Another happy customer! We contacted EPB since our water heater is getting old and we have virtually no insulation otherwise. The temp in our house would fluctuate wildly. Decided to do the audit and get as much done from it as we could initially afford. First, Kyle is great to work with. He did our audit and explained everything very well. Excellent communication. We weren't able to do everything suggested in the first go, but did the air sealing, attic and floor insulation, got a new WAY more efficient water heater and added a ventilation fan. The guys came, did the work, were very careful and didn't damage anything in the house. Bill was great to work with as well (the foreman). So far, it's made a massive difference. Our home used to get 3-4 degrees warmer than the outside temp, no matter how hot it got... so these recent days we've seen a high of say 84, I would see our thermostat reach 86! Not anymore! Now it never gets above the low 70's, even on an 80+ day. Of course it also holds the heat so on cool nights we'll wake up and realize it never dipped below our thermostat setting. The heater coming on is much more a rarity, so much that we actually notice when it kicks on now. Too bad we couldn't get fully modernized with the hydronic air heater (which is way more efficient and comfortable than our oversized and inefficient furnace) and new duct work! That would have taken us up a big notch into a constantly comfortable temperature year round. Kyle knows his stuff and explained the science behind it all. Basically, our furnace pumps out overly hot air which doesn't mix well with the ambient temp, tends to make the place feel hot and dry for a short while before it rises to the ceiling. These hydronic systems run constantly at a lower temp that mixes well with the room, are super efficient, and utilize energy from the hot water heater. When our furnace finally dies, we'll be back for that! read more

We live in an older craftsman home where the internal temperature is always colder or warmer than it is outside. While the house is charming, it makes for not-so-comfortable summers and winters. Enter Eco Performance Builders. We contacted them about doing an energy audit on our house. It wasn't so they could tell us the obvious, but to help quantify and educate us on what could be done. Kyle came out to perform the audit and was really friendly and professional. He explained what they could do, what rebates we could qualify for, as well as prepare multiple options that we could pick from depending on our needs and budget. When we finally decided, Bill, (little) Keith, Cody, and the rest of the crew came to our house and knocked out insulating the roof, floors, and sealing air leaks in a week. They were also professional, efficient, considerate of the fact that I work at home (and we have pets), and a general pleasure to work with. They explained what they were doing and consulted me when there was anything that came up. They cleaned up after themselves each day they were here. Keith, one of the owners even came out to help and when there was something wrong or needed fixing, he was responsive and responsible. As a company, they have a great philosophy that both Keith and Kyle have reiterated: they are happy when we are comfortable. A week after the installation was complete, things weren't quite as comfy as we would have preferred and Keith came out personally to help make adjustments. He offered to come out anytime we needed help with it. Great quality, customer service, and just good people to work with. Highly recommended! read more

From start to finish, my experience with Eco Performance Builders was extremely positive. Kyle did a very thorough home energy audit and took the time to talk me through each of the systems in our home which could be improved. He provided me with a menu of options and prioritized minimizing disruption while at the same time giving us the biggest bang for our buck. Once the work got started, Bill and the rest of the crew were prompt and courteous and really went out of their way to keep our house clean. It's always disruptive to have a work crew in your house, but I never felt uncomfortable having them around and my daughter absolutely loved them. Finally, the end result of the work was outstanding. Our house is more comfortable, less drafty, and cheaper to heat during the cold winter months (our January bill was ~50% less than it was in January 2018). My personal favorite part is the vapor barrier they installed in our subfloor crawlspace. It keep things clean and makes it easy to move around down there! A must for those homeowners who find themselves crawling around under their houses on a regular basis. Oh, and the icing on the cake was that Kyle took care of all of the PG&E rebate paperwork and even recommended money-saving changes to our electric rate plan. It's hard to overstate how appreciative we are of the entire team at Eco Performance Builders. Hiring a contractor for a large job is always stressful, and I never once regretted the decision to work with this excellent team. Keep up the good work folks! read more

Amazing company - extremely friendly, professional and efficient! Kyle did a full energy assessment and then walked through the report and recommendations. They were extremely flexible with scheduling as we had a few family crises. Bill and the crew completed full insulation - attic, walls and crawl space - and walked us through each step and showed us the work completed. The crew cleaned up every day when they left and were extremely diligent to get all areas effectively air sealed. We now have a house that has a constant temperature throughout and is about 10 degrees warmer than pre-insulation. We are also impressed with the significant reduction of outside noise. I cannot recommend Eco Performance highly enough - if you want great work from friendly and reliable contractors, this is the company for you! read more

Communication, Punctuality, Professionalism and Courtesy, Customer care and satisfaction: 5/5 stars on all of it! * Project: Home air sealing, Crawlspace Vapor Barrier; Attic clean up and blow-in cellulose insulation; Replace old gas furnace with electric Heat Pump system; installed new air vents and duct work; absestos removal. We first got in touch with Kyle B., who came to the house for an initial assessment. Then we started exchanging emails about game plan, we went back and forth for a while. I am very hands-on and involved, so I wanted to research every single item, he would send me to be fully informed of all of our options. He was very knowledgeable of every possible scenarios, gas, electric, he even gave us detailed information on product they wouldn't have been involved in (radiant heating systems on ceilings for example). In other words, Kyle was not pushy at all, he cared more about our home comfort than making his sale. We felt bad that we dragged the process for so many months before committing (probably around 6 months), but we didn't want to jump into any decision before knowing all of the possibilities and the best option for us. We wanted it to be our decision. Kyle was very understanding and never showed any sign of frustration or impatience. He was very professional and always wrote detailed emails with pros and cons of different systems. We worked together to come up with the most ideal one for our home. We are very pleased with the process involved before the actual work was done. ON-SITE WORK AND TEAM: Bill N.was our project manager. Keith F., Cody J.; Jorge, Tommy and Ryan were some of the guys who came to the work site. Every single team member was courteous and friendly. They seem to all be working well together, I could ask questions to anyone and they all has answers. On day 1, they told us their start and end work hours to make sure we were ok with them. They had trucks and vans with material deliveries, but the team was very considerate and made sure they weren't in any of the neighbor's way. They laid out floor protection and taped out each time they had to do something in our living space. They picked up, cleaned up and vacuumed at the end of each day, like they weren't there. I asked a lot of questions each day to see what they were doing, I went in the crawslpace, in the attic during the week to see. They are serious about the quality of their work and were excited to show me their progress. There was some material shipment delay, they were very apologetic about it (even though it was out of their control), it really didn't bother us. Even with that, they didn't just sit around waiting for the delivery, Keith was actually training the other guys how to use some equipment they didn't know, so they were able to make a productive afternoon out of it. [That's a message for their boss! :)] We got progress status update at the beginning and end of each day, which was very nice. We trusted them with the house and would just go to work during the day, they knew how to lock on the way out. Bill was awesome, at the end of each day he'd call or text me with the progress as well, and sometimes I would ask him questions in the evenings and he'd respond right away. Kristy is very nice over the phone, and prompt with email communication. The whole project took a little over 2 full weeks to complete, as scheduled by Kyle. We are extremely happy with the end result. Before their work, we had to open all doors and windows each evening to let air in to cool down the house, but now the temperature stays consistent throughout the day even when it's over 90 outside. The system they've engineered is so perfect for our home that we can't even tell when it's on! They promised a quiet system, they guaranteed a comfortable home, and they delivered! Oh, and they were able to move the air condenser into the attic by building a platform, so the closet that used to have the furnace, is now a usable closet, which is a nice plus! We only wish every contractor would be as professional, and effective as EPB. Can't thank the EPB team enough for this amazing experience! read more

We had a whole house energy renovation done during this past (2015-2016) winter after we had had enough with our super loud and old heater (literally, we would have to pause TV when it turned on because we couldn't hear what was being said). We could have just gone with a simple replacement, but I figured we might as well look into making the investment to make the whole house more comfortable and efficient. I wanted to live with the updates to the house for a while before posting, but I will say that the guys at EPB did a stupendous job on our whole house upgrade. * Great communication with very clear breakdown of the various levels of projects they could do. * A foreman that was always on top of his crew. * Frequent updates while they were working. * And, afterwards, a much more comfortable house. The best part: the brand new, efficient heater is now in the attic and is SUPER quiet. We also got a new ecobee3 thermostat that connects to the internet and our smartphones, etc. Additionally, They helped us with filling out all the rebate information. It was super painless (except for the few days that we didn't have heat, but they even let us use some of their space heaters in the interim). Definitely recommended! read more

We have been doing a big remodel on a fixer-upper in south Berkeley and we feel really lucky to have found EPB. Kyle, who was in charge of our project, was extremely knowledgeable, patient, and competent. Bill, the on-site point person, was also a pleasure to work with. Clear communication, high quality work, fair prices. They also did all of the paperwork for the energy evaluation and PGE Home Upgrade rebates, which came through even slightly higher than estimated. The work they did for us: tankless water heater, air sealing, attic insulation, floor insulation, cathedral ceiling insulation, and some wall insulation. Highly recommended! read more

Kyle is amazing and a wealth of knowledge about upgrading century old homes to improve comfort, reduce heating bills, and reduce carbon footprint by converting heating to electric heat-pumps. I haven't used him to do any work on my house yet, but I got a rough quote from him over the phone and he took the time to understand my house and my situation and explain the pros and cons of various approaches and provide the rough quote that was very reasonable compared to other ones I've seen. read more

We have been constantly pleasantly surprised by Eco Performance Builders. They take pride in making clients home more efficient. During the initial energy audit, they not only detected the air leaks, but also a gas leak. They contacted PG &E and their technician right away and confirmed and fixed the issue for us. They are popular and very busy but always took time to clarify any questions and uncertainties. Great communication and cooperation between the project managers and engineers too. The actual insulation got finished faster than we anticipated. We recently received the check for the rebete from BayREN and didn't think twice about the amount received. Eco Performance Builders was again very professional and thorough. They caught the discrepancy, followed up with the agency and had them made-up the difference and notified us. Even after the project has long been done and fully paid for, they care about the clients! Our house is warm and cozy thanks to the insulation, and the energy bill has been significantly reduced. read more

1. I'm picky about contractors -- I interview 5+ for any given job. 2. I'm a retired attorney who represented contractors in construction defect cases, which is why I'm picky. 3. This job was full-house insulation. 4. I almost went with Advanced Home Energy, but they played fast and loose with the contract at the last minute, so I dumped them and kept researching. 5. I'm glad I did! Eco Performance Builders was a superb choice. 6. Workmanship: Topnotch. They kept showing me what they were doing and explaining as they went, and it all made sense (you know contractors where it doesn't . . .).They stayed till all the smallest details were nailed down and it was clear they cared about craftsmanship of their work. At the end they tidied up beautifully; the house passed inspection in an instant; and, my house is now a comfortable temperature: without turning on any fans or heat, the temperature only moves between 70 and 77! 7. Customer Service: Owners Scott & Keith are brothers and working with them was like being part of the family. Every single person I had dealings with from front office (Sharon) to insulating guys (Chris and Nelson) was personable and kind. There was a mishap on the scheduling and Scott hired a sub to come in and insulate the walls on schedule so I'd be less dis-placed and inconvenienced, which was no doubt a money-loser for them. They even offered to come and move all my furniture back for me because they felt so bad. 8.If you want a pleasant experience and excellent work, hire Eco Performance Builders. read more

We had given up on having a warm, comfortable house after getting quotes from at least four different well known and recommended companies who came up with options that were either wacky, unnecessarily complicated and/or extremely expensive, as well as one company that said we were just out of luck because our house was too small to fit a heating system (it's 550sq ft). Fortunately, a couple years later, we thought we'd give it another shot and my husband found Eco Performance Builders' website. We started with a home audit by co-owner Keith, who brought in a variety of gadgets (one of which he used after squeezing himself into a crevice in our laundry shed and closing the door--talk about dedication). He let us try out some of his gadgets and answered all of our questions as he worked. He is "totally geeked out" on this stuff (in his own words) and it shows in his extensive knowledge and enthusiasm for all things energy saving. Keith wrote up a quote with several options for heating and some other home improvements. He had a lengthy phone meeting with us where he explained things and answered all of our many questions without ever pushing us to purchase anything from the quote. In the end, we chose the most expensive heating option and some, but not all of the other home improvements described in the audit report due to our budget. Despite choosing the most expensive heating option, EPB was still cheaper than any other quote we'd gotten while also doing more work to our house to hold in our new heat. Keith and his crew were all very punctual, friendly and considerate while working on our home. I was home with our 6 month old during the entire process and couldn't have asked for any better service. We have now had our heating system for a year and continue to appreciate that it is the best home upgrade we could have possibly made. Our entire house is now heated to the temperature of our choosing (no hot and cold spots or heating only one room at a time), the system is silent (I used to hold my hand over the grate to make sure air was coming out, now I don't think about it anymore because I'm warm and that's all that matters), and our energy bills have gone down. We're also happy with the vapor barrier they installed, their sealing of our crawlspace and our new bathroom fan. We got rid of our dehumidifier because we no longer have the moisture issues we used to have to deal with regularly. Unlike every other company we contacted, EPB did not try to squeeze us into the same cookie cutter box along with every other customer. They also looked at our house as a whole, rather than just throwing a 35,000btu furnace at the problem, and found solutions that no one else had invested the time to consider. read more

EPB did an excellent job insulating our house, both attic and crawl space. They were very professional and responsive, it was a breeze engaging with them. Small anecdote: During the insulation work in the crawl space a loose cable became disconnected, which interrupted our hot shower. That can happen, of course. What distinguished EPB is how they handled it. Once we noticed in the evening, and left a voice message, they called us right back. And the next morning, their project leader showed up on-site and worked with the team to get this fixed right away. It's the handling of those small exceptions that distinguishes the truly excellent from the average. Would definitely recommend EPB. read more

I had Eco Performance 'fix up' my whole house in August. By 'fix up' I mean seal up all leaks, new ducts, new insulation, new AC, new furnace and a moisture barrier in the crawl space below the house. It took them a week, using a crew of four every day. I really liked the friendliness, politeness and knowledge of the crew that worked here. They explained everything they were doing when I questioned them and cleaned up every day when they left. The salesman, Kyle, measured the leakage in my house prior to the work and then the crew measured leakage after the work was done. Leakage went from about 43% to 2%. That is impressive and I hope it shows up in my PGE bill. The weather has been mild since the work was done, so I held off writing this review until I could see what the house was like with the heater on. I turned it on a few days ago, and my house is now very comfortable. Both the upstairs and downstairs keep pretty much the same temperature (the downstairs used to be cold and the upstairs hot) and the whole house temperature is much more stable. I would recommend these guys. Not only did they do great work, but they also handled the whole PGE energy rebate thing for me. read more

Prior to signing a contract with Eco Performance Builders (EPB) we did a lot of research in order to find the right company for fixing our heating and cooling problems. After screening some 20+ companies, we considered only 3 - including EPB. EPB's bid came out a little higher than their competitor's bids but their offer was the most comprehensive and complete. Based on the old saying "you get what you pay for," we decided to do it right the first time and hired the most qualified contractor. EPB exceeded our expectations. The crew was on site early and on time every single day. The crew members were all highly professional, knowledgeable and went above and beyond to give us the best results for our new heating and cooling system. They had a work plan for every day and stayed longer if necessary to complete each milestone in order to complete the entire project on time. Keith, one of the owners, stopped by every day to make sure everything was going according to the plan and to make sure we were satisfied with the results. A year later, I can confirm that this was one of the best decisions we have ever made. The system worked reliably without any problems during the summer and winter months. Our PG&E bills are lower compared to previous years. We could not ask for more. We did hire EPB a second time based on our previous positive experience to replace our old water heater. Again, they provided outstanding customer service and high quality work results. We could have not asked for a better outcome. I highly recommend EPB to everyone who is looking for a contractor in their line of business. You will have a hard time finding anyone who will do a better job than they do. You will always find someone who will claim to get you the same results cheaper. If you fall for that, it'll be a gamble that hardly will ever turn out in your favor. A cheap contractor cuts corners, uses cheap materials and produces cheap results which will end up costing you more money to fix everything or redo it. Do it right the first time, hire a good company like Eco Performance Builders. read more

I hired Eco Performance Builders to do an Energy Upgrade to my house, spurred on by the Energy Upgrade California program at PG&E (https://energyupgradeca.org/overview). I initially had a phone consultation with one of the owners, Scott O'Hara, and was impressed with his knowledge and the fact that he was straightforward in discussing which energy upgrades have the largest payback, and which ones provide less value for the money. Scott did a 3-hour energy audit of our home a few weeks later, and created a report with remediation recommendations. I asked for line item prices so I could decide which items made sense for my house (e.g., attic insulation, duct sealing, air leakage sealing, wall insulation, crawl space sealing, etc.), and Scott prepared the quote so that it was easy to see how much each modification would cost. He spent considerable time discussing the options with me, and in the end I felt I made a well informed choice. There were three rebates available at the time we signed a contract (Contra Costa County, ABAG, and PG&E) that would make a significant dent in the cost of the project. A few weeks later (after the contract was signed, but before work had begun), Scott called to say that the funding for the first two programs might not be available in 2012. He was again straightforward in explaining this, and we decided to proceed even with the uncertainty about the rebates. Work began in January and lasted a few weeks. The crew was very responsible and hard working. Once during their crawling around in the attic, they somehow disconnected power to the lights in our dining room. We had one candlelight dinner that night (it was January, so not much sunlight), and the next day they hired an electrician at their own cost to fix the problem. This is but one example of how I felt they were very honest contractors who took pride in their work. Keith O'Hara, Scott's brother, is the HVAC expert of the pair, and spent a lot of time reprogramming and modifying our furnace to improve its performance in our house. Apparently it is much to large for our house, a common problem from furnace companies that want to sell you the biggest, most expensive furnace you'll buy. Keith was very detail oriented and a pleasure to work with, and in the end found the best compromises to make our existing furnace work as efficiently as possible with our house. In the end we received all the rebates from the three agencies, and Sharon, their office manager, made sure all the paperwork was filed on time. Our house is now much more comfortable, and is using less electricity. I'm very happy with the final result and would recommend Eco Performance Builders. They are likely not the cheapest contractor you will find, but they are honest and stand by their work. That is worth paying for. read more

A year later I am still impressed with the work that the guys did for us. When Kyle came out first he took the time to crawl into the attic and crawl space, taking pictures as he went. He also took the time to sit down with me and explain exactly what he had seen and what they could do to make both the house and the heating system more efficient. Our house is from the '50s and over the years patch jobs have been done on the duct work. The pictures showed that that was priority number one! In the end we got the attic insulated using blow in cellulose, the boys made sure everything was sealed off properly. They replaced all the ducts with ones that did not have holes in them and were all the same size. They installed a vapor barrier in the crawlspace to keep the moisture from the adobe soil penetrating our house. No more cold and damp feeling feet. We were lucky that our heating system didnt need replacing but instead they were able to adjust it so it wouldnt keep clicking on and off. We had to postpone the starting date due to an infestation of roof rats and they were very accommodating about it and as soon as work started they were done within the time they had told me about. At the end of every day I would pester the guys for updates but they all took the time to tell me about it. We had a couple of little mishaps such as the hose coming off the equipment used to blow in the insulation and we thought it was snowing although it was September. The heat had melted the glue on the tape, but at the end of the day everything was cleaner than when they started. These guys cleaned everything up at the end of every day, thank you for a very low stress experience. This was not a small job and not cheap but Eco Performance Builders have tried to keep the cost down, applied for all the permits and refunds. They are worth every penny. Now 1 year, 2 winters and 1 summer later I can honestly say that our house is comfortably warm in the winter (and I run cold), comfortably cool in the summer and our electricity bills are low. Thanks again guys for a job well done! read more

I couldn't have been more fortunate when a friend I trust, a recently retired green HVAC engineer, took hours to review my energy audit, told me what I did and didn't need to do, and sent me to Keith O'Hara as someone I could trust. Kyle Bosworth took over the project for my 2 bedroom single story home and the results are beyond my wildest expectations. I knew I needed to redo the duct system as part of it was crushed when I purchased my home a year ago. What I didn't know was the front half of my house would be several degrees warmer than the back or that the temperature would drop into the 50's when it was in the 50's outside. I literally hadn't used heat since I moved back from CT 40 years ago and am super sensitive to the odor. I didn't think I could make it through another winter between the cold and the smell of heat so was looking forward to getting the work done. This included, as a summary - too much detail doesn't make sense: reducing overall building leakage by at least 30% through air sealing (of everything possible); removal of the aged insulation in the attic, including asbestos abatement; design and replacement of the entire duct system; replacement of registers; appropriate insulation of both the attic and floor; replacement of the oversized furnace; installation of an energy recovery ventilation (ERV) system, about which I knew nothing; work to allow for the possibility of whole house fan if need determined later; completion of all rebate paperwork and, of course, permits. Kyle explained absolutely everything that needed to be done and what could wait (possibly not necessary) in a most respectful way, assuming I understood what he was talking about. As a woman, I have to say that doesn't always happen. When I'd ask for clarification, explanations came clearly and understandably. Again, in a most respectful way, encouraging me to ask questions and responding quickly by phone or email. We reviewed all details of the energy audit, which Eco Performance repeated as part of the project. I was present for questions about the rebate with PG&E as Kyle wanted to maximize my rebate, so I heard all the conversations and any questions were answered. Clearly, this was major work on a 1947 home and a huge investment, which I have to say up front was worth every penny and probably the best investment I've made. The team, led by Bill Nissinen, started the project by removing the insulation September 30 after which work stopped so my electrician could replace the knob-and-tube wiring (the electrical system was completely upgraded). Bill and the super professional, friendly, careful team returned October 17 to work on my home for two weeks. They were meticulous in protecting my floors, furniture, kitchen, and at the end of the day it was difficult to tell work was going on except for the cardboard that remained to cover the wood floors. Both Kyle and Bill were available and responsive to be sure I was kept up to date and to answer any question, no matter how minor. They asked for my input on placement of the registers and continually made sure everything was going okay from my point of view. I wish I remembered the names of all the crew and know I'll see Wes (who was awesome) when they replace my windows and doors next month. When the work was completed, Bill helped reset and explain my Ecobee. The final energy audit was significantly better than anticipated as far as reducing the building leakage to the point my rebate was increased by over $500. The way this showed in the real world was that I wound up sending Kyle an email with the subject "It's too warm ;)" because, shortly after the work was completed, the temperature dropped into the 50s at night but my house stayed at 63-68 degrees without heat. When I felt chilly, I was reluctant to use the heat but Kyle reminded me the system would work better if I used it once in a while. So I tried it out and, hm, I knew it was working but I didn't hear the furnace go on when I set my Ecobee for 2 degrees higher. Nor did I smell the slightest odor of heat. So I waited and checked the thermostat, which went up 2 degrees in less than 1/2 hour. It's an unbelievably great furnace system and I'm no longer afraid to use heat. My thermostat is still set in the low 60s and my house is comfortable without much fluctuation, regardless of the outside temperature. I can't speak to how it will be when it gets very hot but I'm honestly not worried. Kyle sent me information on how to use the 'fan only' setting and will go over it with me. My rebate was approved 11/1 and arrived a week later. I completely trust Keith, Kyle, Bill, Wes, and all the others who worked so competently and efficiently on this project. Every single person was super friendly, and helpful. These are highly professional people who are totally trustworthy. I clearly can't say enough about Eco Performance other than woo-hoo! This is as good as it gets! read more

We recently moved into an old Victorian and nearly froze in it during our first winter. We discovered Eco Performance Builders, they performed an energy audit to determine what was responsible for our artic temperatures, and outlined several possible courses of action, based on budget and longer term vision for our space. Eco Performance Builders insulated our lower level and our attic, and sealed the envelope of our house to ensure leakage was minimized. Performance of the house was verified before and after, and all our questions along the way were answered quickly and clearly. The rebates offered through PG&E were handled without a hitch as well. The result is a much more comfortable space, and more efficient energy bills. Several months later, when we noticed one of the ducts wasn't emitting hot air, Kyle came back out to take a look and fixed it on the spot, no questions asked, despite the fact that it was not clear that the problem was even related to Eco Performance Builders' work. We're very satisfied with our experience and would recommend Eco Performance Builders without hesitation. read more

These guys are fantastic. They insulated our house, added ac , a ventilation system, a new high tech hot water system and increased our hot water capacity. They love what they do and they do it well. We did our project in little bits over two years and we were always happy to have eco perfromance builders back. They were clean, frinedly and passionae about waht they did. They figured out ways to not only make all these systems work well, they figured out ways how to make them work great. When we ahd a few bugs to work out they responded quickly and not only fixed the issues, but reviewed everything to make sure all the ssytems were working well. The prices were fair and competitive, but the quality and the focus was extraordinary. I wish I had more work for them to do. read more

I have so many good things to say about this company. We moved into our house in Moraga in April of 2016, and one of my concerns from the beginning was that the existing heating unit had no replaceable filters (it had some kind of UV light system), it ran loud and often, and the existing insulation in the house (both in the attic and crawlspace) was really old and poor. In addition, our bedrooms are downstairs, and there was often a 10 degree difference in temperature between the lower floor and the upper floor. I talked to Kyle on the phone, and initially I wasn't even thinking of doing a full energy audit, but after listening to the information Kyle told me, I booked an energy audit. Kyle showed up, and it was clear that he's passionate about his work, and he explained how the audit worked, and when we received the report, we were stunned to see the amount of leakage that was happening in our house. Kyle explained why the whole house system works together to be efficient, and why just replacing units while having a leaky and inefficient duct system wouldn't result in our home being as comfortable as we'd like it to be. It was enlightening to learn so much about whole home efficiency. We decided to book the project, which included sealing, insulation, replacement of the heating and ac units, new ductwork, vents, new efficient water heater, an air exchange unit to ensure that we get fresh air without losing energy, and more. Booking a start date requires several months in advance, since they are so busy, so the project started at the end of September 2016. Bill and his team showed up on time every day, and they were courteous and respectful of our home. They showed us what they were doing, answered all of our questions, and got the work done on time. During the work, Bill and his team would see small things that should be corrected, and would have their team implement these changes. We even detected a leak in our bathroom ceiling during the project, and they helped us coordinate with someone to fix the leak, deal with the mold up there, and then bring in their drywall guy to build the ceiling back up. At the end of the project, the team ran tests to balance the load in all of our rooms, and we couldn't believe the huge improvement in our leakage numbers. The end number was even lower than what Kyle had estimated, and I was told that it was one of the biggest improvements they'd seen. Our new system works so quietly you can barely hear when it turns on, and it doesn't turn on as often, since our house is now very well sealed. It's a comfort to know that we don't have air from the crawlspace coming into the house, and as part of the project, we even gained a new closet, since they moved the existing furnace unit into the crawlspace. Our attic is now super well insulated, and I shudder to think how cold our house would have been this winter without having had this work done. The lower bedroom floor is now almost equal in temperature to the upper floor, and I look forward to this summer when we can turn on the a/c without making the lower floor super cold. This was a really great experience working with a contractor who really believes in the work they do, and has a great team to implement their projects. I highly recommend Eco Performance Builders! read more

I am a bit tardy with this review since this company installed a vapor barrier in my basement about 2 months ago. I have been meaning to do this several times but was always pulled away by something else. In any event, let me start by saying that these guys were absolutely awesome. I have dealt with a number of contractors over the years for various projects and have typically been disappointed with the people, the service, the quality of work and the pricing. In this, I can honestly say that I was blown away by the amazing experience that was provided. It started with the original call I made to the company with Kristy getting things started with a very helpful, friendly and professional mannerism. Kyle is the guy who called me back to discuss what was needed and he came out to take a look at the crawlspace. He was awesome to work with and very helpful in explaining the job details, i.e., timing of work, fees, etc. The guys who came over to actually do the work in the basement were awesome; friendly, professional and hard working. The managers involved with the job were incredible, providing an afternoon update call to my cell phone and pictures of their work where necessary. The company was extremely flexible with some things I requested and "bent over backwards" to provide the service level to match their work. Bottom line: do yourself a favor and make sure these guys are involved to provide contracting work in your home or business. Thanks again to the entire team at Eco Performance Builders for the excellent job. read more

I recently was selected to be part of Berkeley's ME2 program. I knew from an energy audit done a couple of years ago that the major work needed was to replace the heating system. There was also some building envelope leakage that needed to be addressed. Berkeley's ME2 program has a list of authorized contractors. I chose two to get estimates from. They both were listed as doing heating work. Both companies surveyed the work and provided estimates. The estimates were within a few dollars of each other. There were some differences in the details but nothing significant. I went back to each company a couple of times with questions. Both provided reasonable answers. In the end, I chose EcoPerformance Builders. I'm very satisfied with the result. Scott O'Hara did the initial contact. He was friendly and clearly knew what he was doing. Many years ago, I designed and replaced the heating system in a flat I owned in SF. I therefore had some knowledge and experience with the task. Scott listened to my questions, concerns and ideas and provided thoughtful and understandable answers. His brother Keith was the project lead. He did the actual project plan. This involved an analysis of the house including a blower door to measure the leakage. He too provided clear and reasonable answers to my many questions. The crew that did the work included David, the crew lead, Bill and Nelson. All three knew what they were doing and did an excellent job. The project involved removing the old ductwork. That was subcontracted due to asbestos abatement. The EPB crew were respectful of me and my house. They were careful to contain their mess. Even when climbing in and out of the attic. They covered things and cleaned up afterwards. Of course, the basement was a mess with all their equipment and supplies. But when they left after ten days, it was cleaned up nicely. David was very tolerant of my sticking my nose into everything. I appreciated that. There were a couple of major changes that happened during the process. When they started to install the new furnace, it became obvious to me that the location was wrong. David, Keith and I talked about the options and they came up with a far better location. I really appreciated their willingness to be flexible. A similar thing happened with one of the ducts. Again, we came up with a modification that worked much better. There were a number of little things that came up. David listened to my concerns and ideas and we worked out solutions. I should also mention Sharon who handled all the paperwork with the City of Berkeley and PGE. There was lots of it and some of it was really complicated. I so much appreciated her work. There is no way I could have gotten it all done correctly. In the end, I was very pleased with the work that was done. I was pleased with the attitude of the workers. And I felt good about having chosen EcoPerformance Builders. The project achieved a 30% reduction in building leakage. The new duct system had a minimal 3% leakage. The new furnace is of course significantly more efficient that the old one (97%). I'm looking forward to a warmer, more comfortable house and much lower energy bills. ps. I gave them a 4 out of 5 star rating because nobody is perfect. :-) read more

I am a Realtor who helped a client purchase and renovate a home. Part of "master plan" of that renovation was to utilize the PGE Energy Upgrade California rebates which requires you to utilize a "participating" energy contractor. We chose EcoPerformance Builders. Scott was a wealth of information regarding which upgrades should be considered and in what order for the greatest overall energy savings. EcoPerformance Builders did a great job sealing the ducts, the home's "envelope" and installing new insulation, that the (single story) home maintains a very consistent, comfortable interior temperature and doesn't need an air conditioning upgrade. Since utility costs are the second highest expense of homeownership - second only to the mortgage -I have recommended EcoPerformance Builders to many more clients with equally high-quality results. read more

Eco Performance Builder performed an HVAC and attic overhaul/remodel for me, I am very happy with every aspect of my interaction with them. They are very thoughtful and have a self imposed very high standard of workmanship, quality, and responsibility for their projects. Additionally, their communication throughout the process was great. Nearly every interaction with Eco Performance impressed me. On my first call to them, I talked to the owner for over an hour about my problems and his general HVAC philosophy - which incidentally is in my opinion, very evolved and thoughtful, and I'm a mechanical engineer. They do something that seems rare: they concern themselves with energy efficiency, air quality, and properly engineered systems (rather than the cookie cutter or overkill solutions). When we were discussing the project and I was asking about insulation he said, "We like to do the insulation to make sure it is done right and that the ducting isn't damaged by insulators." That really impressed me, because it showed that they really want to take responsibility for the project. My wife and I have some significant health issues which made the project quite a bit more challenging for the workers, but they never complained or showed any frustration - instead they showed concern and sympathy and were considerate beyond anything I could have hoped for. On top of that, our attic is VERY cramped and VERY hot. Still, they came down from the attic with the same pleasant demeanor (although I'm sure they were exhausted). They were very professional and clean also. They cleaned up the work area and had a short discussion with me about the days progress and what to expect the next day every day before leaving. We opted for denim batts instead of blown in insulation, and it was so well installed that it looked someone's bedroom! In general, all of the work was very well done. Once the project started, the two project leaders (in the office and at our house) handled everything extremely smoothly and made sure we were always in the loop about the project and how it was going. I can't say enough about how nice and considerate they were. Thanks again to Eco Performance Builder - I would give 6 stars if I could! read more

It's been 1 year now since Eco Performance Builders installed my efficient HVAC system and I couldn't be happier with it's operation. Recently call them out for a minor adjustment to my heat, and I received prompt service from Bill. Class act and class operation from Eco Performance Builders. read more

Eco Performance Builders recently completed a major "whole house energy upgrade" on our home, replacing our ancient furnace, removing and replacing the attic insulation and installing a new duct system. The decision to have this work done was a result of our attending a presentation sponsored by the City of Hayward about the Energy Upgrade California program and the rebates that were available to Hayward residents. That evening Scott O'Hara of EPB and a Hayward homeowner who had thoroughly researched contractors for his installation before choosing EPB did a joint presentation on that project. We were pretty impressed with the results and after looking at EPB's web site decided to have them do our energy assessment and then the installation. We did not consider getting other estimates, so I cannot compare them to any other company in terms of cost or anything else. It was not inexpensive but the extensive rebates through EnergyUpgrade California made it affordable for us. The quality of the installation is top notch and an excellent value in all ways; saving money and conserving energy, and improving our comfort and safety at home. (for example, I never realized what a difference proper insulation in the attic made in how comfortable-and quiet-the house would be, completely different from our old, noisy furnace that ran constantly and barely kept the house warm) This was our first experience hiring a contractor to do work on our home and we were a little nervous, not knowing what to expect. We could not have been happier with EPB; the entire staff, from our first meeting with Scott for the assessment, working with office manager Sharon on the rebates and misc other paperwork, to Keith and his hard working crew of David, Nelson and Jordan who did the hard physical work of the installation, everyone was courteous, helpful and professional. The City of Hayward inspector who signed off on the job commented on the quality of the installation. He also noted that EPB had taken the time to do a proper installation of the venting for this type of furnace, versus another job he was inspecting where that was not the case. EPB is the work of brothers Scott and Keith O'Hara. Scott does the in home energy assessments and Keith designs and oversees the installations. Keith was available at any time to answer our questions and worked closely with the crew on any problems that came up. During the project a concern came up over the weekend and we left a message for Keith. He returned our call promptly and resolved the problem. We were fascinated by the technology that was used to perform the whole home energy assessment. Scott pressurized the house and then used several test devices to determine how efficient (or inefficient) our heating/duct system was, how much leakage was occurring and from where. The data he collected was then analyzed through a computer program and a much improved system designed. (we also learned that our heater was emitting high levels of carbon monoxide, another part of the testing procedures) The same tests were performed after the installation was complete and an almost 50% improvement was achieved. In the post-installation test they found a small leak in the duct and it was fixed on the spot, something that would not have been done by a standard HVAC installation company that does not use the test technology. We haven't received our first PGE bill yet, but we're looking forward to seeing that figure in savings!! EPB is a busy company; they don't hurry through their projects so if you decide to hire them for an energy assessment and then upgrade, getting on their calendar can take several months so be patient. The Energy Upgrade California program is worth looking into, though some of the rebates may be coming to an end. https://energyupgradeca.org/overview read more

These guys are the best! I've had a ton of work done on my home by several different contractors in the 2 years that I've owned it. My experience with Eco performance was by far and away the best. I worked mostly with Keith O'Hara and his crew and can't say enough about them. The first day they were here Keith spent an hour helping me figure out a leaky door, which was totally un-related to the work they were doing. He's just a really kind, great guy. Any time the crew came up against a problem (placement of a duct not possible d/t beams, etc), even the tiniest thing, I received a phone call. I was involved in the process the whole way through. Keith always came up with smart, innovative solutions that I was pleased with. At the end of every work day my home was left in excellent condition. I can't say enough great things about Eco Performance. read more

Awesome company! Expensive - yes, but in my opinion, worth it. They performed an energy audit on my home and made recommendations for improving the energy efficiency of my house. Kyle was extremely patient and open to discussion with all of my inquiries and there was no pressure at all to proceed or to pick all or part of the recommendations. After debating over which company to do the work (new furnace - I chose the air handler, high efficiency hot water heater, new duct work, sealing the home, and insulation) - I went with Eco, and I never regretted the decision. Keith and the entire crew were awesome to work with!! The did a great job, worked hard and were fun to have around my house, and I am soooo much more comfortable in my old home. I used to have to turn the thermostat at 70 and higher to keep warm, now I have it set at 67 when I'm home, and I'm often turning it down! They are a small company, so you may need to wait to get on their books, but IMHO, you won't be disappointed. Their goal is performance, so they don't rush their jobs, but take their time to do it right. Definitely the best experience I've had with a home improvement company of any sort. read more

Eco Performance Builders Loved it Eco Performance Builders did an excellent job of assisting me to replace my old heater in Livermore, Calif and add air conditioning. They conducted an energy assessment which provided the information required to correctly size units and infrastructure required to heat and cool the home. Using the information from the audit they recommended several options I could choose from and spent time discussing the pros and cons of each choice. Once I made my choices Eco Performance Builders obtained all the permits and facilitated the rebates I was eligible for. I lived in the home for 30 years with two heater replacements. It was never comfortable despite putting in double paned windows. The Eco Performance Builders solution to heating and cooling my home has greatly increased the comfort level and we are all very pleased. The work was done quickly and efficiently and all work areas were left clean and in order. read more

They recently did an energy efficiency upgrade to my house. They insulated my ceilings, floors, and sealed and relocated some ducts for efficiency. To top it off they also added a tankless water heater! I must say that these guys are great at what they do. Our initial assesment was conducted by Scott, and he was awesome! He was very proffesional and walked us thru carefully and explained what exactly they were going to do to our house and how much it would cost. He made sure we understood everything and there was no pressure on committing to the fix. Sharon was always in touch with us and made sure that we had all the needed documents to approve the loan. During the construction, Keith and his staff were very proffessional and polite. They were very thorough and always made time to answer any questions we had. They estimated the job would be done in 2 weeks and they completed it in 8 days! We are very satisfied with the work that they've done and can't thank them enough for all that they have done. They made this a very pleasant experience for us brand new homeowners. I highly recommend Eco Performance Builders to anyone looking to make their home more energy efficient. Five stars all the way!! read more

I was very pleased all the way through the process. There were some hiccups, which were remedied at every step so I appreciate all the hard work. At the beginning Kyle was extremely responsive and patient with all of my very detailed questions and they were willing to work with whatever time frame and payment method I needed to accomplish the task. While originally we thought that there would be opportunity for a rebate, circumstances changed, mostly due to the fault of the homeowners around me and EPB were accommodating in helping me out with some of the rebate. The workmen were very accommodating in ensuring that the work was high quality. They accidentally dropped something on my ceiling and cracked it, but were willing to take whatever steps necessary to get the ceiling back to normal. We did run a little longer than anticipated due to some unexpected timing but no big deal. They are a high priced company but their customer service and quality of service is commensurate with the price. They know their stuff. I didn't find anyone else I would trust with this level of work so I recommend using this company for sophisticated home energy renovations. read more

It may depend on the person who does the energy audit. The guy who did mine could not answer basic questions about heating systems, and didn't know much about the old wiring in my attic, insisting that it be removed before they would do any work there. That turned out to be wrong and had I gone with this firm I would have had to spend thousands of dollars extra to unnecessarily re-wire my house. I fired them and am using Advanced Home Energy, who were great in understanding the dilemma between using blown-in insulation and batts, know about knob and tube and are comfortable with working with it and are much more flexible in their approach to making my old house more energy efficient within my budget. read more