Wanting to do a remodel and having to work with space constraints and HOA compliance, we went to…read moreJustin with our wish list and crossed fingers. This remodel included pushing out exterior walls to enlarge existing rooms, and bathroom and closet remodels so we were very concerned about a successful outcome. Justin came over to meet with us and determine our highest priorities on our wish list. After that was settled, Justin visually assessed the scope of the remodel and took his pix and measurements. He completed the design and drawings and was hands on taking the project through construction. Justin is a very pleasant, professional, and knowledgeable and extremely easy to work with. After we met with Justin, there was no question we made the right choice. He overcame every obstacle to match the remodel with our wish list. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Justin to anyone considering a remodel of any size. Great Job!

I have used Elevate design on several of my projects. I have found Justin to be very in tune with…read moretoday's trends. His plans are clear and easy to understand, and he communicates with you, and listens to what your saying. I also have referred him to others, and they have all had great feed back on how Justin took care of them.

We sustained damage to our home from a tree falling onto it during the storms in Jan. We needed a…read morenew roof/supporting structures, and repairs to the interior and exterior walls. We had interviewed several contractors and chose Creekside Pro Construction, and we're glad we did. From our first meeting with one of Creekside's Project Manager, Barak, his professionalism and demeanor left us with a good feeling. This positive impression held true throughout the entire project, reinforcing our confidence in Creekside Pro Construction. Working with Barak was a truly positive experience from start to finish. He consistently demonstrated excellent communication skills, actively listening to and addressing concerns throughout the project. Barak's patience and timely estimates made the entire process smooth. The project was completed on schedule and within the agreed budget. I highly recommend Creekside Pro construction and our project manager Barak for his professionalism and commitment to customer satisfaction. Thank you Barak and Creekside Pro Construction for getting us back in our home before the holidays.

Update after the company's response:…read more For transparency, I am adding screenshots from the signed contract and project email correspondence. The contract (Quote #3975 - $150,000) clearly includes upgrading the main residential electrical service to 200 AMP and installing the awning above the ADU access door as part of the project scope. These items were presented in the company's response as if they were additional work, but they appear explicitly in the signed contract. I have also included an email dated Aug 20 from the project manager confirming the project was "on track for completion in 3-4 months." The project ultimately took around 6 months to complete. Additionally, the electrical work referenced in their response included an EV circuit, which is typically required for new construction and ADU projects under the 2022 California Electrical Code. This is a standard code requirement rather than a discretionary upgrade. These screenshots provide context for my experience during the project. Throughout the build I frequently had to verify measurements, coordinate ordering timelines, and raise planning questions that would normally fall under project management. The on-site crew worked hard and treated the property respectfully, and I appreciate their effort. My review reflects the overall experience managing this project as a homeowner and is shared to provide transparency for others considering a similar project.

Alward completed a relatively large remodel on our home in 2016, and the bottom line is even 5…read morestars isn't enough to convey how terrific they were and continue to be. If you're reading this and considering hiring them, you should. We were remodeling some unpermitted work done many years ago in our basement - adding doors and windows, adding a bathroom with a sewage ejection system (like many El Cerrito homes, our basement level is below our sewer line to the street), adding an office space, adding a deck to the backyard from the newly added doors, redoing a family room space, adding a mudroom at another basement-level entrance, completely redoing the electrical and plumbing work to the basement, bringing everything up to current code, etc. We met with many contractors and ended up getting 4 official bids. Alward's was the highest, but also by far the most thorough and the most confidence-inspiring. We had already made detailed enough plans to get the permits approved by the city, but there were many details that needed to be sorted out, and several big unknowns (cracks in our stucco indicating maybe the foundation had shifted in one corner of the house and there had been water damage inside the walls). The main reasons we chose Alward were: -- every single person we met with was honest, professional, friendly, and caring -- it was clear they knew exactly what they were doing, and that any things we considered to be big issues were all things they had seen before -- they were completely transparent about all costs and clear about the areas where they were fairly certain of their estimates and where there were some unknowns -- they are just plain reasonable, good people We couldn't be happier with our choice. The work itself was top notch, they guided us expertly through various decision points, all of their subcontractors were both excellent in their work and friendly with us and our kids, they finished on time and well within the budget they had laid out, and they perfectly managed all inspections with the city (which all passed with flying colors). In addition to their high integrity and excellent work product (both of which you hope you're getting with whomever you hire), here are a few specifics to illustrate how they go above and beyond: -- They do amazing cleanup at the end of each work day! -- Billing invoices and budget progress reports are extremely detailed -- During their own final inspection of the house, they were unsatisfied with one section of the interior painting their subcontractor had done in a particularly challenging area where old drywall was meeting new drywall with a different texture. We thought it was fine and barely noticeable but they insisted that it be perfect, and had their subcontractor come out and redo it (without charging us) -- A couple of weeks after our project was completed, a strong storm knocked over a large section of a very old fence in our backyard. We decided to rebuild the whole portion of the fence along the backyard. When we called Alward to ask if they had a recommendation for someone to do it, they said they would send their own two-person crew to do the rebuild. They even did all the calculations for how much wood would be needed, and called in the order but had us pick it up to save costs/markup. The entire fence was rebuilt within 4 days of it blowing down. -- A sliding door they installed became slightly out of alignment after a few months of settling, and wouldn't lock properly. They came out the same day we called them, adjusted it so it was working perfectly, and didn't charge us. -- Earlier this winter, our heating system (which Alward was not involved with in any way) started having problems. We called them for a recommendation of a radiant heating expert. We called the person they recommended, and he was extremely busy. When we mentioned we had been referred by Alward, he came out the same day and got the system working again. Bottom line: the whole organization is truly excellent, and highly respected by suppliers and subcontractors. You won't regret hiring them.

Overall: super strong construction crew, really poor communication and project management from…read moreoffice staff. We brought in Alward Construction into our Berkeley, CA home remodel project in March 2018. Keith (founder) met with us several times, and painted a wonderful picture of how the project would unfold -- clear estimations of cost and timeline, weekly meetings with project management staff, clear lines of communication. Alward is more expensive than most -- you expect you're paying top dollar for great project management and customer service. Unfortunately, as the project unfolded, most of these promises fell apart. Our master builder who was onsite every day was excellent. He and his crew pushed the project forward, with high quality work day after day. The office staff, however, proved repeatedly that they barely knew what was going on with the project, were defensive when asked simple questions, and repeatedly dropped the ball with regards to timelines, budgets, sequencing of work, and generally managing us, the clients. The budgeting process was a total waste of time. We spent weeks trying to work with their estimators, who had a giant chip on their shoulders (maybe because we're young? maybe because we're in the tech industry?) and proved to be unable to grasp the basics of our project (ultimately a kitchen remodel and new windows/doors). They came back with wild estimates that were 2x-3x off from reality and what the project ultimately ended up costing. It turns out that the project management staff were not really focused on project management. They were mostly focused on after-the-fact reporting of what the master builder was doing. This meant that we, as clients, had basically no visibility into what was happening, what the schedule would be, or what would be happening on a given day. We had dozens of emails with our project management confirming specifics ("please confirm these materials have been ordered" or "please confirm the flooring will happen after the cabinets") only to come home after a long day and see the exact opposite ultimately happened on-site (oftentimes at great expense). You never hear of a remodel project that goes perfectly -- you expect things to take longer than expected, or cost more than expected, or to encounter some twists and turns. Our house is beautiful, and we thank the Alward builders for their fine craftsmanship. However, the last 4-5 months have gone comically wrong in ways that we never could have imagined. We've basically had to project manage everything ourselves, as the Alward office staff was disorganized, combative, unprofessional, and in the end caused us so much stress and cost overruns on a nearly daily basis that we took over management of the project ourselves.

Robert has helped us with several projects over the years: Repairing an exterior wall with a leak,…read moreupdating our kitchen, and replacing windows and framing due to wood rot. Each job went smoothly, the work was excellent, and the prices were fair. What really stands out is Robert's reliability and responsiveness. He's easy to communicate with and, if the project fits his expertise, he'll take it on and get it done well and quickly. He's also connected us with great subcontractors for other work (HVAC, roofing, and carpentry) all of whom have delivered quality results at reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

I hired Robert on two separate occasions, with the first being a kitchen remodel and the second…read morebeing a full home renovation. In 2019 we renovated our kitchen. Robert's estimate was fair and he stuck to his word in terms of price and duration. Fast forward to 2023 and we were considering moving to a new house that we fell in love with but it needed a lot of work. I messaged Robert and asked if he could give his professional opinion before we made an offer to buy it - no problem. Robert was really helpful in the walkthrough and we ended up buying the house, hiring Robert, and working together over several months to renovate the kitchen, bathrooms, floors, stucco, HVAC, you name it. Robert was able to take on all aspects of the project whether it was something he'd do himself, with his direct employees, or with subcontractors that he'd worked with before. We were very happy with how Robert consistently kept the whole home renovation project moving along and with the details he identified throughout. Thanks Robert for helping us put together our lovely new home!

Update on our Canyon Design Build remodel experience:…read more We hired Canyon Design Build for a major residential renovation in Moraga. Canyon held itself out as an experienced, high-end design-build firm and charged a premium for project supervision and management. The construction contract was approximately $1.17 million, Canyon invoiced approximately $1.29 million, and we paid approximately $1.18 million. Despite approximately seventeen months of construction and near-full payment, our experience has continued to be deeply disappointing. After turnover, we discovered significant unresolved issues, including widespread cabinetry defects, failed remediation efforts, rat contamination in the crawlspace/garage area, unresolved billing issues, and continuing problems obtaining required lien releases for amounts paid. **The cabinetry (costing $200K) had systemic issues related to finish quality, color consistency, alignment, interiors, and functionality. Canyon and its cabinet subcontractor acknowledged significant problems, but the remediation process was unsuccessful. We ultimately terminated the cabinetry portion of the contract for cause and are proceeding with an independent finisher. Based on estimates received, cabinetry remediation is expected to be substantial. **We also incurred more than $10,000 in professional cleanup costs for rat contamination. Canyon previously agreed in writing to offset/reimburse those cleanup costs, but that reimbursement has still not been made. **In addition, we have disputed billing issues, including retroactive/unapproved change orders, allowance items treated as change orders with additional markups, unsupported supervision charges, billing for defective work, and failure to provide all required unconditional lien releases for amounts already paid. We have filed a complaint with the California Contractors State License Board, and that process is moving forward. At this stage, I would not hire Canyon Design Build again. I would strongly advise other homeowners considering Canyon for a large-scale residential remodel to be careful: require detailed written change orders before work is performed, insist on documentation for supervision costs and unconditional lien releases for payments made, independently inspect major scopes before move-in, and do not make near-final payment until major defects are resolved.

We hired CDB to renovate the kitchen and bathroom in our 1920s bungalow. I'm giving them 5 stars…read morefor two key reasons: 1. The work was completed on time and I was able to move back into my house on the schedule we laid out at the start. This was incredibly important to me, I told the team so, and they made it happen. 2. We are so happy with how everything turned out. Our spaces are massively improved, beautiful, and functional. If I could I would probably give them 4.5 stars because their pricing is on the high range and we did have a few snafus during construction -- all of which were resolved -- but overall I think the work they've done deserve the round up to 5.

Decade Construction proved to me yet again that my "ok" doesn't compare with their delivery of…read morequality and professionalism. Robert came to look at a wall between my kitchen and lounge room. He advised that opening it would be simple and he knocked it out, re-headed the opening, and made the house truly open up. When he finished our kitchen stood out that it was outdated, so while he was there for the job he was kind enough to give a quote and share his ideas that were spot on. Experience and pride in his work show. Needless to say, I hired his crew again and now I've got an amazing kitchen that I can work in while I watch the kiddos in the lounge room. Thank you Decade!

Robert and his crew--Vidal and Miguel--did an incredible job for me in Dublin. A pre-sale home…read moreinspection uncovered multiple issues with the roof, eaves, plumbing, and HVAC. Decade handled everything seamlessly; there truly wasn't an item they couldn't take care of. While I was stressed about the scope of work, Robert continually reassured me with, "We've got this--no worries." I highly recommend Robert and his team for being extremely capable, thorough, and professional. Overall, it was a far more positive experience than I could have imagined.

Thanks to Frank and the great crew at FMSProjects, we are putting the final touches on a 4+month…read morekitchen remodel - and by remodel, we mean moving internal walls, tearing up the old flooring, and addressing the great unknowns & the hidden challenges of a 100 year old house. From the initial bid process to the final wrap up - Frank has been detail driven, always communicating during the process, giving solutions to roadblocks, and most important - AVAILABLE! We interviewed several contractors and from the onset Frank stood out as above the others. His detailed bid was more comprehensive than just a number on the bottom of the page, and this attention to detail remained apparent through the entire project. He was conscientious to our plight of having a kitchen remodel with a 1 year old baby in the house, and we never really had to worry about dust, fumes, or pounding. Frank always helped keep us informed in advance so we could scurry our lil one away when needed. Much appreciated! Our family is looking forward to making many memories and meals in our new kitchen and we will always remember the skilled, friendly craftsmen at FMSProjects who made it a wonderful space. Thank you, Frank, Stuart, Felix, Mario, Cesar & Rodney!!!

FMS did a major remodel of 2 bathrooms for us in 2025. The team was great. Frank and Paula listened…read moreto us and worked to meet our needs. Frank was always available to us and is a great communicator. Their team is careful and skilled and easy to work with. The subcontractors that they chose were all top notch. We are overjoyed with how the project turned out and it was very straightforward all the way.

This was our second big project with FR Construction, and it definitely won't be our last…read more Honestly, I wish we could start another one tomorrow. From beginning to end, Fabian and his team are incredible. Communication was clear and consistent throughout the entire process, and everything stayed on track and well-organized. The entire crew is highly skilled in plumbing, tiling, and millwork, and they build stunning custom cabinets in-house. We chose white oak this time along with a herringbone tile floor, and Fabian was extremely helpful in measuring, planning, and making sure every detail came together perfectly. What really sets them apart is not just their craftsmanship, but their professionalism and care. The team is responsible, respectful, and shows up every day ready to work hard while treating your home with care. They kept the space clean, stayed on schedule, and made the whole experience smooth and stress-free. They are truly the best crew I've ever worked with, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for high-quality work and a team you can fully trust.

On time. Always polite, cheerful and extremely clean. Did a shower remodel and bathroom lights. All…read moredone to perfection. Plan on using for more project.