I bought a house in Kensington in August 2020. Inspectors' documents reported that extensive repair…read moreand replacement of major systems of the house were needed. In September 2020, over a 90 minute Facetime, I consulted with Maurice Levitch, the president, architect, and general contractor as to how best address the issues. He walked through the house I had just purchased; I was in my home on the East Coast which is where I then lived. During that Facetime we agreed on the major contours of the project. During the next two months, his staff and I refined what would be done. Project scope, cost, and expectations were completely transparent at all times. The project took place from September 2020 to April 2021. While the project was going on, I was in Washington, D.C. I never once visited the Kensington house. Levitch and I did the entire project over email and telephone. At the end of almost all days, pictures and a short report were posted on their ProCore website showing me what had been done that day. I found the whole process enjoyable and interesting. I found Maurice to be a first-rate architect and general contractor with a deep knowledge of design, building systems, environmental impact, materials, and product. He will offer alternatives so that you can stay within your budget (I did find I spent more than I intended to but that was because I wanted to expand the scope of the project or pursue alternatives I hadn't contemplated). I found his subcontractors to be first-rate as well and Maurice makes sure that their work is organized, efficient, and of the highest quality. Among other things done: --All windows, interior doors, and exterior doors replaced. --New HVAC system. --Electrical system replaced, new interior panel, outlets brought to code. --Plumbing issues remedied, an entire subfloor of a bathroom rebuilt. Exact match for a rare marble tile found for a new floor. --Wood floor repair. --All manner of Kensington animals removed from crawlspace and attic. Moisture barriers, crawlspace and attic insulation replaced. --Walls sanded, made uniform throughout house with skim-coat plastering and then painting. Old baseboard removed, new chosen and installed. --Closets gutted, expanded, outfitted with custom rods, panels, and underlit shelves --A gas-leaking 36" range in the kitchen removed. Replaced with a 30" induction range, involving carpentry, electrical and plumbing work. --Carpentry work in kitchen, old maple cabinet wood was reused or matched perfectly. --Mudded in light fixtures for art lighting and wall washing installed. Total project cost was more than $325,000. A daughter with an Oakland worked with Levitch on two projects (2018 - 2022). First project: structural work to prevent house from sinking and an addition of 2 bedrooms, a playroom, and 1 bathroom. Second project: total kitchen renovation involving re-architecting of entire main floor. Excellent work, lovely people!

If you want a quality project run by ultimate professionals, Levitch is the design/build company…read morefor your project. They designed and rebuilt our mid-60's home from the floor up. They made the process as comfortable as possible and worked with us every step of the way. When the city contractor reviewed and closed the permits, he said the work was the best he had seen in 30 years of performing inspections. We love Maurice, Vuk, Susan and the entire Levitch team. We definitely would use them again and recommend them to everyone who is looking for remodeling or rebuilding work to be performed.

Best Home Remodeling came highly recommended for our kitchen remodel -and they did not disappoint!…read morePaul and his team were excellent from start to finish. He listened closely to what we wanted, offered options and his expert advice, and guided us through the process to create our dream kitchen, within our budget. He also kept the entire project on track, coordinating the workers, supplies, etc.... Paul and team communicated regularly on their activities and progress, so we always knew what was happening and when. He also kept a close eye on the quality of the work and finishing details. Best Home remodeling will definitely be my go to choice for any future remodeling needs.

They were great, did exactly what was planned, work was excellent and crew was neat and timely…read more Would absolutely use then again.

In two words- fantastic experience!…read more They helped us with drawings for our residential 2-story addition project. From figuring out what we want, to incorporating our ideas into the drawings, to running after city officials in order to get that permit - the process was smooth and flawless. And all this in the middle of a pandemic! Shane, Maria and Edwin made this incredibly daunting task seem so easy. They're great at communicating at every stage - a quality I highly admire and appreciate. I was informed of every effort and hiccup along the way and they were completely transparent about fees throughout the process. I cannot thank them enough. And I wouldn't think twice before hiring them again and recommending this amazing team.

Stay away from them at all cost…read more After just two months, our house has leakage problems. The fixtures were falling off. The walls are damages. Oh, did I mention that the second half of the project was just sitting there untouched for over a month now despite all our efforts to continue this project?

We recently completed a home addition with Outline GCI, led by Luis Perez, and we couldn't be…read morehappier with the experience or the results. Our project included a new primary bedroom and bathroom, an expanded dining room, and a large wooden deck. The quality of the work is outstanding and the modern finishes throughout the addition truly elevated our home. Luis set up a clear structure for updates, and communication was always straightforward and easy. Any questions we had were met with helpful, down-to-earth answers, which made the whole process feel manageable. One of the biggest strengths of Outline GCI is their crew. Every person who worked on our home was incredibly professional, respectful, and considerate. Because we lived and worked from home during construction, this mattered a great deal. The team kept the site clean and safe each day and went out of their way to ensure our kids always had a safe place to play in the backyard. They also let us know in advance if anything noisy was coming up or if utilities needed to be temporarily shut off. That level of care made a huge difference. The project stayed on timeline and on budget, and any small hiccups that came up were handled collaboratively and calmly. It genuinely felt like we had partners throughout the build, not just contractors. We would hire Outline GCI again without hesitation and have already recommended them to several friends and neighbors. If you're considering a home addition or remodel, Luis and his team are an excellent choice.

Having always done our own construction and remodeling we were hesitant in using any contractor…read more Then we found Outline General Contractors Inc for a deck/stair rebuild and kitchen remodel. Luis and his team did not disappoint. Both our projects were handled professionally from quoting to completion. Luis listened to our ideas and kept us on a realistic track if our ideas were too far afield. He genuinely loves what he does, and it shows through his enthusiasm. Luis and his team treated our home as their own. They were an awesome team of professionals. We experienced all his team's skills - electrical, plumbing, carpentry, drywall and painting. If you are looking for a fair and honest group of professionals, look to Outline General Contractors Inc for your next project. I know we will be calling Luis for our next project.

I have used Sarah Deeds and John McBride on several projects now. They were consultants on several…read morehome purchases I made and subsequently worked with me to remodel them. I find that in addition to having an excellent eye for design and detail they have a high degree of integrity. I completely trust them and will always choose to work with them first. There is nothing like having a contractor and architect that you can trust completely. My largest project with them was a remodel and basement apartment addition. Sarah was flexible and managed to get what I wanted and channel it into a really beautiful design. Most importantly she kept me from making a lot of stupid mistakes. Even though we are all "experts" on the spaces we live in, I will never again underestimate the value of involving a person that designs spaces everyday and understands the tradeoffs of different design decisions. John has an impeccable eye for detail and I believe is truly incapable of doing anything but good work. His ability to tightly sequence contractors was mind blowing and the level of quality he demanded of them was exceptional. It was also great to have someone doing the work that had a good relationship with my architect. I can't recommend Sarah enough! If you can get John to do the work, it will be well worth the wait.

We hired Sarah Deeds to create a long-term plan for gradually replacing our windows and deck,…read morefinishing our basement into a guest suite, and increasing the energy efficiency of our home through siding improvements. Sarah's method is very hands-on, so she visited us many times to learn how we use our current space, and to find out what we liked and didn't like about our home. What greatly impressed us about her is that environmentally-friendly solutions aren't an afterthought or a gimmick; they really form the ethos of her approach to architecture and design, and are clearly a passion for her. She had lots of innovative ideas and suggested using green materials that we didn't know about, while always keeping our budget in mind. We loved working with Sarah, and we'd recommend her to anyone who wants to take part in a creative, collaborative process to improve the design of their home or business (or build something from the ground up!).

We have been working with Carrisal for more than a year. They take care of our front and back yard…read more They are the first landscaping company that we are fully happy with. We don't need to supervise things when they are at the site. They always come up with good suggestions in terms of rearranging plants to make sure they get enough light. They also set our back yard irrigation system which works very well. Their crew are all young and very friendly. I highly recommend this company and their crew.

Noe and his team are top contractors. Noe worked with us to find ways to minimize the cost of a…read morelarge fence and concrete patio. He was always super communicative, even doing stuff that was not originally within scope. Our fence turned out amazing, and the patio is finally leveled and ready to use. What I appreciated the most about Noe was his honesty. I originally had envision doing walls in the backyard and he provided alternatives so that I could achieve what I wanted while not breaking the bank. He's attentive and honest, which is rare in contractors nowadays. We will definitely work with Carrisal landscaping again!

Teri worked with my family in Berkeley, CA on our recent house remodel. Teri performed numerous…read moredesign reviews, at the concept phase and throughout the construction process. Teri was easy to communicate with (on mobile phone and in person), prompt, knowledgeable, and offered great input. She loves construction and loves to support homeowners through the proess. Teri also produced a tree protection plan -- a city requirement -- because she is also a qualified arborist! I would recommend Teri to any homeowner seeking assistance with their residential construction. She is knowledgeable, very easy to work with, and has many talents!

My home remodel would not have happened without Teri. Her wide range of skills-- from permitting…read moreand construction knowledge to project management--proved essential at each step of the renovation process. She is a pleasure to work with, plus she's detail-oriented, professional, and flexible. Excellent communication abilities with contractors, designers, and city administrators. In sum, things get done with Teri! She is a gem.

Emailed and they suggested to schedule a time for phone conversation. They suggested two dates. I…read moreresponded with a preferred date. Never received a confirmation so I figured that was a no-go. The time came and they called but I didn't answer because I didn't think there was an appointment. I schedule and attend meetings as part of my career. That was not the best communication in setting an appointment. Seeing the other reviews, I see I'm not alone. I hope this company can work for others as their work looks nice.

We've had our garden in for three years. I cannot recommend them for design or upkeep. I was…read moreinitially happy, and we have elements that we are very happy with, but there were decisions made that, in hindsight, seem questionable. We have an edible garden with several spreaders (mint, red shiso) and vines (blackberry and grape). Why did Andrea insist on mint and red shiso as a wild plant in our edible garden? (Andrea laughed and said they'd keep it under control -- meaning their gardening services.) We also have a grape vine and a blackberry bramble in our edible garden. None of these are sunk plants. Want some mint? Also, I wanted one of our citrus trees in the front; I was told no. And, when we were choosing fruit trees, Andrea insisted on a plum even though we repeatedly asked for a pluot (which we finally got). The butterfly and pollinator side was mainly grasses. We asked for plans for our backyard, too, but when we said we didn't want two trees taken out, and two of the four plans removed those trees, I was done. Many of the team members are fantastic to work with. However, if the team makes choices about what's in your garden and either fails to plant with the expected results (pollinators, bird habitat) or plants what they want, it's not worth it.