After our modular home manufacturer unexpectedly canceled our order, we felt lost and unsure of how…read moreto move forward with building a new second unit on our property. That's when we met Doug -- and everything changed. Our project wasn't simple. The permit required us not only to build a brand-new house but also to renovate and legalize the existing old house. Doug stepped in, redesigned the new unit beautifully, and reimagined the old house so the two complemented each other perfectly. The construction of the new home went incredibly smoothly. Doug's professionalism, craftsmanship, and attention to detail were evident every step of the way. The quality of his work truly exceeded our expectations. The renovation of the old house turned out to be much more complex than expected, but Doug handled every challenge with steady leadership and creativity. He brought the right people together, found thoughtful solutions, and kept the project moving forward steadily through each difficulty. His dedication and calm problem-solving turned a demanding process into a truly rewarding experience. The whole process took nearly five years -- but in the end, we have two beautiful homes that feel cohesive, warm, and full of life. Doug's commitment, honesty, and heart carried us through. We're deeply grateful for his expertise and friendship throughout this journey. If you're looking for someone who truly cares about your home as much as you do, Doug and his team are the ones to call. We can't recommend them enough. Please feel free to contact me if you want the reference. My phone: 408-800-6698. Michael

Douglas Fernandez of Fernandez Design and Builders in San Jose remodeled my entire home in 2007 and…read moredid such an excellent job; my home now is so beautiful and unique & a great fit for my way of life. The good news is that he was so fair and honest; he really watched costs which is so unusual, and in the end, I could be so much more innovative and creative and do so much more than I could have been with any another contracting firm; even more importantly, we had such a good time working together (even the demolition which I dreaded was a piece of cake because of Doug). I left throughout the remodel on many business trips, & there was so much progress and usually a surprising new touch Doug added every time I returned home. Since then, Doug has been there for me on many other occasions. The good news is that Doug is happy with and enjoys smaller remodeling jobs as well. Last year my outside deck came away from its stucco wall & needed a complete retrofit, including adding more structural columns to further support the deck. He loves a good challenge and coming up with great creative and exciting solutions that are brilliant, yet not expensive. Doug's cell is 510-377-9711. Do not hesitate to contact me for further information; my cell is 650-804-8894. Best wishes, Kaaren Powers

Wafaa did an amazing job. She was super-responsive to my initial request. She came in, saw the…read morespace, and immediately had great ideas and vision for how to transform it. She really listened to what I was looking for. She did the drawings fast and made requested modifications in a day!

Wafa was very responsive to my call inquiry about a new property I acquired in Sonoma County. She…read morewas generous in giving me her time on a zoom call to go over the scope of the project. Though I elected to forgo my plan to redesign the roofline, if I had decided to go through with it, I would absolutely have gone with Wafa. Her knowledge and experience is strong and she was very easy and pleasant to talk with. We elected to keep the house roof line as it is, and focus on interior upgrades and improvements. Thank you Wafa, for being so kind and amazing. We will definitely choose to use her services in the future when a new architectural need arises. Recommend.

I had Barber Construction come in and help transform a small closed off area to a open space that…read moremade everything look and feel so much bigger. As well they upgraded my out of date electrical and lighting. The crew was incredible. They were polite, friendly, and they took the time to explain everything to me. They were always on time and they cleaned up after themselves after every shift. Invoicing was fast and easy as well. I highly recommend Barber Contruction.

BEWARE of Barber Construction. TY BARBER (the owner) IS VERY DISHONEST…read more I just want to let the medical/dental community out there know that this is not who you want to use to build your offices. Ty Barber built my office, collected his payments and left my office with many issues that he never came back to fix. It was excuse after excuse as to why he cant fix his bad work, Ty Barber then decided to completely not stand by his work all together. I was left with having to pay a lot of money to have his work redone/repaired. I dont know why he has these good reviews. I doubt they are legitimate. If you notice, all these positive reviews are very very recent...and I noticed that there has been a few bad reviews that now no longer appear on is listing. Very interesting. If you're even thinking about using Ty Barber, please think twice. This person makes a lot of false promises but will not stand by his work. Even his own crew has bad things to say about him. They all will tell you in private how bad their boss is. I do hope that people will soon see how dishonest Ty is. Please beware.

Mali is such an expert at her craft! She helped us with our bathroom layout (tricky sf space…read morelimits) to give us a dream master bath that not only was tastefully sourced but also honored all the requirements eg maximized light, easy to clean etc. I was so in love with Mali's work that I also asked her to design our downstairs space-- she made brilliant use of our spaces and helped us maximize usage for the space (again so beautifully rendered)! Highly recommend esp for first time home buyers who don't know much about construction. She's so patient and a great teacher!

Our permits have never been approved so fast. CA Permits and Design manages all the permit…read moreapplications and designs for my home Remodeling business. The plans are always on point, the service always professional, and my clients are always happy with the designs. P.S. ask for Mail, she's the best.

We are so grateful to have found the Kastrop Group. We worked with Marie Barron--she is…read moreexceptional. Her judgment, organization and follow-through made an enormous difference on a complicated, time-sensitive project at our commercial property in Palo Alto. We initially contacted Marie to prepare drawings. The project had reporting requirements for Santa Clara County, and delays in our contractor's handling of the permitting process had already cost us significant time. Marie and Brian came out to measure the property, and the drawings were completed promptly. We then asked Marie to coordinate the permitting process as well. Marie brought together information from professionals across several disciplines, clarified requirements with the City and proactively followed up to keep everything moving. Throughout the process, she kept us informed and included us in correspondence. We never had to chase her for an update or wonder where things stood. Her thoroughness and initiative lifted a considerable burden and were instrumental in moving the project forward. Marie was also thoughtful about our time and budget, advising us when something could be handled ourselves rather than requiring her assistance. Her competence, honesty and kindness earned our complete trust. We will gladly work with the Kastrop Group again and cannot recommend Marie highly enough.

The Kastrop group are very professional company. My house was a total re-build and both Mike &…read moreBrian made this incredible task go very smooth. I would definitely use them again and would recommend the Kastrop Group !!!

We had Adam and his team build a room addition for us. I would recommend him his guys were always…read moreon time and took great care to try and keep the house as dust feee as possible. I would use them again.

I wish I could give Gabbert Construction more stars. They completely updated every room in our…read morehouse, and we could not be happier with the way everything turned out! Adam and Carl are so knowledgeable about every aspect of construction that they were able to fix problem areas in our house with solutions we didn't even know were possibilities. Our home is now beautiful as well as functional for our family; plus they finished everything on time! Something friends and family all told us would never happen in the construction world. Their attention to detail, superior communication skills along with trustworthy and dependable subcontractors made it all possible. Will absolutely being using them for any future projects!

Hired Jen to complete the design and plans for our kitchen remodel and home extension. Jen was a…read morepleasure to work with from the start. Extremely professional, easy to work with and best of all, she is ON IT. She was nice enough to go to the City of San Ramon to drop of our revised plans after the city had some changes that needed to be made. She also worked closely with the current contractor we hired. Side note: I'm currently 6 months pregnant and Jen (being a mother herself), understood the level of urgency behind the work and how quickly I needed to get things done. It doesn't hurt that she also bought me a small gift for my baby :) I would hire Jen again in a heartbeat! Oh and if you're looking for an engineer she can refer you to Julio who was also great.

We have been extremely pleased with the work of JB Drafting and Design. We added about 320 sf to…read moreour home for a master bath, walk-in closet, and in-suite bath in another bedroom. I found the work of JB Drafting and Design to be exceptional. They also went above and beyond by helping me choose finishes for the bathrooms, and the bathrooms have turned out beautifully! We couldn't be more pleased! Would highly recommend JB Drafting and Design.

We used Raskop and Lu for a large remodel/rebuild project (over $1 Million) in Oakland. We…read moreselected Ryan after interviewing 10 architects, all of which we found online. A project of this scale is always stressful and has high uncertainty, particularly with respect to details, cost and schedule; our case was complicated further because we were living out of state and our design had some unique details that created constructibility challenges. From the beginning, we were extremely satisfied and comforted with the level of communication, the patience to educate us on the full project cycle requirements, the high level of pro-activity and engagement, and the ability to find creative solutions when we needed them. The work is high quality and they work very efficiently and patiently with the builders and engineers. We have been very impressed at how calm and supportive they are no matter what the stress level. We would have no hesitation in strongly recommending Raskop and Lu for large or small projects. David and Peggy McKay

From the owner: Established in 2017, Raskop and Lu is an architecture, engineering, and development company that…read morehelps homeowners, real estate investors, and builders navigate the design, permitting, and construction process successfully. With a combined 30+ years of industry experience, we provide our clients and community with informative, considerate, and attentive services with the aim of being a trusted steward of our built environment. We believe in the possibility of developing real estate more harmoniously with the people and places involved. Economically integrating today's ideals and values for the built world requires not only deep knowledge, but also a commitment to solve these complex challenges. Achieving this mission means we show up every day ready to serve our community.