We have a 100+ year old house in Piedmont and originally hired Carl to help us knock down a wall in our kitchen and remodel and old ADU unit. We ended up touching every room in the house - all for the better (see pics)! In fact, I call him my "construction doula" because he used his incredible skill, knowledge, and comprehensive experience to help guide us through the process -- everything from light fixtures to engineering challenges -- and what we created together is certainly something beautiful! Carl is an unconventional contractor; his process is organic to him and unfolds as it moves along. This can be challenging to trust but also results in brilliance; he builds custom cabinets onsite to fit your specific needs, has 4AM visions of ingenious solutions to problems, and can move faster than anyone else out there. His talent also comes with an artist's temperament. He will care deeply about your project and feel and express all the highs and lows. He is straightforward, and appreciates the same in return, and while his weekly billing process is not common, it is transparent and his team is a group of really talented and nice guys. Carl is quite a character, but his work speaks for itself, and after completing this very big project we are so incredibly happy with the results and absolutely plan to use him again once we've re-saved enough for our next (outdoor) project. read more

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It has been a year since we did the work so figured a review was due. We chose Carl for pretty big remodel with kitchen, dining room, windows, insulation, backyard deck and the results were amazing. We started our project by talking with a lot of contractors, architects and designers and heard so many different opinions about what we should do and the potential costs of it all. Carl was and is 100% different then the rest. This stood out right away as he first walked into our 1932 Tudor house and talked about getting back to the soul of the house. His preferred method is to do the demo, get down to the studs and then create the kitchen organically rather than write up very detailed plans and then deal with change orders. My wife was sold right away, but it sounded pretty nuts to me at first. Before we decided to work with Carl, we following him around to maybe 6 different job sites that he was working on in various stages of construction - sometimes the same site more than once. As we talked with the home owners we heard the same thing over and over; we should use him. Several of those that we saw in progress have now given him glowing reviews here on Yelp; fun to see. His crew demo'd things quickly while we lived in the bedrooms and living room. Each day he would have a crew off anywhere from 1 - 6 of his team. He has folks who do demo, electrical, plumbing, cabinetry and general construction and all were professional. The project progressed organically and we chatted with Carl continually on the work completed and what was coming up. Carl was always available via phone or text and he wants this ongoing communication so it works out. As we progressed we decided to expand our initial project quite a bit. We started out as kitchen, dining room & deck but then expanded to include insulation for the whole house, we replaced most of the windows in the house, demo'd the old downstairs deck, added new downstairs pavers with a little foundation work along with smaller scale work in the family room and some basic backyard landscaping. Cost wise we ended up spending more than our verbal estimate but tons less than we would have spent with anyone else to get all of that work accomplished. My guess is that the overall cost of this all was about 30-40% less than we could have found with another contractor. The workmanship is excellent - our kitchen looks amazing and we have been told many times that its home magazine quality. We absolutely love it. Carl really cares about his craft and he brings a great design eye to his work, mixing paint, creating custom cabinetry and designing layouts. Everyone who has seen the work (including friends who are in construction or have completed remodels) are all extremely impressed with the level of craftsmanship (and the affordable cost). As mentioned we have a 1932 house and the new construction is perfectly matched to the old, even down to the new oak wood flooring laid out and stained to match the old. In addition, the work was also fast. In total, the project took about 7 weeks to complete which is astonishingly fast for the scope. Every contractor has his or her drawbacks and Carl is no different. If you are someone who likes to know exactly what is coming and when, Carl will likely drive you nuts. His work process is organic and agile. Carl also has a strong and confident personality, and given that you'll be working back and forth with him as the project progresses, you'll want to jive with him. However let me stress that Carl is a good person with a big heart. He really, really cares about his work, his team and ultimately the people he works with. An example of that is that he continues to stop by to say hi and drop off the occasional flower. He doesn't work to get rich, he works because he loves his craft and he loves helping people. I would absolutely recommend Carl and would be happy to talk through any questions or particulars about working with him. He dramatically changed our house and we love it. read more

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A little overdue on my review, but Carl is the real deal... Having worked with my fair share of contractors, I've never met anyone quite as versatile and capable as Carl. His five-star only reviews are well deserved (part of the reason my wife and I chose to "interview" him among a few other candidates). From the moment Carl stepped into our house, he seemed to have a vision (or a "flash" as he calls it) of what the end product would look like. Although neither my wife nor I had such a perfect picture, his description gave us the confidence to take the plunge with him. Carl really had is work cut out for him... a "simple kitchen remodel" actually ended up with him going above and beyond and essentially gutting our entire upstairs - he removed and vaulted the ceilings in our kitchen, dining room, and living room; he flipped the kitchen and dining room areas; he cut new windows to bring in more light; he removed a gaudy 30-ton fireplace; he reinforced the roof from the inside; he leveled our floors (we had different height floors between entry way, living room, and walkways)... This list just seems to go on and on. Our favorite parts of the remodel are his (insistence on) a modern design to fit the shape of the house, custom moldings for doors/windows/ceilings, his beautiful cabinet work, and his custom paint colors. Did I mention that he completed a full remodel while my wife was pregnant? He balanced the stress/workload as well as our family situation perfectly. Carl was a dream and he delivered us our dream house. Now, stop reading, pick up the phone and call Carl. If you're debating a remodel, choose Carl. read more

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Excellent work with a fair price! Highly recommend!! They do the work fast and help you with all the permits.

We tried so hard to work with Carl. He does beautiful work, but was impossible to get in touch with. We've been in contact off and on for six months, mostly via text and a few in person mtgs, before our planned kitchen renovation in Jan. 2019. Carl has a unique way of working and is very eccentric, but we tried to look past that given his quality of work- both design and craftsmanship. However, we couldn't get a clear estimate of cost, process (basics like- what exact date do we start), or really anything from him except that he doesn't write contracts and we should "trust him". He provided references which ran the gamut from "his work is great, but he's tough to work with" to "We wouldn't recommend him and think he's nuts" and "I can't talk to you about his work because we're in the process of firing him". Over the past two weeks (it's now the beginning of December) we've tried to firm up plans with Carl but cannot reach him by phone (doesn't answer and never calls back) or text (he'll respond in the third person: "Carl is doing an concrete pour at 2:30, he'll get back to you after") and he never texts back. I even got a text last week saying "who's this" after we've been in contact forever. He strings you along saying he needs your work then poof! He's unreachable. Super frustrating. read more

When I called Carl the first time, he invited me to his current project in Oakland hills where he was rebuilding an entire floor, including kitchen, bath, deck and a cupola into the roof. The work was masterful and I was impressed by his confidence and resume. He used to build high end hotels and vacation homes for Wall Streeters in NYC. But wasn't he aging out of this work I asked him, observing that he was retirement age. He laughed at me and told me he was put on this earth to rebuild people's lives by changing the space around them. I knew then that he was the enlightened Zen Master Contractor. So different from the many I'd interviewed who had a habit of little-ladying me and saying no to my visions of a non-traditional demo/party kitchen with an XL island including stove and sink. Anything can be built, he said. I figured I couldn't afford him, but Carl came to look at my falling-down IKEA kitchen remodel anyway. I needed someone who I could trust to work unsupervised for a month. My husband's cancer came back and it was bad. He would be doing an experimental immunotherapy trial for a month in LA. Our family would move down too, making space for this decade long project to finally happened. Carl listened to our story and kitchen needs and then he impressed us in 3 ways: 1. He said it was more difficult and expensive per hour to reengineer IKEA cabinets than to build from scratch. Light bulb moment! 2. He's a design-build one-stop-shop and I wouldn't need an architect. Just give a general layout plus inspiration tear sheets for style. And he liked my vision of a party kitchen! 3. Most importantly, he wanted the job because he wanted to support my husband in his fight against cancer and help our family. He promised to work within our tight budget and timeline, and he honored that. Carl took the job. I emptied out the old kitchen and left him a blank canvas. Carl and his crew built an astonishingly beautiful kitchen in six weeks. Check out the photos below. Carl free-styled the woodpaneled back wall and 2 undercarts on casters for extra table space. It's a kitchen that far exceeds its cost and our expectations. I can't promise the same kind of turnaround and budgeting that Carl gave us. It seemed like so many miracles lined up that made this kitchen transformation possible in a short timeframe. I barely talked to him from the hospital in LA, where my husband was slowly turning into a ghost and the other patient died. I now know that he and his crew must have worked like dogs those weeks to give us a homecoming to remember. I'll never forget the moment when my exhausted husband, two young daughters and I returned from this debilitating treatment. We walked into our brand new kitchen, looked around and wept. We all knew we were in for a brand-new life. Since then, our kitchen has hosted many parties and gatherings and is truly the heart of our home. My husband is doing well. My kids can't remember the old dingy kitchen. And Carl is our family friend. He did more than upgrade our kitchen with good taste, ingenuity and the skill of a master. Carl helped redesign our lives. read more

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Carl is a visionary design build contractor with expertise in built ins and a life time of experience. He transformed our living space from three tiny spaces into one large living area, complete with remodeled kitchen and custom finishes. His crew are a pleasure to work with and extremely trust worthy. This remodel has completely changed the feel of our home from confining and dark to light, bright, open, and airy. read more

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Do not hire him. There are some good reviews here, I assume these people were very lucky and maybe got Carl's best people on one project. He was never onsite and some of his workers were completely clueless. He will tell you he is the cheapest but in the end you will simply just want him gone. He does not provide receipts for items purchased. If you question this he gets defensive and threatens to quit. This happened many times. He will tell you that he only builds beautiful things...maybe in the 1980's. He will tell you that he has a million dollars in the bank and doesn't need to do this, I wish he would have stopped before I hired him. On more than one occasion he made racial and sexist remarks. He is very defensive when you point out obvious mistakes. I could go on and on. It's simply not worth the hassle considering the shoddy work. read more

This is actually a six-star review. We have a 1950's ranch house in the Oakland Hills with great views of the bay and a large piece of property. For all of the 10+ years we've owned the house, we've intended to remodel the kitchen, dining and living room areas and raise the ceiling to take advantage of the view. We hired an architect, then another, and got multiple bids from builders along the way. Every time we tried to pull the trigger, we ended up with a building quote that was high enough to fund construction of a new house in Livermore. So we would scale back our plans, and still end up with a project we couldn't afford. Then, on a whim, we decided to start with the builder, rather than the architect. We contacted all the 5-star builders on Yelp and ended up talking to Carl Gaard . Carl arrived on time and full of his characteristic energy and creative ideas with a great aesthetic. He gave us a guestimate of what it would cost and told us how he works--on time and materials. The difference with Carl? His "organic building" philosophy means that we get into the project and make decisions as we go. After all, it's not a new house that can be built on a blueprint, but a remodel. Architect's plans are a starting point, but how is anyone supposed to know what you'll find once you open up the walls, floors and ceilings? So here we are, six months later. We have a beautiful new house, almost 50% new, with everything we originally envisioned and much more--at about 40% less than the estimates we'd received from fixed-bid builders. And from the six fixed-bid remodels we've done previously in our lives, we knew that fixed bid should be increased by at least 20%-30% to account for change orders and unanticipated difficulties. When Carl found those difficulties, he found the cheapest high-quality way to fix them, and we could make the decision whether to spend the money or not, since we knew exactly how much each day of labor costs. But it was not all about money. Carl's great quality is his aesthetic sense. With a great eye for design and function, he'll consult with you on every detail of the place--then help you hang the pictures at no cost. So this approach is not for everyone. Like all construction, you will have your ups and downs, particularly if you decide to stay in the house during major construction. If you want everything pre-planned and executed in your absence, you may appreciate the structure of a very strong architect guiding the building process from beginning to end. If you want a creative collaboration, we highly recommend Carl Gaard. read more

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For design, I agree with 5 star. He has a great design eye! But 2-3 stars for project management, planning, budgeting and quality. Job went 20k over and broke me. Carl redesigned my kitchen and gave me a bathroom at the expense of my largest bedroom and 50% of the closet space in my old home. He said he would give me storage/closets but did not. The French doors are in-swing that were installed backwards, another door installed is too small, rain comes in under and air flows in all around it. Many small details were left unfinished or just bad work. No gutters so the work is getting ruined and water is pooling. Bathroom fan and vent don't work. Workers carted off extra supplies and things I specifically asked to keep, like extra granite and cut beams. Rodents got in after due to large holes left around plumbing under sink - took me a bit to figure that out - 9 mice later.. Some debris and concrete were packed under a deck which weeds are now growing through. Open unfinished outlets. Unfinished electrical and misplaced switches. Now. A year and a half later, walls are cracking. There was worker drama and a lack of supervision at times. There is still debris all around that they left, every time I called the person that was supposed to come and clean it up, he was busy or did not show. Think too heavy for me to lift. There is no heat in the upgraded kitchen, bathroom or bedroom :-( - froze and stayed out of it all winter. I no longer have a working doorbell. Many promises made and not kept, they left when I ran out of money 2 in debt. I regret trusting and not getting more involved in the process. He has a good eye and vision but is kind of wrangly. It's a beautiful kitchen, but looking back and seeing the beautifully complete and finished work of my neighbors contractor...I have regrets. I just wish he would make it right so the taste in my mouth would change from bitter to sweet. He is not a bad guy. read more

Carl truly is as good as it gets! Working with him has been such a wonderful experience. We converted part of our basement/garage to a new bedroom and bathroom. Things went so well that we ended up doing a part of our kitchen as well - and all for about the price that others were bidding for just the bed/bath. We really appreciated that the inevitable small changes along the way were easily accommodated. The finish work at the end was really a team effort with Carl not only doing the work but helping my husband design it as well. And everyone on his team was extremely hard working and easy to deal with (we lived in the house - with our 2 year old - while the work was done). As all of his other reviewers noted, he is an exceptionally skilled contractor and craftsman, while also being very cost-conscious. Carl is like a zen master...calm and thoughtful in his manner and work. He has become not only our contractor, but our family friend. Our son refers to him as Uncle Carl. My only hesitation in writing this review is a selfish one - I wish he was a little less busy so we could have him back sooner to work on our next project - though I'm sure it will be worth the wait. read more

Essentially, from Carl Gaard we got a $100,000 kitchen for free. It's not hyperbolic to say that Carl Gaard not only remodeled our home beautifully, but also did a restoration at the same time. We bought our house about 18 months ago, a Piedmont craftsman that had been a rental for many years. In this housing market we knew we weren't going to find something perfect for what we could afford, but the place had good bones and we were able to imagine we could turn it into something beautiful. The bathroom was a horrifying pink mess most likely redone in the 50s and the kitchen was a cramped space that had at least three different floors piled on top of each other, the top one linoleum with burn holes in it, and old cabinets covered in lead paint. There were also some dangerous stairs that went down to the basement, which is the only way to get to the back yard, so we had to hold our kids' hands every time they wanted to go outside. We had planned on fixing the stairs and the bathroom, which was also filled with lead paint and glaze. We figured we'd do the kitchen some other time, since there was no way we could afford to do all three. We met with dozens of contractors, and it appeared like we weren't even going to be able to do the stairs and bathroom since the quotes we were getting were insane. But then Carl came along, and his direct quote was: "I'm not letting you do the bathroom and stairs unless you do the kitchen, too." His thought was that doing the bathroom and the stairs without doing the kitchen would not respect the true nature of the house. He was correct. And he said he could do all three for our budget. As other people on here have mentioned, Carl works in a very different way from most contractors. The advantage of that, though, is all of the little things he did along the way. He replaced all of our dangerous knob and tube, put the heating vents that the old owner had for some reason left running below the ceiling back up into the ceiling, he lined our new stairs with plywood to make the entire thing sheer-paneling. And, most impressively, he made the cabinets for our kitchen custom in our garage. Yup, he only does custom work - he would never do anything less. a Carl has a big crew of guys, who are all incredibly nice and INCREDIBLY hard working. I've heard from lots of friends about contractors getting started and then moving slowly. Not Carl--there were at least 6 guys in our house every single day, all day. Carl knew that we were going out of town for a couple of days for Thanksgiving, so he came over himself and refinished our floors personally and beautifully) on Thanksgiving Day. He made us the most beautiful stair bannister we've ever seen, and added touches of beauty in every room that we hardly could have imagined. Most importantly to me, though, Carl had an incredible amount of respect for our house and the way it looked. We met with lots of contractors who talked about ultra-modern kitchens, but Carl took the time to perfectly match the moldings of our house. He plastered over the drywall so the texture of the walls would match the old plaster and lathe originals. Carl is a craftsman, so he respects the craft of the house and highlights the beauty with his work. He truly is a legend. In the end, we got the stairs and bathroom redone exactly how we'd wanted, but then on top of that we got a gorgeous kitchen. It's hard to express the difference living in the house now, but we can certainly strongly recommend Carl Gaard if you also want to transform your home. If we could give him a 6 star review, we would. read more

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I was faced with making my pedestrian 1940's kitchen into something special. I saw Carl's name on Berkeley Parents Network, really hit it off with him. This was in 2012 - before he had most of his crew. We worked together - both of us on weekends, where we really forged ahead, and I alone during the week, to do detail work - plaster, paint, etc. He really has a gift for seeing the possibilities where only barriers (literally) exist. With his guidance and expertise, we completely transformed the kitchen and adjoining space, demolishing walls and expanding doorways. And the guy is a dynamo - I lost 10 lbs trying to keep up with him. Now my kitchen is a joy to work in, and a joy to look at, and is at the same time completely unique and fits into my house's style perfectly. read more

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My only regret is that I can't give a six-star review. Carl Gaard reinvented nearly every room in our home, pouring his vision, creativity, and master craftsmanship into his work. We've been amazed at the transformation: he turned our home into a place of calm, functional beauty. He charged us less for the whole job than other contractors wanted for the kitchen alone, and he finished in half the time they said it would take them to do just that one room. And he made everything by hand -- all the cabinets and drawers and desktops and moldings throughout the house he made from scratch, in our driveway. The guy is an absolute force of nature; the mad genius mystic of home renovation. It all started with our crappy, cramped kitchen. Ugly linoleum floors; countertops that looked terrible and were much too small; particle board cabinets that were literally falling off their hinges. See the 'before' pictures. We hired a designer to help us understand our options for remodel, draw up plans, and interview contractors. We were happy with the plans she produced - within budget and sensible, but in retrospect they were also pretty conventional. We interviewed a few contractors. Then Carl came in, looked around, and told us that we needed to knock everything out before we could really understand the possibilities. We were intrigued. He told us that the plans were fine for getting permits, but that they didn't have a vision. We could do all kinds of things in our little space, he explained, if we just got more creative. Among other things, he insisted that we needed an island. This sounded nuts to us at first, because there seemed no way to fit an island in this tiny space. But he patiently explained exactly how it could all work. He'd transformed our friend Suzi's house, so we knew what he was capable of and decided he was the person we were looking for. He and his crew gutted the kitchen and dining room in no time. They broke open cramped halls and doorways, widened arches, and made the whole main floor flow. Carl treated the empty space like a canvas. He began with the ceiling and worked down. He built a gorgeous, wrap-around soffit, creating through-lines that spanned not only the kitchen and dining room, but down the hallways and around the living room. Before we knew it the job had encompassed that room, too. Carl would arrive each morning with new ideas that he'd summoned up the night before, solutions to aesthetic or practical problems that had been nagging him. It was an awesome experience watching his creative process. He kept pushing the project in new directions, but never got too far out ahead of us. Sometimes he'd just wait for the ideas to sink in and take hold, and then act on them once we came around. The island that we thought would never work, well it became the key to the kitchen. Carl solved the problem of too-little space by making the cabinets on one side shallower than the other. When you make everything by hand, anything's possible. He helped us pick the unusual but gorgeous combo of materials for the counters, island, and backsplash. And like an inspired alchemist, he threw together various paints and kept trying different combinations until he had just the right look for the different walls, ceilings, soffits, and hallways. Near the end he brought in a remarkable artist named Alex White to help him with colors and to design the golden inlay wave pattern along the soffit. With the kitchen, dining room, computer nook, and living room were all coming along ahead of schedule and below budget, we asked Carl to work his magic on other rooms in our house. This started in our tiny basement bathroom, which he gutted and remodeled to make it not only far more functional and efficient, but great looking. Then he transformed our four bedrooms. The house is from the 1930s -- all the original closets are tiny, and storage has always been a major headache. Carl's solution was built-in cabinets, desks, and dressers in every room. As for the kitchen floor: the other contractors we talked to told us it would be cost prohibitive to reproduce the matchstick pattern present throughout the rest of the house. But very characteristically, Carl said that not only could it be done within budget, but that it absolutely had to be done to retain the integrity of the house. The final product is absolutely gorgeous - the new kitchen blends imperceptibly into the original floor. Carl's remarkable carpenters Victor and Carlos are also wonderful human beings - it was a pleasure having them in our lives for these two months. And above all it was such a fun, meaningful privilege to work closely with Carl over those two months. We saw him nearly every day, and always felt like partners throughout the whole process. We all miss having him around! And we are totally gobsmacked by the incredible transformation to our house. Happy to talk with anyone who'd like to know more. THANK YOU CARL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

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Home Remodeling is a stressful and overwhelming process (at least for newbies). Carl is a lovely, genuine, and talented contractor. I do not know how he has the patience for this business. His years of experience and knowing what works and doesn't work (no matter how stubborn your clients are :) kept us from going down the wrong path many times. His guidance gave us a home more beautiful than we ever imagined. Thank you, Carl, for being the magical Home guru that you are! read more

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My husband and I have been living in a converted attic for years now. For anyone who lives in an attic space - it makes for interesting limited space with sloped walls. Ever since we had a baby we lost our very small closet to her. After a year and half of living in absolute clutter with clothes on every piece of furniture upstairs we finally had it. I got a few bids but after meeting Carl, him actually drawing out the closet (instead of just talking about it), and what sounded like lots of experience in carpentry that made me go with him. What Carl delivered was far more than what we expected. He is most definitely a skilled carpenter. Not only did he make a great closet that took our limited space into consideration, but he added such great detail that it matches the look of our craftsman house. He did not skimp on his detail work. And he works quickly and efficiently. One a side not, we decided to paint the closet white to blend in with the attic walls and the person that did the paint job didn't quite do it to the level that Cark had talked about. Once I pointed that out to him, he immediately came over and fixed it himself. He didn't give excuses, and sanded the whole closet down to give us a smooth texture to paint over again. It is his professionalism, his craftsmanship, and work ethic that makes it understandable as to why he has so many 5 star ratings. I would highly recommend Carl. read more

Carl is not your ordinary contractor: he is unique in his own way, an outlier with a rare combination of superb craftsmanship, an amazing passion for his work, and a genuine desire to transform homes and make lives better for his clients while being cost-conscious. And if you are lucky like me, you will also be able to learn from him valuable perspectives of life and universe. I was fortunate to find him on Yelp. He came into my house to do an assessment of the project, and my wife and I could tell immediately that he is different - we had a room in the middle level that connects the first and third floors, but we were not happy with how the stairs were designed and routed. He sat on the floor with us, and started to draw on the piece of paper several ideas right away. He is supremely knowledgeable in all things related to construction, and his creativity toward tackling challenging remodel projects is most impressive. Before we started the project, we also got a chance to visit a couple of his projects that were in progress; seeing firsthand how he was working those tight spaces and transformed them into beautiful cabinets, kitchens and restored structures that matched the original style of the house only confirmed our first instinct to hire him. Carl seems always in high demand but he was able to fit our project in his schedule after some waiting (which was totally worth it!). He worked very fast when he and his crews were at my house; they typically did not take lunch breaks and Carl himself worked seven days a week. He not only completed the original project of rebuilding the stairs and making the mid-level space into my daughter's new bedroom, he also designed and built all the furniture for the new bedroom to make it a lot roomier than otherwise. Along the way, he replaced our old railing leading from first to second floor to match the new railing of the new stairs, fixed our sticky front door, finished our hardwood floor and put in additional cabinet in the basement. Despite all these extra work, he was able to keep the cost within the initial budget. Carl is not just a master carpenter but an artist in his own way. He has such an attention to detail that he always sees the best solutions - from small things like matching the light switch covers with the existing ones (which I did not notice what we have), to creating a finish for the new wall so that it looks the same as the 60-year old finish in our house. He said that his goal for any renovation/remodel project is to make sure that after his work is done, the house would look like that no one has touched it. And he did exactly that for us. Carl has great people skills, is an effective communicator and possesses that calm demeanor that helped take us through sometimes stressful moments during the remodeling. He truly cares about our concerns and responded quickly to them. There is no doubt from our experience that he is absolutely the best there is - thank you, Carl! read more

Should you be fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Carl--please take it! Carl is an artisan and craftsman of the highest order. His insight allows him to envision a house as an ideal--as a home--and his decades of carpentry experience enable him to bring this vision to fruition. When seeking to renovate our kitchen we met a variety of cookie-cutter remodeling outfits who arrived at a consistently bland, utilitarian solution. This solution invariably included moving us out of our house for a few months, while a crew of subcontractors would use cheap products to update the look of our kitchen. In opposition was Carl, first puzzlingly intrigued by how our roof was gabled, then captivated by the idea of reinventing our house as a home for our family. His perspective of how to reimagine our space was as radical as revelatory, and sprang from a place of deep empathy and compassion. Inspired, we toured some of Carl's active or recently-completed projects, and found the quality and creativity surpassed anything we had expected. We didn't meet any other renovators who bothered (dared?) to ask where our young son's playroom might go (what playroom!?). We didn't meet any other contractors who cared enough to set aside living space while work proceeded apace. Carl and his crew were professional, respectful, and accommodating to the highest degree. Even as we piled additional request on top of request, progress was staged as we expected and the project was completed on time and on budget. The foundational transformation of a house into a home can be traumatic, but one can have no better spirit guide through the process than Carl. Since we were able to live in the house during the work, we came away with an incremental perspective of the progress--quite different from those who see our new home for the first time, and are awed at the transformation. There is no recommendation strong enough, no words evocative enough, to convey the totality of working with Carl. A few years ago, my wife and I moved into a house in Oakland. We got a dog, had a son, and now we have a home. Thank you Carl. (posted on behalf of my husband, Dave) read more

I purchased what I called "the poor little sad condo" in July of 2013. It needed a total overhaul, painting, plumbing, electrical and work to the kitchen. I hired Carl Gaard to do the work. We established a budget. I expected that the entire condo would be painted, window treatments, some fixtures replaced and the kitchen brought up to code. What I got was so much more. From day one, Carl was always there with solutions to the issues that came up and suggestions for improvements that I had not even considered. Some of these are: * I was having problems getting the right tiles for the bathrooms. Carl went and got samples and brought them to me so I could choose. He knew just where to go and what to select to turn the seriously out-dated and unsanitary bathroom into a showplace. * There was an unsightly set of shelves over the stairs that you accessed by placing a board on a set of nuts in the wall and then climbing on that to access the shelves. I told Carl it was dangerous so even though I sorely needed the storage space, just remove them due to safety issues. Carl closed off the shelves from the stairway and made access through an existing closet so the space could be safely accessed. I had not even considered this alternative. * I asked him to use paint to seal the acoustic ceilings. Instead, Carl found it in my budget to eradicate them. * The living room had ugly box ceilings. Carl used his extensive carpentry skills to vault them. * I knew I had a small budget, but asked for glass separating shelves between the kitchen and living spaces. Again, Carl handcrafted the most beautiful shelves. * It was my husband's dream to have a custom closet. I was going to get a prefab set and have Carl put it in. He suggested using natural wood and having it handcrafted. What was delivered was a beautiful natural wood space with drawers and shelves. It was stained to the perfect shade for the rest of the room. * Although the existing flooring was unsightly, I was going to live with it. One day, Carl called me and told me to meet him. He told me that with what we had saved in other aspects of the job, there was sufficient budget to replace the mismatched floor. For these reasons, and much, much more, Carl Gaard is my contractor for life. He listened to me, got a sense of where I was going with my own esthetic and worked tirelessly to achieve the most perfect space imaginable. His entire team is excellent at what they do, painters, tile layers, carpenters. Each facet of the place is beyond my expectations. I will take pictures to add to this review once everything is all put away. If you choose Carl and his team, you will not go wrong. He is creative, experienced, a master carpenter, and a genius with a budget. His most valuable quality is his heart. He did not just take on a job and whiz through to complete and move on to the next one, he really cared that we were happy and it would be a home that exceeded our dreams. He achieved that goal. Sometimes I just sit there and say to myself, Wow, this is absolutely beautiful. It is the home of my dreams. read more

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Carl installed an amazing pantry in a kitchen closet. Although we had an idea of what we wanted, Carl's experience and vision resulted in a beautiful and extremely functional pantry. Working with Carl is a pleasure. read more

I hired Carl Gaard based on good reviews on several websites, and he transformed my tiny Queen Anne cottage in less than 4 weeks. He installed new engineered hardwood floor throughout, built custom shaker kitchen cabinets, and fixed ravaged trimwork with craftsman style moldings. He is an old school hardworking guy with lots of ideas and opinions, so don't bother with a plan drawing and a materials list because he just knows what to do. I'll let the photos speak for themselves. read more

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Did Carl Gaard pay you to post a positive rating? He didn't pay me. And, I will tell the truth: Carl Gaard is an incompetent contractor and carpenter. He is by far the worst contractor/carpenter I have EVER hired. He steals. He is completely dishonest. He lies. He is trouble from the very beginning to the very end. If you ask him to please do this, he will do the direct opposite. He major, major control issues. And, that is only the beginning. Carl is a nut. DO NOT HIRE HIM for anything. read more

Carl has worked in and on our home for over five years. He can do anything. He put in a new kitchen, roof, has just finished putting in three new bathrooms and painted our living room. He is creative, and works quickly and efficiently (without sacrificing quality). He is at his best when he can imagine a project and the client can trust him to execute his idea. He may need reining in when a client wants only to have a white sink plunked into existing formica. He can't help himself when he sees what could be! read more

I contacted Carl to build a closet in the foyer of my loft. I was not sure about placement or design. Carl not only began to design foyer but began designing the entire unit. He asked me what my budget was and began his work based on that. A large proportion of the flat has been remodeled and I am contracting with him to complete the dining room and the bathroom separately. He has been patient with me as I have had a few outbursts surrounding my entire living space being upset. I have been very happy with the outcome. I would recommend Carl for any design and construction project. read more

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We called Carl looking to convert our damp, old, nearly-falling down detached garage into an office. He not only gave us the lowest bid of several contractors, but he took on the project with imagination and gusto. My wife and I connected with Carl on a personal level, often sitting with him long after he finished work for the day to talk about life, current events, and the baby on the way. The finished project is magnificent. It includes a bay window where I have my standing desk, a skylight above, and enormous amounts of shelf and cabinet space. (Carl began as a master cabinet maker in NYC.) We bought some attractive wood flooring and Carl used the left over scraps to form the top of my desk. It all creates a phenomenal look. We are very happy. Along the way, Carl took on any number of extra projects, including moving our front fence, building a newer, much more attractive gate, widening our driveway (and pouring the cement), installing new security on our windows, and fixing our patio. Carl does all his work while only charging for time and materials. This work truly seems to be his life's work, improving the homes and lives of those in his community. We are so, so lucky we found, Carl. read more

I called Carl about a second bathroom redo, and we had a great conversation about life and work. At this point in his life Carl could certainly retire if he chose to. He stated he was still at it because he still took great pleasure in making beautiful things to delight his clients. I really believe this to be the case. Although he was very busy he promised to look things over within a week. He called back the next day and told me he had received a call from a contractor he knew very well who was between jobs and looking for work. Carl said he could absolutely vouch for this man's skills and integrity. Added that he was a delight to work with. And so I contacted Donovan McCurdy and hired him and his sidekick to do the job. The bathroom was a mess with very extensive rot around the shower stall and a shower pan that was badly disintegrated. All of this required the better part of a week to refurbish. The floor, shower and walls were completely retiled. In addition the job required some plumbing and dry wall repair. The job is now completed and it looks great. His price was more than reasonable and I wound up giving him around a 20% bonus for a job very well done. He also installed some pre-hung French doors in about half a day and did a beautiful job on this as well. Several days after the work was completed Carl called to make sure everything had gone well, since he felt the outcome was ultimately his responsibility! It just doesn't get any better than that. So by all means give Carl a call. If he is too busy to get to your job in a timely fashion and Donovan is available, by all means grab him up. These guys are jewels. Jim Simons read more

Company Name: Carl Gaard Categories: Cabinet Making, Carpentry - Woodworking, Drywall, Electrical, Plastering, Remodeling - General, Remodeling - Kitchen & Bathroom Work completed on September 15, 2014 Hire Again: Yes Approximate Cost: $75,000.00 Description Of Work: Carl designed and built (with our help) a complete renovation of 3 small rooms in our early 20th-century house into a modern kitchen in a traditional style and constructed an adjacent deck. Carl's activities involved design, demolition, rough carpentry, electrical, plumbing, drywalling, 5 new windows and cabinets. Carl's employees do all but the finished carpentry which he reserves for himself. Carl has a roster of high-quality subcontractors with whom he frequently works who did the floor refinishing and rebuilding, heating ducts, and countertops. Comments: We have done many renovations, and one of us is a skilled furniture maker. We were looking for top quality work. We also wanted a contractor who could work with us to design the project and share portions of the work. Carl exhibited flexibility in letting us do what we wanted which included a portion of the demolition, trash hauling, cabinet doors, cabinet finishing, and a portion of the plastering and painting. Carl has extensive experience (40+ years) with high-end designers and brings his own creative design sense that was integral to devising a traditional look within a totally modern kitchen. Carl is attentive to hidden structural elements such as conservative structural framing and extensive shear-walling. Carl encouraged the furniture-maker's creativity by working with us on special features such as an ornate column, veneer and hardwood additions to the cabinetry, passthroughs, and shelves. Carl worked hard to coordinate ornamental features found elsewhere in the house into the kitchen. Carl is extremely hard-working. Because he shoe-horned us into an already crowded schedule, for a number of months he worked in our house on weekday evenings and on weekends. During one phase of the project, Carl probably over-stretched himself, injured himself, and was cranky and stressed, but toward the end he rebalanced his schedule and returned to a more even keel. Our tensions usually arose over differences in opinions on design or the not surprising challenges of defining the shared work. We know that Carl has other clients who encourage him to make almost all the design decisions as well as execute them. We've seen a few of his other jobs in situations like this and his work is still of the highest caliber. He is cabable of doing any style, modern to heavy victorian. Carl's pricing is fair and his ability to make components that are not readily available is a great asset and saves the clients lots of money. He copied window casings and molding from the rest of our house so they would match. He knows local suppliers well. In a kitchen renovation there are always a thousand different pieces that need to be gotten, vetted, approved,etc.. He knew where to get most of these things and how much to expect to pay for them. To save money, we often got those things and Carl was willing to forego the usual cost of him having to go get these supplies. If the homeowner didn't have the time or inclination to do that, I am sure that his prices would still be fair and reasonable. We had other bids on the kitchen and they came in much higher. And those contractors would have made a very generic kitchen. Now we really feel as if our kitchen is very unique to us and our house. read more

Carl renovated our downstairs master bedroom and bathroom. Before the renovation the room felt dark and small. We live on a hill, so this lower level of the house is half subterranean. The first thing Carl did when we met with him was explain how we might open the space by directing the eye toward the wall facing the view, as opposed to the wall facing the interior of the house. He also suggested lifting the ceilings and changing the orientation of the room to make it feel less narrow. We knew right away that he would help us make wise decisions in our renovation Carl talked with us about what we wanted for the room, and then was able to use his own design skills and creativity to make it happen. I think one of the best parts about working with Carl is that he really has an eye for design, a service that you would have to pay much extra for. He made the most of the space, in ways that we couldn't envision and no other contractor we met with could have envisioned. I think Carl works best when you put your trust in his vision, which perhaps can be hard for some, but we are so glad we did. We are thinking about renovating the kitchen eventually, and we would definitely ask Carl and his team to come back to do this for us! A side note is also that the men that work for Carl were also excellent. His whole team was respectful, kind, and very hard working. read more

Carl is a chameleon. He can morph himself into any remodel style you like ... and in fact, takes into consideration your spirit and style when making suggestions before executing the project. We hired Carl to remodel our kitchen, but he went beyond the call of duty and upgraded our entire house to fit our family needs (in particular our 4 year old son!). He has a great sense of space and is able to convert the tiniest area into the most useful living space. He knows how to create the proper 'feel and flow' of a house (or at least did with our place). Our kitchen was an original 1940's kitchen (think Wedgwood stove, no dishwasher, semi-cute but minimal shelving, etc) and he somehow fit an island, breakfast nook, small pantry and a fair amount of cabinet space into our new kitchen. He updated our bathrooms and made them feel more airy (without moving anything or adding any new windows). He also repainted our entire interior - hand mixing the colors himself - each room is different hue but they all blend together and are sophisticated, modern and calming. He did a lot of extra work (e.g. shelving, his/her bespoke closets, new linen closet, special breakfast table, outdoor decking including a sandbox (which unfortunately is too small now), garage storage units, etc.). He even voluntarily brought our original crown molding down 6 inches to create more of a canopy ceiling feel. Sounds minor but it made a huge difference! He even made personal recommendations that were spot on (e.g. pendant lights that we love, reverse osmosis water system, etc). Our neighbors liked our kitchen, so got onto Carl's schedule and remodeled a few months later. Even though our original kitchens were almost identical, they are now completely different and match both families' style and needs. Amazing that Carl used some of the same material, but the two kitchens have a very different feel. We like ours and they like theirs. In terms of workmanship, his team is good but as with most folks you have to check their work and note when you are not satisfied. Carl is highly sought after so he is very busy, so try to call him well in advance of your project to get on his schedule. He has a unique personality and is truly dedicated when he is on your job. We hit it off with Carl at the beginning so didn't shop around, but highly doubt you'll find anyone who can remodel faster than he can and at such reasonable rates. He sources a lot of his supplies from Home Depot and local outlets near them (which most was okay for us at the time, but now (after a year) wished we did more research and went with higher quality material and parts. You get what you pay for as they say. If you do want higher end stuff - you will need to plan and coordinate accordingly otherwise you might end up delaying your project). Make sure you see his remodel work in person, as there will always be a story (and lessons learnt) behind each remodel. Plus, it's a necessity to work with him - seeing the different styles and ideas you might like helps with his planning. #cheapandcheerful! #fastandfurious! #carlthechameloen! read more

Carl was working on the unit down the hall and I asked him to help build a wardrobe for me too. It was a difficult job as there was already a partial closet to work around. Carl did a great job building the wardrobe and also did a couple other handyman jobs that my condo needed! read more

Carl Gaard should change his name to the House Whisperer. He completely freshened up my run down house, refinished hard wood floors, making them glow, painted inside and out, added windows, built a custom desk, and a closet, all while he completely remodeled a brick house next door which he turned into an exquisite Asian style comfortable house with lots of storage and unique touches. Carl is the best! read more

He promises a lot and then pulls the rug from under you! He was supposed to start our kitchen in 2 weeks. Less than a week ago, I got an email saying "I would like to back out of your job or postpone it for six months." After telling us he worked best alone, meaning no designers or architects so that he can control the vision and outcome, he then informed me that I needed both! I really like(d) him as a person and saw/ admired a lot of his work. I was so pleased that we were going to work with Carl. I thought he was the real deal, but to cancel our job three weeks out, after lots of back-and-forth and planning, I'm not simply disappointed, I feel disrespected by his lack of consideration and professionalism. If he promises you a lot, take it from me, he's not necessarily going to follow through. He clearly oversold himself and was prepared to walk away from clients who had come to trust him. I am genuinely sad to write a poor review, but future clients should know that he is capable of leaving you in the lurch. I suppose we are grateful that he didn't do so after he started our kitchen. read more

Carl Gaard is a talented carpenter, craftsman and skilled contractor. He is also trustworthy and a wonderful person you can count on. We hired Carl to install a rear exterior door and to install a pet door within that door. He also installed towel racks, repaired broken drawers, replaced a striker plate and tackled a number of other repairs in record time. He comes when he says he'll come and does superb, quality work. We plan to hire him to remodel our kitchen! read more

Carl and his crew did a fabulous job of remodeling our home in the Oakland hills. He had an amazing vision of what he wanted to create within a limited space. His suggestions were very creative and insightful. The process was carried out in a very professional and seamless manner. The end result shows beautiful detail work and tasteful craftsmanship. Highly recommended. read more

Carl finished a few weeks ago my new master bathroom that he added from two walk-in closets (with City permit). Carl understood my requirements and added as usual his wood work details which are beautiful additions. Carl is the only contractor you can leave alone and go on vacation. This is what I did and didn't regret it. I didn't have to suffer noise and dust and the work was done as discussed when I came back. read more

If you're lucky enough to find Carl, you will enjoy the fruits of the labors of this master builder for years to come. He can do just about any trade. And WELL! Small to large! Highly recommended. read more

Carl has done gorgeous, transformative work for our home at very reasonable rates. He built our beautiful, solid redwood deck and has done other fabulous wood working jobs for us like crown moulding installation and gliding kitchen drawers that modernized our old kitchen for a fraction of the cost of a remodel. With his expert skills and artistic eye he has made our old home sparkle. Carl works fast and is very reliable. He is also just a great person to do business with! read more

We used Carl for a small kitchen project and he was very easy to work with and had great idead. He has a passion and a love for his work which really shows in the final product. He is honest, respectable, professional and has very reasonable prices. We highly recommend Carl and look forward to working with him again! read more

I worked with Carl to repair my bed frame. He was really pleasant. He contacted me very quickly after I left a him a voicemail. He is highly skilled, professional, fast and affordable. Definately 5 stars! read more

I worked with Carl and his team on a big project in 2015. Initially, we reached out to do a kitchen remodel. However, after talking with Carl, and getting a sense of what he could do, it took on a much grander scale. In short, we remodeled a studio, built a deck, and remodeled our interior. Working with Carl is a unique experience. As many folks here point out, he's much more than a contractor/builder. Carl is a master craftsman. He can look at any space, and work with you to fix it. He made our house breathe again. The biggest sense of joy was the journey of working with Carl on the design and style ideas, and seeing it come into fruition. You literally can do anything, only limited by your imagination, your budget, and your wife reining you in. Carl is a true renaissance man and a pleasure to know. In fact, it's time to reach out to him again to do another project! read more