David Mulligan is as good as it gets when it comes to a general contractor in the Marin area. If he…read morehas availability to do your project you must hire him. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This was my first remodeling project and I chose David and Builders of Marin after interviewing ~4 different contractors. The project was a to-the-studs renovation and expansion of a ~1,500sqft, 2 bed, 2 bath ranch home into a ~3,500sqft 4 bed, 4.5 bath contemporary home. Complicating the build was (1) that the house was on a steeply sloped, small lot, (2) needed an entirely new foundation, and (3) was on a narrow street with no parking. WORKING WITH DAVID AND BOM: Working with David on this project was a pleasure. I hear friends describe their interactions with contractors and consider myself very lucky that I was able to work with David and his team on my project. If I ever do any remodel I will only do it if I can get David to do the work, and if I ever buy another house I will get David to visit the property with me. In fact, I would probably hire David first and then shop around for an architect. David is highly responsive, detail oriented, and does what he says he will do every time. From a work-style perspective, David is the ultimate high-integrity professional -- which is difficult to find in the construction industry at times. HOW DAVID AND BOM ARE BETTER THAN OTHER CONTRACTORS: David and BOM are better than other contractors based on three very important qualities: estimate accuracy, follow-through and execution, and crew / construction quality. ESTIMATE ACCURACY: One of the most difficult things about a high-end residential construction project is getting anyone to tell you how much anything costs. David will do the work to come up with an accurate quote, and will give you a reasonable, sober estimate as to how much different scope changes will change the budget. He brought our project in on-time (incredibly rare) and on budget (when adjusted for us changing the project scope and adding ~700sqft midway through). He does not over-promise or under quote (as many GCs do), and also doesn't mark-up everything by 30% (as many GCs do). Furthermore, if he finds cost savings midway through the project he will help you realize those. FOLLOW-THROUGH: As mentioned above David is accurate at estimating project costs and timelines. He is able to BE accurate because he has the crews and sub-contractor relationships to get the work done on time. Unlike many GCs who over-extend themselves during good construction markets, David has a number of quality crews with incredible site foremen (Kim was ours -- the best!) and is able to realistically budget their time to avoid delays. Furthermore, David believes in doing what he says he will do and will make the construction personnel be there to get the work done. CREW / CONSTRUCTION QUALITY: David believes in retaining the best people and has been working with many members of his crews for 20+ years. Many of his master carpenters started out as unskilled labor with him decades ago, and he has taught and mentored them up himself. What this has allowed David to build is a team obsessed with construction quality that knows how to do things the right way, and can get things done quickly. Furthermore, he has a deep bench of talent that he can put to work on projects to get them done on time, the right way. The commitment to finish quality from David and his whole crew is maniacal, and they are able to pull-off flawless contemporary designs that require high build quality. I would like to call out Kim, Omar, Jesus and the whole BOM team who worked on my house -- they are all incredible craftsmen and wonderful people to be around. For all of these reasons and many more, I wholeheartedly recommend David and Builders of Marin for your next project. I would also recommend you get on his docket early -- he gets booked up fast!

We decided to buy an old house on a large piece of land where we could build our forever home. We…read moreknew the house was old, but we did not realize how bad it was. Little did we know at the time, what a massive undertaking this project would be. After talking to several contractors and on the recommendation of our Architect, we selected Builders of Marin to build our home. We picked David because there was something honest about him. What you see is what you get. Having experienced other contractors in the past, that is a huge positive to us and not something we normally encountered. The original plan was to expand onto the existing house but we realized that everything was rotten after decades of neglect by the previous owner and ended up tearing everything down back to dirt and started over. This turned out to be bigger than we ever planned or budgeted for. Along the way, David was able to guide us though all of it. He stepped in and problem solved a range of issues, including many interior design issues that was not even his responsibility. From the mundane of relocating an outlet, to the life changing "holy sh*t, we are having twins", David we need an extra bedroom, David and his experienced crew, handled it all to made our dream on paper become a reality.

The project to rebuild our deck took 6 months from beginning to end and ended up costing 50% more…read morethan the initial budget proposal. When this started, I thought it could get done in under 2 months. We had to expand the scope of the project so that was some of the additional cost, but man oh man - it went from $100K to $150K for a deck. In other parts of the country, that's enough to buy an entire home. It was not easy to get a hold of the contractor and I would have to text multiple times over multiple days to get a response. It got done and the deck looks good so I'm thankful for that. Sharing this here so that folks come into projects with eyes wide open to the fact that things take way longer and costs, which are already astronomical, are likely to be even higher when all is said and done.

WBI replaced the failing retaining wall keep the road out of the kitchen of our tiny, 30% sloped…read morehillside lot right above Fairfax, 60' of up to a 8' soldier pile and lagging wall, with 16' in the ground. They did a phenomenal job! The crew was experienced, proficient and friendly ( ask for Walter!), the management was clear and communicative about small ( and necessary) change orders, and were more than happy to work with me to help minimize costs ( I did the railing at the top of the wall myself to save money). the geotechnical engineer they use is very knowledgeable and reasonably priced. They addressed one small cosmetic issue that only revealed itself after they were gone, no questions asked. I can't say enough good things about the work that was done for the project. thank you!

Lots of missteps building my workshop. Lots of substandard workmanship. Cost was 30% over what was…read morepromised and poor management.

Aaaah, yes our "experience" with Design Build Specialists, Inc…read more.. What started as a great double bathroom project, deteriorated into a relative nightmare. This company is slick, with a great showroom, and all the bells and whistles. But, from subcontractors that didn't show up, to materials not ordered on a timely basis, to in-fighting among their staff, this very expensive $80K bathroom remodel circled the drain when it went a month beyond their timeline! We even had to bring to their attention that they had hooked up the two toilets to the HOT WATER LINE. To add insult to injury, due to their accounting error, we ended up paying in full before the project was even near completion. After reading these other reviews, I have to wonder just who completed these other projects??? If we could, we'd love to post the pictures we have of the water from the remodel upstairs flooding our home office below... ooops, they forgot to make sure the waterline had been turned off. Do your homework, and in this economy, get several bids!

Dany and his crew at I Construction are the best. We had a really tough job at a difficult site,…read moreneeding to demo and replace a large failing concrete parking deck, a separate wooden deck, and a retaining wall. All of these are on a steep slope up a very narrow windy road. Dany gave me an immediate quote on the spot and made some great recommendations for us, even if we didn't go with him. But I'm glad we did! He handled the permits and the required plans. He was very flexible, accessible, and accountable throughout the whole process. This was some seriously difficult work, and his experience was invaluable. Whenever something unexpected came up, he always gave me a couple of choices on how we could deal with it, but he was also willing to entertain my ideas. The finished product looks fantastic and is super solid. I would use him again and would 100% recommend Dany for structural projects like this.

Danny Betyordekom of I Construction in San Rafael just completed remedial structural work on my…read morehome in Mill Valley. He and his team exceeded my expectations. The work was completed very efficiently and with remarkable attention to detail. The workers were polite and skillful. Danny was a pleasure to work with and is a man of integrity and with broad knowledge in the construction field.

I sought out multiple bids for installing a new Dutch door and new French doors for my little…read morecottage at Stinson Beach. Alex was not the cheapest yet his bid stood out as well written, comprehensive and timely. When questions were asked he was right there with answers. He was able to work with our tight time schedule. His accountability and responsiveness made him a stand out amongst the rest. Meeting on the job, Alex, is personable and a good communicator. The doors were going to be set in an irregular construction space so adjustments were expected and Alex had included an hourly rate for extra time and materials. Alex and his assistant brought needed tools and supplies, laying out cloths to protect the flooring. He has a calm demeanor and gave confidence the doors would work well. The job continued an extra day with Alex paying attention to many details and taking the time needed to get the work done right. He cleaned up and left the job site in good condition. Thank you, Alex!

Non-responsive & lack basic communication skills. Why would anyone hire them is beyond me!read more

From beginning to the end it was service excellence customer-focused…read more Mark who does the site estimate was friendly and knowledgeable. I had concrete work with some paver border design. I was given a suggestion for the paver design and I could not love it more! The men who did the work were kind, friendly and took extreme care with surrounding areas. I didn't know if I could afford Van Midde however they were 20% less than a company that was going to give me a 'good' deal doing it on the weekends. Company interaction, price, quality, all were above and beyond expectations!

The Van Midde team, beginning to end, were professional, knowledgeable and courteous. Not only did…read morethey do an incredible job of our concrete sidewalk...they left the site cleaner than they found it. I appreciate the Van Midde team staying on their projected time-line and providing an excellent result. I recommend them highly and will use Van Midde again for all concrete work.

Our first big remodel and we couldn't have been happier with our experience. Unmatched…read moreprofessionalism, communication and execution all around. Can't recommend enough!

I m so happy with way they transformed my garage into a fully functional home gym. Thank you guys…read morefor bringing my vision to life. What started as an idea is now a space I'm so happy and proud to train and teach in every day. Truly appreciate your craftsmanship, professionalism, and commitment throughout the project.

Amazing quality and commitment to doing the right thing. Construction is not easy but these folks…read moreare there for you. It is a pure joy to partner with each of them.

We LOVE our newly remodeled home that Tomrose's expert team worked so diligently to create for us…read more John Casey was a delight to work with as he had wonderful suggestions, positivity & greatly helped us get our needs met. Jesse Borgnis was a fantastic project supervisor for us! His incredible attention to detail, cheerful personality, and his ongoing expertise exceeded our greatest expectations! Jose & Luis were so efficient & talented in performing all their tasks. Zack was outstanding in his attention to detail! All the subcontractors; Grima Tile, Electricians & Plumbers were remarkably helpful, efficient & terrific, too. We highly recommend your company! Many neighbors are showing up just to take a peak inside! It really is a 5* showplace! Thank you so much! Jacky & Neal Grace