The city works dept managed to flood our downstairs with sewage water, and Joe Martines and his team expertly handled every aspect of the repairs and clean-up. They worked long hours to put us out of our misery and leave our downstairs bedrooms and bathrooms looking (and smelling) like new . When it came time to fix our leaking roof terrace, I of course called Joe, and he did a great job. His prices are reasonable, and I intend to use him for all our future construction work. Hopefully it won't involve another sewage flood. read more

Joe is a life saver. We have called him in during two emergencies, and he has come through for us both times. The first was to rescue us from a half-finished bathroom remodel where the original contractor abandoned the project half way through. We could find no other contractor that would touch the project, because you never know the quality of the work already done, and you are kind of assuming responsibility for it. Joe stepped in, fixed some things the previous contractor had screwed up, and finished the bathroom just in time for us to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family visiting. The second time was similar. We had a water line break and it damaged the entire bathroom in the master bedroom. We were displaced from our bedroom and the house was hazardous. Joe was already booked with other projects, but was able to rearrange some of his staff and was able to start fixing the house that very day. Three weeks later, we had a beautiful bathroom. We hadn't anticipated doing another bathroom remodel, and certainly hadn't budgeted for it. Joe's price was very fair, considering the emergency nature of the project and the fact that he had to have people on overtime to help complete the job. I highly recommend JM Construction. They are life savers. read more

JM totally exceeded my expectations. He is "the early bird catches the worm". His know how made our repair efficient! I appreciate appreciate appreciate that he squeezed us in. He understood the timeline of our need and stepped up, while LIKELY juggling other commitments --and made our life happy. He also listened to anything else we wanted to bring to him (future needs). JM is the original JM of Santa Cruz, and is kind to not tell the peeps that took the same name, in the same town, that are in the same field, to CHANGE THEIR NAME. ;-) read more

We needed someone reliable for a job restoring two bathrooms after a nasty sewer flood. We live in another state, so we had to be able to trust and communicate closely with our contractor. We asked around, and our Realtor said J. M. Construction was her first choice! Previously we had found Joe Martines and J.M. on the Internet and were impressed online, so we felt he was doubly recommended. He had a busy schedule but agreed to fit our job in. He and his crew worked tirelessly and were very accoutable. We could tell that they cared about workmanship, which was important since we are picky. It's hard to find someone who gives you a good value for the money without compromising on quality. Our job was very well done and went faster than we had hoped.. read more

Joe Martines has been my go to home and business contractor and maintenance person for more than 25 years. He has always performed at the very highest skill level, and has made sure that even issues I had not been aware of were brought to my attention and corrected. He makes regular inspections to assure that all is in order and that no unexpected problems will develop. From my long experience with Joe's work I am convinced that he could handle any element of a building project, even performing most of the duties usually subcontracted. He has substantially remodeled the interior of my office buildings several times, to accommodate changing needs; he rebuilt a master bathroom in my home without disruption of my family's life , he rebuilt most of the interior and added a room to mother's home, and has made himself available whenever an emergency situation arose. I have such confidence in Joe, that in my absence I have given him authority and full responsibility to find and correct any problems which might develop at any of my properties. He is always considerate of my tenants' needs and accommodates them to my tenants' admiring delight. I leave him in full charge to deal with any problems which might develop at any of my buildings even during extended absences and he has my wholehearted recommendation. Rod A. read more

Joe is the contractor and "handyman" for our condo complex and he is prompt, easy to work with, reasonably priced, a good listener and communicator, and he doesn't complete a project without asking if we are fully satisfied. From carpentry to plumbing to electrical to flooring, I highly recommend Joe and his crew. read more

We were trying to get a bid on our remodel and addition and contacted Joe based off of yelp reviews and the fact that He's only about 2 miles away. We conversed back and forth via email and I sent him our plan set. He wanted to set up a meeting so that we could give him paper plans and walk around to look at the house and have a short discussion. We set up a meeting for 9:00 am and both my wife and I took time off of work to meet him. He never showed up. By 9:20 I had called, left a voicemail, texted him, and emailed him. He just left us hanging. He emailed me a few hours later saying he had gotten busy and forgot to let us know (even though we had confirmed the meeting the night before). Look, I work in consulting and I get it, everyone is super busy and meetings need to get postponed all the time. But it was pretty unprofessional to completely skip the meeting when people are waiting for you. All it would have take was a quick text or email saying he was busy, or even at capacity and unable to take on new projects. That is not a negative at all in my book. But to leave us hanging when we took off work to meet him was frustrating. The only reason why this isnt a 1 star review is because we didnt get far enough along in the process to evaluate his work. read more

Joe and his team worked with us on a tight timeframe to repair and restore our newly acquired 1906 bungalow after years of neglect. We came to appreciate his honesty, the quality of his workmanship, and his value-oriented ideas. As an example of his creative thinking, the first thing you noticed when you entered the kitchen was the side of the refrigerator. He suggested swapping the placement of the stove and the fridge; the change produced an instantly roomier feeling. In an old house like this one, you never know what you're going to find. Knowing that safety was our top priority, Joe diligently took photos and sent them to us when he found issues that he thought we should fix. And lastly, we found Joe to be knowledgeable and honest. To give you an idea of his scope of services, he replaced exterior shingles, replaced or reinforced dry-rotted boards, arranged for a new roof, demo'd some ugly cabinets and weird stone work, added venting to the foundation and attic, put in a new kitchen cabinet, installed a new dishwasher and garbage disposal, replaced a bathroom sink and shower, replaced gas pipes and clogged drains... whew! The list goes on. He's a very versatile contractor - and he comes with a sense of humor! We recommend him highly and plan to work with him on future projects. read more

Joe provided excellent work - on time and budget. Really easy to work with, very professional. They fixed a crack in our foundation and also some cracks in ceiling plaster. Great work!! read more

I'm with "Brian A," because I DID call Joe today. He was supposed to text me back with his number. I don't believe Brian A. was thinking of another "JM Construction" (the one in Campbell). I wish I could give a better review but I can't. I did want to make an appointment with Joe, and I'm sure he will remember me, because we talked about how I erroneously gave a great review of "Jm Construction," when I meant to give it to "JM Construction in Campbell." Joe, I wish could have had an appt. with you, but you seem to forget some customers and not others. It's very unfortunate. read more

It is impossible to write in words how much appreciation and respect I have for Joe, but I will try my best. I found Joe through his yelp reviews, and wow am I glad! I was stuck in a predicament over a deck at our beach house that was half finished and I needed someone to complete the work. The problem was complex because of a FEMA issue because we are in a flood zone and a red tag that was issued. When I called Joe, he was the only person to put me at ease. Instead of telling me this was a big problem and making me more upset, he assured me this would be ok. I can't thank him enough for his comfort! This process ended up being a nightmare. It required Joe to go to the county building department more than five times to get the permit. What I appreciated most was Joe's excellent communication. Constant email and text updates. He has simply been great!!!!!!!!! Over time it felt like this project became personal to him, in some way he was defending my honor. Finally, yesterday we received full permit approval to move forward with the necessary work. Joe and I celebrated together!!!!! What a crazy process, and I am so appreciative of all of Joe's guidance and reassurance. The second phase will be starting soon, and I will provide a follow up review once the work has been completed. At this time I have no doubt on his quality, professionalism, character, fairness, and honesty! Work complete: Joe and his team did an amazing job. The work was completed in a week and quickly passed onsite inspection from the Santa Cruz building department. I was not able to make it to the house, so Joe sent me pictures every day with detailed descriptions of the work completed. I totally trust him, all of the work was done without my supervision, and I'm so happy! No project is too big for these guys, they knocked out this deck like it was nothing. I need to make it clear that he handled everything to perfection....... clearing the red tag, obtaining the permit, efficiently completing the work, and getting the county inspector out for approval. You can't go wrong putting him on the job! read more

We used JM Construction to remodel two bathrooms in our beach condo. Joe was a real pleasure to work with and a really nice guy. He was very patient listening to our ideas, offered suggestions that resulted in improved results and was always eager to tackle any issues. He is extremely knowledgeable in all areas of construction, made sure to take care of all required permits and even contacted neighbors in the building when there may have been any minor disruptions like noise or temporary water shut off. Joe and his team were very considerate and always left everything clean when they left. We would use JM Construction again and would highly recommend him. read more

I recently met Joe when he drove to my house to return my lost wallet! Although we haven't used his construction business, I certainly have reason to believe he's an honest, caring guy. He refused to take any money - even for gas after driving out to Watsonville! Says a lot about his character. Thanks again Joe! read more

JM Construction. My mobile home had no laundry facility and thought a coat closet might make an excellent place. Thought this was going to be a small job....the area was small, but the work was like adding a bathroom the size of a phone booth. I was amazed at the amount of detail needed for plumbing, electrical, venting, matching flooring, paint,etc. Joe Martenes was detailed and thorough, even the building inspector was impressed with his work. Completed on time and gave lots of options, was creative and open to questions and ideas. I also have a home in Saratoga and will be calling him for my next project. read more

I have been using JM Construction for over 10 years now. They remodeled my first Craftsman house about 10 years ago, and have done several projects on the second one over the past three years. I continue to use JM Construction because they are fair, honest, and last but not least do a very, very good job. Joe frequently provides suggestions and helpful input, which isn't my experience with other Contractors. Recently JM put in a new front door for us, a new rear porch, under floor heating, and both repaired and replaced several of our 102 year old plaster walls that had extensive cracking. I don't write many Yelp reviews, but am doing so now because I know how hard it is to find a really good contractor, and JM is really good! read more

I used Joe and his team for a renovation of a 1600 sq ft beach house that was completed this past summer. Joe is trustworthy and reliable, and is not happy until you're happy! He is an all-around contractor and can do a great variety of work. When the opportunity arises, we'll be working with him again! read more

UPDATE : Joe contacted us and apologized for not showing up to the appointment and has offered to come by and check it out. I'll be happy to re-update my review once he can come by! =) I don't really know what happened with Joe. I called him about a month ago and spoke about a foundation issue we wanted to get an estimate to repair for a house we're purchasing. Joe said it would be no problem and he would come by on Monday to check it out. Monday passed..by Wednesday, I hadn't heard from him so I gave him a call and left a message asking if he was able to stop by. Called again on Friday, left a message. All in all, I left four messages and emailed him twice. Joe never the decency to respond to any of my emails or messages. I was really looking forward to JM Construction doing work on our house once we moved in but considering he never took the time to just admit he couldn't make it to the house for whatever reason is really disappointing. Please, Joe. Next time, give the customer a call back. It's the courteous thing to do. You knew we were on a tight time schedule and needed an estimate for the lender and because you flaked out, I had to rush to find another contractor option. Really disappointed. read more

If you're looking for a General Contractor who will treat your home like their own, then Joe Martines of JM Construction is the person you want for your project. Joe goes above and beyond what a client would hope for, but rarely gets from a contractor. He not only answers his phone...imagine that, but he communicated well with me and as an out of town home-owner, he texted me photo updates of the work, especially internal work that one wouldn't normally see after the walls/ceilings are closed up. This relieved any stress that I may have had in not being able to be onsite and only added to my confidence in him. In addition, as a designer myself, I appreciated Joe's design sense and design suggestions that I often found helpful. Joe and his crew were always respectful of my property and cleaned up the site prior to leaving for the day. As a General Contractor, Joe does it all and is excellent at everything he did for me, including, but not limited to, major construction, roofing, plumbing, electrical, drywall, foundation work, siding, wall texture (Old World style) and painting. He handled with ease all the city planning and inspections and made that difficult part of the process easier for me. I'm looking forward to my next project with Joe as both a client and collaborator...he's really the best! read more

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Since we bought our Santa Cruz beach house in 2011, Joe has been our go-to guy for all our maintenance and improvement needs. And he is long overdue for a stellar review from us! As well as inside construction work, he and his team has just completed a total rebuild on our upper deck. It looks amazing & it is super sturdy an elephant could dance on it! His work is top notch & he takes a pride in what he does. As we are not local to Santa Cruz, therefore not onsite, it is important to have a contractor 100% trustworthy & responsive. He has never let us down & really understands our requirements/standards & budget for the beach house. We co-own the house with another family, so sometimes communication has not been the best on our part. Joe has been very understanding and patient with us, so I have to give him extra praise for that:-). Needless to say, if you want a great standard of work, a trustworthy and super nice chap to boot - I would definitely recommend this company and, especially, for work on beach houses & second homes. read more

Joe Martinez of JM Construction did a great job for us when we needed to meet a deadline. Our balcony repair ran into issues when the Santa Cruz County Planning Department unexpectedly required engineered drawings to approve our construction permit. Joe jumped through all the hoops to get the permit and complete our construction project on time. He and his crew really went above and beyond my expectations. They were very conscientious about cleaning up after themselves each day and protecting the rest of our house from dust and debris. We were out of town at the time and it was a relief to realize that they did not require babysitting to get the job done in a professional manner. I developed full trust in them, a comforting feeling when someone is opening up your house while you are absent. Joe took the time to explain each step in the process by email or phone as they progressed toward a beautifully completed project. Not only is Joe a competent and resourceful contractor, he is just a flat out nice guy, willing to go the extra mile to serve the customer. He will be the first one I call for any future remodeling or construction projects. read more

I'm so thrilled with the quality service I received from Joe Martines of JM Construction who went over and beyond the call of duty in constructing a "Good Neighbor Fence". I will never be able to express the gratitude I felt throughout my complicated situation as his patience and meticulous workmanship in having to deal with two clients simultaneously would have challenged even the most Gandhi type personality. JM Construction is an extremely knowledgeable, thorough, and honest company. I will definitely use Joe Martines / JM Construction again and HIGHLY RECOMMEND him for anyone looking for A+ Workmanship!! Thank You Joe!! read more

Joe is not only a very skilled and professional contractor, he is a really nice guy -- easy and pleasant to work with. He has a great sense of humor, a quality not often considered when looking for a contractor but very helpful! JM Construction recently did many and varied beautiful interior remodeling projects for us. Joe installed a gas fireplace with a marble tile surround and hearth as well as a custom wood mantle, a fully wired alcove for a TV and cabinets surrounding it, in my living room. He designed the whole thing based on a photograph I gave him. We love it! Joe and his assistant, Alfredo, also updated our lighting and tackled what seemed like a huge job to us---moving our furnace and opening up a formerly dark hallway from the front to the back of the house, complete with a solatube and beautiful interior French pocket doors--with remarkable ease and little inconvenience to us. They replaced a rotting subfloor and tiled our bathroom and did an amazing job repairing and improving the shower tile (originally installed by someone else). As we have only one bathroom, Joe was diligent in getting the bathroom back into working order each day! They installed exterior French doors and beautiful tiles steps out to our patio as well. Joe was great at making my vague ideas into a beautiful reality! He is patient and exceptionally helpful with every aspect of the project, from design and product research to finishes. The quality of his work is great; the changes look like they were part of the original design of our home. I highly recommend Joe and his crew for any kind of construction work! read more

Joe and his team have done extensive work on our beach house in Santa Cruz, and I have to say that they did a terrific job, and the house looks fabulous as a result! The JM Construction team completed a wide variety of tasks for us, including bathroom remodel, floor replacement, interior painting, door repair & replacement, exterior painting, light fixture installation, and roof/shingle repair. We found Joe to be very honest, and appreciate his suggestions and inputs (he often gives more than one way to solve a problem, with trade-offs). Examples of great customer service include 1) an emergency water line repair last summer when Santa Cruz Water altered us of a leak, and 2) an emergency fence repair last month after damage from the big storms. We definitely appreciate his great work, and plan to use JM Construction again in the future! read more

JM Construction did a major project at our house to re-do our carport which suffered some major water damage during the rainy season due to previous inferior workmanship. Not only did Joe recommend the "path of least resistance" in terms of the approach, but the end result was far better than what we had originally. He is fair and honest, and we will most definitely have him do other jobs for us as we continue to do renovations. read more

The Best! We have lived in our house since November, 1999. We've updated almost every part of the house by now. We just recently hired Joe and his crew to paint the exterior of our home and to stain the interior wood windows and trim and I can only say I wish I'd found JM Construction years ago. Joe came to the site daily to check on everything and his crew was friendly and diligent. Gustavo and Hugo were very careful of plants, were friendly, clean, non-smoking, nice to me and my kids and made sure everything was to my liking. It's hard to define quality until you see it. JM Construction does quality work. Don't settle for less, hire Joe for any job you need done well and you won't be sorry. Fair prices, Excellent quality. I don't give out 5 stars EVER, but JM Construction gets all 5! read more

Joe did a phenomenal job re-doing my cottage after a bad sewage spill. I now have beautiful new (tile) floors, new sheetrock, and new paint. He worked fast and was very reliable. I recommend him 110%! Thank you, Joe! read more

I needed a contractor to replace windows and sliding door in our weekend place in Aptos and to follow up on a termite report. I wanted a local contractor who would work with me as we opened up each area to check for damage to do no more and no less than was necessary. I got an estimate from the termite company for the replacements but was concerned that I might have a problem with extra charges, be at their mercy once the walls were opened and repairs became evident. I found Joe through the online references, met him and felt comfortable with him immediately. His estimate for the replacements came in almost identical to the termite company and his terms for additional repairs were clear and understandable. We discussed each repair as it came up and he had no problem with my close supervision. He supplied all the insurance documentation I asked for and was there throughout the job. He was exactly what I wanted for the job. I recommend him without reservation. read more