Great place. I was looking for russian baltic birch plywood in a rare thickness and the owner tracked it down for me, plus gave me a bunch of good info about it that I didn't know. They also cut everything down to the sizes I needed and helped load it all to my car. Really appreciate the service. Not many places will go that extra mile anymore. read more

I've used Golden State lumber for a few windows and doors. Out of all the lumber yards I called they have consistently been the least expensive, approx. 30% savings from other stores. Shaemian is very responsive and helpful. I will always go to Golden State lumber for all of my construction needs. read more

Their delivery driver in his huge red truck drove recklessly on our lawn and driveway fence and damaged our property, I told him about it and he acted like he didn't do it. That guy is absolutely horrible! read more

Customer service is impeccable! Also best prices around and the quality of the lumber is fantastic. Will definitely order from Golden State for my projects. read more

BACKGROUND I do a lot of construction. DIY construction, that is. Six months ago, while in the middle of a project, I noticed that Home Depot was selling a lot of wood with black mold. Wood gets mold when left in the rain too long. I had one Pro Desk person sell me a large order of 2x8, and he told me I could use "bleach or Copper Green" to treat the mold. That motivated me to find another source of building materials. For decades, I'd used Home Depot or Lowes. This review reflects several months of interaction with Golden State Lumber. This review is a pleasure to write and I do have a code of conduct when using Yelp. QUALITY There is a pronounced difference in quality. Golden State's lumber is superior to big-box store lumber. It's not even close. I used to spend a lot of time picking pieces at big box stores because so much of it was bowed, checked, cupped, and even moldy. Framing is so much easier with their markedly better quality wood. KNOWLEDGE/CUSTOMER SERVICE No comparison. Personnel at Golden State include folks who worked in construction. Golden State is an old school lumber yard with people who know what they're talking about. I've gone there and asked questions about material selection, what fasteners to use, and even questions about construction technique and they've not only been helpful, they have a friendly and helpful mindset. When calling Golden State to ask questions, the phone is answered promptly. They answer questions, pricing, technical, and otherwise promptly. I even had one of their experts give me his cell phone number to get back to him. This level of customer focus is beyond the big-box store experience. FACILITY/OPERATIONS It's a big facility. There are people driving around in fork lifts that helped me to select and load wood. No more pulling lumber-laden carts through parking lots -- they load your truck and they're friendly people. Parking is plentiful. To buy lumber, I go to the Sales counter, sometimes with phone pictures describing my project, and we discuss what is needed. I've been walked out to the yard to see the lumber under consideration, or, I know what I want and place the order. I go to my truck, and my lumber is brought to me and loaded. They also deliver. I own a lot of tools and materials, therefore have not made significant purchases of those, but I have walked through the place and it is well stocked with good quality tools and materials. PRICE Lower than Home Depot and Lowes for lumber -- that was the shocker for me. I've bought subfloor and framing members and the prices for far better quality lumber have been lower. CONCERNS The single drawback for Golden State is that I have to drive to Newark to get there. What they need to do is to open a facility in San Jose. Other than location, I don't have a bad thing to say about them. It's been a great experience. read more

I called Golden State Lumber asking to speak with someone in windows and doors. I was transferred to Shaemian Medina, I told him I am doing a renovation and wanted to see my options for windows and doors. I asked him if it was better to make an appointment or walk-in. He told me it would take a while to get a quote, which I was fine with. We made an appointment for 10am. I gathered my plans, measurements and arrived at 9:50am. I walked around the showroom floor and asked for Shaemian. He was not at his desk, but 2 other sales reps. pointed me to his desk and told me to wait there. They said they texted Shaemian and he knew I was coming. I sat and waited for 30 mins and no one showed up. What a waste of time! If you weren't able to make the appointment, then let me know. I'm fine if things come up, and I understand emergencies. The other reps were just standing around, they could have helped me. If they were there for the customer, they could have saw I was waiting there and could have helped answer some basic questions while I was waiting. To have someone wait at your desk for 30 mins and not even give them a heads up that you're running late or you need to reschedule is not professional or courteous. Anyways, I had 6 windows and 2 exterior doors to replace. Maybe my order was too small. read more

been waiting a month for a refund on materials that have been returned and picked up. the only answer I have gotten so far is that this isnt normal and sorry I cant help besides that because the refund process is owned by payroll. asked to be given someone to contact and follow up with. no response. read more

I came to GSL on Friday the 12th of March. Danny from Golden State Lumber took excellent care of me. I needed 2 boards and cut a specific way to meet code for my house inspection by the City. He delayed his lunch to accommodate me when he didn't have to. Danny was quick, polite, & proficient at his job. The front office people were beyond helpful as well. These lumber companies deserve your business over buying your wood at the big Corp hardware stores. Danny deserves praise from his bosses for his customer service. I'll tell anyone who asks about lumber needs about Golden State Lumber now. That's what great customer service should earn you. read more

Wonderful helpful staff. We needed some window trim for my Dad's home and they suggested exactly I needed. Loading was super easy. Hand over a load tag and they direct you into the enclosed lumber yard.. they load you up and off you go. They check your receipt on the way out. I will be back. read more

Amazing service and the prices kicked Home Depot's butts! They delivered in 2 days and had everything I needed on site! I can't express how smooth the process was from start to finish. I believe it was Roger who helped me! Thx again fellas! read more

Received letter from this business, as "California Preliminary Notice" , with amount of $21250. However I didn't purchase from them at all. Beware of scam. read more

I bought windows from these guys to install (myself) in my house. Roy, the sales guy was pretty good through the ordering process. Patient and took the time to answer the questions my wife and I had. My issues started after I got the windows delivered to my house. I purchased Milgard windows with divided light grids between the panes. The problem was that one of the windows came out with the grids completely out of level and it was obvious when looking at the house from the street. This was a milgard manufacturing problem and an obvious defect, but when I called Roy / GSL back and told him the issue, he kept referring me to Milgards warranty department. I got about 2 months of run-around from Milgards warranty department. They insisted on sending out a tech to "fix" the window even though it was a manufacturers defect and what I really wanted was a complete replacement fresh from the factory. I expressed this clearly several times to both GSL and Milgard to no avail. My issue with GSL is that I felt like they gave me no back-up with Milgard and they kept telling me that, they were "sorry" but since I had accepted the delivery (rather than refusing it) it was not their issue and must be handled through Milgard's warranty program. How was I supposed to see that the grids were out of level when the window is delivered with protection and packaging / wrapped up in shrink wrap?!?!?!? I was left dealing with Milgard directly and all of their bureaucratic scheduling BS. I bought $5,000 worth of windows from you guys and this is the service I get? They didn't seem to think I was really all that important of a customer given that I am just a single DIY homeowner. I try to give a real lumber yard some business instead of the dreaded home depot, but honestly, I think home depot would have handled this better. After 3 visits over several months, Milgard they finally got a properly manufactured window pane with grids that were level. It finally all turned out OK, but it was a very painful experience. read more

It's a family business. But it's dishonest. I was charged 17ft per each mounding, while I measured it afterwards it's exactly 16ft. It's so weird why they insisted on it's 17ft as it's an odd number and factory should not have this spec. I dropped by the store to argue for it. But I was rejected by the staffs (owners' family member) and asked me to write them email. I did but no response. I was stunned by the dishonesty. read more

Golden State Lumber is awesome! I have had an account here since they opened up here in Newark over 15 years ago.From the general manager to sales to the yard everyone is very professional and operates like a big family. The products and quality of materials are top notch. Pricing is very competitive.There is a reason why most professional general contractors like us purchase our building materials here ! Joe Loza of Loza Construction Inc.(510) 714-1444 read more

I want to thank Shaemian for his great service and experience ! we need replace our entry door and he has been very helpful and provide excellent information so we could make the right choice. the shipment is on time and good communication, will recommend to other friend too. read more

Service is great? Knowledge? Well.. I learned a lesson on Mahogany! It wasn't what I was expecting? Apparently. What I was looking for? They didn't have. So I was looking for a red mahogany notted wood. I was sold something else. That's from Fiji. That is not red but brown and with stripes down the length of the wood. Me. I grew up with working with the red mahogany with notts in it. Pretty hard wood. I wanted to make my deceased wife a dedication picture frame. With her belongings and things she liked associated with her. They don't make any big enough for her stuff. So I'm attempting to make one out of this brown wood? So basically I was sold not what I was looking for. That's why the 3 stars. I'm just hoping I can stain it to look like what I'm thinking of? Do make it work? read more

I dont agree with all these 1 stars. Newark spot is good. Jon and Melissa have always took care of me and I have never had a issue keep up the good work. read more

GSL does have decent prices and large on-hand stock, so if you need something immediately, chances are they have it. But each salesperson quotes a different price on the same item. So ask around before you buy large items. But the biggest issue with GSL is that the sales staff is absolutely unhelpful and unfriendly. I've been there multiple times and this is consistently the case with the exception of one older gentleman, who at least makes an attempt. Everyone else is extremely reluctant to help and seem miserable working there. Once I had to sharply ask if someone can help me with pricing on an item. Another time, I was handed off to someone in the back by a staff member. And the man in the back made it sound like he was doing me a huge favor by giving me a quote on some 4-figure items I needed. Only when I persisted did he start the quotation process. The prices he quoted were higher what I eventually ended up paying. And he gave me incorrect information on something very fundamental that made me go back and question my project until I figured out that he was wrong. What a waste of time! Usually, unhelpful staff is a symptom of poor management. Either they treat the employees poorly, or they tolerate employees with poor customer skills. So I buy a lot of my materials from other retailers. I'd go to GSL only for items that aren't readily available elsewhere or if there's a big price differential. read more

I had several double-paned Milgard windows installed throughout my house back in 2016, and recently I noticed that they had dirt and grime between the two panes. The previous installer was now out of business, so I figured I was stuck with windows that would never be clean again. A friend of mine suggested that I check with Golden State Lumber for suggestions as they carry the windows. The only problem for me was that Golden State was not in my area, but I was desperate to fix the problem. Thankfully, Chris Pepin at Golden State was able to point me in the right direction. He contacted a Milgard rep in my area to get the job rolling, and this morning all my windows were replaced with no cost to me! Golden State is a very busy lumber yard, and I am so impressed that Chris took the time from his day to help me. He really went above and beyond! read more

I went to this place on the recommendation of a friend and was very impressed with not only the quality and condition of the wood, but also a very cool easy going staff. Prices are competitive with the other lumber yards and the big boys like Home Depot & Lowes, but again the service guy's make this place worth shopping at first. read more

The employees are very knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly. I was impressed by the level of professionalism displayed. read more

Chris Pepin at Golden State Lumber is awesome! Truly a great guy who helped us every step of the way on our major home remodel. He was always on top of the schedule and extremely knowledgeable. I recommend these guys without hesitation. It was really a relief to find such a dedicated customer focused team and our man Chris! read more

I have been working with Shaemian Medina since November 2020 in purchasing doors for our new home. We initially wanted just one door but we ended up replacing all the doors in our home, 5 total. Shaemian has been so helpful in helping us choose which door to buy and the personal attention he provides beats any big store service. Shaemian is very knowledgeable and he will give you the pros and cons in the various products they sell. Shaemian is timely, responsive and attentive. I look forward to buying future products from Shaemian and Golden State Lumber. read more

This place never fails. We originally heard about this place when we needed lumber for our siding. We had a good experience here the first time around that after another local window company forgot my order, I was reminded to come to Golden State. Ron took care of my order. He sat down to explain everything about the window I was ordering. Yes I did pay $30 more for the window but at the end, worth it for the peace of mind and respect they gave me. Knowledgeable, competent and happy workers are truly there to help. I will continue to come here. read more

I really don't know what's customer satisfaction they give you one Face on the counter But the people who LOL you up it's people very irresponsible they don't have manners they take their time I spent almost 1 hour to get my load and when I got my load my rack couldn't handle the load and I asked the worker to put the stuff on the bed of my truck and he refuseHe said with these words you can do it yourself I'm going to lunch ha ha Ha really for me even though to write this review is a waste of time why because they don't even Deserve nothing but I'll keep coming back to this store not to challenge people I just won the right treatment for me and to everybody In another worker showed up and he told me I know what kind of people you are judging me right there without knowing me But at the end I just have to forgive them but they have to stop mistreating people read more

We ordered 2 sliding doors from Golden State Lumber. Shaemian was fantastic. Highly recommend going to see them for all your window and door needs. read more

Tim was very kind to help me to choose the right type and size of woods for our project. The product fitted perfectly with our renovation. Highly recommend. read more

Chris Pepin provided an amazing customer service experience when I needed to purchase some hardware for my Marvin sliding glass door system. He was very polite and informative about the ordering process when I contacted him regarding the parts and even had them shipped to my house so I wouldn't have to come pick them up. The best part about all of this, he shipped them and also made the entire order complimentary! I will only be using Golden State Lumber for ANY of my home improvement/building material needs going forward. They've always been excellent in my past experiences with them, but this experience made me a truly life long loyal customer. Thanks again Chris!!! read more

My original sales rep called me back on the day I posted my previous review. He apologized for the delay/miscommunication and took actions to make sure the screws to be shipped to me in a timely manner. I received the screws the next day! I will use them again for the next order as the lumber quality is good and hope what happened this time is not a norm. read more

Chris Pepin is the Man!!! After months of speaking with contractors, builders and window repairman, I finally found Chris at Golden State Lumber. He is helpful, resourceful, polite and he returns my phone calls. He is the best and he should be given a pay raise. Thank you Chris for all your assistance! read more

Tragically, Golden State Lumber has let me down and is costing me and my contractor significant costs to remedy the situation. My contractor ordered Ipe lumber from them for a rather large deck project at our home. Within 6 days, the boards began to cup and shrink. This was in the middle of a dry season and the sprinklers where not yet installed. So, no, it was not a moisture issue. The Golden State representative acknowledged that the contractor did everything right when installing the Ipe boards, yet they have not stepped up to replace the obviously 'green' lumber. My research indicates that unlike most lumber types, Ipe has more oil than water in it's structure, thus requiring a much longer curing time. Clearly this was the problem. Golden State delivered improperly cured lumber and has not stood up to their mission of "When You Succeed, We Succeed!". Buy your lumber elsewhere. read more

Great place to grab lumber !

Horrible service. Nobody was willing to take the time to explain the differences between different brands of wood and when I asked for pricing, the employee seemed bothered that he'd have to make a call for a price. I took my business to Economy Lumber in Oakland instead, where they do make customer service a priority. read more

My contractor had a few deliveries from this company so far and each one had incorrect material. Each one was several days late including one about a week late due to a mix up. This caused my two week project to be over a month read more

We special ordered structural material from Golden State Lumber as part of our remodel. The lead time for the item was 7 to 10 days. That was over a month ago and we're still waiting for it. They owned up to their mistake, admitting they forgot to submit the order (even though we pre-paid for it), which accounted for the initial delay, and that their vendor then forgot to fill the order, which is why we are still waiting. But that doesn't really help me now. This should have been delivered a month ago, but instead work is now behind schedule and I'm incurring extra costs. I regret going with these guys. That was our mistake. read more

I gotta say the employees of this location are top notch. Josiah has gotten me taken care of every time I need to pick something up. If I had an account and my own business I would come to Josiah for everything. read more

Basically this company has no moral compass, We were building a house and have purchased various supplies. The owner decided they wanted craftman's doors and we sent a photo of the exact door we wanted. The salesman Roy was on his way out for vacation and basically ordered the wrong door. Generally they give you photographs of the door along with a price. In this case the salesman sent over a spreadsheet and the order was booked based on a description that tells you nothing. Upon receiving the doors we realized the mistake that was made and approached the company on replacing the doors which was shot down. They wanted us to modify the doors by adding the necessary modifications and they would reimburse us for the costs. I eventually negotiated a $1000 dollar refund with the owner as we did not want to risk modifying the doors and having matching issues etc... The salesman promised that we would get reimbursed and when it came time to pay they reneged on the promise to pay. I will not even get into the many times my phone calls were not returned. If sending a photograph is not sufficient enough for you to do your job then perhaps you are in the wrong business. When you make a mistake own up to it and fix it. read more

Chris P. in the doors and windows dept was very helpful and easy to work with. Great selection and customer service.