Whenever we encountered unexpected challenges when uncovering the structure of our aging home, we appreciated Dan and Tony's "can-do" attitude at problem solving. We were relieved when some challenges with the home's structure were addressed with the choice of some creative, economical solutions in order to respect our budget. Our funds were fixed, so we really appreciated the team's efforts at getting us the most value from our decisions. The online portal was a convenient way to keep track of messages, photos, selections, and invoices. The 3D rendering helped us visualize the new space and it even showed us where each piece of our existing furniture would go. Something that I think separates LB from other companies are the personal touches we encountered; they were a pleasant surprise, and made us feel part of the family. As we approach the end of our remodel it is nice to know that it is under warranty, and we can easily make a request on the portal to address any future issues. We wouldn't hesitate to use LB again and highly recommend them to anyone considering a remodel, but especially those who want the project done right the first time while living/working elsewhere. Heartfelt thanks to Dan, Valerie, Tony, Sal, Brook, Matt, and the rest of the LB team!