Got a very apologetic call from Rick, and the problem was resolved. The door manufacturer they use is notoriously slow with refunds, but that wasn't being communicated to me. Rick made it right, and I'm happy to update my review. read more

I selected Ashby Lumber because I knew contractors used them and I expected that meant better quality goods, professional/knowledgable personnel and slightly higher prices. My experience was none of the above. My first order with Ashby was for a set of solid-core doors. The order was placed and paid for and I was informed it'd take a week or better for the doors to arrive. Ten days later after hearing nothing, I called and the person said something must have happened as the order appeared to be lost. After re-entry, roughly a week later I was called to pick up the doors. To my surprise, I found the door had been been left in the rain and were buckled and warped. Acknowledging the problem, the sales person re-ordered the doors and 1.5 months after the original door order was placed, the new doors were finally installed. Fool me once, shame on you. Do it twice, shame on me! In addition to the doors, I ordered multiple glass shower panels, sinks, a tub and some lumber. All were paid for in advance and a pick up date scheduled. When I arrived to pick up the tub and sinks, they'd lost the order and couldn't find it in their system. After standing around for an hour, the sales person who assisted me in placing the order arrived and told his associate when he'd booked the order in the system. Once located, I was directed to the yard to pick up each item but despite having the paperwork in hand, nobody from the yard crew could find the items. Two hours after arriving, I finally loaded the sinks and tub and was alerted to the fact that Ashby's shower door vendor would be calling regarding delivery and installation of the shower doors. Having developed an uneasy feeling about my experience, I decided to do a bit of checking on the shower door panels. This included calling several vendors and requesting a quote using the manufacturer name and codes from the Ashby invoice. Wow, what a surprise! Both places I called were $1,500 less for the exact same four panels. What's more, they said I could have them within a few days. Shocked by the price difference, I promptly called Ashby's vendor to asked if the doors had officially been entered into their system and produced. They confirmed no, so I asked them to cancel the order. They said because it came through Ashby, Ashby had to cancel it. Ok, no problem. Within 15 minutes, I called Ashby and the sales person who'd assisted me said it was too late. The order had been placed and the panels produced. When I shared I'd just gotten off the phone with the panel manufacturer and the order had not been processed, he grudgingly agreed to call and cancel the order. Regarding the lumber, I found it to be of acceptable quality but 2X to 3X more expensive for the exact same pressure-treated product available from Home Depot. In summary, lack of follow through, damage to goods, losing orders and price gouging comprised my experience with Ashby. Regrettably, I'd discourage others from using Ashby and at the same time, save some serious time and money. read more

Good service.I just needed some replacement slats for my bed.

Terrible service. I went here to get 2 pieces of wood cut, just a straight cut. I described the job i needed to the cashier and he said "no problem we can do that." He charged me and told me to bring the wood around the back. So I did. When I went there, the guy in the back said they couldn't do it and I should bring it to their warehouse which was across the street. I go across the street and the guy says he won't do it because it's not safe. If they had told me from the beginning that they couldn't do it, I would have been fine. But they made me run around and they weren't very friendly. What a waste of time. read more

I went to Ashby Lumber on Sunday 5/26 and had the pleasure of working with Mary Miller in the plumbing department. My husband and I are remodeling our bathrooms and Mary was highly recommended by our friend. We made an appointment with her and went over all of our wants, needs and necessities and walked away feeling really good about the whole experience. Mary is very knowledgeable and has great customer service skills. We will definitely come back to Ashby Lumber. Thank You, Mary!! read more

I went to Ashby Lumber on Sunday, ready to buy a kitchen sink and faucet, that I had priced out with them at an earlier visit. I am doing a major remodel of my kitchen & 2 bathrooms and need everything, windows, doors, toilets, faucets, sinks, shower stall tub vanities you name it. I like their little showroom & product lines and found the staff helpful. However this time, I waited an hour and was ultimately ignored. I arrived at 12:45, there were 2 sales people, both helping others. My husband & I walked around and looked at their showroom but kept checking on the availability of the sales people. Mary a sales person was free but apparently had an appointment with another customer so I still waited. I went to use their bathroom but my husband stayed in the area. While away for a few minutes, another couple came in and parked themselves next to the other sales rep. This was a successful tactic because they were noticed, and my husband & I were not. At this point, I realized that the 2 sales reps had not made eye contact with me and would likely wait on this other couple before me. So I interrupted Mary and asked if there was a sign-up sheet to see a sales rep or another system such as taking a a number, etc. The response from Mary, the sales rep was, "I wish". The other couple stated that they were there before me. I stated I arrived 45 minutes ago, when had they arrived? ..They did not answer but deferred that perhaps we had been there before but that they didn't think so. UGH now I was in the awkward situation of having to disagree with other customers who were also waiting too long. I did not see them when my husband & I first arrived and would have deferred if they had arrived before us but I think they had been there about 10 - 15 minutes not 45. Mary, the Ashby Lumber staff states, that both her and her colleague should be free soon. So at around 1:45, Mary is available yet she rushes over to the other couple and tells me that the other couple was there first. UGH. I had been there for an hour by then. Mary refused to believe me and began helping the other couple. She was down right rude. Ashby Lumber needs a system for helping customers in their showroom area, they need to make eye contact with people and let them know how long the wait might be, they need to have a waiting list! I want to support them. I live in the neighborhood. I let Mary know that I now had been there an hour and that I was leaving. I went on online and bought my faucet and will buy my sink from the sink factory or from faucetdirect.com. I have a quote for $7,000 for windows and doors from Ashby lumber but am now looking for other vendors It was an ugly and unnecessary experience caused by rude, tired staff who actively drive business away. AVOID ASHBY LUMBER FOR YOUR REMODEL! Service is hit or miss. At least avoid Mary, she is very rude. read more

I went to Ashby Lumber today, 6/29/13. When I went up to the cashier with my things, I was offered a bottle of water. This was much appreciated as the weather was quite warm. But what really impressed me was learning that 5% of my purchase price was being donated to a local school. It seems that this is practiced every Saturday, and the money goes to various local schools. Way to go, Ashby Lumber! read more

The customer service mostly sucks here. I've only had one person ever show much interest in offering his time and service to me. Even the cashiers are surly and hardly give you a hello or acknowledge you. Unless you know exactly what you are looking for so you don't have to talk to anyone here then this is your place. read more

UPDATED: This was marked 1 star, but since they have responded this time and corrected one of the issues quickly, I will raise the rating to three stars. Thank you. I will still reserve more stars for better treatment by sales staff in store. ------------------------------------------------------------------ I really do not like Home Depot, So I thought Ashby Lumber, being an independent local store might care more about their customers than a big chain. Obviously I was wrong. In store shopping experience have been mixed. As other have said here, some sales people are good, while other seemed annoyed when you aks a questions. I typically do not enjoy shopping here, and will go elsewhere. But today was just wrong: This store has a Windows and Doors show room next door. On the door it states the hours, which include weekend hours, including Sunday to 4:30 PM. So my wife drove out of her way today to look at some doors, only to find the showroom locked. When she inquired next door, they simply said, "Oh, its not open on Sunday." Yea, obviously. "What about the sign?" my wife asked? "Oh, that has been there a long time" was the answer. Nice! So, they know they have a sign on the door with wrong info, but cannot be bothered to actually update it "for a long time"? To me, this is just poor customer service at best, and total indifference to their customers in general. If they care this little about their customers, then I will shop elsewhere. If, like me, you dislike the Emeryville Home Depot and need another choice over this store, might I suggest that Home Depot near Fruitvale off 880 in Oakland. Not so crowded and better customer service. read more

Henry at the windows and doors warehouse is a remarkable asset to Ashby Lumber. Exceptional customer service.

Terrible customer service. I called to see if they had the product I needed before I made the trip to the store. Over the phone, they told me they had 'hundreds' of varieties of what I was looking for, but refused to specify if they had the one I was looking for. When I got there, not only didn't they have what I was looking for, but they would not help me by cutting a piece of wood for me to make it close to what I needed. One 45 degree cut in 1 piece of wood is all I needed. I left, empty handed, and found what I needed at Home depot. Thanks for the wasted trip, Ashby Lumber. read more

This place may have slightly precious hours, but the staff actually know what they are talking about, they have good quality products and they are polite & helpful. I desperately needed a certain kind of sink fast and they went out of their way to help me out. Yay! read more

I purchased two large windows. I was given a date for delivery. AFTERWARDS I was told that because of insurance reasons they could only deliver to the street. So I scheduled workmen to be at my house on that date. The windows did not arrive. It turns out the windows had not even been made, much less on their way. The salesman said it was because of Christmas which I said was a bunch of baloney since they knew it was the season. I didn't understand why they had not called to let me know it would not be delivered on time. So after a great deal of prompting I got the procedure affecting delivery: manufacturing, shipping, weather issues, delivery to site, intaking, days of workers, delivery schedule. I asked to be informed of when it was shipped and when it arrived. They never called. After a few days of the expected times I called to track the progress so that I could plan ahead. I called three times before scheduling a delivery date. No one ever called me. I was told it would take three men to carry the window and that they had no dolly. On the day of delivery I had two men who were able to carry the window. This put the renovations 2 months behind schedule and inconvenienced many people. Each set of workers had to be rescheduled... I am sitting in a house without furniture. Now if you do this for a living you probably would order them months in advance or buy from someone else. I am a homeowner and consider their cavalier attitude unbusinesslike and insulting. read more

They have what you want, they know what they're talking about & will help you figure it all out. Bonus: They didn't frown at my two young sons trying to run amok. read more

I just spoke with Ashby lumber's general manager who was wonderful - totally heard our concerns and is going to make sure the issues get resolved in a timely manner. I am very impressed by his professionalism and I am completely relieved that the work will be done to our satisfaction after the money we invested. read more

We wanted to add a deck to the home using composite decking material. Clearly there were choices to made, and online shopping was not enough. We needed real information from the experts. At Ashby lumber we found Michael Brown, or rather, he found us poking around out front. He took us through the choices, the advantages, and disadvantages of each. Once we decided, Michael assisted in ordering the exact amount of materials we would need. Michael was professional, friendly and informative, making himself available to us throughout the decision process. He made the project flow beautifully. We used Azek Coastline. Our space is irregular, with uneven stone walls surrounding it. Now that it is completed we couldn't be happier. We made the right choice to visit Ashby and find Michael Brown available to make it happen. read more

Service was GREAT. Staff was knowledgeable and they had a wide range of tools to choose from. However they didn't have a special wrench I was looking for. read more

I went to Ashby Lumber today to buy wood to make bookshelves for my kids' room. I am not an experienced carpenter, and really appreciated the staff's patient advice and expertise. There was not a whiff of condescension -- they seem as eager to help out the amateur as the professional. Michael at lumber sales was especially great, and was happy to guide me (at my request) toward eco-friendly, socially responsible choices among the lumber they stock. I will keep coming back here. Super friendly and helpful! read more

I have been shopping at Ashby Lumber for decades, buying lumber, hardware, and tools. In the center of the store are displays of bathroom fixtures so my wife and I decided to buy a new sink for our bathroom from them, replacing a pedestal sink from the 1940's with one on a cabinet with a marble top and three drawers underneath. The day before our plumber was scheduled to install it, I borrowed a truck and drove to Ashby Lumber to pick up the sink and cabinet. They loaded two huge boxes into the truck. When the plumber arrived for installation, there was no faucet. So that required another visit to Ashby Lumber to find the missing faucet, which was on a shelf in their warehouse. Also, required another trip by the plumber to connect it, not cheap. Then the faucet didn't fit on the sink. Faucet was too large to fit up against the marble backsplash. That required another trip to Ashby Lumber and another visit by our patient, but not cheap, plumber. In short, they have a showroom for bathroom remodels but the staff don't know if the parts they sell you actually fit together and will function. And, after all that extra time and expense there was never a word, a call, or a note of apology from the folks at Ashby Lumber. So, if you buy from them be sure to do your own measurements and don't assume they know anything about the products they sell. read more

Decent prices and good service! Id rather give this store business instead of home depot! they have lots of stuff like different kinds of lumber, pluming supplies, etc! read more

My kid's school needed 6 raised garden beds. Went to get a quote from Tony B. Not only was he nice and provided great customer service he was generous enough to give back to the community. Ashby's quote was the lowest, the local store(CV Builders) quoted double(wtf), box store came in close but needed a week to get stock. Overall, great experience. Thank you Tony B & Ashby Lumber! read more

It's a hardware store too. So much better than Home Depot or Ace. The lumber is better quality and so are the bath fixtures, wood stains and other items. It does cost a tiny bit more which I am willing to pay since it's a local business. read more

ashby lumber beats the shit out of home depot knowledgeable staff!!!, great products and fair pricing support small businesses and check them out! read more

I want to echo Stephanie's review (2/12/18) of the customer service at bath/plumbing. My husband went in to get information about thermostatic shower systems. Since there are no prices on the show floor you have to interact with someone from the sales team. The man in the dept. was engrossed reading the news and watching something online on youtube and appeared annoyed that he had to get up and help us. He gave us some information and pricing but both my husband and I thought he was pretty condescending. Anyways, because he was not helpful I researched the same Hansgrohe system on amazon and found out they were selling the same system for almost 50% what Ashby Lumber was advertising it for. Now if the man was much more helpful I would have probably bought it from Ashby Lumber since time was of the essence. I did buy a bathtub here and purposely dealt with the woman who was much more responsive. As a tip I would schedule deliveries through Lugg instead of at the store. Store deliveries for bathtubs will deliver it on your curb. Lugg happily brought the tub in my house at a lower rate and sooner than expected. read more

I'm a contractor in the East bay and Ashby Lumber is my go to building supply store. They almost always have what I need (wood, plumbing, electrical, consumables, fasteners, painting, etc). Thanks for upgrading the warehouse and yard!! read more

And I thought it was just a lumber yard! The plumbing showroom stocks beautiful high-end products and salesperson Mary is just incredible. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things plumbing related. What an incredibly nice person. Hugely helpful and detailed. What an asset! read more

I love hardware stores. My business is across the way from Ashby Hardware and for years, I've run over there for all sorts of items to fix things in the office. The owner is a great guy and, from what I hear, a terrific boss. The staff is very warm and helpful. They've helped me solve all kinds of project problems and are very willing to wander around the store with me, generating ideas and solutions. Ashby Hardware is family owned. I like that about it. read more

If you need plumbing and bathroom fixtures, go see Mary Miller in the Plumbing Showroom at Ashby Lumber. Every client I have sent over there to meet with Mary has had words of praise for her. If my clients are happy, then I'm happy. Competitive pricing, good selection and good customer service. read more

Visited this local business yesterday for a few inexpensive items and some advice. Chris was at the check-out registers, and the moment we walked in he asked if we needed help. He then carefully considered our situation, and walked us to the various areas of the store that might have solutions for us. He first suggested the most cost and time effective solutions, which we greatly appreciated. Chris was thorough and professional, and he gets an A+ in customer service from us! No more Home Depot or Lowe's for us! read more

The staff were incredibly rude. We were sent from one yard to the next, and each time we were met with employees who would've cared less. I typically support non franchise stores, but I will not returning to this place in the future after today. read more

I would like to personally thank Mr. Jeff Smith for helping me pick the right shower door for my daughters bathroom, not only was he a great man who served our country proudly for 30 years but a honest and professional, he helped me pick out the Schicker shower door and I just had it installed and I am so pleased with how it looks and when my daughter see's it she is going to be happy, so if your looking for a knowledgeable salesman go to Ashby Lumber in Berkeley and ask for Jeff Smith. read more

I love that they are open on Sundays. It is a lumber yard for professionals and yet their hours are not just weekday business hours. The staff is always on hand and knowledgeable when I need help finding something. They have a very respectable selection of most building supplies on hand. read more

I've been buying my lumber at Ashby for over 10 years...they have helped me put together the materials, and delivered them. I've always found them to be quite knowledgeable and willing to take the time to go over measurements and specifications to make sure they are right. As with any lumber yard, I would suggest picking the wood you want, as you may end up with some difficult pieces if you don't. My main suggestion is to move the cashiers further apart so that inevitable dumb questions aren't reacted to by just about everyone in the store :) read more

My wife and I went to Ashby lumber this weekend to explore decking material options as well as countertops for our house remodel. We were fortunate enough to meet Michael Brown at the counter. Within a short few minutes I learned more about decking wood, the ins and outs of best practices, and felt like I made a friend in the industry. Michael is a diamond in the rough within an industry that has, in our experience as a family of contractors and routine visitors to hardware stores, young emerging and enthusiastic help who also unfortunately are short on experience and expertise. If you are fortunate enough to work with Michael, you will know the standard of professional customer service and knowledge within this industry. Ashby's prices were very competitive and their selection was great. They definitely earned our business. read more

Ashby Lumber provides excellent service! They even have plumbing supplies - Mike was extremely helpful. :)

I went to Ashby Lumber to look for shelves and hardware to put up in my apartment. I grabbed the shelves and the hardware including the brackets and brought everything home in Fremont. As I was putting up the shelves, I noticed that one of the brackets were not the same as the others. I returned to Ashby lumber a couple of weeks later when I was in the area to return the bracket and get a refund. The person I talked to for the return looked at the bracket ans said "we don't sell that here." I tried to explain to him that I purchased it with others at the same display where they were hanging. He told me that I must have purchased it elsewhere because they didn't sell that particular one. Mind you, the bracket was only a couple of bucks. But the way he was talking to me made me feel as if I was trying to fraudulently get him to give me a refund of a couple of bucks. That's why I am giving them one star. I didn't appreciate being treated that way. Would I ever do business with them in the future? Would I ever recommend them? read more

Great hardware/lumber store but the best and most surprising part is their plumbing showroom. They have a great selection of designer and affordable brands, and are really honest and helpful. They will not sell you junk as they won't even carry it. They will special order and they have great modern sinks and faucets on display, along with more classic things too. I have dealt with alot of plumbing suppliers for work and I know how complicated that world of choices can be. read more

Great choice of products. I especially like the plumbing section, they can order almost everything really fast, the customer service is EXCELLENT and the prices extremely competitive. And I like the fact that it still has that small town feel, employes recognize you after a while and you can do things over the phone easily. My favourite remodeling-diy-hardware-store! read more

Love Ashby Lumber...particularly the windows and doors department. They're so nice, so helpful, walked us through every step. Windows are not the easiest things to buy. It's not something you buy every day, so it was nice to talk with someone who was honest, helpful, and obviously wasn't in it for the sale. I talked to a lot of people in the department, but spent most of my time with Mike. I highly recommend talking with him. He was very personable, kind, and knowledgeable. He was a font of information, and not just about windows. He is very knowledgeable about many remodeling projects. We were very happy and pleased with our experience. read more

Today, I called Ashby Lumber to see approximately what building a raised bed for my garden would cost. Tony B answered and not only responded to my naive questions in a wonderfully supportive way, but also helped get me on the right track to finding everything that I needed - cheaply. I called asking for a quote on rough redwood, and in our short conversation, he taught me that smooth redwood (2 x 6 x 8) can be cheaper than rough redwood, because stores tend to stock a lot for customers who are building decks. He suggested that I buy smooth redwood instead of rough, but also offered me a discount on the rough redwood. When I arrived at the store, Tony helped me again, and even remembered the details of my request! And as I checked out, he reminded me to paint the heads of my wood screws so they don't rust. Thanks, Tony! I had been to Ashby Lumber before and hadn't been impressed. However, after today's great service, I will definitely be returning. read more