I visited Ashby Lumber company today to look for a very specific cut of wood and I was greeted by Brandon and DQuan. I was so impressed with how they so thoroughly looked for the right piece of wood for my unique project. It was close to closing time and I never felt rushed or that they were ready to leave. They both provided just outstanding customer service! I will definitely be back! read more

I have worked with Jeff Smith at Ashby Lumber for plumbing needs for many years. In particular, he has done a great job helping us pick a kitchen faucet and then solved issues we have had with it, always in a timely and professional manner. I really appreciate his willingness to make things right. read more

I was there about a week ago to buy some lumber for a deck. Brandon helped me, and provided me with a variety of options to choose from. He was friendly and patient with me while i took my time in deciding what would work best for my budget and project. Definitely coming back for my next project! read more

Great service from a very knowledgeable staff. A real step up from the big box home stores. Higher end merchandise. Better tools and people to answer questions about them. Give them a try. read more

I decide on using Batu wood for my fence and Ashby Lumber happens to be the closest retailer. I didn't know this but when it comes to Batu, the retailer gets the quantity it gets. It doesn't have a say. I worked with Nastor and Curt, most Curt. They were super helpful, it took a week or two to the quantity in the length I was looking for and during that whole time, Curt was responsive, followed up and updated me when he said he would. The material was delivered on time. The delivery person was great too. And when I had extra material left over, they took it back and issued a refund the same day. The whole experience was great and I recommend them highly! read more

I was extremely satisfied with this store. Our contractor we're using for a larger job said we might be able to find something for a personal project we needed there -- a door frame. The staff helped us talk through what we actually needed (we needed a door frame), explained our options, and marked us up. All with great service you couldn't get at somewhere like Home Depot or Lowe's. Very large inventory of everything you could possibly want for plumbing, doors, windows, framing, lumber. Go here for anything on that list, not just for the lumber part. Note that they do deliver, but they charge heavily for it. read more

Small or large project used Ashby lumber employees very knowledgeable, most of things you need they have on stock. Mr.Michael Brown took his time to explain the difference between material and the important to treat then, great costumer service kudos for having great employees read more

Very much a fan. Purchased our sink and faucets for our kitchen here as well as many other items here and there for a recent remodel. Customer service has been excellent and got an excellent price on our plumbing purchases. When we learned the faucet set was missing a washer our sales person went out of his way to help solve the problem, first by giving us a piece from another set and then when that did not work he made sure the manufacturer got in touch with us directly to get us what we needed. Happy to support this local business. read more

I've gotta recommend the plumbing department here. I'm on my second remodeling project now, and have come to trust and rely on Paul and Mary to figure out plumbing fixtures and get them at reasonable prices. Their expert advice comes with it - and is worth the weight of a solid gold bathtub. On weekends they can get a bit busy, since they do spend time with customers answering questions and discussing options. It is worth the time to patiently wait your turn - they will give you the same attention which forced you to wait in the first place. They are also helpful over email for follow-up mid week. I've also had good luck with their lumber yard, delivering accurately and on-time. Also, the place is huge. Spreading into a big building south across the road, It's good fun to explore. Also, the window department. Despite their limited hours, much shorter than the rest of the place (only once was I able to get there in person) I have had very good success ordering windows over the phone. read more

My realtor recommended the bathroom fixtures section, in particular Jim Reegan. Both my realtor and he ROCKS!! He gives you the lowdown on the toilets, faucets, sinks, and tubs. He also gives you nice copies of each item and write down the price (which is lower than what the catalog says). I like when someone who knows his s*** tells you his opinion. Apparently he's worked in that section for over a decade, and he picks out what they sell. Judging from complaints he receives from the various brands, he knows what breaks and what doesn't. THUS if you're expecting cheap Home Depot brands, don't bother. If you want to get NICE fixtures, come here. read more

I had a great experience at Ashby Lumber! As a female that knows nothing about wood or tools, I always feel a little out of place going into a hardware store. I went to Ashby to get materials to make a couple large planter boxes for my backyard. I came in not really knowing where to begin but the friendly and knowledgeable staff took great care of me and my needs. I will definitely be back! Low prices, outstanding customer service, and great products. Do yourself a favor and support this local business!!! read more

a little expensive, but the service and quality of supplies make up for it. One day my son and I visited this location and the guy behind the counter gave me a nice Ashby Lumber tshirt and my son a hat. It was unexpected, and cool. Whenever I work on my yard, I wear it as my official work in the yard shirt. read more

Ashby Lumber - Pretty cool spot. - Hardware Stores Near Me - Berkeley, California

It's very hit or miss here and depends who you get. My experience in the windows and doors showroom has been consistently positive. I've worked with three different people on window and door scenarios, and folks are patient and knowledgeable. Overall a better experience than Truitt and White, where my first contractor told me to go and I had a less than stellar experience. Contrasting W&D is the main building where there are all kinds of building supplies, a somewhat disorganized-seeming front counter where you may wait or not be helped, and a pretty apathetic-seeming bath/plumbing sales team. Someone in plumbing/bath told me the Panasonic fan I wanted wouldn't be approved by the city for being too-low-CFM, but my contractor told me the city doesn't look at that. That same person told me, when I had questions about shower heads, too just go to the Hansgrohe website, where all the info would be. Honestly, if you're selling shower heads, you should sell shower heads. But the info is not on the HG website, which is a TERRIBLE website. It's full of content, but the content doesn't explain feature differences. Or if it does and you find the features you want, there is no product match-up. Same man wasn't super-helpful with the toilet differences either. I came in again and dealt with a woman who was marginally better, but they both gave me the sense that I wasn't worth their time. It's been really interesting for me recently, going to many places to shop around for home improvement items in a world where competitive retail seems more fierce than ever. I'd rather pay more for the privilege of personalized service and brick-and-mortar shopping, but at more and more places, I'm finding it difficult to do this. They're practically sending me into Amazon's arms, as much as I'm trying to resist it. read more

Mahalo nuii loa (thank you very much) for letting me use your bathroom this morning. Traffic was a mess and one of the men escorted me to the office bathroom. I appreciate this act of kindness. Anna read more

Let me just say, this place is a good place to shop for your construction needs but what they really thrive at for me is doors and windows. What made my experience a great one is the gentleman by the name of Henry Williams. He was very knowledgeable and customer oriented which is so hard to find nowadays. So if you need a door or window , be sure to talk to Henry. Even if you don't buy anything he'll treat ya like gold read more

Long story short...door arrived at Ashby Lumber, I rented truck to pick up and hired contractor to sand/stain. Contractor pointed out a number of imperfections; given that this door was going to cost over $3k (materials, labor, etc) we expected it to be beautiful so decided to return it for repair or replacement. Note that nobody at Ashby Lumber had looked at/inspected the door before we were told to come pick it up. Replacement took longer than promised and we faced challenges with rescheduling sanding/staining/installation. Went and picked up replacement door this week and this one has more serious issues and cannot be installed as-is. read more

Good staff who know what they are doing. These guys always have good stock, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable about what they sell, and the place is never so busy that you end of waiting for too long. If you have a choice between Economy lumber, Home Depot, or Ashby lumber, choose Ashby lumber every time. read more

I absolutely love this place! About 1 month ago I walked in and I was immediately greeted at the door with a warm smile, then followed by your typical "Is there anything I can help you find?" And yes there was many things that I needed. I was making a 20 feet long banquette out of wood beams and concrete blocks. Doug (an employee at ashby) then helped me with all of it, together we figured out what materials to purchase, dimensions + how much it would all cost me. He personally made my life so much easier :) Thanks Doug - you're the best! I will most definitely always come back here when I need anything. read more

Ashby Lumber staff always go beyond the call to help their customers. On multiple occasions I have interacted with their door and window department who is very thorough and know all the idiosyncrasies of windows and matching new parts to old windows. Their lumber department is helpful and can ship anything in the East Bay quickly and efficiently. Their drivers are accommodating. This is a very special business in the East Bay with excellent service all around. read more

Tried to order doors from Ashby Lumber. The doors were supposed to be stock doors available in 2-3 days. Just getting an invoice from the sales guy was a hassle and we had to ask him again nearly a week later. In fact, we had to keep asking the sales guy for any updates. THREE WEEKS later the driver arrives late, calls from the street and doesn't want to take the doors out for inspection. Turns out that the doors are wrong, dirty and damaged when then they were driven uncovered on a rainy day in the back of the driver's pick-up truck. We refused them in the street. The sales guy was argumentative. Now our project is THREE WEEKS behind schedule and we still need to find and order doors from someone else. Horrible experience. read more

I have purchased quite a few items from Ashby Lumber in the last year- windows, a toilet, a sink, a vanity, other bathroom fixtures, plumbing items, and miscellaneous things like gloves and glue. I am always very pleased with my experience there, and with the customer service from everyone who has helped me with my various needs. There is one person I'd like to mention in particular, Erick Garcia, in the bathroom showroom-- he is very knowledgeable about all the products and order specs, multilingual, very positive, very attentive, and always exceptionally helpful to me with all of my needs. I look forward to working with Erick and the other Ashby Lumber employees for all my future projects! read more

Guys up front don't care about anyone, and I walked out of there and went to Home Depot, where I was treated with respect. It's too bad because they have good I ventory of lumber and other building supplies. Too bad the cashier s are always rude and uninterested in the common customer. read more

Great experience coming here for plywood. Wonderful customer service, great organization to the whole store, very friendly people, fantastic selection on everything. It's also great to support local businesses! read more

A great place to get lumber, plumbing supplies and drywall (plus screws, tape and mud). I can hardly make it through the door without someone asking me if I need help, try that at any of the big box home stores! They've even talked me out of buying stuff that I don't really need (no thank you big bag of grout for a small repair of my terrazzo pan). Back to drywall (my newest obsession), these guys sell 5 gal buckets of mud $3 cheaper than my local true value guys, its definately worth the trip. If you're the budding home repair type who needs random supplies & a little advice, this is the place for you. read more

These guys are great. A great selection and always helpful. They usually have a few guys working the floor, just to answer your questions and show you where things are. The few times I bought large quantities, they have given me a volume price break, so they are willing to work with you. This is always my first stop for any home project... read more

I bought $10,000 in windows for my home (total of 6) window replacements. I've had my windows in place for two weeks. Today I stopped by the Windows showroom to tell the salesmen of a product complaint. One guys was so rude, he kept shuffling his papers, typing into his computer while I was talking. The second guy listened a bit; then told me it's all normal. I purchased my windows from Ashby Lumber in order to support local businesses. But, they were terrible with customer service, customer listening and general politeness. Terrible customer service from these guys. Why support local if they are going to be rude. I believe much of their reaction was because they are males and I am female. I was not taken seriously nor treated nicely. I will buy the rest of my windows from Truitt & White in Berkeley. read more

Don't waste your time going in. They will do everything they can to pretend you're not there and need some help. I took my business to Truitt and White where I was greeted as I walked in and was given courteous help. read more

Ashby Lumber has been awesome to work with. Mike H Specifically was instrumental in helping me narrow down and secure a number of hard to find lumber pieces especially during these uncertain times. I cannot speak highly enough of how helpful, and great both he and Ashby were to work with compared to the other lumber stores in the area. 10/10 will be coming back. read more

Our plumber recommended Ashby Lumber when our Toto toilet stopped working. I heard Alan say they closed at 5:00 but I see on their website that they close at 5:30, so I must have misheard him. At any rate we didn't think we had the time to get over there before they closed, so I ended up calling Jack London Kitchen & Bath and making arrangements for another toilet. While I won't go into all the details of that transaction, the toilet we wanted turned out to be on backorder for 2-3 weeks. Here's the full review if you want details: https://www.yelp.com/review_share/lB-cZt4WsH_AX_McTRNp1w/review/wWc-a2hQ33pDwseCsD6bdg Alan and I agreed that was chancy, because sometimes backorders are delayed, so Tuesday I went over to Ashby Lumber. I walked back to the plumbing department and walked around looking at the toilets on display. Jeff Smith was sitting at his desk and so I asked him about them. There was only one available in Sedona Beige w/ a round seat. He checked the warehouse (I assume), saw there were three of them and told me it could be in the store the next day. I gave him my credit card and the next day we got a call that it was in. I called the plumber to schedule an appointment. He was available Thursday night. Alan and I went down to Ashby Lumber and a strong young man put the toilet in the trunk of Alan's car. Parenthetically, while they were doing that I used the store's bathroom, which was remarkable for being large, clean and up-to-date w/ good quality fixtures. Yesterday the plumber came over between 4 and 4:30. He started to install the toilet, only to discover that the tank and the base didn't fit. Turns out they were two different models. The base, which was the wrong model, was too big for the bathroom. He took it out (having already installed it) and put it in the box. I called and left a message for Jeff Smith, who was off yesterday, then Alan called and spoke w/ the man who was covering for him, arranged for the correct base to be delivered to the store. We stopped by the store today, returning the wrong base for the right one. I called the plumber again to schedule yet another appointment and I'm hopeful that by Monday evening we will again have two working toilets in our house. read more

Needed some 2" x 2" redwood boards on Saturday. Got them at Ashby. Good service, a bit of a line to pickup, but glad they were busy. Thanks! read more

I've been using Ashby Lumber for years, they are such a great alternative to the big box stores. They just helped me with a pretty complex order, a custom made skylight, and they really delivered. Good luck dealing with Home Depot on something like this... read more

For those of you who love Home Depot I'm not up set with you it's only I need to speak with someone who knows more than I do. So I headed off to Ashby Lumber in Berkeley, Ca. I needed a door for my house why because the one that came with the house wouldn't lock. How about that, at Ashby I met Michael Joyce from Doors and Windows now I only needed one door well I going to be very honest I had forgotten all there is to know about a door but lucky for me I met the right person who turned out to be a god send. Not only did I get the door I wanted but also with the help of Michael Joyce, I was able to find someone to install the door which is another important part of the picture. Mike Joyce has been a big help to me. I can't tell you how important it is to get your door right to your home it will make all the difference in the world and you will be beyond happy. Many thanks to Michael Joyce & the other guys in Doors and Windows for all there help as it turn out I ended up buying three doors from Mike he just knows his stuff. And you get what you paid for. Thanks, so much for all your help and knowledge. read more

A lot of ink is spilled worrying about why local businesses like Ashby Lumber are disappearing while big box stores like Home Depot are flourishing. Perhaps we should turn this question on its head and ask instead: why would we go to a local business? There are several really good reasons, but Ashby Lumber failed me on all of them. CUSTOMER SERVICE - I called ahead to inquire about a very specific shade of Kelly-Moore paint. (Ashby Lumber is a licensed KM dealer.) The guy looked around and said he had flat finish. Great. I'll be there in a little while, I said. When I arrived, no flat base, so my shade couldn't be mixed up. I might be willing to pay a premium for excellent customer service - I probably am - but the guy didn't do ANYTHING above and beyond for me. When I left frustrated and called a Kelly-Moore store in Albany, you know what that guy said? "I'll mix that up for you now." I didn't have to wait when I got there! And he didn't sell it to someone else. If a local business is getting schooled on customer service by a major national chain, they should just close. EXPERTISE - So like I said, dude didn't have the flat finish base he needed to make my paint. Well, he didn't have it in interior - which is what I needed - but he had it for exterior. So he tried to sell me that. "It's the same stuff. It will be fine." You know how long it took me to figure out he was wrong? As long as it takes to Google that shit. You know what exterior paint does in interior settings? IT STINKS. Literally: it's got mildecides and stuff in it that makes it smell bad. That's the big difference between interior and exterior paint. Now, not everyone should have to know that - but Ashby Lumber's paint guy should, or he shouldn't be paint guy. Or maybe they just shouldn't have a paint guy, because they should close. PRICE - It probably wouldn't shock you to know that the paint would've cost me more at Ashby Lumber. ******************** The bottom line is that this place wasted a lot of my time because they don't know what they're doing. A place like this has to have some added value unique from what Home Depot or Kelly-Moore or whatever can give me - but Ashby Lumber adds NOTHING. And for that, you have to go out of your way and pay more? No, fuck that. I hope they go out of business and build some god damn apartments. Fuck knows we need more housing here. read more

I have been shopping at this store for more than thirty years but i will be taking my business elsewhere for now on. This place has really gone downhill in the last couple of years, probably because the employee turnover is so high. It seems like every week there is a new salesperson or yard employee that has no idea what they are doing. The last five times I have made orders with Victor or Mario there were major mistakes which cost me money. All of their experienced people have left and are now working at Truitt and White down the street. The only reason I kept shopping for so long is because it is right off the freeway but that convenience is no longer worth the trouble. read more

This isn't a review for Ashby Lumber, but the awesome guys who work there. My car has some issues, and died right outside of the business on Ashby during rush hour (!). I turned on my blinkers and put the hood up as a signal for "please go around my car, ye weary commuters" and asked around to see who had jumper cables so I could get moving again, or could at least push me out of the way ASAP. Three strong guys from Ashby Lumber were standing on the sidewalk, and I signaled to them, asking if they could give a push -- I drive a Miata, aka "a Barbie car," which weighs somewhere between 5-7 lbs, so I knew they could handle it, even with me inside and steering. They pushed and guided me into the parking lot safely out of the way, and helped me organize getting a jump, even bringing their own truck over with jumper cables. It started immediately (I know what it needs), and I was on my merry way from engine shut off to reignition in less than 5 minutes. Grateful! Next time I need to build something: wood, hardware, fasteners, etc... I'm going to Ashby Lumber! You can tell that a place with folks this helpful is a good, community-centered business. read more

They have a nice selection. The staff all in all are helpful. You can get wood cut on site.

Do not accept what the staff tells you as fact. Always confirm - needed to replace my failed Trex decking with another product. I was specifically looking for 12 ft. boards of another product, which was shown in the company's brochure and website. An Ashby person told me that the company wasn't making them anymore/can't find anywhere, so I should buy longer boards. If I didn't go with this size, I would have a significant amount of waste, so I called the company, which then directed me to a local supplier. Same delivery charge, correct product. - stopped by again for a lattice fence project. Salesperson told me that they would be able to create dado cuts in 2x2's. As I planned project, thought I better confirm. Sure enough, they don't do dado cuts in 2x2's for safety reasons. Makes sense to me, but their staff should be educated as to what services can be provided. read more

Perhaps this store is okay for homeowners, but as a professional remodeler I avoid them like the plague. The staff is rude, the lumber sub par and the hardware selection lacking, to say the least. Until fairly recently they carried foundation vents that didn't meet the new California building code, causing me to lose whatever trust I still had in the knowledge of their staff. In their favor, they are pretty cheap, and they're way better than Home Depot. Better than Home Depot is a thin standard to meet, however. For anything more than a few 2x4s or a couple of pieces of rock I'd spend the extra money at Truitt and White any day. read more

What can I say, I really wanted to buy my interior doors from Ashby Lumber, but they don't seem to want to sell them to me. My first experience with them was great. I spoke to a sales rep and he provided great customer service and asked me a lot of great questions about what kind of door I wanted. He told me he would send me a quote. So, I waited. Nothing came in my email, so I called back in case my contact info was lost. I spoke to another guy who said he would let the other guy know (I'm trying not to give any names here). I waited again. Nothing. Then I called back. This time I got the original sales rep, he said he would email me my quote right away. And...well, nothing yet. Is it really that hard to get a quote? Maybe you need to tell management that you are too busy to make sales, I'm sure they will get you some additional support. p.s. I still want to buy those doors. read more

I was fixing an old bench for my grandpa and the guys here helped me all the way. The helped pick out the right wood, cut it and even drilled the correct size holes for the screws. Very helpful guys, they even helped me pick out the right type of varnish and stain. If you need wood in the Bay Area, I would go to these guys! Definitely worth a visit. read more