Ethan and his team at Drafting Cafe have a great design sense and deep knowledge of construction and permitting. They helped me convert my basement into my home office and to build a deck from my side yard in Alameda. Ethan coordinated with a construction crew he works with regularly to be sure I got a quality build in the end and at a fair price. Communication was great throughout the process, and they were fast! I'd definitely recommend them. read more

The folks at Drafting Cafe have been incredibly helpful as we've been considering a small addition on our home. Ethan, Lindsey, Michael, and Lauren have been incredibly responsive and on top of things. Whenever we've spoken with anyone on the team, it's clear that they've reviewed our file/request and know exactly what we're hoping to build. The team has been very engaged and answered our many questions even while we were not yet 100% committed to the project. We ended up needing to take a pause before proceeding as we figure out budget on our end. But if we decide to move forward, we would feel great about working with DCA. read more

Had a very stressful engagement with Drafting Cafe. They were very inaccessible, lacked attention to detail and were not thorough in both the architectural and interior design specifications. I got my master bathroom and closet space remodeled, as well as asked them to give an interior design for my basement. Initially, due to covid they didn't not visit the site (which was understandable) and luckily they had plans from the previous owner. - The measurements weren't accurate and precise. They did not account for a fireplace mantle that needed to be cut with the new design, the bedroom entryway wasn't measured accurately. - The interior design details weren't thorough and I had to ask them to specify the pendant light, what about the doors and windows and essentially keep a tab of all the fixture details (like what kind of WC) while being pregnant. Despite asking, the door, windows, handles etc details weren't provided and I was told that contractor will choose. - They never responded to my contractor and there was only communication over email. For me as well, communication was limited to email and I just couldn't reach out to them if I or the contractor he quick questions. Email responses were slow which often delayed the buying process. - While the design was great, there was little to no consideration about the feasibility. They specified a 1000 pound tub for the bathroom which eventually could not be moved to the bathroom and is lying in my garage. If it were my job to see the weight of everything that's specified, I wouldn't have hired an architect/designer read more

I engaged Drafting Cafe to add a second story and a pool to my house and to remodel the existing portion. They were reasonably priced, fun to work with (thank you Ryan and Michael!), and were creative at working around the difficulties of steep hillside construction by means of referrals to engineers, surveyors, contractors, and other experts. In the end we didn't proceed with the project as we found out it would be cheaper to buy an existing home with the amenities we wanted rather than upgrade what we have. Drafting Cafe helped us get to that conclusion earlier in the process with cost build-ups developed in consolation with a contractor. Figuring it out at an earlier stage saved us a lot of time, money, and stress and their services made me feel certain we made the right decision. I would highly recommend. read more

I was so grateful to find Ethan. He is a master architecture and he helped me every step of the way and checked-in with me throughout the stages of planning to ensure that I was satisfied with the progress. For a reputable company, never once did he price gauge me. He was also reasonable and took time to understand my budget and what I wanted to do. In the end, I couldn't be more pleased and excited about my architecture plans. Ethan went above and beyond to make sure that I was happy and satisfied and was incredibly kind along the way. This can be a stressful process but he took the stress out of it and the communication went a long way. I couldn't be happier and I highly reccomend this company to work with. Thank you so much Drafting Cafe and Ethan. I couldn't have done it without you. read more

My husband and his parents and I bought two separate properties right next door to each other. Ethan and his staff assisted us in developing the drawings for a full remodel of each home. The timing for our first meeting, cost proposal and design drawings was excellent. The staff was responsive and helpful. Although there are a couple of things we wish had been different in hindsight, nothing glaring. The city had few comments on the submitted construction drawings and Drafting Cafe coordinated well with the structural engineer. I would absolutely recommend Drafting Cafe to others remodeling their homes and desiring practical assistance in what can be a daunting process. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of work and timeliness of Drafting Cafe Architects. For the longest time, the wife and I wanted a bathroom remodel, but we kept putting it off as we were scared of costs and a sluggish process. Well, the lockdown did it. It pushed us into making it happen and we have Drafting Cafe to thank for their help with making the project launch with a design we are excited for! From initial contact, the team at Drafting Cafe were courteous, responsive and professional. We were able to keep Covid-19 quarantine standards through zoom consultations and even with the initial measurements being taken. Michael pointed out some great ideas that saved us time, money and stress. Ryan helped guide the project and communicated with our contractor through the whole thing. We are really happy to see the project through to the end and are pleased with the process. It even came out cheaper than we initially budgeted for the plans. We highly recommend Drafting Cafe for your architectural plans! read more

My husband and I were recently looking to extend our master bedroom and add a master bathroom onto our house. I reached out to Ethan after reading the Yelp reviews to get an estimate on architectural drawings and permitting. Working with Ethan and his team (Suki!) was fantastic- we were in a rush because of a baby on the way and they all worked very quickly to draft up the plan. They even put us in touch with several contractors in the area and were going to rush the permitting process. The plan was fantastic but, given the time constraints and the craziness of finding contractors in the Bay Area right now, we decided to put the project on hold. I would highly recommend working with Ethan and his team if you are looking to renovate or add onto your home for the first time. They were extremely helpful, honest, and informative. They also really took the time to create a plan that included all of our ideas, within a reasonable budget. I look forward to contacting them again for any future projects. read more

We remodeled the interior of our Fremont home about 8 months ago involving moving walls, laundry rooms, and adding a powder room. I hesitated to write a review because I had never worked with an architect firm before and didn't know if my experience was good, bad, or average. But after decorating, living in the space, and having a baby, I really appreciate the thought Ethan put into the design. He and his team are really cognoscent of how life flows and where doors, light switches, outlets, etc should go, as well as suggesting things that would look nice based on my ideas (since plans are sometimes hard to visualize). They also let me know what I could get done within my budget. The process itself was relatively smooth. They were knowledgeable of the city's permit requirements and kept those in mind. As a result, the office accepted the plans without batting an eye. From the first call to Ethan to sending complete plans to contractors took 3 weeks. Their a la carte prices are very reasonable for remodel jobs like mine. I can't remember how many other firms shut me down b/c my job was too small (even though it was a huge project in my mind). I wish they did landscaping design as well. I have a pipe dream of adding on to the house - they'll be the ones I call if that becomes reality! read more

Drafting Cafe is awesome! We had an extensive kitchen remodel in mind and Ryan, Michael and team helped us craft the vision and execute the plans. They provided a great balance of listening to what we wanted while also providing a strong design/architectural point of view. We love the final product! read more

Ethan and his team designed the master bedroom/bathroom addition to our house in Berkeley. He was very responsive, helped us talk through our options, and got us everything we needed on schedule. All of our construction passed through the permitting process without a hitch and we are very happy with how everything turned out. Highly recommend! read more

We desperately need a new garage as our current one is not-so-affectionately called "The Leaning Tower of X Street." We spoke with a few contractors and they recommended we get an architect to help us. Ethan and Chris of Drafting Cafe were such a godsend -- not only did they quickly turn our vision for a new garage/office space into an actionable design, but they were integral in getting our plans through the Berkeley permitting process. For anyone not familiar, the permitting process along took 6 months. Chris and Ethan worked with us every step of the way -- from getting the AUP review to the building and demo permit. They seriously went above and beyond, and kept us informed at every stage. We highly recommend working with Drafting Cafe and we could not have gotten through this process without them. read more

Drafting cafe was awesome from the very beginning. We wanted to start looking at updating our current home, and then shifted towards adding a second story. They were very patient and provided multiple options for us to consider along the way. Their communication was prompt and professional. We only went through the schematic design phase as we work to figure out our budget for the more expansive design plan. Regardless, we were pleased with the service they provided. read more

They have a form on their website for you to describe the job and they say they will respond in two days. I did that and waited a week before I received an email to schedule a meeting. Then a couple days after that I received an email saying they were too busy to meet. I emailed to see whether this was a miscommunication, but No they are just not interested in any new business. Just a horrible way of treating potential customers. read more

I am submitting this review on behalf of my parents: We found Drafting Café highly recommended on Angie's List. They provided us with a design and plans for a remodel kitchen and two bathrooms. They were friendly, knowledgeable and prompt, and drafted a great design that was able to stay within our budget. We highly recommend Drafting Café for affordable drafting and design work! We will definitely be contacting them again for any future work. read more

Too bad no stars is not an option. Where to start? We inherited Ethan from the Drafting Cafe with the original contractor, who had a working relationship with him. Plans were drawn up and then the original contractor backed out of the project. So, we went back and forth with Ethan on adding some additional details to the plans, which cost a fourth of what we had paid to begin with. When I called him to come pick up the plans and showed up during normal business hours, there was nobody home. Then I was charged an additional $25 to FedEx the plans without even asking if I needed them 2day. So we are finally building the deck and there is so much missing from the plans, I'm talking basic dimensions and ties, that if you do not have an experienced contractor, your hosed. When we come to the details for attaching the railing and Ethan has the same attachment for the railing to the frack as he has for the deck to the house, I had to call and ask him to change the detail so I could use carriage bolts instead of this huge metal piece (which incidentally you couldn't actually fit into some of the narrow spaces). What he told me was "we don't do load calculations, so occasionally things do get over engineered". I believe I have actually paid significantly more for materials because of his over engineering. Now I have to hire an engineer to produce and stamp a detail showing the carriage bolts are more than adequate just to compensate for his over engineering. And I am still stuck with sub-standard plans. I would avoid the Drafting Cafe at all costs. read more

We didn't end up using Drafting Cafe due to a timing issue but Ethan Andersen - one of their architects had been very helpful to us in the initial stages of our project. We were highly impressed with his assistance, grasp of our project, professionalism and level of knowledge. We felt the process they laid forth was very approachable and affordable. Had the timing worked out we would have hired Drafting Cafe for sure. read more

We were very happy with our experience working with Ethan at Drafting Cafe. We had Drafting Cafe prepare plans for a major kitchen and two bathroom remodel. Ethan also managed the permitting process, which he made a breeze. He helped design and order our kitchen cabinets, answering a million questions along the way. Ethan showed a particular eye for detail when helping us figure out how to get a shower into what was previously a half-bath by moving plumbing fixtures, a door and a wall. Ethan has great contacts in the industry. Our contractor, who was awesome, was one of the contacts provided by Ethan. Ethan stayed engaged throughout the project, answering questions about the plans as needed. Finally, Drafting Cafe's rates are very reasonable. I highly recommend Ethan and Drafting Cafe. read more

I am doing a modest kitchen remodel with a similar budget. In the current environment where a lot of money is flowing, finding good people to work on smaller projects can be challenging. Drafting Cafe has been such a pleasure to work with! I never feel like I'm a second choice job. Every single person on their staff has been professional, responsive, and FRIENDLY. I never feel like I'm putting them out with my questions (I am someone who wants to understand every little thing). They have a very clear initial explanation of how they work - timeline and expenses are outlined up front so no surprises. Initial drawings for my project are complete (ahead of time btw!) and Permit Drawings are next up. I will review again once we are further along. So far I'm very grateful I found Drafting Cafe! read more

This review is long overdue. I contacted Drafting Cafe and worked with Ethan about remodeling our home. I had never taken on a remodel project and was apprehensive. I contacted 2 other companies (referral from the GC I was working with) before reaching out to Drafting Cafe. The experience from start to finish was great. Ethan and his team were communicative, reasonable and easy to work with. When my plan needed a structural engineer, Ethan recommended Daniel Summerfield (Leslie Engg). Daniel was not in the Bay Area and that did not hold back any communication we needed with the home inspector. Highly recommend this company and I plan to work with them again for other home projects. Thanks Ethan. read more

Over all, I found Drafting Cafe unresponsive and offer no guidance, Over two years ago, I contacted Ethan. He came and inspected my house for a basement addition an accepted the job. He offered little guidance in what needed to be done. The drawings were slow in coming. At the end of two years, he said the drawings were done. He didn't offer me a chance to review the drawings. Instead, he suggested I send them onto Vance for engineering drawings which I did. At the City, I discovered half my suggestions were not incorporated into the drawing. I don;t recommend Drafting Cafe. read more

We hired Ethan as our architect for our kitchen and entryway remodel. Outstanding job. Just exceptional. In about 6 weeks, we went from brainstorming ideas to a final draft that I just submitted for permits. We cannot wait to see our new kitchen! He had great ideas and helped us to refine our vision, while helping keep us on budget. He was responsive with phone and email, and his communications were crystal clear. Bonus - his brother is a cabinet maker - so he has that expertise to rely on as well. And easy parking outside his office. I would recommend Ethan 10/10, 5 stars, BRAVO to anyone looking for a smart, accommodating, expert architect read more

Drafting cafe architects helped me with my ADU project and I can't begin to express how happy I am with their service! They were always quick to respond and even guided me through the plan submission process! They made adjustments to the plans as needed without ever hinting at any sort of inconvenience even though they were busy! Michael and Jennifer are the best and I would absolutely recommend them! Thank you guys for making this process so seemless for someone like me who felt so out of my depth! read more

We recently needed an architect for a kitchen remodel and garage renovation. From the get-go, the Drafting Cafe was excellent. Their pricing is clear, the quality of work superb. We didn't have any trouble at all with permits. Ethan also has an excellent knowledge of the California lighting and structural codes. He helped steer us into a beautiful design that made the good folks in Oakland's planning department happy!. I can't say enough about their professionalism, timeliness and competitive pricing. I'd use drafting cafe again in a hot second. read more

Contacted this company for possible designed on additional unit. Jennifer helped schedule and confirmed appointment 2 week in advance. 1 day before the appointment, they canceled on me. I told Jennifer this appointment was confirmed 2 weeks ago, I have already taken the day off work just for this appointment. Is there a way we can keep the same day but possible different time? That was 3 days ago, till this day, still no reply. Never showed up at my door. I can't image what their service would be like once u get into contract. Stay away or be sorry!! Horrible. read more

These guys are great. We hired them to help us with a kitchen remodel, and they were professional and responsive all the way through. They provided several great options to choose from, the payment plan was clear, and the patiently iterated the plans with us several times. I highly recommend them. read more

We hired Drafting Cafe to find a way to make our 80 year old house work for modern living. It was challenge; stairs bisect one floor of our home and cut through our dining room and kitchen. They came up with many viable solutions and were patient with our questions and concerns. They were also straightforward about pricing and what to expect. They were always on time! I was amazed at their professionalism; they were a joy to work with. read more

Great business concept. They are rethinking how architects can help owners get their job done with less cost, less pain, and less ego!

Really good ideas and a quick turn around. After working with other architects this was a better more efficient option and I will be using their services in the future. read more

After trying a local architect who wanted a ton of money and was not even listening to me I saw the review and I called Drafting Cafe. Ethan came out to see the project and immediately gave me the confidence that we could get it done and approved by the city of Berkeley. So for a more affordable cost he and Andrea got me through the grueling process of approvals in a very professional manner. They were always responsive and on the ball and I could not have asked for better help and suggestions along the way. When the city threw a curve ball at us that could have entirely derailed the project Ethan wrote a brilliant email and got them to back off and get real. He saved the project and a lot of time and money that had gone into it. If you want people who are kind and know what they are doing you should try Drafting Cafe. Now I have my rental unit finished, approved and legal and these guys helped tremendously to made it happen. If I ever need architects again I know who I am calling. read more

We are homeowners in Oakland and have been doing many DIY projects in our home. When it came to adding a garage in the back, we tried to draw up our own plans, which didn't go over so well with the permit office. Drafting Cafe came to our rescue in a quick and professional manner. Chris drafted the plans to our specifications and they flew through the permitting process. When we decided to revise the plans, Chris whipped out a new set and had them printed in only 1 day! Both Chris and Ethan were a joy to work with: friendly, responsive and professional. They gave us accurate quotes before starting the job and were quick on the delivery. I highly recommend their services. read more

I met with Ethan and it was very impressed with his proposal and how he made the entire process highly transparent. We did not end up using any architects for our project, but I will certainly call him when we have need for architectural services. read more

I worked with Ethan on a putting in an additional unit downstairs of our house, he was great. Very knowledgeable and patient and easy to work with. read more

My wife and I first spotted good reviews of Drafting Cafe on the Berkeley Parents Network. We are recent first-time homeowners who wanted to open up our kitchen/living room area. Ethan and his staff drew up a plan for a very reasonable flat fee. They were prompt, courteous, and delivered what they promised, on time. When I had questions during the remodel and permitting process, they always got right back to me. When the inspector had a minor question, they called the permitting office for me to clarify. Many months later, we are incredibly happy with how the project turned out. Highly recommended. read more