My experience with Golden State was better than I expected even though I was impressed by them…read moreduring our initial meeting. I have dealt with other construction companies in the past which turned out to be negative experiences. They disappeared at times and did not communicate clearly or honestly. I had the opposite experience with Golden State. Zach and Alex with Golden State were the two people that I was in most contact with. They were extremely efficient and reliable. They communicated clearly and honestly. They completed two porches which were in need of replacement and a lot of siding that was damaged followed by a beautiful paint job on our family home. They also completed the job much faster than I expected. Alex's crew did the work. Each one of his crew members was friendly, polite and a hard working individual. We thought the pricing was fair. Much better than other companies that we considered for the job. My wife and I will definitely recommend them to others who may need similar work done.

Since this will be a detailed review, including photographs, and since not everyone may want to…read moreread through all of it, I'll list the main takeaways up front: 1) This company prioritizes keeping to their schedule over doing the work correctly. 2) There is a serious lack of oversight on projects. I also want this review to be balanced, so I'll say up front that there were certainly a number of thing that went well in my siding replacement project. But enough things went badly that I regret having chosen Golden State Builders to do the work. My project involved removing 60-year old cedar siding and replacing it with t1-11 plywood siding on the front of my house. I planned to stain rather than paint the siding, which is admittedly an unusual approach. And this entailed some additional complications, two of which I discussed with the foreman before work began. First, plywood cannot be left sitting in water. I therefore emphasized that the metal flashing beneath the siding could not be flush against the bottom, and that an air gap must be left so that the plywood can dry after rain. Regardless, the Z flashing was installed flush against the bottom (see photo below), and for long stretches tilted in toward the panels, which would have acted as a basin directing water toward them and holding it there. When I pointed this out, they removed the Z flashing, which left the underlying L flashing in a somewhat tattered-looking condition (see photo). Golden State apparently considers this to be aesthetically acceptable, and it's what's currently protruding from my wall. Second, although I ordered premium t1-11 panels for this project, such panels always vary in appearance. Some are almost entirely "clean" while others have visible patch marks or major color irregularities. I therefore asked the foreman to place the dirtier panels on the right side of my house, where they would be largely hidden by foliage, and the clean panels on the left side, where they would be immediately visible to visitors and passersby. Despite this, the crew installed one of the dirtiest panels on the left side of the house (see photo). For various reasons I did not demand that they redo this, but it's indicative of a general lack of attention to customers' stated preferences. On the right side of my house, the new siding extended a little farther out than the original siding had. Consequently , it ran up against, and overlapped with, a wood fence that touches the right wall of the house. Rather than removing the obstruction, or even consulting with me to see what I wanted done, they made the remarkable decision to bend the plywood panel at the end (see photo). This could have led to delamination and other structural problems down the road, apart from not looking very nice or professionally done. But it was clearly the fastest way for them to "fix" the problem and get on to the next job. Now, the thing about all of these issues is that none of them were identified by the company itself. And the reason is that there was no effective oversight of the work crew. The onus was entirely on me to spot and report them. Once I did so, they acknowledged them and fixed (most of) them. (There were other smaller ones I won't go into here.) But clearly, the formula seems to be: if the customer doesn't know enough or doesn't check carefully enough to complain, leave it and move on. The problem here falls mainly on the project managers. My original one disappeared as soon as work started, and consequently exercised no oversight. He was replaced by a second one once I started pointing out problems, but that second one likewise identified no issues on his own, despite the fact that some were discovered (by me) only after he was put on the job. Good project managers visit worksites daily and inspect work closely. Golden State's project managers do not do this. I would identify this as the primary issue with my project. Golden State would probably argue that the main problem was the foreman. They claim to have fired him immediately after my job, but if that's even true, it's small consolation to learn that the work has been done by someone worth firing. But I would say that the onus falls on the project managers, who are simply not doing their jobs, and on management, which is probably encouraging or at least tolerating this behavior. Look, if your idea of siding replacement is throwing up some hardie board and painting it, then these guys will probably do a decent job. But if anything more complicated or detail-oriented is involved, you're probably better off hiring a small local contractor rather than a large outfit juggling many jobs over an extended area. I wish I had.

Sam Calmo and team did a great job replacing, repairing and…read morerefinishing our redwood deck. They were on time, professional, and friendly group of people to work with. Only used quality materials and professional craftmanshi

Side porch tear down and rebuild with additional handrail…read more I contacted Samuel of Deck Savers. Samuel was prompt for the estimate. During the estimate Samuel offered suggestions on how to better secure the new porch and the materials that he was going to use. Samuel explained that the tear down and rebuild would take 2 days. I must add that that was the exact timeline. Samuel does need to comeback to sand and stain the wood. Due to the upcoming rains we postponed the staining. I highly recommend Samuel at Deck Savers.

Working with Kastus has been one of the best experiences I've ever had with a contractor. He's not…read morejust talented -- he's a true craftsman. You can tell he understands wood deeply -- how it behaves, how it breathes, and how to bring out its beauty in every detail. From the very beginning, he took the time to study the conditions of my house, plan carefully, and make the right recommendations. Every step of the project showed his dedication, precision, and love for quality work. Many parts of this deck could have been built in a simpler or faster way, but Kastus chose to do them right -- taking the extra time to make everything look beautiful and last longer. All the ideas you see in the photos started as rough concepts I had in mind. Kastus listened, added his own ideas, and together we created something even better than I imagined. I've worked with many contractors in my life -- I'm actually a contractor myself -- and I've never seen anyone with his level of care, patience, and commitment to excellence. In a time when most companies chase quantity over quality, finding someone like Kastus is rare. If you get the chance to hire him, you'll be working with a true woodworker -- someone who treats every project like a piece of art. I'm happy to provide references or even show you the project in person. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to come see his work or talk about my experience.

Kastus did amazing job cleaning up my backyard. The…read morecommunication was clear, he responded promptly and we easily found a time that works best for me. I can't begin to tell how efficient and professional he was. He pulled out all the weeds and bushes and even trimmed my regular garden vegetation preparing it for the winter. He even took great care of helping me dispose of the trimmed weeds. my backyard looks stunning now and a smile every time I look at it. I highly recommend Kastus and his team, they are true professionals, providing the highest quality of service.

Our deck was embarrassing. It was 40 years old and looked every bit of it - peeling red paint, wood…read morethat had been patched and repainted so many times it was basically held together by stubbornness, sagging lattice skirting underneath, and a pathway that was on its last legs. A former coworker had recommended Roberto on Yelp, so I called him right away. We went through the whole planning process together, got aligned on the design and materials - and then life happened and we just weren't quite ready financially to pull the trigger. Roberto was completely gracious about it. No pressure, no attitude, just patience. When we were finally ready to go, he picked right back up where we left off and his team came in and got it done. That kind of professionalism set the tone for the whole project. When his crew got into the build and found issues - and on a 40-year-old deck, they found a few - Roberto would come find me, show me what they'd discovered, explain what needed to happen, and just handle it. No surprises on the bill, no drama. Straight communication and solid work from start to finish. The finished deck is beautiful. These guys take pride in their work and it shows in every detail. If you're on the fence, just call him. You won't regret it.

I found Rco construction on yelp during my search for a company to build a backyard deck. I…read moreinterviewed a dozen companies and landscaping contractors during this exhaustive campaign - to include a full itemized quote from RCO Unfortunately, I had to postpone my project due to circumstances out of my control Despite cancellation of this project, Sergio was hands down the most thoughtful, patient, thorough and professional contractor I met. His attention to detail was outstanding and the quote he provided was more than fair - actually, he was less expensive than those without licenses. When my project begins, I will absolutely use Rco construction

Schafer construction did a full remodel on my bathroom here in Montclair, Oakland. I got a few…read moreestimates, this one was just a little more expensive, and were well worth it. I got the recommendation from a friend who also lives in the Oakland hills, so I thought I'd give them a try. I've done other home improvements that have gone (some have gone way) over what I was quote, with these guys I felt very informed on any changes that had to be made, and was given choices all along the way. In my past home renovations, the workers have left things outside, made a mess in the non-working area, and were generally disrespectful. But this job was the opposite of that! These guys were so respectful, worked around my schedule and kept my house clean. I recommend Schaffer Construction to everyone I know! The price was accurate and now I have a beautifully renovated bathroom! :)

Call this morning to schedule an appointment for an estimate on a project that we wanted to get…read morestarted on. Barbara after putting me on hold for several minutes came back and said they were scheduled out till August. Then explained how long the process of permits, drawings ect.. it was going to take a long time. Then she asked the size of the project. And our location. And she thought maybe (either you do or you don't) they didn't even come out to our area. Sounds like this company is not interested in getting work. Very poor handling of customer service. In answer ........ I know how long it takes to get the project completed. We want to get started right away with plans (my husband would draw them up) estimate, permits ect.. We were not asking to have the work completed right away. There is a difference. But they way she handled the phone call was unprofessional. When I commented that it sounded like you did not want our business, she hung up.

Great support throughout the estimate process. Josue was super patient and helped revise the…read moreestimate with the options asked for and ultimately presented a competitive quote.

Josue and the entire Nailed It Remodeling team did a fantastic job on our deck remodel. When I…read morepurchased my home 5 years ago the deck looked great but soon after we started noticing the floor boards were rotting and there wasn't adequate space for drainage. After talking with multiple contractors, getting various bids, and lots of worrying, Josue and his team came out and answered all our questions. They quickly assessed the situation and provided us with a very competitive bid in just a few hours later. He was quick to respond to my messages and ease any concerns we had and alerted us right away to any future issues we might run into with our deck and what work we might need to consider next. We're looking forward to working with them again!

I just finished a project to replace my roof with Eli from EcoStar. I'm really pleased with the…read moreoutcome! Eli promptly addressed all my questions throughout the process and I would be happy to work with him again.

Not a review for the construction itself but the workers they hire. While wearing their work shirts…read more3 young boys sat in the orchards shopping center, showing each other photos of their girls and their heights and weights. Talking about women's bodies and seeing them in real time objectify a girl walking by. Absolutely disgusting.

Getting our handrails done was the smoothest construction work I have ever had. Their online intake…read moreform is thorough so you just need to input your details and then they follow up for scheduling and pricing. It was more affordable than 2 other local steel fabricators for identical rails. I cant emphasize enough how responsive they are. They actually return your calls and emails. They show up when they say they will. These seem like low standards but in the construction field I have found that this is very rare.

This was my second project from Mr. Handrail, I cannot recommend them enough! The service is…read moreprompt, courteous, and knowledgeable. They blended the functional needs with a sensitivity to design aesthetic. The workmanship is fabulous!